I’m currently 34,000 feet in the air as I type these words.1 I’m on my way to Seattle to meet up with my boy, Dean Somerset, so he and I can teach our 2-day Complete Hip & Shoulder Workshop. (< — be sure to go HERE to check for future CHSW dates and other speaking shenanigans).
It’s my first time visiting Seattle. I’ve always wanted to go, have heard nothing but wonderful things, and can’t wait to hoist my backpack over my shoulders and explore since I have a few hours to kill after I land.
I heard Pikes Market is legit. Maybe I’ll catch a fish or two.
I was hoping to hit up a Mariners game and say hello to long-time CSP athlete, Steve Cishek, but alas, I won’t have time for that.
I guess I’ll just have to find a coffee shop to chill out at. I “think” Seattle has a few of those, right?
Today is your last day to take advantage of the 50% off sale of Eric Bach’s excellent resource, The Power Primer 2.0.
Do you train athletes or just like to pretend you’re one yourself? Give this manual a look. What I like about Eric’s approach is that is not only about power development. Even if you’re only interested in looking good nekid, this manual will help get you there.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of fellow Cressey Sports Performance coach, Tony Bonvechio (AKA: the other Tony). He’s got some excellent pointers on squat technique and how you can go about improving squat depth without mention of a single mobility exercise.
Enjoy!
I didn’t like hip-hop music until I met Tony Gentilcore. I’m more of a heavy metal guy, but when TG handles DJ duties during staff lift, I can’t help but get amped up to the sounds of the 90’s Hip Hop or Dirty South Pandora stations.
Note From TG: Tribe Called Quest Radio. You’re welcome.
So when Ludacris poses the esoteric question, “How low can you go?” during a heavy squat workout, it gets me thinking how I can get my clients to safely improve their squat depth.
TG is right when he says not everyone should (or needs to) squat as low as possible. But outside of our baseball players at CSP, I deal primarily with powerlifters who need to squat below parallel in competition. If they can’t get low enough, their squats won’t count, so we prioritize hitting depth in training.
When we combine deep squats with heavy loads and we know not everyone can hit depth (defined as the hip joint passing below the top of the knee joint) easily, how do we get there in the best position possible.
Well, you could stretch, foam roll and mobilize every joint head to toe. Or you could just learn how to squat.
The second option is my favorite. In my experience, nine times out of 10, a person’s inability to squat to depth is NOT a mobility issue but rather a squat strategy issue. Simply picking the right squat accessory exercises to hammer home an optimal squat pattern will almost always improve depth and strength. Here are my three favorite squat exercises to help you drop it low and crush heavy weights.
Squatting: Upright vs. Hip Hinge
First, here’s a harsh reality: an upright squat will always be the most mechanically efficient squat. If you’re pointing your nipples at the floor to use “hip drive,” you’ll never maximize the contribution of your legs and abs. There’s a reason every 1,000-pound squatter (raw or geared) stays almost perfectly vertical through their torso instead of leaning forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSs6_THxn5A
Are YOU gonna tell Malanichev to lean forward with 1,036 pounds on his back? Didn’t think so.
Here’s what happens far too often when people try to squat: they puff their chest up (thoracic extension), which pulls the ribcage up. They take a big breath, which is entirely ineffective because you can’t get good intra-abdominal pressure with a poor rib cage position. Then, they push their butt back as they squat down (lumbar extension, anterior pelvic tilt and hip flexion simultaneously).
Like a seesaw, as one side drops (the chest), the other side must go up to maintain balance (the hips). Not surprisingly, you can’t hip depth if your hips are shooting up and back to keep you from falling forward.
This scenario also effectively minimizes the space the head of the femur has to glide in the hip socket while limiting the contribution from your anterior core to keep your torso upright. What happens? Your hips get stuck so you fall forward to try to get lower. All bad news if you want to squat low and heavy safely.
That said, the optimal squat pattern is going to have an upright torso, knees out and slightly forward of the toes and the hips between the knees. This is much preferred to leaning forward with a vertical shin and over-arched lower back if greater depth is desired.
Here’s how to dial in that optimal pattern:
1. Front Squats
Front squats can cure your depth woes by teaching you to sit straight down between your knees instead of sitting behind your knees. You simply can’t sit back and dump your pelvis forward or you’ll dump the bar, so you internalize proper positioning. Carry this same strategy over to your back squat and you’ll be in business.
That’s why we use so many front squat variations at CSP. It immediately dials in a solid ribcage position and forces you to stabilize with your anterior core instead of your lumbar extensors.
I’ve lost count of the number of athletes who get stuck above parallel with a back squat or body weight squat but can magically sit their butt to their heels with a front squat. Kind of throws the mobility excuse out the window, huh?
By learning to keep the ribs down, chest up and knees out, you create proper alignment for nailing a deep squat. If you struggle with depth, try front squatting for a few weeks before returning to the back squat and I’m confident your depth will improve.
2. High-Bar Pause Squats
Also called Olympic squats because of their popularity with weightlifters, high-bar squats bridge the gap between front squats and a powerlifting-style back squat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6fQ6UPES24
A low-bar position (i.e. holding the bar across the rear deltoids instead of the traps) has ruined many a squatter’s depth. You might be able to handle more weight because it keeps the bar closer to your hips, but it doesn’t matter one bit if you can’t hip depth because it pitches you forward too much.
Switching to a slightly higher bar position has helped many of my lifters get lower. Similar to the front squat, it lets you stay more upright so you can lock the ribcage down and stabilize with your abs instead of your lower back.
Adding a brief pause at the bottom position builds confidence in the hole, which eliminates much of the fear associated with squatting low. This also forces the lifter to initiate the reversal by staying tall and driving the knees out.
Try high-bar pause squats as your second exercise on a squat day. Pause anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds and do sets of 3-8 reps. You can pause at the lowest position, right below parallel, or even on the way back up to target specific sticking points.
Note From TG: These suck donkey balls. You’ll hate life, but they work. Get it done.
3. Squat to Pins
Not to be confused with an Anderson squat where the bar starts on the pins, squatting to the pins hammers home the same technique points as a front squat but is even more sinister and unforgiving.
By lowering the bar to the pins and pausing, you’ll have virtually no room for error in torso position. If you sit back and lean forward, you’ll immediately get stuck as you try to squat back up. Only by staying tall, driving the knees out and keeping the bar over the mid-foot will you be able to stand up.
Few exercises build control and confidence like squatting to the pins. These not only cured my falling-forward problem, but also eliminated my knee cave issues by forcing me to spread the floor and keep tension in my hips.
Cues to Cure Your Squat Woes
Remember these useful cues as you practice these squat variations:
“Belt buckle toward your chin” – This prevents unlocking the pelvis as you sit down.
“Take all the air out of the room” – This stabilizes your spine by filling your belly and lower back with air.
“Bend the bar around your traps” – This locks in the lats to help you tay upright.
“Spread the floor apart” – This tenses up your hips and glutes to keep your knees out.
Notice there’s not a single instance of “chest up” or “sit back” on that list. Ditch these antiquated strategies for the ones above and you’ll be hitting depth more consistently while getting stronger.
Optimizing the “Big 3.”
Want to learn these strategies in person? Come see me and Greg Robins at our Optimizing the Big 3 seminar at Warhorse Barbell in Philadelphia on September 19.
Note from TG:Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Cressey Sports Performance’s most recent hire, strength coach Tony Bonvechio. Otherwise known as “the other Tony.”
A former collegiate baseball player, current competitive powerlifter, amazing coach, and prolific writer himself (he holds a degree in Journalism and has had his work featured on sites like T-Nation and Stack), we’re very lucky to have had Tony join our staff.
Today he offers some insight on what it takes to become a better fitness writer (or writer in general). I know many people who read this site aspire to write to some capacity, and this post would be an excellent starting point in helping you develop your “voice.”
Enjoy!
Coaching is communication. If you’re not a good verbal communicator, you won’t be a good strength coach or personal trainer. As it turns out, written communication has become a vital skill in the fitness profession too. Writing articles, blogs and e-books enables coaches to reach thousands of people with their ideas and products.
Unfortunately, if you can’t write worth a lick, you’re missing out on a chance to spread your message.
Today, I’ll share some insight from the journalism industry that can help aspiring fitness writers craft better articles and build a bigger readership.
About the “Other” Tony
Long before I was a coach, I was a writer. I started writing for my local daily newspaper when I was 16 years old, covering high school sporting events. As I planned for college, I decided I wanted to major in journalism. I got mixed responses when I told people of my potential career path. I felt like David Spade on Saturday Night Live, getting lectured by Matt Foley for my utterly unheroic aspirations.
Long story short, I got my degree in journalism but fell in love with strength and conditioning in the process.
Between getting my Master’s degree in exercise science and eventually completing an internship at Cressey Sports Performance, I worked for three newspapers and three college media departments, including an Ivy League University. My professional writing experience helped me stay engaged with the fitness community while building my coaching skills.
Along the way, I’ve read lots of great writing by great coaches, and lots of not-so-great writing from great coaches whose ideas perhaps got overlooked because of a lack of writing chops. If you’re a repeat visitor to this site, it’s because Tony G consistently provides quality content and intriguing writing.
Note from TG:and because of my uncannily witty awesomeness, deadlifting tips, movie and book recommendations, and because favorite color is blue. But mostly for my uncannily witty awesomeness….;o)
In this post, I’ll share a few tactics that good writers use to keep readers coming back for more.
Write How You Talk
No one’s invented smell-o-vision for the internet yet, but you don’t need it to smell a bullshitter – especially when the topic is fitness.
The sheer virality of the “Do You Even Lift?” meme tells us that exercise enthusiasts want substance, not smoke and mirrors. The fastest way to sift yourself through the fog of posers is to write how you talk.
Writing how you talk brings out your most authentic voice. Nobody does this better than Tony G. He can talk shop with intellectual coaches all day, but he doesn’t do that while coaching.
Between concise and effective coaching cues, he’s joking about LOLcats, rapping along to Wu Tang or geeking out about Lord of the Rings. That’s literally how he writes too – plenty of laughs and pop culture references, but full of no-frills, actionable content.
If you’re not much of a comedian, don’t write a dozen jokes per article. If you don’t have a PhD in nutrition, don’t give a dissertation on protein metabolism. Write how you talk and people will gravitate toward your authentic voice.
Stay Within Your Scope of Knowledge
This piggybacks off the last point, but it’s impossible to overemphasize – avoid topics on which you are not qualified to give advice. If you must, acknowledge that you’re still exploring the topic and point readers toward more information.
The internet is a scary place to try to establish yourself as a knowledgable authority. Droves of keyboard warriors are constantly at the ready to cut you down and point out your inaccuracies, especially when it comes to exercise. If you can’t back up your statements with a combination of scientific research and experience, you’ll quickly be tarred and feathered by the masses.
If you cover topics beyond your expertise, give credit where credit is due. Pick up a newspaper and you’ll notice that everything is attributed – meaning the writer notes who said what or where the information came from. No crime is reported without quoting a police officer. No medical breakthrough is announced without citing a lead researcher. Adopt the same practice and quote (or at least mention) your sources.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t voice an opinion or think out loud about an interesting topic. Just stay in your lane.
Don’t try to create an illusion of false authority. I’m not going to try to out-write Eric Cressey about shoulder anatomy or Tony G about Star Wars trivia. Powerlifting, yes. Facial hair management, maybe. But I’ll leave these other topics to the experts.
Learn to Cite Research
Perhaps the most valuable skill I developed in grad school was reading and interpreting research studies. No singular study is going to change strength and conditioning, but collectively they should drive our methods, so you need to know how to read, report and cite your findings.
Learning to read research deserves a separate article, so I’ll just touch on citations.
Note from TG:I’ve never shied away from stating that I hate reading research studies. If it came down to picking between swallowing a live grenade or reading a research study, I’d seriously contemplate the former.
This DOES NOT insinuate that I don’t do it, nor ignore the importance of the practice. It just insinuates I have a sick sense of humor…;o) That said, I have a lot of smart friends in the industry who like to geek out and read PubMed on a Friday night.
And I’d also direct people to THIS article written by Jonathan Fass on how to really read (and interpret) fitness research.
Proper citation separates you from the abstract-skimming phonies. First, always cite within your article, not just at the end. There’s nothing worse than a sentence that reads, “Studies show…” with no indication of which study your referencing. And just listing a bunch of references at the end doesn’t count. Instead, try this:
“A 2014 study [link to full study so readers can view] by Reardon [author’s name] published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine suggests that the cross sectional area of the quad muscles effects an athlete’s ability to realize the power benefits of post-activation potentiation.”
In fact, ditch your post-article reference section all together. No one’s gonna read that stuff, and more references doesn’t mean a better article. I’ve literally read a 500-word article with over 30 references before, and the article sucked. Word count doesn’t equal worth.
Be Firm, Not Ambiguous
After talking about research, it might sound contradictory to speak in absolutes, but there’s no faster way to destroy your authoritative stance than to always be on the fence. If you never take a stand on important topics, your readers won’t trust you. And then they won’t pay you for your services.
I’m not telling you to make outrageous claims like, “deadlifts will solve world hunger.” I’m telling you to avoid overusing wishy-washy terms like “maybe,” “sometimes,” “it depends,” and phrases like…
“Research suggests that deadlifting may induce hypertrophy of the glutes and hamstrings, which has been linked to improved sprint speeds.”
This is all well and good for a research journal, but your readers want a leader, not a politician. Instead, tell it like it is:
“Deadlifts can make you sprint faster.”
If you’re a coach, which phrase is going to get your clients motivated to deadlift?
Be firm in your beliefs, but realize that you might not believe everything you write forever, so be willing to evolve.
Putting Pen to Paper
As I’ve heard Tony G tell many aspiring bloggers, the first step is simply to start writing. But keeps these tips in mind along the way. You’ll find your own authentic voice while maintaining integrity and providing some entertainment along the way.
Author’s Bio
Tony Bonvechio is a strength and conditioning coach at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, MA. A former college baseball player turned powerlifter, he earned his Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Adelphi University. You can read his blog HERE or email him at [email protected].
The internet is a scary place to try to establish yourself as a knowledgable authority. Droves of keyboard warriors are constantly at the ready to cut you down and point out your inaccuracies, especially when it comes to exercise. If you can’t back up your statements with a combination of scientific research and experience, you’ll quickly be tarred and feathered by the masses.
