Before I get into the nitty gritty and link to some fantastic reads from this past week, I wanted to put out a quick “feeler” (not that kind of feeler. Get your mind out of the gutter) on something I’ve been thinking about doing in the very near future.
People have been asking me for eons now whether or not I’ll ever produce my own product. Much of my reticence in doing so has been the result of:
1) Not rushing into things. I figured twelve years in, and thousands of client/athlete contact hours (again, get your mind out of the gutter), I’ve amassed enough experience to toss my hat into the fitness product ring.
2) Only doing so when I felt I WAS READY. I always laugh when someone who’s just graduated college or has only been working as a personal trainer for a year states that they’re “world renowned” or an “expert.” Then, if that wasn’t enough of a red flag, are quick to promote their opus of an ebook that, according to them, will change the fitness industry and make us all wet our pants. Twice.
Okay, now everyone’s mind is in the gutter.
Speaking personally, the only thing I was an expert in out of college or that early on in my career was sucking. And Super Mario Kart.
3) Above all, actually coming up with something worth putting out there.
And it’s with that I want to reach out to my peeps, my “Tribe” if you will, to see if anyone would be interested in participating in a Beta group for a program I’d like to test drive.
I’m still in brainstorming mode and nothing is concrete (yet), but I wanted to toss the idea out there to see if there would actually be any interest?
Basically, I’d write 4-6 months of programming (with a degree of customization involved, based of standard assessments and goals) for a minimum cost, and all I’d ask in return is honest feedback on a month-to-month basis from the participants (along with maybe a bag of beef jerky. I really like beef jerky).
Anyways, just wanted to toss that out to the universe and to place it on everyone’s radar. If you’d like to leave a comment below expressing any interest you may have, that would be awesome. Thanks!
There were a TON of great articles I read this week:
Red meat is blamed for everything. Cancer is the main “go to,” but other things like heart disease, obesity, and global warming are on the conversation.
Next time someone berates you for eating a burger and tries to give you a guilt trip about how you’re causing irreparable harm to your body, send them this article. And then, for shits and giggles, and just because, make fun of them for thinking their non-GMO diet isn’t somehow genetically modified.
Pretty much everything we eat nowadays has been genetically modified to some degree.
Listen, I “get” why many people gravitate towards the Paleo lifestyle. Anything that encourages people to eat real, minimally processed, whole foods is cool in my book.
Some people, though, take the Paleo thing too far. Fantastic writing (and Nickleback burn) by James.
Perusing the internet can be comical. LOLcats, Buzzfeed, and Star Wars parodies aside, where I find the most comedy (or to be more precise, the most chest thumping, blatant lies, and fibbing) are in various training websites and forums.
It seems everyone on the internet – at least in training circles – is either some kind of unknown world-record holder or anonymous StrongMan competitor that no one’s ever heard of. Some of the numbers tossed out by the likes of PowerPlateJumboJim or DieselJackedGunz101 are astonishing.
Ever notice how many of them claim to bench press 400+ lbs (raw) or can pull 4x bodyweight (for reps) or boast how “they could have won State if only their high school coach didn’t have it in for them”?
It’s uncanny and makes for some quality entertainment.
In that same vein, it’s also amazing how many people on the internet squat “ass-to-grass.” For those unaware, the term “ass-to-grass” refers to one’s ability to squat deep or to the point where their butt touches their ankles. Or very close to it.
It’s often deemed the bro-tastic or “right” way to squat. While admirable, and in some cases an acceptable approach, I don’t agree with this mentality as it flies in the face of every individual’s own goals, needs, abilities, experience, and freakin anatomy.
In my latest article for T-Nation, I discuss the whole notion of “deep squats” and why they may not be a great fit for a large number of the population. Furthermore, I discuss the “butt wink,” what it is, what causes it (and what doesn’t), and how to resolve it.
It’s basically the greatest article ever written give or take a few billion. Let me know what you think!
Today I have a guest post by St. Louis based personal trainer Ian Fagala. Ian actually reached out to me right before I left for vacation about writing a little sumthin sumthin for the website while I was away, but unfortunately I dropped the ball and forgot to put it up.
Oopsies.
In any case, when Ian forwarded the article to me and I saw the title, he had me at Jedi.
Some of the tips may see obvious, but they’ll still serve as a nice reminder that we don’t need to make things more complicated than they have to be.
Enjoy!
I’ve been at this lifting thing for a while now, approximately 14 years, which is hard to believe. Now I’m no weightlifting prodigy, but having been in the game that length of time I’ve learned a thing or two.
Learning is a funny thing because we come armed to the teeth with information via google and the internet, but how much of that knowledge actually turns to wisdom? Because wisdom I contend is much more about putting knowledge into action, than simply knowing answers.
However, I don’t believe your reading this article to listen to me wax philosophic about knowledge and wisdom, you want to find out how you can instantly get stronger. Your goal might be to deadlift a Mac Truck, or bench press a volkswagen, but the distinction between knowledge and wisdom is an important one.
The reason is, I can list these two simple hacks to make you stronger, and you can know the answer of how to improve your lifts, but without actually putting them into action they don’t mean didley-squat. (It’s only a bonus that I’ve made a Star Wars reference to illustrate them!).
#1 Confidence
You’ve seen it before, confidence that is. For a prime example check out Ronnie Coleman below, arguably one of the best bodybuilders of all time.
The phrase “lightweight” is an example of it for Ronnie.
It doesn’t mean you psyche yourself and scream, yell, and sniff ammonia caps (you don’t’ want to be that guy), but you get ready for a tough set or PR by setting your mind on the task at hand without any other distractions.
You have to be confident that when you walk up to or slide under that bar and start to crush it with your grip, you know that you know that you know the only acceptable outcome is success.
#2 Visualization
This can tie pretty intimately to number one.
Visualization, as I’ve started practicing it, before tough sets usually increases my confidence before a lift. Many pro and olympic athletes use visualization to increase success in their respective sports, and if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me.
Before you un-rack the weight, take a few seconds and play a tape in your mind of every step of the set or lift attempt. Start by stepping up to the bar, gripping it and feeling the iron in your hands, imagine yourself getting into optimal positioning, and go through your entire setup.
Then continue through the set or attempt in your mind, each and every rep, and when you finish your set conjure up the same feelings you would have if you actually succeeded.
#3 Whole Body Tightness
I’m sure at this point some of you reading may be under the impression that I sit in the corner of the gym in the lotus position before I lift. Far from it. I actually do lift heavy things, and one of the concepts that I feel many trainees fail to address is whole body tightness or stiffness.
Getting tight is an easy way to instantly add more weight to the bar. Tony’s talked a lot about things like irradiation and the importance of gripping the bar hard, by adding the same advice to the rest of the body you can likely slip a few more pounds on the bar during your next training session.
Note from TG: here’s a video I shot for BodyBuilding.com which helps explain how engaging the lats – and gaining more TENSION – can have profound effects on deadlift performance.
Note from TG (continued…sorry I’m hijacking your article Ian): The same idea or principle can be applied to any lift, but it fits perfectly with the “big three” (deadlift, squat, bench press).
Bringing the conversation to the squat, one major mistake I see a lot of people make is how they approach the bar and set-up. Many will just haphazardly approach the bar without any intent or care in the world as if they’re Dorothy skipping down the yellow-brick road, duck under, un-rack the weight, and then perform their set.
Major, major mistake.
How you set-up for a lift is going to make or break the set. Always. No Discussion.
Don’t you roll your eyes at me mister!! I’ll send you up to your room with no supper. I’ll do it!
For a better idea of what I mean, check out the video below on how I coach someone to set-up to squat properly. The theme is TENSION!
It’s uncanny how surprised people are with how much more weight they can handle once they understand and grasp the concept of tension. It will take some tinkering around, but it’s not at all uncommon for people to add 10-25 lbs to their lift in one session.
About the Author
Ian is a Fitness Professional that has been working in and around the St. Louis area for the last 10 years or so. Most days you’ll find him at the gym or spending time with his family. He has worked with people from all walks of life and is passionate about helping regular people reach their fitness goals. You can read more about him at his blog or you can find him at his Facebook page HERE.
About the Author Who Hijacked the Author’s Article
Tony trains people, and writes stuff. Outside of his cat, Dagny, he’s obsessed with Matt Damon, Star Wars (obviously), and cheese. God, he loves cheese.
Today’s guest post comes from a very good colleague of mine, Jordan Syatt. Jordan actually interned for us at Cressey Performance a few years ago and since has gone on to do some pretty fantastic things in the industry.
Not only is he one of the more passionate coaches I’ve ever met, but he’s just an awesome human being. There aren’t many people who are more genuine and gracious than Jordan.
I sincerely mean that.
Oh, and he’s also one strong son-of-a-bitch (no offense to Jordan’s mom. She’s wonderful, too). My man deadlifts over 3x bodyweight, and he’s also an IPA World Record holder in the squat.
No big deal.
Jordan’s Elite Performance Squat Seminar went on sale this week, and to speak candidly…..it’s awesome. It’s two hours of anything and everything you’d need to know about the squat from someone who knows a thing or two about squatting.
Jordan was nice enough to write up some unique content for the site regarding some (not so common) tips that will help to increase/improve your squat.
Enjoy!
I struggled with the squat for years.
No matter how hard I tried or how much I read, I just couldn’t pin-point which style worked best for me.
To make matters worse, I was beyond confused with the programming aspect. Some coaches were telling me to squat once per week while others told me to squat every day.
I was lost.
As the years went on, though, I eventually figured it out. Following my internships at Westside Barbell and Cressey Performance, I learned not only how to squat but, more importantly, how to adjust my technique and programming based on biomechanics, goals, and preferences.
Fast-forward 3 years and I’m currently an IPA Powerlifting World Record Holder, I raw squat 2.9x bodyweight, and have helped countless lifters improve their squats by hundreds of pounds.
In this article I’m going to share with you four little-known tips to help increase your squat as quickly as possible.
By the end you will understand the squat better than most strength coaches and be armed with four new tips to help you achieve your ultimate strength potential.
1. Drive the Floor Away From You
We’ve all heard popular squat cues like:
“Head back!”
“Chest Up!”
“Knee’s Out!”
Cues like as these are known as internal focuscues because they force the lifter to focus on how the body moves in relation to itself.
While they aren’t completely useless, internal focus cues have been shown to be drastically less effective than their counterparts: external focus cues.
Note from TG: For those interested, and who want to explore the rabbit hole a bit further, you can check out THIS article I wrote on internal vs. external cues.
Contrary to the former, external focus cues force the lifter to focus on how the body moves in relation to its environment. Take, for example, one of my all-time favorite cues:
“Drive the floor away from you!”
Rather than trying to move your body in relation to itself, this cue allows you to focus on moving your body relative to the environment.
On paper it might seem arbitrary, but research has consistently found external focus cues to be drastically more effective than cues with an internal focus.
So what does this mean for you?
When squatting, think about driving the floor away from yourself as hard and fast as humanly possible.
Don’t think about pushing into the ground or pressing as hard as possible.
Instead, try to push the floor away from you so forcefully that you leave a foot-print in the ground.
2. Nix the Box Squat
The box squat is overrated.
It’s great for geared lifters and doubles as a fantastic teaching tool but for intermediate & advanced raw lifters it’s a waste of time.
With my Westside background I know I’ll get a lot of flak for this but, in my experience, the box squat will not only do nothing to improve your squat…it will actually de-train it.
First and foremost, sitting on a box takes the stretch reflex out of the equation. While geared lifters don’t need to worry about this, raw lifters depend on the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) to rebound safely and explosively out of the hole.
Second, box squatting often changes the mechanics of the lift. Since geared lifters predominantly depend on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, erectors), sitting back to a box is in their best interest. For raw lifters, however, it’s of the utmost importance to squat using a more knee-dominant approach that includes the quads. When performing box squats, though, most lifters focus entirely too much on maintaining a vertical tibia which reduces quad involvement and makes it less specific to raw squatting.
Plain and simple, if you aren’t a beginner and/or a geared lifter…nix the box squat.
3. Grip the Bar As Hard as Humanly Possible
Try it.
Next time you un-rack the bar and let it sink into your traps I want you to grip the bar as hard as you possibly can.
Tony has a great cue for this which works extremely well: “Try to melt the bar in your hands.”
^^^ Yep, I do use that one a lot.
Dean Somerset uses another good one: “Squeeze the bar so hard it oozes through your fingers like play dough.”
I’m more of a simpleton and stick with “Choke the bar,” but they all work.
Regardless of which cue you use, I guarantee if you squeeze the bar as hard as you possibly can you’ll immediately squat more weight.
Don’t believe me?
Give it a shot. I’ll be the guy laughing in the back of the gym saying “hate to say I told ya so!” even though I really love saying it.
4. Grip the Floor with Your Feet
Many powerlifters and coaches advocate squatting with all of your bodyweight centered directly under the heels. Some lifters take this to such an extreme that they literally pick all of their toes off the floor and visibly rock backwards to make sure they’re only on the heels.
I think that’s excessive.
While it’s important to keep some weight on the heels, it’s also important to create a stable base of support through using what’s called an “active foot.”
Watch this short clip to see what I mean: CLICK ME!
As you saw in the video, an active foot only works if your bodyweight is centered on three points of contact: the knuckle under the big toe, the knuckle under the pinky toe, and the heel. This creates a tri-pod, of sorts, from which you can “grip the floor” with your feet.
To grip the floor, imagine centering your weight on the tripod while trying to pinch the floor in the middle of each foot. Done properly, you’ll stimulate the nerves of the feet while improving overall foot position to give you a stable base of support off of which you can squat more weight.
Wrapping Up
I hope you enjoyed this article and were able to take away some valuable information.
If you’re still looking for more information to improve your (or your clients) squat performance, my Elite Performance Squat Seminar covers all the topics mentioned above in more detail…..and then some!
In just under 2 hours I cover everything including:
Self Assessment and Correction
Technique Analysis
Progressions and Variations
Programming Considerations
And much more!
I legitimately cover every single thing you could ever want to know (and then some) related to the squat.
The best part?
For this week only the seminar is on sale for just $29! The sale only lasts until Friday (2/21) at midnight at which point the price will nearly double so if you really want to learn the secrets behind optimal squat performance don’t miss out – download your copy today!
In case you’ve been living in a cave for the past few months or engrossed in the latest season of The Walking Dead, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a hot debate in the fitness and weight-training community surrounding the whole “knees out” technique when performing the squat (or deadlift for that matter).
As far as debates in this industry are concerned, it’s a doozy. I’d put it right up there with other debates which make people go bat-shit crazy with rage such as steady state cardio vs. HIIT, eating every 2-3 hours vs. intermittent fasting, ShakeWeight vs. ThighMaster, or which is the superior late 90s-end-of-the-world-asteroid-slams-into-Earth-disaster-flick: Deep Impact or Armageddon?
The impetus behind the madness is one Dr. Kelly Starrett, owner of CrossFit San Francisco and author of the New York Times best selling book Becoming a Supple Leopard, who, at least recently, is the prime example of someone who’s championed the “knees out” cue.
Just to be clear though: he’s not the first (nor will be the last) to use this cue, but writing a national bestseller will pretty much guarantee your name is placed in the spotlight, and open the floodgates to the critics.
Addressing the pink elephant standing in the middle of the room, let me preface all of this by saying that I don’t work with elite level olympic lifters – in fact, I rarely work with anyone who does olympic lifting outside of the occasional college athlete or meathead who wants to learn how to perform a hang clean.
But in a non-explosive reverse bicep curl kind of way.
However the book (and the cue) speaks to more than JUST elite level olympic lifters – and I believe the book was intended for a much broader audience, and was written as such.
Sure there’s sections dedicated towards the Olympic lifts – and CrossFit (for better or worse, mostly worse, but that’s another ball of wax I don’t want to get into right now) – encompasses a large olympic lifting component. But the book as a whole and Kelly’s message throughout is to help people move better and to avoid technique faults or errors – with the squat (and by extension, the deadlift) taking the forefront.
Still, due to the whole phenomena, you’d be hard pressed to find more spit-fire and venom directed towards Kelly within various articles, blogs, and forums. It’s like playing the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, except here the premise is to see how many time you can click your mouse or notebook pad before you come across someone on the internet shitting a kettlebell because Kelly has the audacity to cue people to squat with their knees out.
What an asshole!
And that’s the thing – he doesn’t even subscribe to that “cue” in the first place! At least not in the literal sense. He’ll be the first to tell you that squatting with an excessive knees out pattern (or excessive varus, bowing) is a fault and that he would NOT want an athlete or client to do that. In fact, he uses it as a CUE for when an athlete begins to go into knee valgus when squatting.
But more on that in a second.
Before I continue: lets take ad hominem jabs out of the picture. I love how a lot (not all) of the arguments against Kelly is that he calls himself a “Dr” (he has a doctorate in Physical Therapy), that just because he treated “x” athlete one time doesn’t mean he trains said athlete, and that CrossFit San Francisco has yet to churn out an elite level CrossFit athlete.
For starters the book is titled Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance.
It’s NOT called The End-All-Be-All Guide to Winning the CrossFit Games: Go Fuck Yourself, Everybody.
Secondly, the man has run his own successful gym (for nine years) and clinic (for six) and he and his staff have logged over 100,000 athlete sessions during that time.
100,000!!!!
I’m sorry but as someone who’s been coaching for a while and who co-founded one of the more reputable strength training facilities in the country, that number HAS to be respected.
That is a crap ton of sessions.
So lets just take a chill pill and respect the fact that Kelly probably knows a thing or two about training people, Mmmmkay.
So Back to This While Cueing Thing
As Kelly notes in THIS video series he posted on his MobilityWOD.com website were he defends his stance and tries to clear up any miscalculation on his message regarding the “knees out” debate:
“A cue is a relationship between a coach and an athlete specific to that moment for something that’s going on. Ie: trying to solve a specific problem.”
What other cue (key word: CUE!!!!) is supposed to be used to prevent the knees from collapsing in?
“Hey, hey, hey, HEY!! Stop doing that thing you’re doing!!!!”
Or, as Kelly and his staff jokingly state:
“Knees not in.”
They coach people to squat with flat feet, cueing an external rotation torque (rotating femurs?) to create more stability in the hips and lower back. During the descent and ascent out of the hole, the knees should track in the same path.
Starrett even notes, “if you push out too far and your knees bow out into excessive varus, and your foot comes off the floor, that’s an error.”
How this has somehow been lost in translation is beyond me. I don’t know of ANY strength coach – and I know a lot of very smart strength coaches – who would disagree with this assertion.
Knees collapsing into valgus when squatting is unacceptable, and I don’t know of ANY coach who doesn’t use the knees out CUE.
For 99.99% of people out there who aren’t elite level OLY lifters this is a bang on cue and helps to significantly improve technique.
[I recognize that many elite level OLY lifters will go into excessive valgus on the catch to explode out of the hole. Okay, cool. They’re ELITE. They’ve perfected technique to the point where if they do get into a compromising position, when the shit hits the fan, they’re less likely to injure themselves. This doesn’t mean Dave from accounting, on his first day of training, should be held to the same standard.]
Which then begs the question: what if someone can’t squat well? To perform a “deep” squat you need adequate hip internal rotation. If you don’t have it, the default isn’t quite so much knees caving in (that much), but more so someone leaning forward too much. Either way it’s a faulty pattern.
Likewise for those who lack ample ankle dorsiflexion, the typical default pattern will end up being a collapsed arch in the foot with subsequent knee valgus.
And all of this doesn’t take into consideration one’s hip or bony structure. As Dean Somerset has touched on recently: genetics do come into play. Depending on one’s body (hip) structure, this may dictate how well they’re able to handle heavy loads and/or even which squat or deadlift variation is most suitable for them.
As well, you have to take into consideration one’s current (and past) injury history, soft tissue restrictions, posture, experience, and ability level.
In short: everything’s a little more complicated than nitpicking over semantics, and toy actually should assess your athletes and clients. And I have to assume that Kelly along with his staff would agree with this.
But I can’t think of one coach who would advocate nor tolerate someone squatting with the knees caving in. By that token, the cue “knees out” is the universal go to. All that’s being asked is to create peak torsion to create the system for stability in the hip and back. No one is asking for someone to stand there, perform a squat, and then push the knees out so far that they’re hanging on the end of their joint capsule.
I could be wrong, but I have yet to interpret anything Kelly has said or written to think otherwise. I don’t doubt that there are some coaches or CrossFit affiliates out there who may be coaching their squats in this fashion, and if so, they’re wrong. Direct your hate towards them.
Or, you could actually go coach someone before you start throwing darts. Just sayin…..
As far as current fitness debates are concerned the argument over which is better for long-term progress in the gym – bracing vs. arching – is right on par with people arguing over whether or not a potato is considered “Paleo, (1),” whether or not high- rep Olympic lifting (ALA: CrossFit) has any efficacy (2), or figuring out which is smarter: Tracy Anderson or a ham sandwich (3)?
Um, it’s a freaking potato! It grows in the ground. Newsflash: That broccoli you’re eating didn’t exist in the Paleolithic era, and I know for a fact Gronk and his friends didn’t crush “Paleo” chocolate brownies back in the day you uppity douche.
Sorry, but I’d trust a coach who advocates high-rep Olympic lifting about as much as I’d trust Formula One racer you drives a Prius.
Come on, do we really need to debate this one?
Nevertheless, the growing dichotomy between bracing and arching – especially as it relates to hoisting heavy loads and how it parlays into optimal performance – has gained steamed within the last few years.
As a coach and as someone who trains a wide array of athletes and clients for newbie status all the way up into the professional ranks, and as someone who’s job it is to keep people healthy for the long haul, I can say that I tend to lean more towards the camp who advocates bracing.
While squatting is considered a standard human movement pattern, and something that everyone does everyday of their lives, there are a million and one things that can go awry when you place a barbell on someone’s back.
In addition there’s no shortage of coaching cues which are tossed around, that it’s no wonder people are often overwhelmed when it comes to honing in on technique.
Get your air!
Spread the floor with your feet!
Keep your chin tucked!
Squeeze your shoulder blades together, find your shelf!
Push your knees out!
Don’t shit out your pancreas!
Sit back!
Pull down on the bar!
Get your hips through at the top!
Did you leave your stove on when you left the house?
One would think they’re solving some advanced algorithm for space travel than simply squatting up and down with a bar.
And so it goes. The fact of the matter is: when it comes to squatting big weight, you have to be LOCKED in with technique or else some bad things can happen.
However, even if squatting a house isn’t your goal, it still doesn’t mean you should have a nonchalant attitude when it comes to technique, because you “may” be causing irreparable harm in the long run.
One cue that we’ve been hammering at the facility as of late is the idea of “owning” rib position.
This is something that manifested itself after watching a video Bill Hartman released a little over a year ago on using a belt and how many powerlifting go about “getting their air.”
To expound a bit more on Bill’s brilliance, after watching that video I started taking more notes on how people squatted and noticed one common pattern amongst the more serious weightlifters. Not so much powerlifters (although they’re not off the hook), but more so those people who were past the “newbie” stage and had a bit of experience underneath their belts.
Many, to no fault of their own (it’s what they’ve read and have been coached to do) were OVER-arching and hinging more through their lower backs rather than their hips.
Arching the back isn’t bad or poor form. But when done excessively, can lead to some nasty things like end-plate fractures, Spondylolisthesis, and a bad hair day.
Just kidding on that last one.
A perfect example of what I’m referring to is a video I received from a new distance coaching client, Sarah.
To the casual eye her squat is pretty legit. She’s sitting back, keeping a more vertical shin angle, hitting decent depth, and using close to 1x bodyweight (for reps!). What, what!
But to the more keen observer, and to steal a line from one of my heros, Optimus Prime, there’s a bit more than meets the eye.
And before someone has a conniption and starts spouting off about how much vertical videos suck, relax. Deal with it.
If you pause the video at the nine second mark you’ll notice that her initial movement is to hinge through the lumbar spine rather than the hips.
Too, you’ll notice how her rib cage flares out simultaneously.
In going back and forth with her via email, Sarah has mentioned to me that her squat numbers have hit a stalemate as of late, and I have a hunch that part of the reason (if not the entire reason) is because she’s losing stability by not bracing and “owning” her rib position.
In essence, and what I pointed out to her, is that we need to work on keeping her rib cage DOWN and learning to brace more.
Taking it a step further, and something I discussed in a previous video on lunging (see below) is the idea of pretending there’s an imaginary line between her nipple line and her belly button. When she goes to un-rack the barbell she needs to ensure an abdominal brace and to make sure the line between her nipple line and belly button doesn’t get longer.
From there it’s just a matter of making some minor adjustments, getting her to groove the hip hinge through the HIPS and not her the lower back, and then it’s smooth sailing.
I find this is an issue that’s more common than people think, and it parlays into a lot of different exercises from deadlifts to lunges to overhead dwarf throwing.
And I have to imagine a few light-bulbs just turned on for a few people reading this post.
You’re welcome, and that will be $19.99.
This won’t apply to everyone, of course, but hopefully it gives some food for thought. Enjoy the weekend!
It’s a component that I feel many people glaze over, and something that deserves a little more love. Unfortunately, many approach squatting – especially the set-up – with a nonchalant attitude, and subsequently either 1) performance suffers or worse 2) someone gets injured.
What really surprised me was just how much attention the video garnered. It certainly wasn’t for my good looks. I mean I’m pretty, but not that pretty.
What it told me was that it’s a topic that people are interested in and want to learn more about.
Or maybe part of the popularity was that it gave people an opportunity to debate. I couldn’t believe how many people made a stink over something as nondescript as my preference to coach people to grab the bar with their thumbs (rather than set up with the thumbs over the bar).
Some made the case that it places more stress on the wrists.
Okay. So what? Correct me if I’m wrong here, but genrally speaking, squats suck. Like, a lot. We’re not picking daises and running underneath a rainbow here. There’s going to be some level of discomfort going on.
And NEWSLASH: squats are going to place a stress on the body, wrists included.
If for some reason your wrists hurt while grabbing the bar, fine, do it your way. I really could care less, and understand there is some degree of personal preference here.
The main point to hammer and what I felt was lost in translation was the notion that one PULLS DOWN on the bar to increase stability and tightness.
And it’s the latter point – the whole concept of “tightness” – which is the crux of today’s post.
What do we mean by “staying tight” when squatting? And why is it beneficial?
In this short video I cover:
1. Why getting your air, twice (which is something both Mike Robertson and Jim Smith have discussed in the past) is crucial.
AND
2. Why, when box squatting, I’m not a fan of allowing people to rock/relax on the box itself.
While I didn’t mention it in the video, I liken it to a melting candle. Which is to say: losing tightness at the bottom is not going to do your back any favors.
The squat is undoubtedly one of the more popular exercises out there in the fitness world, and with good reason! You’d be hard pressed to find anything else that can trump what it can accomplish with regards to muscle gains, increased strength, improved athletic performance, and even less talked about benefits like increased bone density (staving off osteoporosis) as well as a litany of positive hormonal adaptations that come into play.
While there’s an endless abyss of information available discussing proper squatting technique – what’s the ideal bar placement, foot placement, how to groove a proper hip hinge (and by extension how to engage the hamstrings/glutes to a higher degree), not to mention all the different variations – more cogent to today’s post I want to discuss a factor that’s often dismissed or at best glazed over.
And that’s how not to destroy the back of your pants the set-up.
Quite literally, how you set up to squat can make or break your set, and thinking more long-term, your overall squatting success.
Many people just kinda haphazardly approach the bar, un-rack it without much thought or attention to detail, and then perform their set. And I hate to break it to you: it looks like garbage. And I can only imagine what it feels like.
Suffice it to say, there’s a bit more to it than just approaching the bar and performing your set. Like, a lot more. And in today’s video I briefly cover why taking the time to set-up properly (and yes, even learning how to un-rack and rack the bar without making your spine hate you) can pay huge dividends in terms of keeping your back healthy in addition to aiding overall squatting performance.
* Photo credit above goes to the peeps over at Elitefts.
Okay, before I jump into this week’s list of stuff to read, I had to share THIS video I came across on the homepage of Yahoo! this morning.
Basically it’s a video of a Miami based teenager – who’s incarcerated for drug possession – acting very flippant (in every sense of the word) with the judge sentencing her.
Not amused with her shenanigans, the judge hands her the smack-down and doubles her fine (the reaction is priceless), and then, sentences her to 30-days in county jail. BOOM!
I think Miami should give this guy a ticker-tape parade, the key to the city, or name a street after him or something. A free ticket to an all-you-can-eat-buffet? Anything!
Those who enjoy my writing style and sometimes “tough love” approach will appreciate this article by Hamilton.
I’m sorry, but “going for a walk” is not working out. Nor is going to the gym to casually putter away on the elliptical while watching The Real Housewives of Whogivesashit (or where ever the current season is filming).
You actually have to strain a little bit, and maybe even break a sweat! I know, weird.
But trust me: it’s for you’re own good. If you need a little motivation, this column may be exactly what you (or a friend, or a family member, or a colleague) needs.
I thought this was a bang-on job by former CP intern/coach, Jordan Syatt, explaining this often confusing concept on cleaning up one’s squatting technique.
It’s a very subtle differentiation, but something that many people make the mistake of doing, oftentimes leading to injury.
Check it out and show Jordan some love!
The guys owns a 3x bodyweight deadlift, so he knows what he’s talking about.
If you’re still looking for more information to improve your (or your clients) squat performance, my
