CategoriesUncategorized

Sometimes the Little Things DO Matter

We’ve all heard the adage, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”  Taking it a step further, we’ve even gone so far as to say – at least in the gym setting – that those people who focus more on the minutia are doing nothing more than spinning their wheels.

Take for example the guy who walks into the gym at 150 lbs soaking wet, and has always struggled to put on weight.  Rather than, you know, walk over to the squat rack and use it for its intended purpose (squats), he sets up shop to get his bicep curl on – usually spending an entire hour training a muscle the size of a tennis ball.  Makes a lot of sense, right?

Or, what about the female who, despite being 15 lbs overweight and admittedly sick and tired of always trying to lose those extra pounds, walks into the gym and spends the next 60 minutes on the elliptical machine watching Days of Our Lives.

Conventional wisdom would tell her that despite what the machine says, she didn’t just burn 750 calories (for the record, you’re an idiot if you really think those machines are accurate), and that her time would have been better spent performing some form of resistance training and interval work.  And, even more importantly, it probably wouldn’t hurt if she skip the Dunkin Donuts pit stop afterwards.  Just sayin…….

Basically, in short, when it comes to exercise, or life in general for that matter, people tend to spend the bulk of their time focusing on the small, intricate things that probably won’t even matter in the first place.  Like the guy who’s struggling to put weight on, yet is concerned about his bicep peak; or the girl who’s struggling to take weight off, yet has been doing the same, boring, cardio routine since 1998.

At the expense of back pedaling a little bit, though, sometimes, focusing on the small things does make a difference.

Much like a director spending half the day trying to perfect the lighting to get that one aesthetic shot on camera; or the nuclear physicist triple checking his math to make sure the world doesn’t shit itself; or just doing something as simple as trapping your fart underneath the covers as sign to your significant other that you love them – it’s the small things can make all the difference in the world.

The world of strength and conditioning is no different.   I can’t tell you how many times during the day I tell someone to tuck their chin while deadlifting, to sit back more on their squats, or to stop shrugging during their seated rows FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY!!!!!!!

People want to train hard, and I can respect and appreciate that.   Hell, I want that; I strive for that.  But oftentimes, when the “go hard or go home” mentality starts to take over, the little things tend to get thrown to the wayside.

Knees start caving in on squats.  Elbows start flaring out during benching.  Backs start to round just a smidge more during deadlifts.  Athletes start compensating with more lumbar rotation during med ball drills.  It’s a slippery slope to take, and one that I’m not too comfortable traveling down as a coach.

The last thing I want is for another coach or trainer to walk into our facility and freak the freak out when he or she watches our athletes train.   Kinda like what would happen if I walked in and saw this circus going on.  Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

So, in the end, I guess all I’m trying to say is this:  While it’s true that many people tend to place too much emphasis on minutia – as coaches, it’s often what’s needed in order to be successful in the long run.  Sometimes, the small things DO matter.

CategoriesUncategorized

Random Training Thoughts (Yes, I Stole This Blog Title from Mike Robertson)

Normally I save these type of posts for Miscellaneous Miscellany Mondays, but I’ve got a few things rocking around in my brain at the moment that I needed to just throw out there.

Deadlifts are King

Everyone knows that I have an affinity for two things:  Alicia Keys and deadlifts.  But that goes without saying.

The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that deadlifts truly are the most versatile exercise in existence.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: what makes the deadlift so unique is the fact that you can fit (or tweak) the movement to the lifter and not vice versa.  Meaning, if someone walks into my facility on day one and has the hip mobility of a crow bar (read:  they’re tight), I’m certainly not going to have him or her attempt to pull straight from the floor.  That’s just a disaster waiting to happen.

Instead, I may opt to use an elevated trap bar setting; or maybe even have them perform rack pulls. Who knows?  Either way, they’re STILL receiving all the benefits of deadlifting – engraining the proper hip hinge pattern, strengthening the posterior chain, increasing core stability, etc – without all the drawbacks that would otherwise arise if had them pull directly from the floor.

Of course, as they become more proficient, we can start to experiment with other variations – but ONLY after they have proven they’re capable of doing so!  It may take one session, one week, or one month, it’s hard to tell.  But as I noted previously, having the ability to progress AND regress our clients is a skill that’s often overlooked.

So, in short, I don’t have to “mold” the lifter to the exercise. Rather, I can “mold” the exercise to the lifter depending on their postural deficits, current mobility restrictions, injury history, so on and so forth.   And, while we can say the same for just about any exercise, I feel the deadlift is easily the most adaptable of the bunch.

Programming Logic

And, speaking of deadlifts – here’s a quick programming tip.  Whether you’re following a 3x-per-week, full body split, or a 4x-per-week, upper/lower split, on the days you deadlift, make sure your single leg movement for that day is more quad-dominant in nature.

As an example, if your main movement for that day is SUMO deadlifts (more hip dominant in nature), a good single leg movement to implement would be something like a dumbbell split squat, or maybe some Bulgarian split squats – both of which are more quad-dominant.

Conversely, on the days that you squat (which are more quad dominant, excluding box squats, obviously), it would be a good idea to include single leg work that’s more hip (hamstring/glute) dominant – like dumbbell (or barbell) reverse lunges, or 1-legged RDLs.

This isn’t something that’s necessarily set in stone, but one “rule” that I have found works pretty well when discussing program design with younger or less experienced trainers and coaches.

Really?  No, Seriously, Really?

I’m definitely going to expound on this in more of a rant style post sometime next week, but suffice it to say I saw an article on Yahoo’s homepage the other day titled “Top FOUR Exercises to Tone Up Your Arms,” written by some celebrity trainer (not who you think) who used all the cute, warm, and fuzzy buzz words you would expect to see in such an article.  The same words used time and time again that play into women’s fears of lifting “real” weight.

Words like tone, sleek, shape, and anything similar that is just as likely to make me want to set my face on fire.

What’s more, the exercises shown – shadow punches, tricep extension, rear delt flies, and bicep curls – all done for 15-20 reps no less, are about as likely to get your arms “toned” as brushing your hair.

It’s bullshit when you think about it.  Oh man, I’m getting fired up just thinking about it.

1-Arm Farmer Carries

Are definitely growing on my list of exercise that everyone needs to be doing.  Think about it:

  • You have to brace the contralateral side as not to tip over – great for overall core stability.
  • Depending on which side you’re holding the DB, kettlebell, barbell, whatever, there’s a pretty significant hip external rotation component as well.  So, if you’re holding a DB in your right hand, the right posterior hip musculature must fire in order to prevent internal rotation, which in turn stabilizes the hip.
  • They’re fantastic for improving grip strength, as well as overall conditioning
  • And, this goes without saying, they’re just badass

On that note, for those who celebrate it, have an awesome Easter weekend.  For those that don’t, you can still eat lots of dead animal flesh for the hell of it.

Oh, By the Way

Mark Young’s How to Read Fitness Research is still on sale until MIDNIGHT tonight (4/22) for the low price of $37.  After that, it jumps up to $77, so make sure to take advantage of the discount while you can.  As an added aside, Mark has informed me that there’s NO RISK.  You can try the product for eight weeks and if you don’t like it, you can get every penny back with no questions asked.

 

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Q and A: The Road to a 400 lb Deadlift?

Q:  I know you are a busy guy but I thought you might be open to hearing from a long time reader and big time fan (not to mention a Canadian).

Today was max deadlift day. We use a 8-5-3-1 progression. I must admit I’m a beginner to heavy lifting so my numbers are a bit sub par, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right? After reading about Cressey Performance’s ideology that any fit male should be able to pull a 400 deadlift with a little focus in training, I figure I have a lot to look forward to.

8 x 225
5 x 275
3 x 295
1 x 315

While I was able to pull 315 for a single, it came after two failed attempts and ended up being an ugly rep at that.

I guess I am just looking for some advice on how to progress towards a heavy single and perhaps how you would handle this as a coach. Would you see two fails and get a client to drop weight? If so by know much? 5,10lbs.

A:  As always, thanks for reaching out and for the kind words.  And, for the record, I have nothing against Canadians.   Even though I live in Boston, and the Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are aboot (ha! Sorry) to butt heads in the first round of the NHL playoffs, I could care less.  I’m not really a hockey fan anyways, so there’s no love lost on my end.

Besides, how can I make fun of a guy whose country has produced the likes of Elisha Cuthbert

and Rachel McAdams?

Okay, I’m going to break this down in list format because 1) I like lists, and 2) It’s  my blog, and I feel like it.

1.  I have a hard time understanding how you can call it a “max effort” deadlift day when you’re performing eight reps!  To me, that’s cardio.

2.  What’s more, lets break the numbers down to better illustrate my point.  You mentioned that you’ve been following a 8-5-3-1 format – okay, so, by the time you actually attempted a heavy single, you had already lifted a combined total of 4,060 lbs.

Comparatively, lets use myself as an example:  here’s how I personally approach a max effort lift.

We won’t count the reps at 135 lbs

225 x 3

315 x 3

405 x 1

465 x 1

495 x 1

??? x  try not to destroy the back of my pants

If you crunch the numbers, by the time I even attempt anything above 500 lbs (my best pull is 570 lbs), I’ve only lifted a combined total of 2,985 lbs.

4,060 (you) – 2,985 (me) = 1,075 lbs MORE tonnage.

3.  No wonder you missed your first two attempts – you were gassed by the time you got there!

Moreover, if you look at your increments, you did 295 for three reps, and then bumped it up 20 lbs and missed (twice), before hitting an (admittedly) ugly rep.  That shouldn’t happen, and just demonstrates that your approach needs a little tweaking.

Tweak Away

  • You’re not strong enough yet to be missing reps (let alone multiple times).  So, stop it.  One of the biggest mistakes I see a lot of trainees make (particularly those who are new to lifting with heavier loads) is missing lifts on a regular basis.  The rationale is to GO HEAVY OR GO HOME.  While I can respect the mentality, you’re really doing nothing but frying your CNS (Central Nervous System) and accomplishing nothing other than not moving any weight.
  • Ditch the 8-5-3-1 format.  To be blunt, it’s retarded.
  • Oh, snap – Evangeline Lilly is from Canada, too.  Just an FYI
  • At this point – given your 1RM is 315 lbs – I’d be reluctant to do any dedicated work above 90%.  Something tells me you’d be best to stick with heavy triples and ensure your technique is rock solid.
  • That said, for the next few months, I’d stick with your basic progressive overload template and just make sure you’re adding 5-10 lbs on your LAST set each month.

So, it may look something like this:

Week 1: 5×3

Warm-Up

135×5
185×3
205×3
225×1

Work Sets

250×3
250×3
250×3
265×3
265×3

Week 2: 5×3

Same warm-up as above

Work Sets

250×3
265×3
265×3
265×3
275×3

Hopefully you get the general idea.  You may very well be able to start with more weight, but I was just using this as an example.  Just try to make a concerted effort to add a liiiiiitle more weight to the bar each and every week.

I have no doubts that if you follow this format, you’ll be pulling multiple sets of 315 for triples in no time.  Once there, then (maybe) we can start opening up the discussion to incorporating heavy singles into the equation (90% + of your 1RM) and charge towards that 400 lb mark.  But until then, keep it simple, use progressive overload (hey, it works!), hit ALL your reps, and tell Evangeline I said hello.

Hope that helps!

CategoriesUncategorized

When Bad Things Happen to Good People Who Know Better

Note from TG:  A little head’s up before we begin:  The question below is long, but I wanted to include it in its’ entirety because, well, just read it.  Lets just say that if, by the end of the question, you’re not facepalming to some capacity, you’re a better human being than myself.

Q:  I’ve been a trainer for about 3 years, but have been out of work for the past couple months.  I just got turned down for a training position here at the [TG:  I went a head and deleted the actual name of the university] recreational facility.

The person I interviewed with is actually my boss who I teach a TRX class for and she told me a few things that came up during my on floor practical interview.  My ‘client’ was training for a triathlon and was currently biking/swimming/running 3x a week each, and had zero weight room time.  So I figured this guy needed a little strength training.

All necessary other steps were taken before hitting the floor:  intake, assessment etc.  I took the client through a movement prep/dynamic warm-up session, and did some rotary stability drills as he tested weakest for those in the assessment.  Then I took him through alternating sets for goblet squats/OH presses, RDLs/pull ups and reverse lunges/standing 1 arm cable rows for three sets or 10 -12 reps each.

My reasoning here is that he hasn’t been weight training recently and I wanted to cover as many movements as possible to supplement the huge amount of volume he was doing with his biking, swimming and running.  My boss saw a problem with the amount of reps I was using, thinking they were too low, and would have liked to see me do some exercises simulating a bike swim or run movement.

My argument was that he was getting enough repetition doing those activities and just needed to get stronger, period.  I used the bigger motor in a car analogy, but maybe it didn’t take the way it was supposed to.

I understand there are probably a few tweaks as far as exercise selection and such go, but is there a completely different approach I should have taken in this situation from a theory standpoint?

Summarizing, I felt like this interview process had nothing to do with any of those things as it came down to more of a different view in philosophies.  Of course there probably were other factors that existed, but this seemed to be the biggest hang-up.

Is it as simple as this maybe wasn’t the right place for me, or are there other things I should be doing to ensure that setbacks are kept to a minimum?

Thanks, Chris

A:  Chris, wow, I don’t even know where to begin with this.  First off, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out for you, and that you had to go through that experience.  It’s a shame that this woman is in a position where she’s able to make snap judgements on one’s ability and expertise, when she’s clearly out of the loop with current research, woefully misinformed, and obviously an uppity bitch.

From a theoretical standpoint, you’re rationale on why this gentleman should have included more strength training was/is spot on.  As I’ve noted on numerous occasions here on this blog endurance athletes would be well served to drop some of the crazy volume they put themselves through, and instead, replace it with traditional strength training to not only improve performance, but to also offset many of the structural imbalances that they accumulate along the way.

If I had to bulletpoint my thoughts on this, it may look something like this:

  • In THIS study, the intervention group all had increases in strength, without adding any mass (body-weight). This is an important distinction and something that endurance athletes need to hear. Getting stronger, doesn’t necessarily mean getting bigger.
  • Furthermore, outside of the obvious (improved performance), increasing strength also has an often overlooked side benefit. As muscles (active restraints) get stronger, it’s less perceived stress by the passive restraints (bone, ligaments, etc). This goes a long ways as far as keeping you healthy and preventing all of those nagging injuries in the first place.
  • Increases in force development will undoubtedly equate to improvement in performance. The more force an athlete can generate into the ground (or pedal, or water), the more force said athlete will generate to propel him/her forward. To do this, one needs to lift heavy stuff.  Last time I checked, the objective of a race is to see who can finish the fastest, not who can go the longest.
  • And, as the study linked above notes, the intervention group improved their running economy by 5%. To put this into perspective, that’s roughly twelve minutes shaved off of a four-hour marathon; all of this without having to log more mileage. 
  • And, to drive the point home even further, it’s been well documented in the research that the biggest indicator of whether or not someone will get injured (whether we’re talking shin splints, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, you name it) is the total mileage he or she accumulates.  Put another way, the more you run/bike/swim, the more likely you are to break down.  Not always, of course – but a lot.

If you need more of a real-world example read THIS.

Moving on, your boss’ assertion that you should have mimicked more biking, running, or swimming movements into the routine is borderline asinine.  Why?  So he can just feed into the numerous postural imbalances and weaknesses he already has?

Using this logic, I guess the only way to train MMA fighters is by nixing the squats and opting for more swift roundhouse kicks to the head.  That’s specific!  Or, we should include more of these into our programming for baseball players:

Listen, people get enough “sport specific training” by simply playing their respective sports.  We don’t need to include more of these movements in the weightroom.

In the end, I have to say she was wrong….by a landslide.  Based off what you described, you handled this particular client about as well as you could have.  You assessed, saw some glaring issues, recognized that he was weak and didn’t move well, and addressed them.  You had his best interests in mind.  Apparently, she did not.  FAIL!

CategoriesUncategorized

Progression <------> Regression

As trainers and coaches, I think we often get too carried away with our programming to the point where we’re more concerned with impressing our clients with bells and whistles than actually getting them healthier.

I was at a commercial gym not too long ago, and I watched – in horror – a trainer take his female client through a session that included alternating BOSU ball jumps (jumping from one BOSU to another), pretty much the worst kettlebell swings this side of a Jillian Michaels video, TRX stuff (that admittedly wasn’t that bad), and some kind of hybrid push-up/monkey humping a football thingamajig that I have no clue what to call it.

All told, I’d say that probably 90% of the program was far too advanced for that particular client.  If she were my client, I would have regressed every single exercise.

And there’s no shame in that.

Not surprisingly, we’re so adamant on progressing clients – making them feel like they’re working hard, about to pass out in a pool of their own sweat – that we often fail to realize that regressing IS progressing.

To no fault of our own, we attend seminars, watch dvds, read books and manuals, spend hours on youtube, and it stands to reason that we want to try new things with our clients.  Why wouldn’t we?  But I think many (not all) trainers and coaches would be wise to take a step back, and recognize that not everyone can (or should) be performing kettlebell cleans and snatches on day one.

Obviously, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t make certain exercises harder or more challenging – that’s just crazy talk.  What I am saying, however, is that we shouldn’t get into the mindset that we HAVE to make exercises harder or more challenging just for the hell of it.

Without question, we want to be cognizant of progressive overload and what have you, but if you have a client that looks like Quasimodo when he or she performs a conventional deadlift, it’s generally a sign that you need to take a step (or two) back.  Not add more weight.

Regressing them to say, a trap bar deadlift, where they’re center of gravity shifts more to the center and they’re able to maintain proper thoracic extension would be much more beneficial to them than trying to pound a square peg into a round hole.   It’s about setting them up for success, not beating them to a pulp.

Similarly, if someone has a bum shoulder and benching with a full ROM aggravates it, regressing him or her to a board press or maybe something like a loaded push-up variation would be the way to go.

Again, there’s no shame in REGRESSING clients.  If anything, it shows you have their best interests in mind.   As a matter fact, and using myself as an example, I’d be willing to bet that I end up tweaking 10% of the programs I write at some point or another.  Things happen – but most often, I’ll miss the mark or just simply over-estimate someone’s capabilities, and as a result I’ll have to re-asses and make some changes to the program.

I mean, it could be something as simple as takng some weight off the bar.

I can’t tell you how many times I watch someone warm-up, only to turn around and then turn back again to see them with 300 lbs on their back looking like they’re going to break in half.

In the end, if something looks like crap, or worse, causes pain – it only makes sense to use common sense and regress.  In a way:  regression IS progression.

CategoriesUncategorized

Time For a Little More Focus

So, yesterday marked the start of a new “plan,” in a manner of speaking.  Outside of posting the occasional video of me lifting heavy things off the floor or just my general awesomeness, I never really go into any great detail on my training or what my goals are.

Believe it or not, it’s not just always about having a steel plate for a chest 24/7.

As it stands now, I spent the past few weeks following Lean Hybrid Muscle, and while it kicked the living piss out of me (a good thing), I’ve decided I need a little more focus and something specific to train for.  To that end, I’ve decided that I’m going to do something similar to what I did roughly two years ago when I did Project Tony Gets Sexified.

To review, back in January of 2009, I put myself through a short, planned out, six-week phase where I was going to get as lean as possible and then, like an idiot, not take pictures.  In hindsight, it was a horrible time to do an experiment like that.  I mean, who gets shredded right smack dab in the middle of winter, anyways?

Anyways, I had a few stipulations:

1.     I couldn’t get too sexy.  It would have been unfair to all the other guys out there.

2.     I didn’t want my bodyweight to drop below a certain threshold – 195 lbs to be exact (starting weight was around 205 lbs at the time).

3.     And, maybe most important of all, I wanted to maintain my strength levels.  Simply put, I didn’t want to end up looking like an emaciated Abercrombie model that couldn’t punch his way through a wet paper towel.

That was about it, really.

Looking back – while there was definitely some structure (my good friend, Jen Heath, wrote my nutrition plan) – there was no real end-goal other than to diet for six weeks, hate life, think about carbs all…..the…..time, and say that I did it.

In the end, I was happy with the results and I looked pretty damn good if I do say so myself.  Well, as good as you can expect in mid-February with no tan.

So, here’s the dealski.  I’m going to give it another go, but not until mid-May/early-June.  I’m saying this NOW because by writing it here on my blog, I’m hoping that the sense of accountability will actually force me to go through with it – because unlike two years ago, there IS an end-goal this time around.

The game plan is as follows:

  • Take the next three weeks and clean things up a bit.  My girlfriend and I booked a flight down to Florida at the end of the month for a week, and I can’t, in good conscience, be walking around on a beach in the shape I’m in right now.  In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing more than dialing in my nutrition for a week or two, and maybe throwing in some quick, ten-minute finishers at the end of my training sessions.  Although, on an a side, I trained with EC yesterday and it was a doozy, so I may not have to worry about it.

A1.  Front Squats vs. Chains (3 per side) 2×3, 2×6
A2.  Stretch/activate something (which we didn’t do, LOL)

B1. DB Reverse Lunge 3×8/leg
B2.  Half Kneeling Cable Anti-Rotation Press 3×8/side

C1.  SUMO Thick Bar Deadlifts 3×10*
C2.  Slideboard Bodysaw 3×8

D1.  1-Legged Hip Thrusters – off bench 3×8/leg

D2.  Rotator Cuff Shiznit

  • Once we’re back from Florida, I’m going to spend the next 6-8 weeks getting after it.  Eric is currently doing a 5-6 day per week split (two upper body days, two lower body days, one “specialty day**,” and one carry/strongman day), and I’m just going to follow suit….I think.  Personally, I want to take this time and really “bring up” (yes, I just used a bodybuilding term.  And yes, a little piece of my soul just died) my lower body, so I may just toy around with a Smolov squat cycle, depending on how sadistic I feel.

  • By the time mid-May/early-June hits, it’s go time!  There’s no need to go into the details now (truthfully, I don’t even know what they are yet), but suffice it to say, I’m thinking I’m going to do it right this time.  Which is to say, I’m going to diet down, do an actual water manipulation/deplete/carb up the final week, and possibly hire a professional photographer to come to the facility and take pictures.   If you play your cards right, I may even show them to you.  You’ll have to beg, though……;o)

And no, I’m NOT stepping on a stage – so save your breath.

  • Then, after all of that, I’m going to make a run at that 600 lb deadlift I’ve been talking about for a while now.  Time to put up or shut up.

So, um, yeah, that’s it.  This should make for an interesting next few months in terms of my training.  Having some focus – a plan – will undoubtedly light a fire under my ass.  What about you?  What’s your game plan?  If anything, I hope this post got you in the mindset that having some kind of plan is kind of important.

* I pulled heavy last Friday, working up to 495 lbs for 4×3, and this was absolute torture.  Anything over five reps is cardio to me, and I can’t remember the last time I did ten reps on deadlifts.  Jesus, that sucked.

** Translation:  arm day.  ROTFLMAO.   No but seriously, though, I’m on it.

CategoriesUncategorized

You Can Always Train Around an Injury

Last week, during our staff in-service training, I took it upon myself to discuss programming with our batch of new interns.  Specifically, my goal was to give them a hypothetical situation and see whether or not they could come up with an effective training strategy.

In doing so, my thought process was this:  While assessment, functional anatomy, and understanding movement is kind of a big deal; having the ability to effectively write a program based off of those findings is just as equally important.  Essentially, given “x” scenario and “y” limitations/goals/needs, can you come up with a “z” program that’s not only safe, but will get results?

You’d be surprised at how many trainers and coaches out there can crank up the geek factor and quote research verbatim, or brag about how many books they’ve read, or even how many followers they have on their Youtube page, but when push comes to shove – write really, really, really sub-par programs.  And I’m being really nice when I say that.

Moreover, as I noted with the guys – and as counterintuitve as it may sound – it’s rare when I write a program and it’s followed without any interruption, 100% through.  Stuff happens and life gets in the way sometimes: long work hours, cars break down, girlfriend’s break up with you (bitch!), kids are up all night, Little League games, paper is due, tweaked shoulders, lower back is pissed, explosive diarrhea, not enough sleep, so on and so forth.

At the expense of over-generalizing, the mark of a good coach and trainer is being able to program on the fly when the unexpected happens.  If your athlete or client walks in on any given day, and he or she twisted their ankle during practice yesterday; or, quite simply, they’re just out of juice, and it just so happens they have a heavy squat session that day, can you still give them a training effect even though you may have to change up the programming?

The answer, I hope, is a resounding yes.

Using an example from the in-service talk, how would you program for a 15 year-old pitcher who was just diagnosed with spondylolisthesis (and is in a back brace), but also has a “lax” (loose) shoulder on his throwing side?

Similarly, how would you program for a 40 year-old fat-loss client with a sports hernia?

[Cue Jeopardy theme music]

The point of this post isn’t to go into specific details on what those programs should entail (although I could do that in the future).  Rather, the point I’m trying to make is that you can always train around an injury……always.

And, for the record, hang-nails aren’t an injury.  Nor is a headache for that matter!

When writing programs for clients, try not to think about what they can’t do – but what they CAN do. 

Doing so will make writing programs infinitely easier and will undoubtedly make you a better coach.

Left arm is in a cast?  Well, thankfully, you still have a right arm you can train, not to mention an entire lower body.

Shoulder hurts?  Stop benching three times per week for the love of god!, incorporate more close-chain (push-ups) and horizontal rowing variations, hammer scapular stability/t-spine mobility, front squat instead of back squats, and pick up a foam roller every now and then.

Tweaked lower back?  Nix any axial loading for the near future, hammer single leg stuff and core stability, get some aggressive soft tissie work, and you’ll be back in no time.

Obviously, these are just simple examples and certainly not exhaustive, but I’m sure most get the idea.

And for those of you who have clients that bitch and whine no matter what you do with them, have them watch this video and see if they still can come up with excuses:

Outside of ebola, not training isn’t an option in my book.