CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Yet Another Reason to Include Barbell Glute Bridges Into Your Program

Like many boys during that time in their life, I was a Boy Scout when I was 10-13 years old.

Dedicated to train youths to become responsible, altruistic citizens, building character, and self-reliance through participation in a wide variety of outdoor activities, educational programs, and community events…the Boy Scouts is definitely something I cherished when I was a kid and something I’d recommend any child today to pursue.

But here’s the kicker: I was a horrendous Boy Scout.

I wasn’t what you would call the “outdoorsy type.” Being a Boy Scout was all about starting a fire, rustling up some grub, lashing spars, setting up shelter, and being able to find your way out of the woods through unfamiliar territory with nothing but a cloths pin, duct tape, and a rubber ducky.

That wasn’t my bag if you catch my drift.

Funnily enough I grew up with a sawmill in my backyard. My step-dad was (and still is) a lumberjack (I know, pretty badass). In the winters, because we had a wood burning furnace to heat the house, me and my brother would have to cut wood every weekend. It sucked. But what are you gonna do, freeze to death?

I did it every….single….weekend.

I remember one of the badges you had to earn for Boy Scouts was to split wood for some random people as a nice gesture (and to coincide with the whole altruism thing). I also remember thinking to myself when I saw that, “eff that. I’m out.”

However, one of the highlights of the year when I was a Cub was the annual Pinewood Derby. In short it was an event where you were given a “kit” that contained a block of wood, wheels, glue, paint, and all the works to construct a car that you would race during the Pinewood Derby.

Some people went all out….constructing these spiffy works of art that defied aerodynamics and looked beautiful. Others, like myself, took the piece of wood and put the wheels on it, painted it some random color and WAH-LAH…..we had a winner.

Well, not so much. I got my ass handed to me. But the point is, my brain just didn’t (and still doesn’t) work in a creative fashion. Sure I can tell a story, relay information and write pretty sentences where I use hoity-toity words like facetious, acetabulum, and poop; and I can differentiate between your/you’re, too/to, and their/they’re/there (sometimes). But when it comes to being creative with my hands or being creative for the sake of being creative (like coming up with new exercises ALA Ben Bruno)…my brain just doesn’t work that way.

It just doesn’t.

Take the barbell glute bridge for example.

Bret Contreras has written anything and everything as it pertains to this exercise and there’s nothing I could add to the conversation that would shed some more light on how awesome of an exercise it is.

You’d be hard pressed to find any other exercise which serves so many functions with regards to building sexy-ass asses, training the hips in an anterior/posterior fashion, addressing lower back pain, posture, and helping to improve overall athleticism, to name a few.

As a coach who writes a lot of programs for athletes and general fitness clients I’ve used the barbell glute bridge as a strength exercises, as a “corrective” exercises, and as a way to build more glute hypertrophy. I’ve incorporated them into maximal strength programs, fat loss programs, and have utilized them when people are injured and I need to find a way to get a training effect.

In addition, because it’s such a versatile exercise (and because the learning curve is relatively low), the barbell glute bridge can easily be regressed or progressed to fit the needs and current abilities of the lifter. A newbie may be limited to performing 1-legged glute bridges with their bodyweight only, while a meathead or gym veteran may be performing traditional barbell glute bridges with significant weight on the bar.

And all of this doesn’t even take into account all the other things we can manipulate like sets/reps, tempo, rest periods, bands, chains, rest/pause method, AMAP, and all the other permutations and adjustments we can make.

We’ve pretty much exhausted and thought of every possible “thing” of how we can use the barbell glute bridge for. Right?

Right??

Well, not so much.

Here’s something to consider (and all the credit goes to CSP coach, Greg Robins for this).

What about using the glute bridge as a way to “potentiate” the glutes to fire to help improve bench pressing performance?

I hired Greg to take over my programming to help me address some nagging injuries, reach some goals of mine, and more importantly to allow me the luxury of not having to do any thinking for myself.

I’ve never made it a secret that I’m not the best bench presser in the world. It’s my weakest lift and something I’ve always struggled with. I can coach it like a bastard, but I’m most likely never going to be breaking any world records.

While the squat and deadlift get most of the love from a coaching technique standpoint, we could make the case that the bench press is FAR more coaching intensive than the two combined. It’s MUCH more of a full-body lift than most people give it credit for.

In particular, leg drive is an important component of pressing big weight. And even more particular to that, being able to activate the glutes to not only aid with transference of force from the lower body to the upper body, but to also “protect” the lower back, is an often massively overlooked component of bench pressing.

So, why not perform a few sets of barbell glute bridges prior to benching in order to activate or “potentiate” the glutes????  It’s brilliant, right? And something that I haven’t seen many people discuss as to how the glute bridge can be useful.

As an example, here’s what I’ve been doing (through Greg’s programs) for the past few weeks on my heavy bench days.

Four sets of barbell glute bridges (2×10,2×5) done with SPEED in mind. These aren’t ball busting sets.

2×10 can range from 135-185 lbs (for women, 85-135lbs).

2×5 can range from 205-225 lbs (for women 115-185 lbs).

** These numbers will obviously depend on one’s ability in terms of a starting point, and will also be PROGRESSED as time goes on.

All I’m worried about here is QUALITY reps, and fast reps! With a TWO SECOND pause at the top of each rep.

So there you have it: Yet, another way to incorporate barbell glute bridges into your training repertoire. Give it a try and let me know if you notice an improvement in how your bench press feels.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Rethinking Percentage Based Training

I like to think of myself as an open-minded kind of guy:

– I used to hate Brussels sprouts, now I love em. Especially when they’re drowned in bacon fat.

– The other weekend, while dining out in DC, Dean (Somerset) and Ann (Wendel) ordered some sweetbreads for an appetizer. In my mind I was like, “Sweet! Sweetbreads! Are we talking cinnamon raisin here? Something with a cheesecake frosting?”

I’m not what you would call an adventurous omnivore.

They were “breaded” so I ate them. They weren’t sweet (weird), but tasted good.

When it comes to things like calamari, pate, fois gras, or putting anything other than caramel on ice-cream, I’d rather jump into a live volcano than eat that stuff. It wasn’t until a week later when Lisa and I were watching the season premier of Top Chef Boston that I learned what sweetbreads really are.

Noooooooooooo.

I’ll get over it.

– I went to a screening of Brokeback Mountain – by myself, mind you – when it first came out in theaters. Two dudes making out in a tent? Whatevs.

– I once voted for a Democrat (even though I’m a registered Republican).

– And, I’m not skeered to rock a pink shirt when the occasion calls for it.

In the above scenario I believe it was because it was Wednesday.

This open-mindedness doesn’t just default to regular life stuff either. I’m pretty open when it comes to fitness-related things as well.  Sure, I have my biases and preferences on certain things – I think kipping pullups are dumb, I believe everyone should perform some sort of deadlifting 1-2x per week, I loathe how yoga is marketed towards women (if I hear one more “long and lean” muscles diatribe I’m gonna snap) – but for the most part I take a “middle-of-the-road” attitude on most things.

I can see the rationale or benefit on just about everything. What I can’t stand is when fitness peeps are so far to the left or right on any given topic that they become irrational.

We have people arguing over the merits of organic vs. conventional foods (GMO), and yet a vast majority of people aren’t even eating a serving of fruit or vegetables per day! Who cares if it’s organic or GMO? I hate to break it to you, but 95% of what we eat is GMO anyways, including those organic cherry tomatoes.

Photo Credit: val’sphotos

We like to argue over minutia and it’s human nature to be set in our ways I suppose. We like to believe we live in a black or white world (where you’re right and everyone else who disagrees is wrong), but so much of it is grey.

More to the point, whatever the debate may be or question being asked, in the entire world, but especially in the fitness world, everything can be answered with one simple (albeit complicated) phrase……

It Depends.

Is Paleo a good fit for you? It depends.

What about intermittent fasting? It depends.

CrossFit – yay or nay? It depends.

HIIT over steady state cardio? It depends.

A roast beef sandwich is smarter than Tracy Anderson? No debate. Abso-freakin-lutely.

But lets get serious for a second. What about percentage based training?

I used to dismiss this type of training, but as of late I’ve been having a bit of a change of heart and have been incorporating it more and more with my own programming, as well as that of my athletes and clients.

But, as with everything else, there’s a time and place for it and whether or not it’s a good fit for YOU will, wait for it……………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….depend.

What Is It?

Many programs will utilize percentages (based off of one’s 1RM) for loading schemes and provide detailed set and rep schemes for the lifter.

For example, a day may call for 4 sets of 6 reps with 75% of 1RM.

The Advantages

1. Such an approach takes a lot of guess work out of the equation and provides instantaneous direction to many trainees who otherwise would be confused as to how much weight they should be using.

All you have to do is figure out one’s 1RM for any particular lift, type out some numbers in a calculator, bleep, bloop, beep, beep, bloop, and PRESTO, you have a training session!

2. Olympic weightlifters use this approach religiously, and they’re ridiculous athletes. I hate them…..;o)

3. Percentage based training makes a lot of sense when working with larger groups or team based training. Some collegiate strength coaches I know are in charge of 3-4 teams which is a crap load of programming for one person.

This approach drastically reduces the workload, while still allowing for some tweaking and individualization.

4.  And, it works!

Some of the most successful training programs in the past few years, Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 and Brandon Lilly’s The Cube Method are two gleaning examples.

Not to mention, of course, the classics like Shieko, Smolov, and The Russian Squat Routine….those sadomasochist bastards!

The Disadvantages

1. Some coaches, myself included, can see the benefits percentage based training has for beginner and intermediate lifters. Like I mentioned above, it provides structure and takes out a lot of the guesswork.

That said, the knock against it is that it doesn’t take into account one’s preparedness for any given day. One day may call for 80% and you feel like you could deadlift a bulldozer. You get your reps in, but it was too easy.

Conversely, one day you walk into the gym feeling like you got run over by a bulldozer and your programs calls for 2×3 @ 90%. You miss reps and your entire session is a train wreck.

Expounding on this point a bit further, I’ll steal some insight from Bret Contreras:

Programming just isn’t that simple. My colleague Brad Schoenfeld and I recently collected data for an upcoming study we intend on publishing that examines the EMG activation in the leg muscles with heavier weight (75% of 1RM) versus light weight (30% of 1RM) to failure. While we weren’t particularly interested in the number of repetitions the subjects achieved during exercise performance, we were intrigued to find that with the 75% of 1RM loading, the ranges of repetitions achieved by the subjects varied dramatically from one lifter to the next. While most subjects performed between 10 and 15 repetitions, one subject performed a whopping 21 repetitions, and another subject performed just 7 repetitions (with 30% of 1RM, the range was 30 to 71).

What does this mean for percentage based training?

For some it will be on point. The load, sets, and reps mirror that of the person’s ability and they’ll see great progress.

For others it will be too much.

2. Another thing to consider is the argument that strength doesn’t happen in a linear fashion. As Eric Cressey notes:

I rarely use percentages. Think about it this way…

If you test your squat and it’s 500 at the beginning of a 16-week cycle, and then put 50 pounds on it over the course of that period, the percentages based on that 500 number aren’t very accurate by the time week 11, 12, 13, etc. roll around, are they?

In short, you’d have to re-test your 1RM every four weeks or so to update your program calculator which is a major pain in the ass (not to mention detrimental in that people spend waaaaaaay too much time testing their 1RM rather than actually building it. More on this below).

3.  Something else to consider is that some programs that utilize percentage based training are absolute eye wash and make no sense.

As Jesse Irizarry notes in THIS article, a large number of programs have rep counts assigned to percents that don’t factor cumulative stress on the body of doing multiple reps at that given percent.

Performing 5 reps of any movement at 80% of 1RM doesn’t sound too hardcore, right? Easy peasy.

The FIRST rep is the only one that represents 80% of 1RM. Every rep thereafter represents cumulative stress on the body and is greater than the demand of 80% 1RM.

And then we’re asking some trainees to perform 5,6, even 7 SETS at that percentage!?!?!

That’s going to smoke some people.

Rethinking Percentage Based Training

Here’s my thought process today as I tap away on my keyboard.

1. For beginners and a fair portion of intermediate trainees, I feel percentage based training can work, but it may not be a good fit right out of the gate. To be blunt, most just aren’t strong enough to even worry about it. Yes, it provides structure – and I can’t argue that. But if you’re a grown man and your 1RM squat is only 185 lbs, is it really going to make a huge difference if you train at 90% (which is 166 lbs???).

Yes, it’s relative – 90% is 90%, and heavy is heavy – but I think most people in this camp would be better served using an RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scale or following something like THIS.

2. In addition to the point above, most beginners aren’t remotely ready to handle loads upwards of 85-90%+ of 1RM. That’s just silly talk.

3. Remember earlier when I said a lot of trainees spend too much time testing their 1RM rather than building it?

This is something fellow CSP coach, Greg Robins, has discussed as of late and I couldn’t agree more.

Percentage based training helps people build a wider foundation in order to build a higher peak.

Photo Credit: Circled Thrice

How you get strong is by moving what you could originally do for 3 reps and perform it for 5.

What was originally your 92.5% 3RM is now 87.5% (<– based off of Prilepin’s Chart).

You can only do this by accumulating volume and by putting in the work. It’s not just going to happen. And this is where using percentage based training has a TON of merit, and, not coincidentally, is why Wendler’s 5/3/1 is so effective!

If more upper level intermediate lifters (and advanced lifters) bought into this mantra, I’m sure they’d see some improvements in their numbers.

4. I think too, percentage based training, more so for advanced lifters, provides some semblance of forced autoregulation.

Speaking from personal experience I know I’d always get into trouble when I consistently forced myself to train my deadlift in the 90% and up range. At some point, by week 4 or 5, my back would be like, “hahahahahahaha, not gonna happen Tony.”

Utilizing more percentage based work forces me to tone it down a bit, place more of a premium on bar speed and technique, and allows me to accumulate more volume without my back flipping me the middle finger. And I’m cool with that.

Percentage based training isn’t the end-all-be-all approach, and it isn’t going to work for everyone.  But that’s my thought process as it stands today. What do you think?

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Program Design

Critical Eye for Program Design

Every Wednesday we hold a staff in-service at Cressey Sports Performance where the coaching staff along with the interns get together and talk about “stuff.”

One week Eric may break down thoracic outlet syndrome and how to go about programming around it.  Another week Greg may discuss some new sprinting drills and how we can better cue our athletes with their movement training.

Chris may take a week and touch on some elbow or shoulder anatomy.  I’ll take the reigns one week and speak to the differences between external vs. internal cueing (or just reenact a full blown assessment using nothing but shadow puppets).

And Andrew will jump in on some weeks and discuss youth training or how it is he’s able to maintain salon-quality hair at all times.

It’s fascinating.

As you can see, we hit on any number of topics and nothing is ever off the table. We even had one of our current interns discuss the merits of blood-restriction training recently and how if may have some merit with regards to training injured athletes.  The idea being that the increased hypoxia will help engage or stimulate type II muscle fibers in the absence of appreciable load.

I’m a bit skeptical, but he made some interesting points!

Nevertheless the idea behind the in-services is to promote an open platform for learning and for open dialogue and discourse.

Yesterday happened to be what we like to call the Intern Programming Challenge. The idea is simple:  We give the interns several specific scenarios with regards to injury history and musculoskeletal dysfunction of an athlete/client, and they’re expected to write a 2-day/week program for each one.

An example might be:

1. Severely sprained right ankle with secondary external impingement in left shoulder.

OR

2. Extension based back pain.

OR

3.  Grade II hamstring strain with no left eye due to a pirating accident and an explosive case of diarrhea.

We all gather together and dissect each person’s program(s). Admittedly it can be an intimidating environment because no one ever likes seeing their work held under a microscope for public scrutiny. But as Eric noted yesterday, sometimes the best way to get better is to have your stuff ripped apart.

Not that we’re purposely ripping programs apart to make our interns feel bad. Rather, we’re using this as an opportunity to refine their programming skills and to think more objectively and “outside the box.”

Take secondary external impingement for example.  The word impingement is a garbage term as it is, because it speaks nothing to what’s actually causing the impingement (or pain) in the first place.

In watered down terms all “secondary impingement” means is that we know it’s not caused from a bony growth or deformation like a bone spur (this would be referred to as primary impingement, where the boney growth affects the acromion space and makes it narrower).

Instead we can chalk secondary impingement towards things like poor t-spine mobility, anteriorly tilted scapulae (poor scapular stability), poor tissue quality in the pec, pec minor, and/or lats, downwardly rotated scapulae or “depressed” shoulders, so on and so forth.

Conventional wisdom may dictate that the prone plank is an innocuous enough of an exercise where it would be a nice fit for most people, even in this example.

Mmmmm, maybe.  Maybe not. It depends.

The plank position will cause a lot more approximation in the shoulder joint (jamming the humeral head into the shoulder socket itself) which may be problematic for someone with external impingement.

It’s this kind of critical thinking – and the type of feedback we give back to our interns – which helps them become better and programming.

Lets dive into another common scenario……

Extension Based Back Pain

While flexion tends to get all the attention and love, extension-based back pain is something that’s grown in prevalence in recent years – especially in more athletic populations which involve a lot of extension and rotation.  Think:  baseball, golf, etc.

Too, extension-based back pain is very common in the more “meatheaded” population in addition to the personal training and coaching fields (where we tend to stand on our feet all day).

I’m not going to re-invent the wheel and elaborate on the specifics since I already wrote on this topic extensively HERE.

Needless to say, since we’re on the topic of programming I wanted to highlight some ways and ideas we could work around the issue when working with a client or athlete who exhibits this condition.

 

Seriously, read my post HERE if you’re curious how to assess for extension-based back pain as well as some thoughts on how to address it (rib cage position, how to cue certain lifts differently, and how to address proper breathing mechanics).

Do it!!!!!!

The most severe cases will typically manifest as Spondylolysis.  “Spondy” refers to a fracture of the pars interarticularis portion of a vertebra (95% of the time, it’s L5). The pars essentially connects the vertebral body in front with the vertebral joints behind.

Presence of spondylolysis runs the gauntlet in terms of who it effects, but its highest prevalence is among weightlifters. That said we’ve seen a huge influx amongst young athletes as well, especially those who participate (and specialize too early) in sports that require excessive extension and rotation (ie:  baseball).

I wrote a post on Spondy HERE if you’re interested.

1.  First and foremost the name of the game when dealing with ANY injury is to ensure you’re eliciting a training effect.

No one wants to feel like a patient when they’re training.  I mean, what fun is it to head to the gym only to perform a litany of ankle mobility and breathing drills?

Booooooorrrrrrrrriiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg.

This isn’t to say that those things won’t need to be addressed, but it’s important to understand that your job as a trainer or coach is to garner a training effect for your clients.

2. Whenever we have an client or athlete with a legit case of Spondy start at the facility our general rule of thumb is no back squatting for TWO YEARS – and that’s even if they’ve gone through an entire “treatment” with a back brace.

Placing a bar on the back means you’re moving it further away from the axis of rotation which increases shear forces on the spine ten-fold.

In this case things like Goblet Squats may be a better fit.  But even then, you may need to hold off for a few months before you implement them into a program.

3.  Single-leg work will almost always enter the equation, but you need to be very cognizant of back positioning.

If someone lives in extension and has extension-based back pain, they’re going to want to go into extension.  I  know, it’s confusing.

It’s important to engrain proper rib positioning, core bracing, and pelvic positioning when doing any single leg work.

4.  To that end, variations like slideboard reverse lunges are an awesome fit because they inherently make people use less weight, which in turn will result in less axial loading on the spine.

But even if we’re not dealing with a severe case like Spondy, it’s crucial to stress “neutral spine” throughout.

Start with dumbbells and progress to barbell variations.

5.  Glute bridging is fantastic provided the back stays in a posteriorly tilted (flatter) position throughout the entire set.

6.  Anything which promotes posterior pelvic tilt with someone with extension-based back pain is going to be money.

To that end, ensuring they’re squeezing their glutes during things like chops and lifts will be paramount.

I’ve often incorporated Posterior Pelvic Tilt Hip Thrusts (via Bret Contreras) into the mix:

I’ll be your BFF for life if you do these in a public park or something. I dare you to perform them in the waiting area at your doctor’s office!!!!

That’s just some food for thought. It’s important to embrace a more critical mindset when writing programs – especially when writing them for people with specific issues or dysfunction(s).

Hope that helps.

Now excuse me as I go practice my shadow puppets…..;o)

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

The Weakling’s Guide to Working Out

As you’ll undoubtedly see if you decide to read the entire article (and why wouldn’t you?), some trainees place the cart before the horse and make things more complicated than they have to be. Rocket science is hard. Long division is hard. Figuring out why women love Hugh Grant movies is hard. Lifting weights should not be hard.

I was asked by Stack Magazine to write an article aimed towards guys (but the message applies to women too!) who tend to have a hard time making progress with their exercise routine – namely their resistance training routine.

Or what I affectionally refer to as “lifting heavy stuff.”

To be candid, the message is nothing revolutionary and it’s probably one you’ve read or have been told time and time again. But it’s something that bears repeating, and frankly, despite how often it’s trumpeted, people somehow fail to allow the message to stick

Akin to how people continue to text while behind the wheel of a car or are constantly being told to put the toilet seat back down.

Yeah, kinda like that.

The Weakling’s Guide to Workout Out

NOTE:  as a small favor, if you liked the article on Stack, PLEASE share it through your social media outlets. If you didn’t like it, pffft, whatever….;o)

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 7/25/14

Going to keep this short and sweet today, because 1) I’m itching to get to the gym to conquer some squats (squats = gainz!) and 2) I’ve got a few deadlines this afternoon I need to meet.  Also 3) #myeditorsaregoingtokillme

Oh, and just a heads up to everyone checking in today.  I rarely do this but I’m going to be posting an EPIC bonus blog on Sunday written by Neghar Fonooni whom I highlighted as one of my “go to” sources for female fitness last week.

It’s titled A Woman’s Journey of Strength and I feel it’s something that’s going to resonate with a lot of people, especially women.  I’ll be tossing up a notice on social media (Facebook, Twitter) this weekend, but on the off chance you don’t follow me on either of the two*, this will serve as your nudge to check in.

And on that note, here’s some stuff to read.

Price of the Platform – Bryan Krahn

Easily one of the best articles I’ve read this year.  Kudos to Bryan (and those interviewed) for being so forthright and honest

4 of the Biggest Quacks Plaguing America with False Claims About Science – Cliff Weathers

I’ll admit the title is a bit sensationalistic but it’s spot on.

10 Principles for Better Programming – Charles Staley

It’s not the sexiest article ever written on programming, but then again….since when does anything related to program design need to be sexy?

I love to keep things simple and this article is right on point with that philosophy. Loved this one by Coach Staley.

* = Oh, I see how it is.  When you want something you’re all like “hey baby, I love you.”  But the second I ask for something you can’t be bothered.  Whatever.  YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!!!!!!!

 

CategoriesProduct Review Program Design Strength Training

Pimp Your Program Design

Today I have a killer guest post by strength coach, future Dr., good friend, and specializer in all things glutes, Bret Contreras.

Getting good (or even adequate) at designing effective training programs takes time. There are a lot of theories and opinions out there on the topic, and in today’s post Bret shares some insight on what he feels should be some common denominators.

There’s a TON of useful, easily actionable information involved (and I went a head and embedded numerous videos from Bret which could serve as excellent resource themselves).

Also, as an FYI, Bret released his new program yesterday called 2×4.

Bret was nice enough to send me an advance copy last week and I had the opportunity to read through it while I was stuck at O’Hare airport in Chicago over the weekend.

I liked it.  A lot.

Watered down to the essentials, the title 2×4 means 2 (big, compound, movements) performed 4 times per week.

It’s a 14-week program designed to get people STRONG (and gunny) by integrating strength work in conjunction with sub-maximal training and assistance work.

I think what I appreciate most is that it’s a no-frills program. You vs. the barbell.

While Bret suggests which exercises you should focus on, you do get the opportunity to choose which eight exercises you’d like to have as your “indicators” to gauge progress.

What’s more the program can be modified to fit your preferences (strength vs. hypertrophy), so it’s far from a one-size-fits all program.

He also includes a bunch of sweet bonuses, all of which only sweeten the pot.

In fact, as of today, I’m doing the program myself!  I can’t wait to see what kind of results I get.

For more information you can go HERE.

On that note, enjoy the article!

Pimp Your Program Design

Is your training still stuck in the 1990’s? If so, let me help you out with some common program design tips of highly effective trainers and lifters.

Necessary Components

First of all, your training will need to be comprehensive. While I personally prefer 4 full body training sessions per week, other training splits can certainly be effective too. Just make sure that every week (and preferably twice per week), you’re performing exercises from the following categories of movements:

1. Hip + Knee Extension Movement – these include bilateral and unilateral squatting exercises. Examples are goblet squats, back squats, front squats, Bulgarian split squats, walking lunges, and step ups.

2. Straight Leg Hip Extension Movement – these include bilateral and unilateral hip hinging movements. Examples are deadlifts, good mornings, horizontal back extensions, 45 degree hypers, reverse hypers, single leg RDLs, and kettlebell swings.

3. Bent Leg Hip Extension Movement – these include bilateral and unilateral bridging and thrusting movements. Examples are hip thrusts, barbell glute bridges, single leg hip thrusts, and cable pull-throughs.

4. Upper Body Pressing Movement – these include bilateral and unilateral vertical, 45 degree, and horizontal presses. Examples are barbell or dumbbell bench press, barbell or dumbbell incline press, and barbell or dumbbell overhead press.

5. Upper Body Pulling Movement – these include bilateral and unilateral vertical, 45 degree, and horizontal pulls. Examples are chins, pull-ups, seated rows, one arm rows, inverted rows, and bent over rows.

6. Core Stability Movement – these include anti-extension, anti-lateral flexion, and anti-rotation exercises. Examples are RKC planks, side planks, ab wheel rollouts, hollow body holds, suitcase holds, and Pallof presses.

Base your training around these exercises and you’re bound to succeed.

Balanced Hip Extension Exercise

Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past 50 years, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the merits of hip extension exercise. Simply put, it’s the cat’s pajamas.

However, some hip extension exercises stress the flexed-range position, while others stress the extended-range position.

Flexed-Range Hip Extension Movements

Squats, front squats, conventional deadlifts, sumo deadlifts, good mornings, lunges, Bulgarian split squats, trap bar deadlifts.

 Note from TG: Who wants to bet that Bret’s not wearing any pants in this video?????

Extended Range Hip Extension Movements

Hip thrusts, barbell glute bridges, single leg hip thrusts, horizontal back extensions, cable pull-throughs.

The exercises in the former group are staples that have been popular for quite some time. The exercises in the latter group have recently emerged onto the scene and are very important for ensuring that full range hip extension strength and maximum glute development are realized. Every good program should include exercises from both groups.

Daily Rowing and Glute Work

Not all volume is created equal. Some exercises heavily tax the CNS, whereas others don’t tend to create much soreness or fatigue. Performing maximal deadlifts multiple times per week is usually a recipe for disaster, but the same cannot be said for rowing movements and most targeted glute exercises.

You may perform 2-3 sets of inverted rows, seated rows, one-arm rows, chest supported rows, or face pulls every training session.

You may also perform 2-3 sets of band seated hip abductions, monster walks, sumo walks, banded clams, band hip rotations, side lying hip raises, glute marches, or RKC planks every training session as well.

Sub-Maximal Training Methods

In the old days, we thought that we had to max out or take every set to failure in order to see results. These days, more and more coaches and lifters are realizing the benefits of sub-maximal training methods.

I like to perform what I call super-strict reps, or dynamic-effort reps, or pause reps, each for around 3 sets of 1-5 reps. This allows for greater training frequency without compromising recovery, which leads to greater strength gains over time.

Personal Record (PR) Opportunities

Pick 5 of your favorite compound exercises. If you consider a 5RM, a 3RM, and a 1RM, that makes for 3 different “PR opportunities” per exercise.

If you perform 3 sets of 1, 3 sets of 3, or 3 sets of 5 reps, then this makes for 3 more “PR opportunities” per exercise. With 6 PR opportunities for 5 exercises, this equates to 30 different PR’s. Week in and week out, you should be setting PR’s.

Do you know what you can max close grip bench? Do you know what you can front squat for 3 set of 5? Do you know what your 3RM sumo deadlift is? If not, you should.

Deloading

I know you love training balls-to-the-wall (or ovaries-to-the-wall if you’re a female lifter), but you simply cannot train all-out 52 weeks out of the year.

I like to go hard for 6 weeks and then deload for a week. Some coaches prefer to deload every 3 or 4 weeks. It all depends on the lifter, but suffice to say, you need to plan built-in easy weeks that allow for proper recovery.

Conclusion

Hopefully these suggestions will revamp your training and help you reach new levels of strength and physique development. They’ve worked well for me and for my clients, so I think they’ll work for you too.

About the Author

Bret Contreras, MA, CSCS is currently studying to receive his PhD in sports science at AUT University. Find out more about him by visiting his blog at www.BretContreras.com.

 

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Why It’s Not Always JUST About Strength

“One more!  Get it! Yeah!  All you, all you, all you. Just the pinkies.  JUST…….THE……PINKIES!!!”

We’ve all been there.  Rolling our eyes at the two meatheads who are screaming at one another and drawing attention to themselves as they eek out one more rep on the bench press, or squeeze out another rep in the squat rack, or, I don’t know, engage in an epic thumb war battle.  Who knows?

The point is, we’ve all seen it happen. Or, more to the point, have been there ourselves (don’t worry, I won’t judge).

While 95% of the time the guttural screams we hear at the gym are nothing more than some lame song and dance to garner attention or some alpha-male power play akin to a peacock spreading its feathers, sometimes, on rare occasions, it just comes down to someone working their tail off.

And that should be commended.  To an extent.

Let me expound a bit.

You see, deep down inside I’m a meathead at heart.  I’ve been lifting weights since I was 13, and can remember vividly the Christmas morning when I got my first weight training set from my parents (I mean Santa).  It was one of the best mornings of my life, and I can remember like it was yesterday how I instantly plopped down on the bench to bang out a few reps of bench presses.  All in the comfort of my He-Man pjs. It was awesome.

The next 10-15 years were filled with your prerequisite training career.  I can recall doing my fair share of bicep curls in front of the mirror just outside my bedroom door while my stereo cranked out the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and Stone Temple Pilots.

I can only imagine what was going through mama Gentilcore’s head as I was upstairs cranking out curls and push-ups as Wu-Tang Clan’s Ain’t Nuthin to F*** Wit was shaking the windows.

Ma!  The meatloaf!

It was business as usual all through high-school and college.  As my baseball career developed I spent more and more time in the weight room as a means to an end.  My goal was to play professional baseball (and to make out with Mariah Carey. It was the mid-90s, sue me!) and I’d spend much of my free time working out and doing what I needed to do to make myself better.

I won’t sugar-coat anything: While I had a few professional looks and tryouts, it didn’t pan out.

After I was done playing, my goals then turned to what else: getting jacked. While I was able to make some progress in the gym – it wasn’t until I started my first job in corporate fitness and started reading sites like T-Nation that I started to place a premium on STRENGTH!

It’s hard to believe, but I didn’t perform my first deadlift until 2003, when I was 25.

A funny (and looking back, a not so coincidental) thing happened once I started training for strength. I got results!  I went from 180 to 21o lbs in less than a year, and while all of that was cool……..I was no where near closer to making out with Mariah Carey.

For the record:  I’m still referring to mid-late 90s Mariah, not the hooched out diva, uppity bitch of today.  And yes, I realize that at this point in the story I’m past the 90s, and unless I have a flux capacitator in my back pocket the chronological order doesn’t jive. Whatever Einstein.  It’s my story, just roll with it.

Getting back on task – I’m a strength guy.  I wouldn’t call myself a strength coach if I wasn’t.  I feel strength and getting stronger should be the backbone of anyone’s program.  You can’t have things like power, agility, endurance, charm, and unwittingly good looks without first having a solid foundation of strength.

Likewise, there aren’t many guys (or girls) out there who have built impressive or admirable physiques who aren’t strong.

One of the best analogies I’ve ever come across about why strength is important is to think of it as a glass.

What kind of glass are we talking about here?  A standard 8 oz glass?  A wine glass?  An Optimus Prime collectors mug I got in a Happy Meal circa 1985?  This post is just chock full of nostalgia today!

Well, any glass really. The idea, though, is to make the glass bigger!

This is an analogy I first heard from Eric Cressey, and again later on from Master RKC instructor, Brett Jones.

Think of strength as a glass, and the water inside the glass as all the “qualities” we train for:  endurance, strength-endurance, power, agility, speed strength, strength speed, having the ability to somehow take F.O.R.E.V.E.R in the bathroom getting ready (ladies?), you know, those types of things.

The smaller your glass, the less “qualities” you’re able to express, let alone at a high level.  That said…..

Strength is the basis for everything. 

You can’t be “fast” without having some semblance of strength (or horsepower) in reserve.  You can’t improve your timed mile, or taking a bit further, your marathon time if you can’t generate more force into the ground to propel yourself forward.

The larger you make your glass, the more liquid you’re able to place inside said glass, and the likelihood your performance improves.  Whatever your endeavors may be.

That said, and going back to the example of the two meatheads above, as much as I LOVE strength and getting people stronger, and as much as I respect people who work hard and get “after it,” it does come at a price.

In other words:  you can’t ALWAYS grind out reps and beat your joints to a pulp, and a well-rounded program isn’t SOLEY about lifting as much weight as possible until your knees or shoulder or spine feels like tossing you the middle finger.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before………

Eric Cressey released a book this week!

You’ve no doubt been inundated with countless posts, tweets, and Facebook statuses from other fitness professionals about The High Performance Handbook this week.  And getting the obvious out of the way, this was a post “disguised,” in large part, to support Eric’s new book, to sell a few copies, and yes, to help fund my insatiable ice-cream habit…..;o)

Speaking truthfully, however, the main impetus was to help get a quality product into the hands of people who need it.

There are a boatload of people out there haphazardly going to the gym each and every day not making progress, and more often than not, causing more harm than good.

Sure many are lifting weights, but many are lifting weights poorly.  On top of that many don’t understand that a well-rounded program entails much more than just hoisting weights off the ground, and that if more people learned to tweak a program to fit their body-type, needs, and capabilities on top of addressing movement quality, that they would see profound differences in not only how they feel but how they look too.

And that’s the crux of The High Performance Handbook and what separates it from the masses.

Make no mistake:  you’re going to lift heavy things and hate life at certain points.

But it’s not just about lifting weights.

It’s also about moving well, and also understanding how to lift weights correctly.

I think most people reading this site knows my affiliation with Eric, and by extension Cressey Performance. This resource is about as close as you’re going to get to training at CP without actually being at CP, and it goes without saying that I feel the “system” works.

To that end, you only have until TONIGHT (SATURDAY, October 26th) at MIDNIGHT to take advantage of the introductory sale price.  After that the price goes up significantly.*

UPDATE:  it’s been brought to my attention that Eric’s extended the offer to come train at Cressey Performance. Anyone who purchases the book before the deadline, will be entered to win an all expenses paid trip to come train at Cressey Performance. We can totally like, hang out and stuff!

—-> The High Performance Handbook <—-

* = and a baby seal cries.

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Strength Training

Recapping Dean and Tony’s Boston Workshop (Includes Best T-Shirt Ever Made)

Now that I’ve had a good 24-36 hours to decompress my brain, I wanted to take a few moments and share some of the shenanigans that went down last weekend at Cressey Performance.

As many of you know, my good friend and brotha from another motha, Dean Somerset, came to town for a few days along with roughly 20-25 personal trainers, strength coaches, chiropractors, and general fitness enthusiasts for our Boston Workshop that he and I hosted at Cressey Performance.

Stealing a line from Dean’s synopsis of the weekend over on his own blog, “it was without a doubt one of the best, most switched on groups I’ve ever had the chance to speak in front of, and everyone was really engaged, quick to volunteer, laugh, get their hands dirty, and make it a great experience for everyone.”

On Friday for all the attendees who came in a day early and had nothing better to do than sit at their hotel room watching re-runs of Games of Thrones on HBO we had the one and only Eric Cressey (THE Cressey behind Cressey Performance) come in and speak to the group on “Elbow Shizzle.”  His title not mine.

One of the main take home points was that when it comes to the elbow, especially with regards to the UCL, you have to take into consideration what’s going on up the kinetic chain – specifically the brachial plexus – in order to make any drastic progress with regards to tissue quality and eliminating pain.  The ulnar nerve starts up near C5-T1 and is often impinged in that area.

In many ways, an “elbow snafu” might not have anything to do with the elbow in the first place!  It’s imperative to look up (and down) the kinetic chain to rule other possibilities out.

Too, it’s important to take into consideration congenital laxity – especially in the baseball population – to dictate treatment and how one’s strength and conditioning program will flow.  The LAST thing you want to do is to excessively stretch someone who scores high on the Beighton Laxity score.

Afterwards, for those who wanted to stay, move around a bit, and play with all the toys in the facility, we had “open gym” where people could get a workout in and break a sweat. I may or may not have played Tiesto.

I played Tiesto.

Because I was at the facility playing host Lisa, my girlfriend, was kind enough to pick Dean up at the airport along with Guillermo who flew in all the way from Mexico to attend the event.  No sooner than everyone walked through the door and dropped their bags did we hightail out of there to walk down to my neighborhood bar and grill to get our grub on.

The best part of the night was that after the fact, when we left the restaurant, walked outside, and waited to cross the street, some dude drove by with all his windows rolled down BLARING the theme music from Star Wars.  It was pretty much the most baller thing I’ve ever witnessed, and I couldn’t help but think to myself, “that dude’s got his shit together.”

Dean and I were up early Saturday morning and I want to say that he pwned roughly 600 mg of caffeine before we even got to the facility.  A tip of the hat to you kind sir!

After a few house warming words and greetings, Dean started things off with discussing the big rocks of assessment. What an assessment actually means, what to look for, and what kind of assessment should be done.

Do we just stand there creepily like a Mr. Smithers and stare?  Is there any place for a movement based assessment?  Are all assessment created equal?

At the end of the day, it’s about gathering as much information as you can to better ascertain what YOU as the fitness professional will do to get your client the most efficient (and safest) results possible.

I followed suit by breaking down the CP assessment.  I was adamant that what we do at CP isn’t necessarily what I feel everyone should be doing, but that they kind of should (hint, hint).

I divided the assessment process into three parts:  static (posture, single vs, bilateral stance), isolative (hip ROM, shoulder ROM, Thomas Test, adductor length, 1,2,3,4 I challenge you to a thumb war, stuff like that), and integrated (movement based:  squat pattern, lunge pattern, push-up pattern, etc).

The entire afternoon was then spent going back and forth with the attendees demonstrating the different assessment that Dean and I utilize and then allowing them to practice on one another to get a better feel for everything.

And, I managed to do all of this without taking my shirt off, which is saying something.

Saturday night a bunch of us met up for an all-you-can-eat meat fest at Fire and Ice in downtown Boston.  Ben Bruno even made a cameo appearance!

Here’s a pic that I Tweeted as a frame of reference of how glorious this place is:

Sunday was lined up in much the same way at Saturday was.  Things kicked off relatively early – 9 AM – with me discussing “corrective exercise,” and what the even means.

I broke down the Law of Repetitive Motion and spoke to how that equation helps set the stage for how we can go about addressing any imbalances, weaknesses, and even pain.

The main point I hit home, however, and something I feel serves as the “umbrella” for ALL corrective exercise was this:

Correct movement is corrective!

Sure we can do the song and dance where we wrap eight different bands around someone, have them stand on a BOSU ball, and juggle a bunch of oranges………but what are we really accomplishing here?

And this isn’t to downplay things like spending time coaching people on how to engage their core or working on glute medius activation.  That stuff certainly needs to be addressed sometimes.

But while I’m admittedly biased – I am a strength coach – I think there’s a lot to be said about grooving more efficient patterns (squat, hip hinge, lunge, push-up) and getting people strong(er).

Getting people stronger can be corrective.

After a quick lunch break Dean took over with some brand spankin new material and covered a topic he titled VooDoo: Hacking Anatomy for Immediate Results.

Again, stealing for Dean’s own review of the weekend: “My talk came up at the end, all about how reactive core training can improve flexibility without taking joints through a range of motion (aptly titled “Voodoo”). We discussed the importance of breathing for upper body and lower body limitations, and went through how to get reactive stabilization from breathing drills and specific core training directives to help improve specific limitations.”

To cap things off we had an expert panel Q and A which, along with Dean and I, also included Ben Bruno, Jim “Smitty” Smith (of Diesel Strength), and Mark Fisher (of unicorns, ninjas, and Mark Fisher Fitness).

On Monday Dean and I took a few attendees through a small group training session that started with a “flow” warm-up, and then we proceeded to deadlift their faces with a bunch of angry my-mother-never-loved-me-and-I-punch-kittens-in-the-face-for fun music blaring in the background.

Three guys broke PRs HERE, HERE, and HERE (this one includes one of the best celebratory fist pumps ever).

Afterwards Dean hung out at CP to observe the madness and wore what’s arguably the most epic t-shirt ever made.

For those having a hard time seeing the fine print, here’s a screen shot:

And since that’s pretty much the most absurd and funniest note to end on, I’ll stop there.

It was an amazing weekend, filled with amazing people.  And I’m truly honored that so many people took time out of their busy schedules to come hang out and (hopefully) get better.

Dean and I will most likely be doing this shindig again.  Maybe we should do a worldwide tour!

CategoriesProgram Design

Program Design Tips for Upcoming Trainers

A few weeks ago a handful of guys from my alma mater – SUNY Cortland – made the five hour trip from central NY to Boston to come visit Cressey Performance for an afternoon and check out the facility in the flesh.

After giving them the quick tour, explaining the general flow of things (everything from client intake to how a typical training sessions runs), and exchanging some pleasantries, inside jokes, and advice on where they should go eat later on in the city, I was asked a simple yet profound question:

Why are you so intelligent, witty, and good looking? What’s some advice you’d give to upcoming trainers when it comes to writing effective programs?

Much of my thought process revolves around something Mike Boyle touched on a few years ago when he said program design as akin to cooking.

Ask anyone what their philosophy or “foundation” entails and many will inevitably say they use a little of Cressey’s stuff, some of Robertson’s, a little of Gray Cook, maybe a dash of Contreras, and a sprinkle or two of Nia Shanks to taste.

They’re all over the place.

But that’s okay, to an extent. I’ll always advocate for someone to broaden their horizons and to learn from as many people and resources as possible. We just need to understand that some people can really cook, while others need to follow a recipe.

In other words:  some people write cookbooks, while others are better at following cookbooks.

Everything in a recipe has a purpose, much like program design.  For most (if not all) beginner/novice level trainers and coaches you should view yourself as a run-of-the-mill cook.  Your job is to follow the recipe and stick to it no matter what. The last thing you should be doing is combining recipes and failing to understand that “whats” and “whys” and general rationale of any one system or approach.

The intermediate level coaches and trainers (2+ years) can be considered the sous chef.  They’ve developed the ability to alter the recipe without spoiling it or sending someone to the emergency room. In a way the ingredients can be altered without disturbing the general plan.

They’ve earned the right (not to mention obtained the confidence) to tweak things towards their personal preference.

And then there’s the Bobby Flays, Wolfgang Pucks, and master chefs (5+ years) of the world who have been doing what they do for so long that they pretty much have free reign to add as much garlic as they want to any recipe……and it will be delicious all the same.

It’s okay if they break the rules because they understand the rules.

To that end, digging a little deeper, here’s the advice that I gave them:

1.  Don’t make it more complicated than it has to be.

If you look at the bulk of programs that we write at CP, none of them are all that elaborate.  Watch our athletes and clients train and you’re bound to see everyone doing some form of squat variation, deadlift variation, single leg pattern, push-up, row, core work, and/or some dedicated “arm care” work.

Walk into any gym and you’re going to see the same things.  The thing that differentiates us, however, is that we place a high-standard on the execution of those said movements.

Meaning:  we coach the hell out of everything.

You don’t need to write elaborate, complicated programs that require a PhD from MIT to translate.  But you do need to actually COACH your clients and make sure they master the basics.

Even something s simple as ensuring they can hip hinge correctly will make things infinitely easier down the road when you do start incorporating more “fun” stuff like box squats or goodmornings or overhead dwarf throwing,

2.  You should be able to explain or have a rationale for everything you write.

Why 5×5 and not 3×10?  Why are you using a trap bar deadlift as opposed to a sumo? Why use a reverse lunge rather than a walking lunge? Why have one person doing standard planks while another one is performing Pallof Presses?  Why are you not wearing any pants?

Unfortunately many trainers and coaches take a very haphazard approach to program design and it’s more like they blindfolded themselves and started throwing darts at a dart board.

You should be able to explain every piece of a program and why you’re including that for that particular person.

3.  Have a contingency plan as far as regressions and progressions are concerned.

By that same token, unless your name is Gandalf or Professor Dumbledore you can’t expect to be 100% correct, 100% of the time.

Stuff happens. People get called into work to work overtime  They pull a hamstring during their slow-pitch softball game.  Kids get sick.  They pulled an all nighter studying for an exam. Maybe they hurt their lower back getting up out of their chair.  Maybe they ate too much at Chipotle and have a massive case of, well, lets not go there.

Whatever the case may be, sometimes you need a contingency plan and you have to opt for plan B.

Using myself as an example, sometimes I miss the mark and overreach on one’s abilities.  I’ll program front squats into their program and it’s just awful.  Even with a little tinkering, if I still feel it’s not up to snuff I’m perfectly content with regressing an exercise – to say, a goblet squat – and going from there.

Either way I’m still working the pattern and attaining a training effect.

Conversely, it can go in the opposite direction too.  Sometimes I’ll underestimate someone’s ability and will need to progress an exercise and make it more challenging.

Whatever the case may be, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. But it’s important that you’re prepared enough for when that actually happens.

Nothing spells “unprepared or I’m completely clueless” than standing there scratching your head.

And that’s about it. Nothing profound or revolutionary, but that’s essentially what I relayed back to this particular group. Have any of your own thoughts?  I’d love to hear them below.

CategoriesMotivational Program Design

So You Want To Be a Fitness Professional?

Greetings from Cortland, NY!

It’s freaking snowing (not that that’s any big surprise)!  That would be like saying,”the sky is blue,” or “water is wet,” or “Justin Beiber is a no-talent ass hat!”

I left Boston yesterday under blue skies and 60 degree weather (which feels like summer this time of year), only to arrive in central NY five hours later to overcast gloom and nothing but rain and snow.

Welcome home, Tony!

Despite the really crappy weather, it is nice to be “home.”  I placed home in quotations because the college is literally ten minutes from my home town, and part of the impetus for making the trip – other than the non-stop adulation, praise, and ticker tape parade that may or may not happen in my honor – was to be here for Easter and take advantage of Mama Gentilcore’s home cooking.

Which is to say:  I absolutely crushed some apple pie yesterday.

Nevertheless, to say it was an honor to be asked to come back and speak would be an understatement.

Note:  for those out of loop: I was invited back to my alma mater to speak to some of the Exercise Science, Kinesiology, and Fitness Development majors; as well as any graduate students or general public you didn’t want to watch Dancing With the Stars and come listen to me speak instead.

In fact, it’s been kind of a surreal experience.

I mean, back in the day, when I was an undergrad myself, I was about as nondescript of a student as they come.  And now, I’m expecting upwards of 50+ people to show up just to listen to me speak.  Unreal.

Everything started to kick into high-gear when, last week, THIS short write up popped up on the school’s homepage detailing (the Cliff Notes version anyways), what I’ve been up to in the year’s since I graduated, as well as giving people a sneak peak into the topic of my presentation, which I’ll be throwing down later today.

From there it’s been an avalanche of local media exposure.  I got a call from the school newspaper asking if we could set up a time for some photo ops, and then a local news talk radio station (in Ithaca) contacted me and wanted to do a 5-10 minute interview LIVE for their morning show.

And when I say live, I mean literally – LIVE.  I called in and the guy was like, “we’re on in 30 seconds!”  Thankfully everything went smoothy and I didn’t drop an f-bomb. Woo-hoo!

Afterwards I got in my car to make the quick trip to the main campus where the game plan was to speak to a Kinesiology class (the class of the professor who set this whole shindig up).  The vast majority of the kids in the class were aspiring personal trainers, coaches, and future business owners, so rather than stand there and bore them to tears talking about insertions and origins and blah blah blah, I wanted to take the time to impress upon them some of the traits and characteristics that I feel every fitness professional should strive for.

Namely, that success in this industry isn’t so much dictated by book smarts or just showing up to class – but rather, it’s about having an insatiable drive to always make yourself better, and that at the end of the day it’s important to understand that you’re not that big of a deal and that you need to put your work in just like everyone else.

Here are some of the main bullet points I hammered (within 50 minutes):

1.  Do you see this as a career or a hobby?  First and foremost you need to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable, because you’re not going to know the answer to everything.  But those who deem this more of a career, and something that they see as their future, will always try to find the answer and get better.

2.  Understand that you (probably) won’t make a lot of money right out of the gate. Visions of a six-figure salary and having a ton of disposable income is wishful thinking.  Statistically speaking most trainers burn out within two years, which isn’t surprising when you factor in 10-14 hour work day, 6-7 days per week.  Likewise, most trainers are NOT financially independent, work pay check to pay check, and often have to get a second job to make ends meet.

The point isn’t to be a Debbie Downer or to say that it isn’t possible to do very well for yourself.  But, if we’re going to be honest, and if we’re really going to prepare people for the “read world,” then this is the kind of stuff upcoming trainers and coaches need to hear.

3.  Don’t have more degrees than a thermometer.  HA – get it!?!?!?  Degrees?  Thermometer?  Okay, I’ll shut up.

An example would be Joe Schmo, MSc, CSCS, CPT, LMT, Who gives a s***.

Point blank, no one cares how many letters you have next to your name.  It doesn’t really mean anything.  Sure it looks cool and it will undoubtedly help open the doors to a few more opportunities, but it always comes down to a quote I’ve heard Mike Boyls state time and time again:

No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.

 

4.  I gave a quick quiz to the students, and asked how many could:

– Name all four muscles of the rotator cuff.  Which ones are external rotators?

– What’s the main function of the rotator cuff?

– Name 8 out of 17 muscles that attach to the scapulae?

– Name the only hip flexor which acts above 90 degrees of hip flexion?

– Explain the difference between a short and stiff muscle?

– Coach someone how to deadlift properly?

– Explain to a normal person why there’s no such thing as a “Fat Burning Zone?”

– Draw the Kreb’s Cycle. Blindfolded.

Okay, kidding on that last one.

But the point was – can they actually explain these basic things?  If not, well………..what does that say about this being a hobby or a career?

5.  Learn functional anatomy.  Not everyone is going to be an anatomy cyborg like Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, or Bret Contreras. But it stands to reason that knowing your way around the human body is kind of an important trait to have as a fitness professional.

Admittedly, while I can get by and I can hold my own, anatomy is NOT one of my strong suits.  What’s important, and something I stressed to the students, is that it comes down to repeated exposures.  You’re not going to learn everything overnight, and if you hang out  around the likes of Bill Hartman you can’t help but feel stupid at times.

The omohyoid thingamjiggy does what now?

Read blogs, articles, and books.  Watch DVDs.  The more repeated exposures you give yourself to any given topic, the more likely, someday, the light bulb will go off.

Trust me:  it happens.

6. Be PROACTIVE as a coach!  Actually look like you give a shit!  Don’t just stand there and look like a zombie and count reps.  COACH your clients.

7.  But at the same time, don’t overcoach.  Someone’s squat may look like a train wreck waiting to happen and you may very well want to throw your face into a wall, but it’s important not to overwhelm someone and to learn to focus on 1-2 major things rathe than trying to perform a miracle.

8.  Try not to fall into being part of the status quo.  Don’t throw in all the “smoke and mirrors” into your programming for the sole purpose of looking different than everyone else.  Get people results, get them feeling better and moving more efficiently, and you’ll be doing your job.

9.  I feel EVERY upcoming trainer should spend at least 1-3 years working in a commercial gym setting.  Sure you’re going to have to fight the urge to pour battery acid in your eyes or to swallow live bees from all the asinine things you’ll see……but it’s one of the best ways to get better.  In what other setting will you have access to such a wide variety of clientele?  If you can teach a 45 year old CEO with the movement quality of an iceberg how to deadlift, you can teach anyone how to deadlift.

Sure you’re going to have life-sucking clients that will zap all your energy, but those are few and far between.  Having the opportunity to work with such a wide variety of backgrounds, goals, needs, injuries, etc will speak volumes as far as making you a better coach.

10.  Watch your social networking.  As a potential future employer, I can guarantee you that if you apply for an internship or job, we’re checking your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.

You know all those pictures you have up from when you won that Beer Pong championship back in 2012?  Or all those posts where you called your ex-girlfriend every colorful name under the sun?  Yeah, you should probably take those down.

And those were just the tip of the iceberg.  I had a few other points that I made, but I feel like I’m just blabbering on now.

Anyhoo, the main show starts at 5 PM where I’m going to speak to a much larger crowd on things like assessment, program design, the season finale of The Walking Dead, and I’m sure I’ll go on a few rants or two.  Or three.

Until then I need to get rid of some pent up nervousness and go lift some heavy things.  Might as well go deadlift – of course!

Wish me luck……;o)