Today we’re starting the CP expansion, and the staff – along with the interns and other helpers – are going to be moving equipment, rubber matting, and god knows what else, over to the new facility for the next 12-16 hours
I didn’t want to leave all of you hanging, so here’s a quick post on one of my favorite exercises I hate.
Enjoy (wish us luck)!
Quick, off the top of your head pick a handful of exercises you absolutely hate. Exercises that, if you had to choose between doing one of them or throwing an ax into your face, you’d seriously consider the ax.
I know “hate” is a strong word. Speaking from a personal standpoint there are plenty of exercises that I hate doing, but LOVE how they make me feel and the results they elicit on my body.
– Bulgarian split squats and bench pressing come to mind (the latter making the list because I’m an absolutely abysmal bencher).
– Turkish get-ups really come to mind.
– And yes, sometimes I even dread my beloved deadlifts – particularly when I have to pull from a deficit.
If we were to pool everyone’s answers, though, I’m sure we’d get a hodge podge of exercises and movements ranging from the OLY lifts to rotator cuff drills. Still, if I were a betting man I’d be willing to wager that two exercises could easily make it into the Top 5 Exercises We Hate But Love Them Anyways:
Single leg work (in any form) and front squats.
NOTE: Just so we’re clear, in this context “hate” doesn’t mean people don’t do them. It just means there’s a teeny tiny part of them – a molecule! – that would rather swallow a live grenade than head to the gym that day and perform what’s on the paper.
So it only makes sense to combine the two!
Barbell Reverse Lunge – Front Squat Grip
What Does It Do: As with any single leg variation, we’re getting a crock-pot of benefits: increased single leg strength, improved hip stability, increased core strength and stability, ankle mobility, glute activation, blabbidy blah, blibiddy boo, you’ve heard it all before.
By that same token, what I really like about this variation – reverse lunge – is that it tends to be a little more “knee friendly,” as there’s very little deceleration involved compared to things like forward lunges or walking lunges. In other words, compared to the latter, reverse lunges don’t entail you having to step forward and slowing down your entire bodyweight.
As such, this variations bodes well for those who have cranky knees.
Something else to consider is the bar placement. With the barbell loaded anteriorly (in front of the body) there’s a fairly aggressive anti-flexion component of the torso, which will encourage a bit more thoracic extension.
Key Coaching Cues: I prefer the cross body grip as shown in the video, but if someone has ample wrist flexibility to do it, I’m not opposed to using the clean grip. I just find that those people are few and far between, and generally opt for the cross grip.
The bar should rest on the “meaty” part of the shoulders – I like to tell people to find their shelf – right up against the neck. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, you’re just going to have to suck it up.
Elbows should point straight a head, and NOT towards the floor. I like to tell people, “chest up, elbows up” throughout.
With your eyes also looking straight a head, un-rack the bar and take two steps back to set up. From there, extend one leg back to perform a reverse lunge. The back knee should GENTLY tap the floor, and then, pulling through the front heel of the front leg, you’re going to return back to the starting position making sure to “finish” with that same side glute. Squeeze that bad boy!
Regardless of the guru, my answer’s always the same, “It doesn’t need to be so complicated” I’ll tell them.
That’s a quote from one of my favorite bloggers, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, who always seems to have a knack for keeping it real and telling it like it is.
Even though the good doc specializes and resides more on the nutritional side of things, fighting the good fight against obesity (and many of the asinine policies surrounding the food industry), he’s someone whose insight I respect a ton and it’s not uncommon for me to see value in his message and how it permeates into the strength and conditioning community.
Take this shining example taking from a blog post of his not too long ago:
Even if the nutritional gurus and zealots were absolutely, 100%, scientifically bang-on with their edicts and commandments, I’d still stick with that message.
Not because I necessarily know better about nutrition, but rather because I work with actual people, real life folks who go to work, who worry about their finances, who shuttle their kids back and forth to hockey, who are trying to do their best. And while there’s no doubt that it’s possible one of these nutrition gurus will actually, indisputably, get it right, it won’t change the fact that real people need to like the lives they’re living, even if they’re not nutritionally perfect.
Real life folks? Here are my recommendations:
Cook more.
Use whole ingredients.
Eat out less frequently.
Cook together as a family.
Eat together around a table.
And while those instructions may not satisfy the gurus and zealots who demand perfection, I’m guessing they’ll take you a very long way health wise.
It doesn’t need to be so complicated.
How many times as trainers and coaches have we worked with a client or athlete who refuses to accept the notion that they’re completely average and that the basics don’t apply to them?
Unless there’s some fancy algorithm involved or some Russian’s name attached to it, they can’t be bothered.
What do you mean just squats? My last trainer had me doing cluster sets of band resisted squats vs. chains off a BOSU ball using a 5114 tempo with exactly 88 seconds of rest in between each set. On one leg.
Please, I know how to squat.
And then your eyes start bleeding because their squat is just god awful, and you have to break it to them – tactfully, of course – that, “no, your knees aren’t supposed to cave in on the descent.” And, “no, 225 lbs isn’t really all that impressive.” And, “um, yeah, are you going to finish the rest of those reps later, or are you actually going to squat to depth?”
I’m guessing many of you reading who are trainers and coaches are nodding your heads in agreement as you read this.
It’s frustrating to say the least when you have to remind people that there’s nothing wrong with mastering the basics. That they’re not above paying their dues. In fact, 99% of the time if one masters the basics and stops making things so overly complicated, they’ll probably see infinitely better results – regardless of whether their goals are strength and performance based or fat loss.
So, in keeping with the doc’s theme above, for REAL people, here are my recommendations:
– Focus on compound movements that force you to integrate the entire body: squat, deadlift, chin-ups, bench press, military press, lunge variation, row, etc.
– For the love of god, step away from the Smith machine.
– And would it kill you to wash your gyms shorts on occasion?
– Stress QUALITY over quantity. I’d rather someone go to the gym and perform 5×5 deadlifts (making sure technique is solid on each rep) than spend an hour doing god-knows-what.
– 3x per week, full-body, is a solid approach for most people.
– Throw in a day (or two) of interval based training and you’re golden.
– Please don’t skip your soft tissue or mobility work.
– Walking shouldn’t be considered exercise. It’s called life.
– How much weight should you use? If you can easily hit all your reps, bump the weight up 5-10 lbs. It’s not rocket science. And no, you won’t get big a bulky. Stop thinking you’re going to turn into Arnold Schwarzenegger in a week.
– Just to mix it up a bit, save “bench day” for any day other than Monday. Trust me, the world won’t end.
– Training sessions should be no longer than 45-60 minutes (75 minutes, tops if you include SportsCenter highlight breaks).
– The bulk of your exercises should be barbell and dumbbell based.
– If you can’t perform at least five bodyweight chin-ups (man or woman), you have no business performing 46 sets of bicep curls.
– Do some push-ups (or TRX rows) instead.
– Find a good training partner. It makes all the difference in the world.
– Less is more. Try to limit yourself to 3-5 exercises per session.
– Don’t be intimidated to ask for help or to be coached. Even the best in the business ask for help from time to time.
Obviously some of these are said tongue-in-cheek, and in no way exemplifies a complete list. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s no coincidence that none of the above are earth shattering or new or are going to start a fitness revolution. That’s the point.
A few days ago I responded to an email where I was asked my general thoughts on supplements: do I find them useful?, which ones do I take?, which ones do I feel are useless?, so on and so forth.
Now, I’ve written similar posts in the past – HERE and HERE – but since I ended up writing more than I thought I would, I figured I might as well use my response as its own impromptu blog post.
It’s my blog, I can do what I want!
Compared to many, I take more of a simpleton approach to supplementation. For me, and I’m completely stealing a line from Alwyn Cosgrove here – “supplements are progress enhancers, not progress starters.”
More often that not, if someone’s not making any progress – whether it’s strength related, fat loss, or performance based – you can usually chalk it up to sub-optimal training, nutrition, or both.
I’m sorry, maybe it’s the cynic in me (although I like to think it’s common sense) but taking some super-duper-crystallized-dragon’s breath-protein-synthesizer-mass-bulking formula supplement which promises things like packing on 30 lbs of muscle AND increasing your bench press by 100 lbs (while instantaneously turning your abs into a bulletproof vest) – all by next Wednesday – is utter nonsense.
I had an athlete of mine ask me the other day what supplements he should be taking to add a little weight.
I said, “calories.”
After a few awkward seconds of starring at one another, he realized I was serious and then we had an awesome ten minute conversation on how he could go about including more quality calories into his daily repertoire.
This isn’t to say that I don’t think supplementation isn’t efficacious or worthwhile for some – it absolutely is!
I just feel that far too often people resort to some mythical “magic pill” that’s going to get them results, when in fact, it’s nothing more than putting in their time under the bar (and doing so consistently) and actually giving a shit what they put into their bodies in the form of REAL, natural, minimally processed, nutrient-dense food.
Bringing this full circle, I feel supplementation is highly overemphasized by some. But I can also appreciate that certain supplements are invaluable in what they have to offer as far as general health benefits are concerned.
Moreover, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge those supplements that undoubtedly help people take their training to the next level.
Which Leads Us To This
Pigging back off my comments above, and despite the contrary, I actually do personally take (and advocate that others do as well) some supplements.
For their health benefits alone, I take: fish oil (heart health, reducing inflammation, and a encyclopedia’s worth of other benefits), Vitamin D (deficiency in this vitamin is almost universal), a powdered Green’s product (I think of it as mineral/vitamin safety net), and dandelion root and ginger (both for their role in reducing inflammation and promoting liver health).
On the performance side of things, I think anyone who lifts weights on a consistent basis (and not the pink dumbbells) should include two supplements: protein powder and creatine.
Granted protein powder may be a moot concept assuming someone ingests ample protein in their diet (grass fed beef, chicken, eggs, fish, yogurt, cottage cheese, Bambi’s mom, etc), but you can’t argue with the research which routinely demonstrates that downing a protein drink shortly after – or even better, before – training helps to promote protein synthesis and recovery.
Likewise, creatine is the most researched supplement in the history of the world, and I’m always amused at those people (sadly, even physicians at times) who claim that taking it is going to make your kidneys explode or give you a third nipple.
While there’s a small portion of the population who are “non-responders,” I think it behooves anyone who weight trains not to consider including creatine into their daily mix, as it’s been routinely shown to increase strength, performance, and recovery.
And sometimes increases your chances of seeing someone of the opposite sex naked. It’s a win-win.
Supplement Hijinks
Embarrassingly, I don’t keep up with the latest supplement superstars. Every now and then I’ll notice one of our athletes walk in with some flashy container with the typical flashy words on the label and roll my eyes.
I’m sure if I walked into my local GNC store I’d find a plethora of related supplements that will just as equally make a small piece of my soul die.
I especially love those souped up creatine formulas that promise all the bells and whistles and end up costing what mounts to a student loan payment for a month’s supply.
Fun fact: just stick with plain ol’ creatine monohydrate which costs like $15 for a three month supply. It’s just as “effective” as the more expensive brands, and you’ll save yourself a bit of money in the long run.
Having said all that, there have been several times where I used myself as a
guinea pig and tried a few supplements – some of which I KNOW have some solid research behind them – that I never really got much out of.
The one that comes to mind the most is beta alanine.
I realize there are a lot of people who swear by it – particularly endurance based athletes or even the CrossFit diehards out there (and like said, there is plenty of research out there that backs it up) – but for me it was sorta like “eh.”
At the end of the day, I try to stick with the mantra that supplements are exactly that……supplements.
Far too often I feel many people are under the assumption that the missing link as to why they’re not getting results is because of some hidden supplement they’re not taking. The truth of the matter is: 1) they don’t train nearly as “hard” as they think they do and 2) their diet doesn’t reflect their goals. Think of that last point the next time you chug an energy drink (which typically contains a boat load of sugar) just to go for a walk.
1. Wow – what a weekend! As I noted on Friday this past weekend a bunch of us guys headed up to Maine (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up in Maine. Like, middle of absolutely no where Maine. Like, 75 miles off the highway Maine. Like, there’s no cell phone reception and OMGICANTCHECKMYEMAILSANDITSGLORIOUS Maine) to go white water rafting for Mr. Pete Dupuis’ bachelor party.
For those wondering who the hell Pete Dupuis is, he’s the business director at Cressey Performance.
I’m not going to go into too many of the details, because well, it WAS a bachelor party (and our significant others will be reading this post), but what I can divulge is this:
– The picture to the left is what the one and only George Abele showed up in as he walked into the office on Friday before we headed out. Ladies, he’s single.
– I’m not one for the great outdoors. I used to go camping with my family every summer up in the Adirondack mountains when I was younger, but even then we had electricity (and there was a movie theater within ten miles). Giving myself a little credit though, I was a Cub Scout back in the day but failed miserably when it came to tying knots. I mastered the Sailor’s knot, but the Slippery Hitch was a tough son-of-a-bitch to crack. And, just to throw it out there, starting a fire wasn’t (and still isn’t) my strong suit.
That said, being outside with nature isn’t necessarily my favorite thing to do in the world. But holy balls, was this past weekend epic! Being on the raft with all my boys conquering the Kennebec River was one of the funnest times I’ve ever had and
something I’d do again in a heartbeat. The weather was perfect, the water was absolutely amazing, and maybe even most important of of all, NONE of us fell off the raft – which we were all pretty proud of.
– I think we gave our tour guide a run for her money once we all started “spearing” one another off the raft. Think: Terry Tate, but instead of tackling people in an office, you tackle someone off the side of a raft into Stage Two rapids. HA!
– Making Smores with Butterfinger candy is the bomb.
– There are some other things that I could say, but I plead the 5th.
2. Needless to say, I ate like a champ this past weekend, and basically spent the entire day yesterday detoxing myself. Now, I’m not one of those who goes out of his way to guilt himself into thinking that he has to not eat anything for an entire day. I guess that’s one way to approach things, and if you read a lot into Intermittent Fasting, it makes some sense.
I just like to spend the day drinking some of my patented “Earth” shakes (s0 called because it’s not exactly the most enticing looking beverage you’ll ever see, but it has a lot of “good” stuff in it and tastes amazing):
Each one contains:
– 1/2 bag of baby spinach
– 1 scoop Superfood
– 1 scoop chia seeds (2-3 tbsp worth)
– 1/2-cup almond or coconut milk (or a mix of both, cause I’m cool like that)
– 1/2 cup frozen fruit (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, etc)
– 1 scoop Grow (protein powder)
– a pinch or two of raw, unsweetened coconut flakes
– Optional: 1/4 cup rolled oats, cacao nibs, Unicorn tears (high in riboflavin).
I drink two or three of those in one day and I feel like my body is able detox itself from the insulin coma I put it through.
3. I don’t consider myself a music junky or anything – I like my old school hip hop (Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Wu-Tang, Biggie, Nas, etc) and I’ll throw in some techno, Norah Jones, and Ryan Montbleau for good measure – often opting for books on cd or news talk radio when I’m in my car. Truth be told, I can’t even remember the last time I put some new music on my iPod.
Anyways, I got home last night and Lisa had to show me this video her friend showed her while she was away in Europe last month. I have to say, it’s pretty bad ass and makes me appreciate what a real musician sounds like. Too, I’m pretty sure Lisa is trying to send me some sort of subliminal message at the 1:35 mark.
Settle Down – Kimbra
4. HERE’s a short and succinct “pictorial” I collaborated on in this month’s Men’s Health Magazine (pg. 50) discussing some of my favorite deadlift variations
Note: the link above links to the online version.
5. I had a few people send me a link to a recent study (and I use the word “study” loosely) which demonstrated that, in what could possibly be the worst analogy ever created in all of human history, eggs are as bad for your arteries as cigarettes.
You can click HERE for an abbreviated version of the story.
I’ll wait here for a few minutes while you read it/resist the urge to want to throw a brick into your face.
Seriously! SERIOUSLY???? Eggs are now worse than cigarettes? These guys are really trying to compare one of the most nutritious, NATURAL foods on earth to one of the most deadliest MAN-MADE substances?
Yep, that makes a lot of sense.
What’s next: comparing eggs to the Ebola virus?
I don’t quite understand why eggs are considered so evil and why so many people have a vendetta against them.
I asked my good friend Mark Young (who’s a ninja at dissecting research) for his opinion and here’s what he had to say:
I didn’t read the original article, but my understanding is that it is a purely correlational study showing a relationship between the amount of eggs that people remembered eating and artery wall thickness. So there is no cause and effect relationship here…and there is the issue of dietary recall being pretty poor.
The authors are also apparently on the payroll from a company that makes a lipid lowering medication.
I don’t usually stress too much about funding source, but in this case I think it combines with the rest of the info to suggest this study is SHITE!
My sentiments exactly.
For those interested in a “response” article which basically pwns the original “study,” go HERE.
And that’s it. I might be hit and miss the rest of the way with blogs since this is the week we’re making the BIG MOVE to the new facility. I’ll try my best, but I can’t make any promises.
Word on the street is that I made some bet – which I have no recollection of doing – that I could farmer carry every DB we have in our facility to the new one (which is roughly 150 yds away). Soooo, I may be spending my entire afternoon on Thursday hauling 4500+ lbs of DBs to the other end of the building.
I’m pretty sure there will be video evidence to follow. FML!
I’m in a bit of a rush this morning because like an idiot I waited until the last minute to pack. A bunch of us guys are heading up to Maine for the weekend for Pete’s bachelor party where the plan is to go white water rafting, eat copious amounts of dead animal flesh, and arm wrestle a grizzly bear (or two).
It’s going to be an awesome time for sure, and given I’ve never gone rafting before, it should be pretty entertaining too.
Here’s some stuff to check out I think you’ll enjoy.
Gluten free is all rage lately. I even saw a commercial on television the other day
where Kellogs (the food conglomerate) were bragging about their “gluten free” cereal line.
You know, as if eating gluten free Apple Cinnamon Chex (with 13 grams of sugar per serving) was somehow magically healthier for you.
In this article, Dr. Brooke breaks it down to common sense as to why gluten free isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Well, more specifically, the food industry is just shady.
Here’s a fantastic article by current CP intern, Sohee Lee, on anything and everything that is the hip hinge: why it’s important, how to “groove” it, and why it will not only save your back, but increase your overall level of awesomeness by like ten points, too. Who knew!?!?!
I know I said I was going to review ALL the presentations this week, but with Lisa coming home from Europe I kinda slacked in that department. SORRY!!!!!!!
Nevertheless, I did watch the entire thing and was blown away with the amount of information that all the presenters gave. And, not to play favorites, Anthony Mychal’s presentation was probably my favorite – especially the whole part on the importance of training the foot tripod.
Anyways, today is the last day to purchase the latest installment for the sick introductory price of $37. Trust me, that’s a steal.
Okay, I’m out. Wish me luck that I don’t fall out of the raft.
My girlfriend has been away for a month travelling Europe, and after putting my HAZMAT suit on and cleaning the hell out of our apartment I picked her up last night at the airport.
I’m taking today off from work (and blogging) so that she and I can, “reunite.”
BOM CHICKA CHICKA BOM WOW.
[Lucky for you I was fairly productive while she was away, and today I have another article I wrote, this time for T-Nation, about a couple of my favorite “glue” exercises. What are “glue” exercises. Click HERE to find out.]
I don’t consider myself a “fat loss” guy per se. I spend the majority of my days working with athletes ranging from high school all the way to the professional ranks helping them move better, run faster, lift more weight, throw harder, or whatever their respective sport may be, I just try to help them become a little bit more awesome compared to when they first walk through our doors at Cressey Performance.
This isn’t to say that some of the athletes that show up don’t need to get rid of that spare tire around their waist. But in the grand scheme of things, when it comes to fat loss, the only time I really place an emphasis on it – or at least go out of my way to make it a priority – is when I work with general population clients who come to the facility to get their ass kicked to get their sexy on.
It’s with that in mind that I recently wrote an article for Livestrong.com which sheds light on two forgotten components of fat loss – directed specifically to those people who are frustrated that, despite being inundated with a literal avalanche of information on the topic, are still fighting the battle of the bulge.
2. Once you read it, and if you thought it was pretty baller, please “Like” it on Livestrong’s page. Or Tweet it. Or better yet, do both! I want to send a message to them that the TonyG.com empire are a loyal bunch.
If you don’t like it, that’s cool. I’ll just remember that the next time you need help moving into your new apartment.
Or the next time you need to borrow some money because you happened to “forget your wallet.”
Or the next time you need affirmation that the girl you’re currently dating isn’t some uppity skank who thinks she’s better than everyone else.
I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO READ IT ANYWAYS!!!! YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!!!!!! AHHHHHHH.
*slams bedroom door*
3. In all seriousness, though, I’d appreciate any feedback or insight or opinions on the article. Thanks everyone!
Trilogies usually suck. Sure we have the golden standards like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars (the first one, don’t even get me started on that piece of crap Phantom Menace that Lucas tried to pawn off on us), The Godfather, and The Dark Knight. But for every one that raises the bar, we have ten “sequels” that are just absolute garbage: Police Academy V, anyone?????
So what the heck does this have to do with anything?
Well, as far as fitness info products are concerned, you’d be hard pressed to find any series more impressive than the Muscle Imbalances Revealed franchise. Having been a part of the last installment – Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body – I can attest that the information routinely provided is top notch and will undoubtedly help any professional take his or her “game” to the next level.
I mean, if you want to become the best, you need to learn from the best. Right?
Today, as well as sporadically throughout the rest of the week, I’m going to be discussing the latest in the series (the third, in fact), Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Assessment & Exercise, which includes presentations from the likes of Rick Kaselj, Anthony Mychal, John Izzo, and Nick Rosencutter.
Assessment and Exercise for Knee Injury Recovery – Rick Kaselj
Since Rick is the “Oz” behind the Muscle Imbalances Revealed curtain, doing all of the behind the scenes work that never gets recognized (as well as serving as the figurehead of the series) I figured it only made sense to start here.
Before I begin, though, I just have to say that Rick is probably one of the most genuine and jovial human beings I’ve ever met, and his thirst for knowledge (and spreading it to others) is unparalleled.
As such, Rick has a lot of experience working with injured people (and healthy ones, too) and he’s recognized as one of the “go to” professionals with regards to assessment and rehabilitation. For those who aren’t familiar with Rick’s work, you can check out his website HERE.
Rick’s presentation spoke volumes to me personally because I’ve had a history of knee issues for the better part of the past decade, and he has an uncanny ability to break things down into manageable, “why the hell didn’t I ever think of that!?,” nuggets of information that can easily be implemented on day one
After giving a brief overview of general knee anatomy, here are a few bits of awesome that Rick provided:
1. When it comes to assessment, it’s important to test the knee in both PASSIVE and ACTIVE ranges of motion.
Passive = gravity or someone else is doing the movement.
Active = the individual themselves is doing the movement.
2. In terms of general ROM guidelines, we’re typically looking at an individual to be able to get to -5 degrees of knee extension, and around 140 degrees of knee flexion.
This is important because we need anywhere from 2-70 degrees of flexion in order to walk, and a loss of around ten degrees of extension can result in a limp, which, not surprisingly, will place a lot of undue stress on the ligaments and muscles. Not to mention put a damper on your ultimate frisbee plans this weekend.
Rick also noted we need 93 degrees of flexion to get out of chair, 106 degrees to tie shoe, 136 degrees to take bath, and 141 degrees to swift kick someone in the face.
I made that last one up, but the key point is that having full knee ROM is important for every day activities.
3. Speaking in more specific terms, Rick noted that a lack of knee extension also results in loss of what he referred to as the “screw home mechanism,” which serves its purpose by reducing stress on the quads and placing more on the passive restraints (cartilage, menisci, and bones).
This seems counterintuitive, and when I first heard Rick say this I tilted my head to one side and was like “what the what!?!?!?”
But once he explained his rationale in more detail, I was picking up what he was putting down.
In short, in stealing a line from Mike Roberston: stacked joints, are happy joints.
4. As far as the actual assessments are concerned, I like Rick’s approach because he takes more of a simpleton approach, which I dig. A lot.
There’s no smoke machines, or laser show,or any theatrics for that matter. I think a lot of fitness professionals fall into the trap that the more advanced or seemingly “cool” the assessment looks, the better it must be. I disagree.
Using one example from Rick’s presentation (and there are several): he likes to incorporate a bilateral standing calf raise into the mix to see whether or not someone can get onto their toes and attain knee extension.
For the record: When Rick demonstrated this, I couldn’t help but notice that basketballs he has for calves. Well played, sir. Well played. I hate you.
5. Rick then goes into several common exercises to regain ROM, and then progressing depending on how the knee responds.
I’ve poo-pooed on Terminal Knee Extensions (TKEs) is the past – namely because I feel they’re woefully OVERemphasized in knee rehab – but Rick does a good job of demonstrating several variations progressing from unloaded (d0ne actively) to loaded, to adding resistance.
On top of that, he even demonstrated several Terminal Knee FLEXION exercises using a towel that I thought were pretty neat.
If anything what I took most from Rick’s presentation is that we can’t always be meatheaded with our rehab. It’s REHAB for crying out loud!!! But there’s also a lot to be said about not treating our clients and athletes like they’re patients, and giving them a training effect.
As much as we want to think that squats cure everything from global warming to cancer, when it comes to knee pain and fixing it, that’s not necessarily the case.
More often than not, we must take it down a notch (or 20) to re-teach the body proper motor learning engrams, to teach it which muscles actually need to fire, and to prevent someone from overreaching their pain threshold.
Muscle Imbalances Revealed: Assessment and Exercise is on sale starting TODAY (Tuesday, August 14th) until this Friday for a redunkulous introductory price of $37. Considering you can get your learnification on from some of the industry’s best, all in the comfort of your own home, without having to spend an inordinate amount of money travelling, and you’ll simultaneously earn some CECs in doing so, well, that’s a bargain if there ever was one.
It’s no secret that I like to deadlift. Outside of sleep, going to a Sunday matinee, omeletes, Chipotle, and nunchucks, it’s probably my most favoritest thing in the world.
There’s certainly no shortage of quality articles out there breaking down the deadlift and offering suggestions on how to increase your overall sense of badassery.
Likewise, there’s rarely (if ever) anything new to say – as it’s already been said in some fashion elsewhere in magazines, in books, in DVDs, and various blog posts.
Nevertheless, here are five quick and easy-to-implement tips that will definitely help improve your pulling prowess.
1. Save Your Hardest Workout for Early in the Week, But Not Too Early
It stands to reason that if you have a weak link or are trying to “bring up” one particular lift, you should reserve the hardest training session of the week for Monday when you’re the most fresh and and presumably, the most recovered.
Seemingly most people spend their weekends chillaxing watching sports, eating good food, having a few beers, taking power naps, throwing the frisbee around, playing with the dogs, or maybe, if your’re lucky, spending a few hours at the beach soaking up some vitamin D.
Come Monday you’re recharged and ready to tackle the upcoming week. It makes sense, then, to head to the gym on Monday and absolutely throw yourself to the wolves and make yourself hate life to the point where you can barely walk by the end and you can’t feel the left side of your face.
Mmmmmm, maybe not the best idea.
Raise your hand if Mondays are typically your best day at work? Hahahahaha, yeah that’s what I thought.
Nada.
We’ve all heard the lame statement “looks like (s0 and so) has the case of the Mondays,” and for good reason. Mondays suck! For a reference point, watch the movie Office Space (and thank me later).
After two days (or three, for the lucky few who get the extended weekend) of laying low and living the lazy life, effectively placing your body in an extended “hover” mode, you can’t expect it to rebound efficiently and go right into breaking PRs on Monday.
For some it will work, and they can bounce back and feel like a superhero. For many, however, it won’t be nearly as “superheroish,” and it won’t be a pretty site.
I’m a rare example and use Mondays as my main deadlift day, but that’s because I work at a gym and I’m able to use Saturday (and sometimes Sunday) as an actual training day, mostly as a GPP or movement based day, but training nonetheless. Most people don’t have this luxury and opt to forego the weights for pina coladas instead. And more power to them!
What I propose is to hold off, and save your main deadlift session for Tuesday or better yet, Wednesday.
Instead go to the gym on Monday and train, but don’t necessarily go balls to the wall. Most of you are going to go and blast your pecs anyways – Monday IS National Bench Press Day – so go right a head and do it. Or, just think of it as a “medium” intensity day
By the time Tuesday or Wednesday rolls around, your nervous system will be a little more “primed” and less lethargic and I’m willing to bet you’ll find your DL numbers improve.
2. Get More Lifts Above 90%
I’m a bit reticent to openly state that more people should add more lifts at or above 90% (as a percentage of their one rep max) into their repertoire because, well, you need to know what the heck you’re doing!
To that end, I have two prerequisites:
1. You MUST have technical proficiency in the lift. If my eyes will perpetually start bleeding from watching you lift a weight that’s only 50% of your 1RM, then I certainly don’t want to know what will happen if you go any heavier.
<—– Like this
2. You should already be able to lift at least 2x (I may even lower this to 1.5x) your bodyweight before utilizing 90% lifts. As an example, this would mean that a 175 lb person should be clearing a 350 lb pull. Not too shabby, but certainly not earth shattering.
I understand this is a a blanket statement, and there are plenty of people who incorporate heavier loads into the mix that aren’t that strong (and do so safely), but this is just for my own edification and peace of mind.
Rather than re-invent the wheel, I’m going to cut/paste a portion of an article I wrote for T-Nation a few years ago titled Limiting Factors:
When a more “advanced” trainee approaches me and mentions that he’s stuck on a certain weight with a particular lift, I can almost guarantee his limiting factor is that he hasn’t been incorporating more lifts above 90%.
(Side Note: For beginner trainees, I’d be more inclined to check their food intake and/or overall programming. Most just need to eat more and shy away from the bodybuilding/body-part split routines.)
To recap, lifts above 90%…
1. Increase total muscle fiber recruitment.
2. Increase recruitment of higher threshold motor units (which have a greater propensity for growth).
3. Increase rate coding (rate at which motor units fire).
4. Increase synchronization between muscles (improved inter and intra-muscular coordination).
5. Make girls want to hang out with you.
Maybe even girls who actually deadlift will want to hang out with you, too:
All of the above help to improve one’s neural efficiency. Getting stronger is all about making the central nervous system (CNS) more efficient at allowing the brain and spinal cord to better communicate with motor units/muscle fibers to get the job done. In short, improved neural efficiency allows you to lift more weight, which last time I checked, is a pretty cool thing.
For the advanced lifter, each session is an opportunity to maybe hit a new PR (personal record), but really it’s just about lifting heavy things off the ground.
Using the DL as an example, lets assume one’s original PR is 400 pounds, the goal for this training session is to get FIVE lifts at 90% and above:
135×5
225×3
275×1
315×1
365×1
405×1 (PR!!! But it was a grinder and you’re pretty sure you blacked out for like three seconds and saw pink unicorns as you locked it out)
At this point the trainee has already gotten two lifts above 90% (365, 405), which would mean he needs to get three more lifts in to get to the goal of five. The objective now is to stay at or slightly above 90% (usually in the 90-92% range) and focus on bar speed and actually not miss any lifts.
360×1,1,1
From there, the trainee will continue on with his accessory work depending on his needs and goals.
3. Oh Yeah, Hammer Your Accessory Work
For me I like to use what I call “marker” exercises, which are those exercises I know have a a huge carry over to the deadlift, and also allow me to gauge progress. In short, I know that if I improve on a particular marker exercise, chances are my DL is going to improve as well.
One such example are goodmornings.
Everyone is different, and I’m not saying you should go start playing around with goodmornings today. But it stands to reason that if you want to improve your deadlift, you need to hammer your posterior chain and place a premium on those exercises which strengthen the glutes and hamstrings.
Another exercise to consider would be something like Deadstart/Andeson Squats.
What I love about these is that they emulate the exact hip/torso positioning I use when I setup to deadlift. I’m woefully slow off the floor when I pull (and I have weak quads), so this is an exercise I try to incorporate a lot when I’m trying to ramp up my deadlift numbers.
Again, that’s just me. What works for me may not work for you, but if I had to make a short list of exercises that people should focus on in terms of accessory work:
– RDLs
– Goodmornings
– Partial ROM squats
– Pull-Throughs
– GHR
– KB Swings
– Barbell Hip Thrusters
– Leg Press**
4. Focus on the 70-80% (But More Around 70%).
Admittedly this is something that I’ve pretty much ignored up until recently, and it wasn’t until diving into the phenomenal book Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel (as well as taking the advice of other coaches like Bret Contreras and Todd Bumgardner) that I began to see the error of my ways.
This sorta flies in the face of what I was saying above with regards to utilizing lifts above 90%, but I really feel that this is a woefully under-utilized method of improving one’s deadlift.
I understand that many strength coaches are adamantly opposed to anything that isn’t either “speed” work (40-60%) or max effort work (90%+), and that anything in the middle is a complete waste of time.
But I feel there’s something to be said about honing technique, solidifying one’s exercise proficiency (and being able to repeat it), and seeing how that parlays into bigger pulling numbers.
In looking at my training past, whenever I’d make a run for 600 lbs, I’d inevitably approach the 550ish mark, attempt to get my 90% lifts in week in and week out, for weeks on end, and eventually my spine would be like “that’s it Gentilcore. I’m done!”
My back would end up feeling like shredded up salami, my CNS would be fried, and I’d have to take a hiatus from pulling heavy.
I think once you start approaching 2.75-3x bodyweight pulls, the body can only take so much on a repeated basis. Lately, I’ve been focusing more on getting fast, QUALITY reps at a lower percentage and I feel amazing.
I’m still doing my speed work on separate days, but instead of hitting multiple lifts at 90% or above, I’ve been taking it down a notch and performing repeated lifts at 70% (with limited rest) and then hitting a “sorta” max every other week.
So, for example:
6×2 @ 315 lbs (with 20-30s rest between sets)
Then I’ll work up to a 500+ pull. Last week I ended up working up to 520 lbs, and felt great.
You’re always going to have ebbs and flows with training, but I really feel that this approach is going keep me fresh longer and not beat me to a pulp.
5. Use Straps
No, seriously, I’m not kidding….use them!
Listen, most commercial gyms have really crappy bars with no knurling and you’re relegated to wearing a Scarlet letter if you have the audacity to bring chalk onto the gym floor.
It’s almost impossible to lift any appreciable weight when the bar keeps slipping out of your hands.
Back in the day I totally used wrist straps to help bring up my deadlift. Granted, I tried to sneak in chalk whenever I could (even going so far as to make sure I wiped down the bars when I was done), but I didn’t think any less of myself.
Grip strength is going to be a limiting factor for a lot of peeps, and I posit that so long as you go out of your way to NOT be the dork who uses straps for everything from seated lat pulldowns to bicep curls, your grip strength will automatically improve given you’re using various dumbbells and barbells in your training.
I won’t judge you for using straps. If it allows you to use more weight and overload the exercise, great! That’s the point. If you use gloves on the other hand………
Got any tips of your own to share? I’d love to hear them below
** Come on. You didn’t think I was serious did you?
Raise your hand if you’ve spent the better part of this past week driving with reckless abandon down various side streets, looking over your shoulder around every corner, and/or jumping down the sides of buildings in anticipation of The Bourne Legacy coming out this weekend!
I totally have. Amongst other things – like this exchange I had with a cashier yesterday.
Cashier: “Excuse me sir, will that be paper or plastic?”
Me: “Who’s running Treadstone now?
Cashier: “Tread wha? What are you talking about? Will that be cash or credit?
Me: “I SAID WHO’S RUNNING TREADSTONE!?!??! DON’T MAKE ME PUT YOU IN A CHOKEHOLD!!!!”
“By the way, Greek yogurt is buy one get one free, right?”
While the new installment is Damonless (nooooo), and Paul Greengrass isn’t directing, I have full confidence that Tony Gilroy (who actually wrote the screenplays for all the previous films) will do a great job taking the reigns, and that Jeremy Renner (who’s not playing Jason Bourne but another super agent, Aaron Cross) will nail it.
I thought this was a fantastic post written by Jen, and something that more fitness professionals need to read. I’ll be the first to admit that there have been times in the past where I’ve been a fitness bully myself.
I’d scoff and judge and stick my nose up in the air if someone wasn’t going out of their way to lift heavy stuff.
But then I came to the realization that that was kind of a douchy way to approach things. If someone is exercising – even if it is super-duper-red-hot-naked-metabolic-yoga-insanity-pilates-extreme – isn’t that a good thing?
Martin always has a knack for keeping it real and lighting a fire underneath people’s asses when it comes to training. I LOVE his stories, and I especially like some of the brutal circuits he outlines in this one.
Kyle’s a current intern here at Cressey Performance and he wrote this guest post over on Ben Bruno’s site that I felt hit the nail on the head. I’m constantly getting emails from people asking what it’s like to intern at CP (it’s kind of like watching The Dark Knight Rises while driving a tank, only a little less awesome) and questions on what we look for in prospective interns. This post elucidates on both fronts.
