Shane McLean – Page 3 – Tony Gentilcore

Exercise For Grown Ups

I don’t want to be cliche and say that today’s article is “exactly what I needed,” but it’s exactly what I needed.

If you’re a newly minted parent (or just someone who’s crazy busy and needs to be as efficient as possible in the gym) you’ll want to hug me for posting this guest post from Shane McLean.

I like hugs.

Exercise For Grown Ups

My wife and I had just tucked our little one into bed and made our nightly dash to the bedroom…so we could get as much sleep as possible.

What were you thinking?

Tomorrow was gym day and I was looking forward to crushing some weights and getting a break from daddy duties for an hour or so.

Like most first-time parents, we had a baby monitor turned up full blast beside our bed to hear when it was feeding time.

Because my wife had a full-time job and I was the stay at home parent, it was me (for the most part) who would get up to feed our son and try to put him back to sleep.

On this particular night, he thought 2 a.m. would be an excellent time to play on the sheepskin rug after he had finished his feeding. He was making goo goo eyes at me while having a big time thrashing his legs about like a Tour de France cyclist.

This was all very cute, but by 3 a.m. I’d had enough of this show and I put him to bed so hopefully the both of us could get some sleep before the sun came up.

Needless to say, I was a zombie the next morning and too tired to crush my planned training. Not even excessive amounts of caffeine could wake me up. The baby was full of energy, however.

Funny how that works.

This is what happens in real life. Stuff comes up and our best laid plans become stuck. We have other priorities that push exercise down the list.

Whether you’re becoming a parent, are already a parent or you just have way too much going on, use the following strategies to keep your health on track. Your sanity will thank you.

Imagine You’re in Prison

Dan John, strength Yoda, imagines a scenario where you’re in prison and you only have 15 minutes a day to train. What would you do? What is important to you? Please don’t say bicep curls.

Narrowing your focus when your time and energy is limited will at the very least keep you, your waistline and the scale happy. No matter how busy you are, you should always dedicate some time to exercise.

Here are a couple of examples of time-saving trainings (gym and home) that I’ve used in the past when time is limited but I still want to eat ice cream guilt free.

1a. Pushups 10 reps (Can be done on knees or on an incline surface)

1b. Inverted rows 10 reps

1c. Kettle bell swings -20 reps

Rest one minute after each circuit and do five circuits.

1a. Dumbbell shoulder press 10 reps

1b. Dumbbell bent over row 10 reps

1c. Goblet squats 20 reps

Rest one minute after each circuit and do five circuits.

1a. Pushups – 10 reps

1b. Side planks- 15 seconds each side

1c. Bodyweight squats 20 reps

Rest one minute after each circuit and do five circuits.

Cardiovascular Training

Do a two-minute walk/warm up, then a 15 second sprint followed by 15 seconds of rest. Repeat this cycle for five work/rest intervals. Then cool down for two-three minutes.

This can be done on treadmill, track, bike, rowing machine or you can find some open space and sprint.

Stand Up and Take Movement Breaks

A study by Levine (2005) recruited 20 healthy volunteers, 10 lean people (5 men 5 women) and 10 people classified as grade I obese (5 men and 5 women). Levine was looking for physical activity differences between these two groups.

Levine found that grade I obese sat for 164 minutes a day longer than their lean counterparts and lean people were standing and active for 153 minues more than their obese counterparts. This lead to the lean people burning 352 calories a day which is the equivalent to 36.5 grams of fat per year.

This partly is due to N.E.A.T or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, a process that burns the majority of our calories.

Finding time in your day to be active even when you’re busy or overwhelmed will have huge implications on your health, fitness and waist line.

Here are some suggestions when you don’t have time for the gym.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Walk during your lunch hour.
Walk to your coworker’s desk instead of emailing.
Pace the sidelines at your kid’s athletic game.
Do housework and walk around your house.
Walk your dog.
Bring the groceries from your car into your house one bag at a time.
Perform gardening and easy to do home repair projects.
Refer to point one.
This list could go on and on but I’ll stop. You can get creative.

One Lift Per Day

If going to the gym is non-negotiable, try narrowing your focus even further by doing just one lift per day. Trust me, this is not for sissies. Back in the 50’s and 60’s some Olympic lifters trained like this and they turned out just fine.

It was greasing the groove concept before Pavel Tsatsouline popularized this in his book Power to the People. Bottom line, if you’re going to master a lift it pays to do it more not less. Mind blown, right?

I could wax poetic on sets, reps and guidelines but you’re better off just reading THIS. He kind of knows what he is talking about.

Wrapping Up

There are periods in our lives where we barely keep our heads above water and our time and energy are in short supply. This is not time to crush PR’s or embark on some ambitious fat loss program.

It’s a time for maintenance because a little exercise can go a long way. Besides, sometimes you need your energy for more important stuff, like 3 a.m. sheepskin rug time. With the baby, I mean.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

May 30, 2017 Tony

muscle growth Strength Training

It’s Not Just About the Weight…

In today’s guest post, regular contributor and resident Texan badass, Shane McLean, explains why the way to get bigger, faster, stronger isn’t to only put more weight on the bar.

Don’t get me wrong, it helps (and would be a nice starting point for some people)….but it’s not the only way.

Shane shares some examples below. Enjoy.

It’s Not Just About the Weight…

Progress in the weight room is much like life. It’s never in a straight line.

When you first started out on this lifting journey, progress (mostly likely) came easily and slapping more plates on the bar was second nature. You’d also look in the mirror, strike a pose and realize you’d gotten a little sexier.

Ah yes, those were the days.

As you move further along in this journey, the newbie gains start to wear off and it becomes more of a struggle to get bigger, faster and stronger.

When this started happening to me, I thought I was doing something wrong. I would workout harder and longer and would hop from program to program hoping to regain the gains.

But all I got was….

After some trial and error and having the benefit of some world class coaching, (hint hint Tony) I realized that changing a few variables was just the kick start I needed.

The following techniques have been around longer than you and me (and I’ve been around for a while) because they work. It’s not as sexy as twisting yourself into a pretzel or squatting on a Bosu ball, but your gains will thank you.

I’m bringing flexing back. The Bodybuilders don’t know how act.

1) Cluster Sets

I first came across cluster sets in Eric Cressey’s Maximum Strength program. After doing these for the first time, I felt like JJ Watt had taken me out. Ouch was an understatement.

Cluster sets involve inserting a short 10-second rest within a straight set which enables you to lift more weight without having to reduce volume. With a typical straight set, you lift the weight for a certain amount of reps and then put it down.

But with cluster sets, you’ll work with your 5 RM, lift it twice, rest for 10 seconds and complete 3 more 2 rep mini sets with 10 seconds of rest between each. You’ll do 4-5 total sets like this, which adds up to 40 reps with a 5RM weight.

Cluster sets work best with compound movements that don’t require a lot of set up time. For instance, barbell bench press variations, chin ups, barbell row variations or the Humble Goblet Squat.

For example:

1A. Flat barbell bench press (4 x 2) mini sets with 10 seconds of rest between – 5 sets

1B. Weighted chin up (4 x 2) mini sets with 10 seconds of rest between – 5 sets

A Little Sumthin on Bench Press Set-Up

And, I Little Sumthin on Chin-Ups

2) Pauses

Unless you’ve had your head in the sand for the past few years you should know the three main triggers for muscle hypertrophy are mechanical tension, metabolic stress and muscle damage.

If you want to geek out and get more in depth with this topic, click here.

Adding a pause in your lifts covers these bases, if somewhat brutally. But lifting weights isn’t meant to tickle and pausing while the working muscle is under tension will test you in ways that you’ve never thought possible.

Which is another way of saying they suck. ?

Pauses work best with compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, presses and rows but can also used for isolation exercises (Bicep curls, anyone?) to bring up a lagging muscle group.

Pauses can work on weaknesses, such as being slow off the floor when deadlifting or getting into a good squat position. Because if you’re struggling with certain positions within your lift, it helps to spend more time there, not less.

If you plan on using this technique, a 2- 3 second pause with a load between 60-80% 1 RM and lifting between 5- 10 reps works well. However, please feel free to experiment if you’re feeling particularly sadistic.

3) Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) Sets for Strength

This method is synonymous with metabolic training and workout finishers at the end of a training.

Starting a set every minute on the minute holds you accountable for work you do in a certain period.

However, if you dare, they can be used for strength also because strength is a skill that needs to be practiced and this method allows you to spend some quality time under the bar not at the bar. ?

Load a barbell with 90% 1 RM for lifts such as squats, deadlifts, presses or pulls. Set the stopwatch for anywhere between 10 – 20 minutes and do one rep every minute on the minute.

This will help you hone your technique and get stronger and better conditioned.

However, this is neurologically demanding and should be done with only one lift per workout. This is best done periodically to shake things up and to bust through plateaus. Please enter at your own risk.

Wrapping Up

You don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater when your progress stalls. Just adding some small changes to the basics will have you flexing, smiling and loving the mirror again.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

April 24, 2017 Tony

coaching

The Other Side of Coaching

Coaching. There’s a connotation that it’s all butterfly kisses, rainbows, wearing sweatpants to work and/or hoisting up a Lombardi Trophies.¹

From a fitness pro’s perspective the sweatpants part is true, however the career is anything other than rainbows. It’s an arduous, drawn-out, paying your dues ass-kicking to be truthful. In today’s guest post by Texas based personal trainer, Shane McLean, he sheds some light on the “other” side of coaching.

Copyright: ruigsantos / 123RF Stock Photo

The Other Side of Coaching

You see them on TV. You see them in the gym and you see them at ball games. Coaches, they’ve got it made, right?

They’re strutting along the sideline yelling and screaming instructions at their players. Or it’s the personal trainers at your gym wearing tracksuit pants and checking their social media feed while telling clients what to do.

They don’t seem to be doing an ounce of ‘work’ and they get to wear comfortable pants to boot. Some might say, “That job looks so easy even I could do it.”

When I first started in the fitness industry over 8 years ago, I had no clue what to expect. Sure, I’d been lifting weights for a while, was in reasonable shape and was freshly armed with a personal training certification.

Which meant I knew everything and everybody else knew nothing. I thought coaching would be a walk in the park. How wrong I was.

I couldn’t coach my way out of wet paper bag. I was hurting my clients and they weren’t understanding any of my instructions, cues or programs. Maybe it was my Crocodile Dundee accent?

‘That’s not a knife…….that’s a knife.’

It’s one thing to know something, but it’s an entirely different matter to coach what you know to someone else. The history of sports is littered with great players who couldn’t coach to save themselves.

Sorry Magic

So, how did I get better at coaching? I worked my butt off, observed good coaches in their natural environment and read. That has kept my head above water (for now) but I’m still a work in progress.

Coaching is a great profession but I’m pulling back the curtain to reveal the other side. Here are some things that you probably never considered about that coach who is going bananas on the sideline while his/her team is up by 20.

1) People Are Less Than Truthful

When I first started working as a trainer, a fellow professional said something to me that I’ll never forget.

“People are liars.”

I brushed this comment off at the time, to be honest. I’ve always seen the best in people (rather than the worst) and I’m inclined to believe whatever they’re telling me.

However, over time this statement has rung true. Some clients (in my experience) have been less than truthful about their reasons for cancelling, their old injuries or about general life details.

It’s hard enough to get the best out of players/clients as a coach, but when they’re less than truthful, it becomes more difficult. And when your livelihood depends on results, it becomes a real problem.

2) It Doesn’t Always Pay the Bills

Most coaches get into this business because of a burning desire to help people and they also love telling people what do to. I know I do. Furthermore, most coaches get to wear tracksuit pants to work.

Beats the suit and tie every time.

However, the passion coaches have doesn’t always reflect in their pay check, particularly at the start of their career. I’ve known good coaches who have left the profession or have had to work a second job to make ends meet.

While others have sold a little of their soul to get a decent paycheck.

Hint: none of the trainers (or models hired behind them) got their body by doing the exact thing they’re selling.

I’m extremely fortunate to have a supportive wife who understands but doesn’t necessarily like the up/down nature of the fitness business. For a large part of my career as a coach, I’ve struggled to make a decent living. However, that’s all on me and I’m working hard to rectify this.

There are plenty of coaches who are making a good living because they work their butts off and have figured it out. However, in my experience, that’s more the exception than the rule.

There are lots of good coaches who are still waiting for the rewards of their hard work.

3) There is More to Coaching Than Meets the Eye

Most of the public sees the final product of the coach’s toil, where they yell, scream, motivate and act like a crazy person who’s had way too much caffeine.

What the public doesn’t see is all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Good coaches burn the midnight oil planning and preparing to make their clients/teams/players better.

Most coaches I know are happy to do the work. However, at times the consumer only sees the costs but not the value. What a lot of people fail to realize is all the hard work that goes into that final dollar value.

Furthermore, the coaching profession is an ever-evolving industry and if you’re not getting better, you’re getting left behind. The time and money spent on continuing education, industry conferences, coaching and travel adds up to a pretty penny.

Good coaches invest ton to make themselves and their clients better, a fact not seen by most of the non-coaching public.

Wrapping Up

Coaching is not all sunshine and roses. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved. There are far more ways to earn a better living but none as quite as rewarding as affecting people’s lives in a positive way.

Wearing tracksuit pants is just a welcome bonus.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

March 15, 2017 Tony

coaching Exercise Technique Program Design

The Humble Goblet Squat

Last week I broke down one of my favorite variations to teach the squat to beginners. I was expecting some blow-back because I had the audacity, nay, the cojones, to not mention the Goblet squat.

Of course, I love the Goblet squat. As you should too. It’s a wonderful little exercise that serves as a “catch all” to groove a better squat pattern. And on top of that…it’s super versatile. As you’ll come to realize after reading this excellent guest post from Shane McLean.

The Holy Grail

The Goblet squat has revolutionized the way the squat is being performed and taught throughout the world. If don’t know what a Goblet squat is, I’m getting Dan John to come over to your house and slap you upside the head.

If you don’t know even who he is, I suggest you Google him. Pronto.

Dan John stumbled upon this excellent exercise by chance.

“Years ago, I was faced with teaching 400 athletes to squat correctly. I attempted move after move and lift after lift, yet I failed every time.

I saw glimmers of hope from teaching one kid the Zercher squat and a few picked up the pattern when we lifted Kettlebells off the ground but nothing was really working.

The answer was somewhere in between a Zercher and a Potato squat. It came to me when I was resting between swings with the weight held in front of me like I was holding the Holy Grail.

I squatted down from there, pushed my knees out with my elbows and behold, the goblet squat.” (1)

I guess you can say he choose wisely.

Thanks to Dan’s discovery people in gyms everywhere have discovered the joys of squatting. The Goblet squat is an exercise that’s great for beginners and advanced exercisers alike.

But what makes the Goblet squat so good?

Holding the weight anteriorly encourages you to stand up straighter, get that upper back tight and puff out that chest which sets the table for good squat. Furthermore, the weight acts as a counter balance that encourages you to sit between your legs and not over your knees.

For most gym-goers, the Goblet squat may be the only squat you’ll ever need. It beats squatting on a stability ball by about a trillion. Why do people do that?

Now that I’ve established the Goblet squat is the bomb, let’s look at some variations so you can squat like a boss.

1. Goblet Box Squat

If it’s been a while since you’ve squatted or you’ve never done a Goblet squat before, this variation is a good starting point. Reducing the range of motion combined with a reference point with the box will help you groove proper technique.

Pairing this with single arm press/pull combined with a mobility drill works like a charm. For example:

1A. Goblet Box Squat

1B. Single Arm Row

1C. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

2. KB Goblet Squat with Lowering

Tony calls this lowering but I’d prefer to calling this a biceps curl. Any excuse to work on the guns, right?

The pause at the bottom of the squat with the ‘curl’ helps you ‘own’ the bottom position and creates extra tension in the anterior core and the posterior chain. It’s going to tickle the legs a little also.

Pairing this with a suitcase carry will provide a greater challenge for your lungs and grip strength. Try this little finisher that I borrowed from Dan ‘the man’ John.

8 Goblet squat with lowering
Suitcase carry left hand 40 steps
7 Goblet squats with lowering
Suitcase carry right hand 40 steps
6 Goblet squats with lowering
Suitcase carry left hand 40 steps
5 Goblet squats with lowering
Suitcase carry right hand 40 steps
4 Goblet squats with lowering
Suitcase carry left hand 40 steps
3 Goblet squats with lowering
Suitcase carry right hand 40 steps
2 Goblet squats with lowering
Suitcase carry left hand 40 yards
1 Goblet squat with lowering
Suitcase carry right hand 40 yards
Collapse

3. Goblet Squat with Resistance Band

Click HERE

How do you make Goblet squats more enjoyable? By adding a looped resistance band of course. Adding a band to the kettlebell helps you control the eccentric portion of the movement and provides extra resistance on the concentric portion also.

Furthermore, some gyms don’t have big enough kettlebells to challenge advanced lifters and adding a band helps…… or hurts depending on your perspective.

This exercise can be done for straight sets but if you’re feeling ambitious you can pair this with a little exercise called the Goblet lateral walk. For example

1A. Goblet squat with band 8-12 reps

1B. Goblet lateral walk 8-12 steps each side

1C. Your grip will love you

4. Goblet Squat 1 ½

Adding a half a repetition to this exercise will make you hate life but will increase tension in your legs, anterior core and the posterior chain. These factors will give you a lower body of steel.

This exercise can be used as a finisher at the end of your leg training or can be super-setted with a core exercise for a rousing good time. For example:

1A. Goblet squat 1 ½

1B. Push up position plank

5. TG Addition: Goblet Elevator Squats

A nice progression for 1-1/2 rep Goblet squats would be elevator squats. I learned this one from my good friend Ben Bruno.

Here you’ll squat down into the bottom position, come 1/2 way up, back down again, then 3/4 of the way up, back down, and then stand tall. This is a great option for those who A) can’t think of any other way to make them hate life more and/or B) have limited options in terms of load you can use (the increased time under tension is a leg killer).

Wrapping Up

The Goblet squat makes it possible for most people to squat with good form and to reestablish the squat pattern for those who have ‘lost’ it. This also doubles as an excellent mobility exercise for the lower body.

Start choosing squats wisely. Incorporate the Goblet squat into your routine pronto and make Dan a happy man.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

February 13, 2017 Tony

mindset Motivational personal training psychology

The Planet Fitness Myth

We’re stuck in an emotionally devoid rut. And Planet Fitness isn’t helping.

I am all for showering my fellow humans with compassion and empathy. Treat others as you’d like to be treated isn’t a bad way to go about doing things.

However, taking politics out of the conversation², it’s a safe observation to note we live in an era where we have a proclivity to shield people from “bad” feelings or from experiencing failure or hardship.

Social media plays into it. I mean, everyone on Facebook and Instagram lives in a world of butterfly kisses and rainbows (and delicious looking entrees), and it’s hard not to compare and feel up to snuff amongst everyone else’s hunky-doriness.

Society, in general, plays a massive role too. All we need to do is look towards the idea of participation trophies and “safe spaces” to note how we’re seemingly desensitizing people from a wider spectrum of feelings and uncomfortableness.

NOTE: I’d highly recommend checking out the Pixar movie Inside Out. The whole vibe of the movie is to demonstrate that feeling sad or angry or scared is okay…and that it’s a normal, nay, a necessary component of growth.

In today’s guest post by Texas-based personal trainer, Shane McLean, he does a brief “deep dive” into the phenomenon of Planet Fitness and how it mirrors much of the sentiment above.

I.e., shielding people from failure and uncomfortable situations. Is it really helping?

Don’t worry, it’s not an anti-Planet Fitness diatribe. There’s no need to preach to the choir here. However, bringing the (albeit slight) nefarious side of why Planet Fitness even exists is something I find very interesting and something worth discussing.

Enjoy.

The Planet Fitness Myth

The first time I entered a weight room, I had absolutely had no idea what to do or how to get started. However, isn’t that the case with almost everything we do for the first time?

The start of the New Year brings a stampede of newbie gym-goers who enter a gym for the first time disappointed by their ever-growing waistlines. They usually head straight to the cardio machines to watch TV or to the dumbbell rack to do endless variations of biceps curls hoping their belly will magically disappear.

The regular gym folk may get annoyed when ‘their’ gym is full or the machines have all been taken or the biggest granddaddy of them all, the squat rack is being used for biceps curls. This one makes me mad. How mad? This mad.

These newbies are looking to lose a few pounds and think doing endless sets of curls is no big deal. They just want to look better naked and are (usually) not interested in strength or performance goals.

The newbies may feel judged or intimidated because of the looks they receive from the regulars or from the lack of help they receive from the gym staff. Whether these feelings are real or imagined, they have led to a rise of gyms, like Planet Fitness, who market themselves as the “non-gym.”

Planet Fitness, which started in 1992 in Newington, New Hampshire now has over 1000 locations and 7 million members making it one of the largest health clubs in the U.S.

With their cheap per-month membership and their slick advertising slogans such as Judgement Free Zone®, Gymtimidation® and their world famous Lunk™ alarm, Planet Fitness is doing a great job of attracting these disenfranchised exercisers.

Planet Fitness has built its reputation on maintaining a non-competitive work environment which has led to banning of certain exercises (which happens to be my favorites) and certain types of lifters.

They keep their costs down by omitting fancy stuff like juice bars and personal trainers and by not following every exercise fad. They stock their facility with good old fashioned cardio, weight machines dumbbells and barbells and not much else.

I think Barney the dinosaur and LSU would approve of their color scheme. However, I’m not a fan of purple

They also offer free pizza, bagels and even tootsie rolls to their members on the gym floor. What an ingenious idea. Can you imagine holding a slice of pizza in one hand and doing curls with the other? It boggles the mind with other possibilities.

It’s not my intention to rag on Planet Fitness because the facts speak for themselves. They are doing quite well and have cornered their share of the market, and they keep on growing.

However, I take exception to the way they portray non- purple commercial gyms.

Our first commercial gym experiences were probably similar. We were surrounded by people who were in much better shape than we were. They were bigger, faster and stronger and most of them knew what to do.

We’d scan the room and realize, “Shit, I’ve got some work to do.”

Sure, we may’ve felt slightly intimated or maybe even judged by the other regulars at the beginning but those feelings will fade with time and sweat equity.

Being out of ones “comfort zone” is necessary for growth, don’t you think?

Instead of cowering in the corner and waiting for free pizza, I used this as motivation to get better. People who have taken the time, effort and sacrifice to get in shape should be role models to others and not kicked out of the gym because they’re ‘too muscly’ or for making too much noise.

The gym floor isn’t a church after all.

Furthermore, in my experience these type of people are more than willing to help and share their tips, tricks and techniques. Sure, they might be intimating, but once you get to know them, they could be as gentle as a pussy cat.

Planet Fitness fits right into the era where we give out trophies for participation and ribbons for finishing last. Nobody likes to lose and nobody wants to get his or her feelings hurt.

However, this doesn’t fit with real life. We lose. We get our feelings hurt. We get judged. We get intimated by a situation or a person. Either we pack our bags and go home or use this as a learning situation and move onward and upward.

I’m assuming I’m preaching to the converted here. You take your health and fitness seriously and invest time, money, effort and sweat equity into it. However, if you have a friend, family member or co -worker interested in joining Planet Fitness, tell them this

The deadlift is an awesome exercise that strengthens the whole body. Have them read THIS.

Having temptation around when trying to make a change is a sure way to fail.

Excluding certain people from the gym doesn’t mean judgment and intimdation stop.

Those feelings described don’t last. Whether they’re real or imagined, use them for positive change.

How can you tell if people are judging you anyway? They might just be checking you out.

Wrapping Up

There will always be gyms who compete only on price and price alone. However, most people’s health and fitness is worth way more than $10 per month and free tootsie rolls.

No matter how delicious they are.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

January 30, 2017 Tony

Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

The Missing Link: Changing Body Positions Could Spark Your Gains

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Texas-based personal trainer Shane McLean. Shane’s a regular contributor on this site so you know his stuff is top-notch and will be applicable to many of you reading.

Enjoy!

When you were a baby (a long time ago for some) you loved lying on the floor and staring up at the world above.

If you wanted to go anywhere or were hungry, all you needed to do was cry and wail until your slaves came running to meet your every need. Life was so much simpler back then.

However, getting back on the floor and lifting, no matter how old you are, can spark new gains, work around niggling injuries and work muscles that you never knew existed.

Because lifting is not all about standing in front of the mirror to curl and grunt to your heart’s content. Yes, that means you excessive gym-grunter guy.

Let’s cover exercising from supine, tall kneeling and half kneeling positions and how lifting from those could be the missing link that’s needed to spark new gains.

Supine

This is lying on your back while facing upwards, like when you were a baby. We often lie supine after collapsing after a hard set or when you see someone on the floor crunching like a bat out of hell.

Please leave the crunching to the monkeys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBOcFT1oTQ

However, lying and lifting from the floor can be a great core and upper builder as evidenced by the single arm floor press.

Single Arm Floor Press

This pressing variation will turn on your core and shoulder stabilizers due to the offset load that gets neglected during bilateral bench/overhead pressing. It’s also a shoulder saver because it eliminates the lower half of the press where the shoulder is externally rotated and where nasty things like shoulder impingements can happen.

If you want to take this up a notch and improve your numbers on the barbell bench press, try the barbell floor press. This improves your lockout strength as you receive no help from the bench or your lower body while pressing from the floor.

Barbell Floor Press

Let’s not forget about the back and shoulders which also play a part in pulling heavy from the floor, pushing heavy off the chest and giving you a great looking back that your friends will envy.

Check out this cool variation from Jordan Syatt that does all of this and more.

Pullover with Reactive Floor Press

Work your legs while you’re down there with the stability ball hip extension/hamstring curl. This exercise trains the hamstrings as a hip extensor and a knee flexor, which are its two major functions.

You’ll get more bang for your hamstring buck and they will love you for it afterwards, trust me. J

Stability Ball Hip Ext. /Hamstring Curl

This is great exercise for runners because the instability of the ball during the curl portion mimics the unevenness of the road while running, proving the stability ball is not a completely useless piece of equipment.

Tall Kneeling

The tall kneeling position looks like this.

Photo courtesy of FunctionalMovement.com

The toes on the ground, knees underneath hips and the core, pelvis and glutes all turned on. This is the position that babies step up to after crawling on all fours to determine whether they have the balance to start standing up.

For the rest of us, the tall kneeling position will help with posture and balance because if anything is not working as it should, our pretty face will head towards the floor and none of us want that.

You should use this position if you lack glute strength or have poor posture or non-existent balance. If you cannot do an exercise in the tall kneeling position, chances are you won’t be able to do it standing without some sort of compensation.

If that sounds like you or you need a new lifting challenge, consider taking these exercises out for a test run. Your glutes will be pleased.

Bench Kneeling Overhead Press

If anything is off with your overhead pressing mechanics, this exercise will pick it up, if somewhat brutally.

You can regress this exercise by kneeling on the floor and using dumbbells because an appearance on America’s Funniest Home Video show can wait.

Tall Kneeling Lat Pulldown

This pulling variation is great for developing core stability and training the entire backside of the body. This is exercise is outstanding for people who are yet to do their first chin up as it simulates the core strength necessary to pull yourself up over the bar without any extra compensation.

Sorry CrossFit, this is a no kipping zone. Please don’t sue me.

He will be missed

Tall Kneeling Pallof Press

Pallof press is a great stand-alone exercise but adding some tall kneeling into the equation takes a great lateral core stability, anti-rotation exercise to the next level. You’ll be a core badass.

Half Kneeling

The half kneeling hip flexor stretch is usually the go-to stretch to open up our hip flexors which are always tight but that’s an article in itself, so let’s leave that alone and lift from here instead.

Lifting in the half kneeling position has many benefits. By lowering our center of mass we can move our hips and shoulders without too much compensation from the pelvis/lower back, which is godsend if you’re a suffer of low back pain.

With the narrower base of support, you’ll receive extra core stability and glute activation benefits, too. So doesn’t it make perfect sense to lift from this position? I knew you would see it my way. J

So kneel, lift and be great with these half kneeling exercise variations.

Half Kneeling Lat Pulldown

The 45-degree angle of this variation makes it more shoulder friendly than other vertical pulling exercises, so if shoulder mobility is a problem for you this exercise is perfect.

Half Kneeling KB Bottoms Up Press

Holding the Kettlebell bottoms up creates more tension in the arm through a process called irradiation. This gives you more strength and stability in the shoulder region which makes this a great exercise for people with shoulder issues or for those who want a break from barbell/dumbbell overhead presses.

Half-Kneeling Med Ball Rotational Throw

A common error with med ball throwing is gym goers using other parts of their body like the low back to create extra power, which is a big no-no. However, throwing in half kneeling position reduces this compensation and increases the reliance of the hips and core, which are the muscles needed for rotational power.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re returning from long layoff, working around niggling injuries or you’re wanting to spice things up to spark your gains, getting back on the floor could be just what you need.

However, please don’t cry. You’re an adult now.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

December 21, 2016 Tony

coaching Corrective Exercise mobility

To Roll and Stretch or Not To Roll and Stretch

Here’s the deal: Whether or not someone should stretch and/or utilize the foam roller is up to them. There’s research and anecdotal evidence to back up both sides of the argument

I find value in both as a coach. Considering we’re talking about a 5-10 minute “investment,” and the abyss of benefits involved – improved tissue quality, increased tissue extensibility, decreased likelihood of injury, a more primed CNS, 1007% increase in general level of sexiness – I feel implementing both is a no-brainer.

There’s a degree of expectation management involved, however:

1. Foam Rolling – harder doesn’t mean better. People seem to be under the impression that the more you grimace and induce “pain,” the more benefit you’re getting.

Here’s the progression most people take:

“Soft” Foam Roller —> “Hard” Foam Roller —> Rumble Roller (the one with those spikey thingamabobbers) —> PVC Pipe —> Barbell or Straight Up Lead Pipe —> Live Grenade.

Some people take foam rolling to the next level, as if the goal is to earn a Badge of Hardcoreness. BTW: that badge needs to happen. I do not agree with this approach and find it defeats the purpose.

I also understand there are camps out there who feel foam rolling is a complete waste of time. I tend to call in like with THIS response from Kevin Neeld.

2. Stretching – Lets be honest: this is the first thing that gets “tossed” when there’s a time crunch with training. I hate doing it, you hate doing it, the Easter bunny hates doing, everyone hates doing it. However, it’s hard to discount the mountain of research and anecdotal evidence that it works and does help people feel better.

And I know most people reading along agree with my train of thought: “I should do more of it.”

A funny thing: people tend to stretch what “feels good” or what they’re good at. Or, more commonly, they stretch, but they’re not stretching what they think they’re stretching.

I.e., not a good hip flexor stretch

Nonetheless, while I could keep going on and on and on I want to defer to my colleague, Shane McLean, who offers up some of his insights and “go to” rolling and stretching strategies he uses with his clients.

Enjoy.

To Roll and Stretch Or Not To Roll and Stretch (That is the Question)

Foam Rolling

Don’t you love that person who grabs the foam roller, plonks himself in the middle of the gym and proceeds to twist, grunt and grimace like a game of Twister?

Yeah, that person definitely needs a talking too.

Foam rolling is either better than sliced bread or a complete waste of time depending on whose camp you’re in. However, there is plenty of middle earth ground.³

You should think of foam rolling as a poor man’s massage. Having hands on you with the massage therapist inflicting pain is definitely more effective than the roller. However, foam rolling is cheaper and more accessible.

Just don’t go overboard.

Mike Boyle explains his rationale for foam rolling in The New Functional Training for Sports 2^nd edition. He thinks foam rolling can help combat muscle creep.

Muscle creep is the extensibility of soft tissues which are those loaded under low pressure for an extended period of time.

A stretched muscle will attempt to go back to its resting length but will give up and in an attempt to bridge the gap will lay down more fibers. If the stretch is applied slowly enough the muscle will change its length and retain that change (Myers 2009, 36).

Doesn’t that sound creepy?

One study by back guru Dr. Stuart McGill concluded that “sitting with the back slouched for as little as 20 min can result in increased laxity in the posterior spinal ligaments” (McGill and Brown 1992).

Now if that doesn’t strike any fear into you to sit up straight this instant I don’t know what will. Prolonged spinal flexion can reduce back muscle protection of the underlying spine due to increased laxity. (1)

The muscles in the back already take a beating and going straight from the office to the squat rack would be as pointless as poking yourself repeatedly in the eye, for fun.

However, showing your muscles a little love with foam rolling to decrease muscular tension before crushing your squats and deadlifts sounds like a much better idea.

Foam rolling before warming up sets the table for a better warm up. A better warm up means a better training session and less chance of you ending up on the DL. Doesn’t that sound like a good idea? Thought you would see things my way.

Here are my five preferred must do rolls to help combat the creep and to feel and move well:

1) Foot Massage With Ball

2) Hamstring Roll

3) Piriformis Roll

4) Lower Back Roll

5) Thoracic Spine Roll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgNWSQx08Hw

Stretching

Stretching is one of those topics that fitness professionals will never sit on the fence about. It’s either the devil incarnate or it’s the cure all. Both sides will argue till their blue in the face.

When coaches get into a pissing match, it’s never pretty. There is plenty of name calling, hair pulling and chests puffed out. However, like with most polar opposite points of view, the truth lies somewhere in between.

Let Mike Boyle be the voice of reason here.

“A lack of flexibility seems to be a causative factor in many of the gradual onset injury conditions that plague today’s athletes. Overuse problems like patella-femoral syndrome, low back pain, and shoulder pain seem to relate strongly to long term tissue changes that don’t respond to dynamic stretching.” (2)

If static stretching good enough for Mike, it should be good enough for the rest of us. Besides, if you stretch for a few minutes it will feel good and the universe will not blow up.

Combining foam rolling for the back of your body with a few stretches for the front may help improve your range of motion and help the stretch tolerance of the foam rolled muscle.

Here my preferred “go to” stretches:

1) Hip Flexor

2) Half Kneeling Quad

3) Biceps

4) Chest

5) Anterior Deltoid

References

1. Is Activation of the Back Muscles Impaired by Creep or Muscle Fatigue? Daniel Sánchez-Zuriaga – Michael Adams – Patricia Dolan – Spine – 2010

2. The Effect of Static Stretch and Warm-up Exercise on Hamstring Length Over the Course of 24 Hours. Volkert Weijer – Gerard Gorniak – Eric Shamus – J Orthop Sports Phys Ther Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy – 2003

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

No, Shane doesn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots. After being told that his posture blows by Eric Cressey, he has made it his mission to rid the world of desk jockeys and have fun while doing so.

After all exercise is fun and never a “work” out.

You can follow Shane on Twitter HERE, and Facebook HERE.

October 5, 2016 Tony

coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique Program Design Strength Training

How Unilateral Strength Training Can Improve Your Squat, Bench, and Deadlift

Another fantastic guest post today from Shane McLean. This time he tackles the importance of unilateral strength training and offers some neat ideas as to the best accessory movements to compliment the “big 3.”

Copyright: vadymvdrobot / 123RF Stock Photo

Don’t you love “that” guy who always stands between you and the dumbbells while doing single arm curls and making faces only his mother could love? What if I told you that he’s actually on to something, minus the faces and grunting?

Bilateral exercises (not biceps curls) should form the foundation of your strength program because this is where you’ll get most of your gains. However, unilateral training often gets neglected in the quest to get bigger and stronger because it’s just not as sexy (or cool) as a big squat, deadlift or overhead press.

However, unilateral training will help you get stronger, improve the big lifts (by shoring up weakness) and provide the following benefits.

Reduce Muscle Imbalances

Due to activities of daily living almost everybody has a dominant and non-dominant side. For instance, carrying more groceries on one side over the other over time may get one arm stronger.

During bilateral exercises such as a press or squat variation, your dominant side can pick up the slack for the weaker side.

Have you ever seen a lifter struggle to lock out one side over the other during a barbell bench press? I rest my case. Improving your “weaker” side will reduce your injury risk and help increase overall lifting numbers.

Improved Muscle Recruitment

Unilateral training makes you work harder and recruit more muscle fibers to perform the exact same movement, such as a split squat.

Taking one leg out of the equation forces your abductors and core to stabilize your pelvis while the working leg performs a split squat. Working more muscle with less weight will help correct strength imbalances between sides, also.

Core Work Without Crunches

When training unilaterally, you automatically throw your body off balance, forcing your core muscles to engage in order to keep yourself upright.

Trust me when I say that’s a good thing.

And we can double-down on the core training ante by utilizing offset loading:

Programming Guidelines

Unilateral exercises are best performed as an accessory movement after your big lift for the day.

Choose one or two single limb movements per session and perform three to four sets on both sides. The repetitions performed will depend on your goal.

For example:

Strength: 4 – 6 reps
Hypertrophy/Fat Loss: 8 – 15 reps

If you have a strength or muscle size imbalance always start with the weaker/smaller side first and let the weaker side determine the weight/reps you do on the stronger side.

Without further ado, here are my top two accessory exercises you should be doing to improve your squat, dead lift and press numbers. Sorry, this is a biceps curl free zone.

1) Deadlift

Suitcase Carries

Not only will carries change your life in three weeks, according to Dan ‘the man’ John, they can strengthen grip imbalances between hands which can be a limiting factor when pulling heavy from the floor or opening the pickle jar.

When you’re doing carries (you do, right?), pair them with a movement that doesn’t demand a lot of grip strength, so you can get more out of it. For example:

1A. Goblet squat/press variation.

1B. Suitcase carry- (25-50% of your bodyweight) 30 steps one hand then 30 steps with the opposite hand.

Form considerations – cues “shoulders down and back” or “chest up” work well here. Checking your form in a mirror will help if you having trouble knowing if you’re overcompensating or not.

Front Racked Kettlebell Bulgarian Split Squat

These were first introduced to me by Anthony Dexmier to improve my pulling ability from the floor. Let’s just say after doing them, we weren’t the best of friends.

Hardcore dead lifters knows that hip mobility, upper back strength and leg drive are essential elements for pulling heavy, and this exercise covers all those bases, if somewhat brutally.

Pairing this exercise with a single arm row variation is a real upper back whammy that you’re sure to enjoy. For example

1A. Front racked kettle bell elevated split squat – 12 reps on each leg

1B. 3 point dumbbell row – 12 reps on each arm

Form considerations – Perform a bodyweight elevated split squat and notice where your big toe is, and then place weight plate in front of it. This will give you a reference point and shorten your set up time between sets. This is courtesy of the one and only Jordan Syatt.

Keep a nice tall chest and your wrists in neutral during this entire movement and smile through the pain.

2) Bench Press

Landmine Press

The single arm landmine press is a mix between a vertical and horizontal movement which makes this great for individuals who lack the shoulder mobility for overhead pressing and for those looking to improve their press numbers.

Note From TG (to Shane): How could you not include a link to THIS article I wrote discussing how to assess overhead mobility and drills to help improve it?

Why Shane…….WHY?!?!?

The beginning of this exercise (initial push of the shoulders) is the hardest part of the movement. This will assist you with pushing the bar off your chest during the bench press or pushing the barbell overhead from a dead stop. The extra core work doesn’t go astray either.

This press can be done from a variety of positions. For example, it can be done standing, tall kneeling and this half kneeling variation courtesy of Eric Cressey:

Pairing this landmine variation with a hip flexor stretch works well and provides an active rest between sides and sets. For example

1A. Half kneeling landmine press (right hand)

1B. Half kneeling hip flexor stretch (right knee down) – 30 seconds

1C. Half kneeling landmine press (left hand)

1D. Half kneeling hip flexor stretch (left knee down) – 30 seconds

Form considerations- Make sure the barbell is close to the front of your shoulder and actively squeeze the barbell. This provides Irradiation, allowing you to produce more force and lift more weight. This also turns on the rotator cuff, which helps with shoulder stability.

Single Arm Dumbbell Floor Press

The reduced range of motion of the floor press makes this a great triceps builder (when the elbows are close to your side) and will assist you in getting stronger with the lockout part of any press variation.

The single arm variation will turn on your core and shoulder stabilizers due to the offset load that can get neglected during bench/overhead pressing. It’s a shoulder saver because it eliminates the lower half of the press where the shoulder is externally rotated and nasty things like shoulder impingements can happen.

Pairing this with a side plank or a suitcase carry gives your shoulders and core the extra work they deserve. For example

1A. Floor press

1B. Side plank variation 30 sec/ Suitcase carry – (25-50% of your bodyweight) 30 steps one hand then 30 steps in the opposite hand.

Form considerations- Grip the dumbbell tight or strangle the handle and keep the elbow close to your side but not touching. Touch the entire upper arm to the ground at the start of each rep.

3) Squat

Single Leg Negative Calf Raise

It’s a common issue to lack ankle mobility as we wear shoes that inhibit the movement of the ankles, like wearing high heels, for example. The ability to dorsiflex the ankle (how far the knees can go over the toes without raising the heel) can get compromised and this can show up in the squat.

As the squat movement has to come from somewhere, lacking dorsiflexion can negatively affect the joints further up the kinetic chain especially the knee, and who hasn’t had sore knees (and everything else) at the end of an intense squat session?

If hammering away at ankle mobility isn’t working for you, try this single leg negative calf raise drill from Dr. Ryan DeBell before your squat session. This will help with ankle dorsiflexion under load.

Form considerations- Having something solid to hold on to is a must. If you have pain bending the knee during this drill, please use a pain free range of motion. Do 5-10 reps on each leg before you squat. Your knees will thank you.

Barbell Reverse Lunge- Front Squat Grip

Most lunge variations are interchangeable because they work on knee stability (knees that go out instead of in) and core (reduced base of support) hip mobility (active stretch of the hip flexors) and help build your quad strength and size. Sounds like everything a good squat needs, right?

This variation does this and more. The front squat grip works on your anterior core upper back strength and thoracic mobility which are also needed for a strong squat.

Pairing this with an upper back or anterior core exercise in a superset works well. For example

1A. Barbell Reverse Lunge – Front Squat Grip – 8-12 reps on both legs

1B. Chin up

1A. Barbell reverse lunge- Front squat grip 8-12 reps on both legs

1B. RKC Front Plank

Form considerations- Start on the light side until you nail the technique and feel confident that you’re not going to bite the floor. Keep the ears away from the shoulders and maintain an upright torso during this exercise.

Wrapping Up

Don’t forget about unilateral training when it comes to getting bigger, stronger and more awesome. Including these exercises into your routine will improve your lifting numbers and overall balance and will help keep you off the lifting DL.

You can throw in some single arm curls (for the girls) to keep Ron happy, if you must. J

Author’s Bio

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

No, Shane doesn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots. After being told that his posture blows by Eric Cressey, he has made it his mission to rid the world of desk jockeys and have fun while doing so.

After all exercise is fun and never a “work” out.

You can follow Shane on Twitter HERE, and Facebook HERE.

September 12, 2016 Tony

Exercise Technique Program Design

Upgrade Your Deadbug

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Dallas based personal trainer, Shane McLean. If you forced me to make a short list of things I love, that list would include things like ice-cream (all of it), GoodFellas quotes, anything my cat does, old-school Transformers cartoons, and an empty laundry mat.⁴

And, you know, my wife would make the list too. Oh, and deadbugs. The exercise…not, literally, dead bugs. Gross.

Read below to watch some (hopefully) new-to-you variations.

Ever witnessed a “watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat” moment?

Mine was around three years ago at a fitness mastermind in Frisco, Texas which had the one and only Eric Cressey in attendance.

During his demonstration he got hold of a minor league baseball player who presented with limited shoulder flexion. After some positional breathing exercises and a few deadbug reps, the player then stood up and demonstrated his improved shoulder flexion range.

It was just like magic.

Ever since then, the deadbug has been a staple programs for myself and my clients. You could almost say it was love at first sight, if you believe in that kind of stuff.

Tony has written extensively on this subject, so I will not harp on, but the benefits of deadbugs are numerous, including

Reinforces contra lateral limb movement
Improves lumbo- pelvic stability
Reinforces correct breathing patterns
Being on the floor provides you with more stability and kinesthetic feedback
Prevents misalignment and encourages good posture

It’s definitely an exercise that provides a lot of ah-ha moments when done correctly. It may look easy to the meatheads who have never done it before, but once I drag them away from the mirror, they know it’s the real deal.

But when they ask me why it is called the deadbug, the best explanation I can give is this.

If you need to be reminded of what the dead bug is, watch Tony perform this with impeccable form.

Notice how serious he is:

Correct deadbug form consists of:

Low back in neutral (encouraging posterior pelvic tilt)
Breathing in through the nose before the rep starts and fully breathing all the air out through your mouth during the rep
Slow and controlled limb movement
No rib flaring and arching of the low back

The standard deadbug is a great warm up exercise and can be used for recovery/mobility purposes between sets of lifting heavy. This is the version you should be doing the majority of the time.

However, like a lot of things that we do over and over again, we get bored and need a little spice. When you’ve nailed the standard version and want to upgrade, take a few of these variations out for a test drive.

You’ll be the coolest person in the gym. Trust me, I’m a trainer.

1) Pullover Deadbug

Kettlebells and the deadbug is a match made in heaven, like peanut butter and jelly or bicep curls and mirrors.

The instability and the resistance of the kettlebell combined with the standard deadbug movement put extra demand on your core stability, shoulders and lats.

Did I mention it also works the chest? Now I have your attention.

Pairing this exercise with a movement that demands core stability and a neutral spine works best. For example

1A. Squat/Deadlift Variation

1B. Pullover Deadbug 6- 8 reps per leg

Or seeing you’re already down on the floor, pair it with a single arm floor press for a great upper body/core workout.

1A. Pullover Deadbug 6-8 reps on each leg

1B. Single Arm KB Floor Press

2) Weighted Deadbug

Adding light weight plates in each hand (2.5-5 pounds) slightly increases the intensity, but the real benefit is that the resistance helps slow down the movement as the weight plate descends towards the floor.

You get to enjoy the deadbug even more.

Typically, I use this movement as part of a warm up, but if you’re feeling extra ambitious, pairing this with a plank variation will give your core a double whammy.

For instance:

1A. Weighted deadbug 6-8 reps each leg

1B. Plank with plate switch (Thanks Tony)

3) Stability Ball Deadbug

The virgin deadbuger can run into trouble with contra lateral limb movement and often extend the same arm and leg. They get frustrated and can feel uncoordinated.

Enter the dragon stability ball.

Using the stability ball as a reference point helps teach the movement because using the same arm/leg will cause the stability ball to drop to one side and the client will feel the tension required for correct form as well.

Actively pressing your opposite arm/leg into the ball combined with diaphragmatic breathing will light a candle under your core that you’re sure to enjoy.

I program this variation into the warm up but this can be included in a core tri-set. For example.

1A. Stability Ball Deadbug 6-8 reps on each side

1B. Stability Ball Hip Ext./Hamstring Curl 12 reps

1C. Stability Ball Rollout 8-12 reps

A young Eric. Those were the days.

5) Bosu Ball Deadbug

Yes, the Bosu ball is good for something.

Bosu balls’ instability is excellent for upper body/core work and can take your deadbug to the next level. You’ll have to work to find your balance point but if you fall off, at least it’s not very far.

Please make sure no one’s filming, for your sake.

Pairing this with any Bosu ball exercise works as long as it’s not squats. For example

1A. Bosu Ball Deadbug 6-8 reps on each side

1B. Bosu Ball Side Plank 30 seconds on each side

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tjzuv9O6Q1E

Bonus – Click HERE for another great variation of the deadbug Tony highlighted a few weeks ago on this blog: Deadbug with Extension + Reach.

Wrapping Up

The deadbug, and its variations, deserves a prime time position in your routine because of all the benefits it provides. Don’t worry, you’ll will not look weird because all the cool kids are doing it.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

August 22, 2016 Tony

coaching Exercise Technique Program Design Strength Training

Row, Row, Row Your Back

I hated P.E. class. I was a skinny, weird and uncoordinated kid.

I was the one who got picked on in the changing rooms about my lack of size, and we’re just not talking about muscles.

Whenever P.E. class was on my schedule, I dreaded it. I’d rather go to the dentist to get a tooth pulled or talk about my confused teenage feelings.

Our masochistic P.E teacher liked to put us through a series of fitness tests every few months to determine our grades. As far as I was concerned, showing up was an A.

One of the many tests was an isometric chin up hold for time. You were to hold the top position of a chin up for as long as possible. On this particular testing day, as soon as my name was called, the knives came out.

“You won’t last 10 seconds, McLean. You’re as weak as piss.” (That’s Australian for not strong and bad tasting beer.)

As I stepped up to the bar, I had a little extra incentive and was determined to prove my doubter wrong. I willed myself to a 40-second hold which was not bad for a weakling. I even got the nods of approval from the high school meatheads.

Ever since then I could always do a chin up.

In the gym, chin ups/pull ups are still great test of your relative body strength. You’ll never hear someone ask “How much to you row, dude?” However, you will hear in gyms around the world “How much do you bench?”

Not everyone can do a chin up (although it should be a goal), but everyone needs to build upper back strength because in today’s society we’re constantly looking down at our smart phones, tablets and computers.

Furthermore, we sit too much and move too little.

Over time this can wreak havoc on upper back strength, posture and spine. For instance, every inch our ears are forward from our shoulders (forward head posture) you increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds. (Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol. 3).

And while there’s no scientific correlation, forward head posture also increases one affinity for douchiness.

Upper back strength also plays a huge role in the big lifts such as squats, deadlifts and even the bench press, which is big deal for hardcore gym goers and for the everyday desk jockey who wants to look better naked.

That’s reason enough to include some old school and new age rows into your routine. Your back and biceps will thank you, and the chest will just have to wait its turn.

Old School Rows

1) Barbell Bent Over Row

This is the godfather of rows. Not only does this strengthen your upper back, shoulders, biceps and grip, it’s the perfect accessory exercise for improving your deadlift. Bent over row mimics the hip hinge, and holding this for time with help improve your lower/upper back endurance. More importantly, it will improve your ability to keep a neutral spine while pulling heavy.

The classic cues of shoulders down, chest up, grow tall or shoulders away from the ears work here. If you feel this movement in your lower back or upper traps, you’re missing something and should check your form.

Note From TG: Check out THIS baller post by Harold Gibbons dissecting a ingenious drill – the hamstring bridge hold – to help people learn to “feel” the hamstrings during a bent over row.

Programming – I’ve found doing this for strength (low reps 3-5 and more sets 5-6) will help improve your ability to pull from the floor and to keep a neutral spine under heavy loads.

If you’ve never done sets of 20 reps before, you don’t know what you’re missing.

2) Single Arm Dumbbell Rows

There’s a multitude of variations to choose from. From the classic single arm bench supported variety to this excellent variation from Eric Bach of Bach Performance.

Or this one from Tony himself:

Dumbbell rows in general are perfect for ironing out strength imbalances that often exist between sides and you’ll get some additional core work in the form of lateral stability.

Let’s face it, you cannot get enough core work.

Keeping the spine in neutral and not rowing with the upper traps is the key here. Please don’t go extremely heavy and short arm the weight because you’re not fooling anybody. It’s almost as bad as knee bend squats or poorly performed pushups.

Note From TG: Another point to consider is pinning or “glueing” the shoulder blade(s) in place. The scapulae should move around the ribcage, not stay in place. Read THIS for more information.

Programming – I prefer programming these for higher reps (8-15 range) and lower sets (2-4). Pairing these in a super set with any press variation or including these in a metabolic circuit works well.

Running the rack to murder the upper back is fantastic, if you’re a fan of pain.

New Age Rows

1) TRX Rows

Dan John sums up why we need to do TRX rows:

“TRX single arm and double arm rows target an area of the body that often gets missed or ignored. The whole upper back/rear shoulder area is probably the most underdeveloped area of people I’ve worked with.”

The beauty of the TRX is you can adjust the intensity simply by adjusting the foot position closer or further away from the anchor point. This makes this exercise accessible to almost everybody.

Here’s how to set up for a single arm row, one of my personal favorites.

Keeping your shoulders down and chest up and not shrugging your upper traps to pull yourself towards the handles is the key here, too.

Also, try the Hinge Row (which “nudges” a bit more upward rotation in the shoulders)

Or, if you’re really feeling fancy pants you can try this variation, which, technically, isn’t a TRX row, but uses the TRX so whateves:

Programming – TRX rows are a great change of pace from weighted rows and I’d recommend training these for higher reps (12-20) and fewer sets (2-4). The TRX makes exercise transition simple, so including rows in a superset or a circuit works like a charm.

If you’re looking to burn out the back and pump up the biceps, TRX mechanical drop sets are perfect.

2) Single Arm Landmine Row

Single arm landmine exercises such as the row will help reduce joint stress while maximizing shoulder tension and stabilization. In my experience you can use more weight than the traditional dumbbell/cable row set up without any undue stress.

The set-up and cues are similar to a barbell bent over row. A good hip hinge and a neutral spine are essential.

The landmine allows you to row from a variety of positions and grips which is great for hitting the upper back from different angles.

Programming – Holding the end of the barbell instead of the dumbbell will provide a greater grip challenge.

Use the same programming guidelines as for the dumbbell rows. Or if you’re hating life, include them in a landmine complex, like this one courtesy of Ben Bruno.

Wrapping Up

Just because you cannot see the upper back, shouldn’t mean the chest gets all the love. Keeping the upper back strong is necessity for good posture and healthy shoulders. Upper strength will help improve your deadlift, squat and bench numbers.

If that’s not reason enough, rows work the biceps. They’re always in need of extra attention.

Author’s Bio

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

No, Shane doesn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots. After being told that his posture blows by Eric Cressey, he has made it his mission to rid the world of desk jockeys and have fun while doing so.

After all exercise is fun and never a “work” out.

You can follow Shane on Twitter HERE, and Facebook HERE.

April 26, 2016 Tony