CategoriesStrength Training Uncategorized

Supreme Strength

I’m posting this a little later than usual, I know. But for those who aren’t in the loop, I’ve been traveling all day and have officially touched down in Canada, baby!  Lisa and I have been on the go since 4 AM this morning trekking from Boston to Edmonton, and after taking a few moments to manually unclench my butt cheeks – Note to any new readers out there: I absolutely HATE flying – we’re all checked into the hotel and waiting to meet up with my boy Dean Somerset to get our swole on at his facility.

Later on we’ll be getting together with the rest of the Muscle Imbalances Revealed crew – Rick Kaselj and Dr. Jeff Cubos – for dinner and, depending on how crazy things get, dessert too.  It’s vacation, right!?!!

Tomorrow will be game time, and I’m really looking forward to giving my presentation:  Core and Spine Training – From Assessment to Badass (ß best title, ever).   Likewise, I’m also looking forward to listening to all the other presentations, and am fully prepared to get my mind blown into a million pieces.

Speaking of mind blownage, today I have something really cool for all of you. Two coaches I truly admire – Todd Bumgardner and John Gaglione- have recently released their new training manual, Supreme Strength, to the masses and I thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce everyone to it because, well, I’m cool like that.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy sent my way not too long ago, and to say I was thoroughly impressed would be an understatement.  I’ve long been an advocate of telling people that if you want to look like an athlete, you need to train like one.  Supreme Strength fits that bill and then some.  Those familiar with programs like Eric Cressey’s Show and Go will LOVE Supreme Strength because it has many of the same components – getting people strong (and lean, if that’s your bag), addressing postural deficits, movement quality issues, and just providing people will an all-encompassing program – but with a flavor that only Todd and John can provide.

You see, both have an uncanny ability to think outside the box and provide a unique training experience that, not only gets results, but actually TEACHES people along the way.

I asked Todd if he’d be willing to sit down and answer a few questions to give everyone a little more insight.  Enjoy!

TG: Hey Todd, thanks for taking time out of your day to answer a few questions. You know the drill, this is the part where you’re supposed to tell me all about yourself. Care to give my readers a Cliff Notes version of who you are, what you’re about, and why I should never, ever, pick a fight with you?

Todd: You deserve the thanks, my friend! I appreciate the opportunity.

Wow, though, what should people know about me? Well, I’m a 6’0” balding ginger, an innovative high-fiver and I have a rib tattoo. I’m also a strength coach based in Central Pennsylvania, a co-founder of Beyond Strength Performance and avid lifter. I train clients at a small, invitation only powerlifting gym in Bellefonte, PA. I can also listen to John Mayer and Lamb of God during the same car ride and I’m completely comfortable with it.

Note from TG:  Well played sir.  Well played.  I can relate because I spend the better part of my days listening to Metallica, Linkin Park, and Rage Against the Machine, but as soon as I get into my car I’ll tone it down with a little Norah Jones action.

* hands in man card *

I started working as a strength coach while I was still in college. I was 21 and green behind the ears. My first gig was with the women’s lacrosse team and they owned me for about three months. Thirty chatty females vs. one unsure gym hermit is a recipe for domination. But I learned some valuable lessons and got hooked on coaching. By the time we were done working together they won a league championship. It was a pretty cool thing to be a part of.

Since then I’ve earned my Master’s in Exercise Science, helped a lot of people get stronger, benched 405 and started dating one of the best female rugby players in the country (oh, shit shout out to Annie Z!).

From a coaching standpoint, though, my main emphases are strength and clean movement. Oh, and proper celebration. If you crush a big weight you have to have celebration go-to’s. I like the jumping top-gun high five.

TG: You and John Gaglione (the other co-creator of Supreme Strength) are well known for thinking outside the box and are constantly coming up with new and innovative exercises and ways to train. Do you two have some sort of secret underground laboratory where you all stroke your evil strength coach beards? What gives?

Todd: Beards, Tony. Beards are the answer. We really just focus on creating beard equity and it seems to carry us along.

Seriously, though. It’s cool to be known for something—especially since I didn’t realize it!

John is just a great coach. The dude can teach anyone to do anything. I’ve seen him turn a mangled squat into a work of art. It’s very impressive. Necessity has given him a great set of innovative tools.

We’ve each also had the opportunity to work under awesome coaches. John and Zach Even-Esh are tight, and James “Smitty” Smith has really taken me under his wing. They are two of the most innovative coaches in the game—it’s tough not to catch their paradigm breaking bug.

I also just think about training all of the time. It rarely leaves my brain, so I think of cool ways to apply basic concepts. So I write stuff down in my journal and try it out when I get to the gym. If it works I’ll apply it where I can.

TG:  What persuaded both you and John to develop Supreme Strength, and how is it different from any other program out there someone can purchase off the internet?

Todd: It all started with a conversation.

I was helping out Smitty and Joe DeFranco at their first AMPED/POWER seminar, John was there—he and I got to talking.

We found out that we do things pretty much the same way—teach movement, preach strength and then practice what we preach. Right after that we fist pumped and decided we needed to create something awesome, something with depth, and something based on what we’ve seen work for a lot of folks.

Most of all we wanted to create a resource, and I think that’s what sets Supreme Strength apart from other internet programs. Rather than just jotting down some sets and reps and sending a chap on his way, we worked hard to create something bigger. We created a strength system. We explain the why and demonstrate the how. You’re also given the means to modify when necessary. It’s more than a program. It’s a great reference.

TG:  First things first:  I also want to give a shout out to Smitty.  The man is, well, the MAN.  Absolutely amazing coach and one of the most humble (and giving) human beings that exist.  He ranks right up there on my man-crush list with Jason Bourne and The Rock.

Back on task: One thing I noticed while looking over the program is the emphasis on the basics.  I absolutely love that approach.  Can you explain to everyone reading why they’re not that special and why they should listen to you?

Todd: It’s simple, man. We know WE aren’t that special.

I know, that may not sound compelling. But, if you think about it for a minute, it makes sense.

I heard a great quote once. It goes something like ‘a person that doesn’t make mistakes is unlikely to make anything.’ That’s definitely true for the strength and conditioning world.

I’ve been lifting for fourteen years and I still manage to mess something up every day—I’ve never gone through a session and done everything perfectly. I’ve gotten really good at a few things, but I haven’t perfected anything. I’m still busting my ass to achieve basic perfection. I think that’s where people miss the point and they jump ship too soon.

The basics will always work—strive to be great at them. It’s a point that I repeat constantly to myself. I think people miss this fact because they want something sexy. It’s not a bad thing, just a little misguided.

Mainly, I think people hold a misguided view of the basics. A lot of guys and gals think that basic movements can only be applied one way, when, in truth, there are thousands of ways to use basic movements and train to be great at them.

It’s like dance moves. Everyone wants to hit sick hip-hop moves before they get down the basic shuffle steps and they end up doing the Carlton dance. You can live with the shuffle steps for years. It’s how I keep my white boy dance prowess.

TG:  NAILED IT!  Well stated, and couldn’t agree more.

For the hell of it:  what are your top five programming faux pas mistakes that people make while training for strength?

Todd: Ah, the mistakes question. This is like an interview rite of passage. I’m psyched to answer this one! Not necessarily because I like to be negative, but I feel like this is my jump into the club. Here goes!

1.  Dismissing Autoregulation: No one can predict what they are going to feel like three weeks in advance, it’s silly to assume so. Programming so strictly that switching things up for a day implores waves of guilt is counterproductive.

I’ve heard great coaches say that the best programs are those that are sustainable. If an athlete or coach can’t autoregulate, their program is as sustainable as a Kardashian marriage. At the very least use the RPE scale.

2. Not Prioritizing Movement: I see a lot of programs that prescribe lifts but don’t prioritize movement. You want someone to deadlift? Great, but how will they get into the best starting position? How will they train a clean pattern?

I understand that strength is built with big weights, but it’s solidified with clean movement. Every good strength program should start with a movement preparation phase to groove, or re-groove, patterns and prepare for heavy loading.

3. Not Prescribing Active Rest: I know if I’m not told what to do sometimes, I’ll stare at the wall and think about chicken wings. By knowing my own shortcomings, I make sure that I keep my clients moving between sets by using mobility fillers. I learned a lot about fillers from you and Mr. Cressey.

Back to the rest period—I think it’s the most misused variable in training—I don’t see the point in just moving aimlessly about between sets. This is a great time to work on weaknesses, improve movement and prepare to boost performance during subsequent sets.

4. Forgetting Relative Strength:  Unless a person happens to be a super-heavy weight powerlifter or strongman, relative strength is important. Squatting 500 pounds is great and all, but if it you have to put 40 pounds on to do it your performance is going to suffer.

That’s why body weight training is so important. Exercises like pull-ups are a great relative strength barometer. If the big lifts go up, but pull-up performance declines, there’s a good chance a gent is running slower and jumping lower. Even for the 9-to-5er, maintaining athleticism and body composition while gaining strength is important for longevity.

5. Not Teaching Tightness: Ok, so I know this is more of a coaching point than a programming point, but I think it’s too often missed on. Tightness and tension are so important for strength, but so few coaches are harping on it.

Before anyone picks up a bar, they need to be taught what tension feels like. They need to know how to set their grip aggressively, how to use air to create pressure and they need to know how to brace. Unless a trainee is constantly working to master tightness, they aren’t training as safely as they should be and they are missing out big strength gains.

TG:  Thanks Todd!  Awesome interview, and I hope it gives everyone reading a little kick in the pants to check out the manual.  I really do feel it’s top notch and will help a lot of people.  For more information, where can people learn more about you and your products.

Todd:  Thanks TG, always a pleasure to talk some shop.  The best way to reach me is to check out my website HERE, and, of course, check out……….

—–> Supreme Strength <—–

CategoriesMotivational

Purpose

Before you read any further, do yourself a favor and check out THIS article by Adam Bornstein on What Type of Workout is Best?  Go a head I’ll wait.  I have to make my breakfast anyways, so I have a few minutes to spare.

Besides, if you don’t read it, the rest of this post won’t make any sense and then you’re going to feel left out and get all out of sorts when everyone else is laughing at you because you don’t get any of the inside jokes.

I mean, can you believe there were BUNNIES ON THE CEILING!?!??!?!!?!

AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

See what I mean?  Now you’re looking at me like I’m an asshat because you have no idea what I’m referring to.

Seriously, just click on the link and read.

[Cue Jeopardy theme music]

Done?  Cool.

NOTE:  as you noticed, there actually is no reference to bunnies on a ceiling in the article, but if there were, and it was as hilarious as I made it out to be, who would have been the asshat then?  Hmmmmm??????

All kidding aside, pretty inspirational stuff by Adam, right?  I’ve long been of the same mindset that the only workout (or training program) that’s going to be successful is the one that you’re actually going to follow.  It could be anything from following a Westside type template to some sort of bodybuilding type split to, I don’t know, some sort of crazy protocol that has you performing 400 squats paired with slamming your balls inside an oven door.

Whatever works and gets you to the gym………..who am I to judge?

Getting inside the doors, for many, is the real key. But once there…….then what?

There’s one other component that I feel rarely ever gets addressed.  As much as people discuss the optimal set/rep schemes, proper rest intervals, ideal programming structure, frequency, tempo of the lifts, so on and so forth………..

…….None of it means jack if you don’t train with purpose.

If you half ass your workouts, you’re going to get half ass results.

Nothing – outside of those who drive under the speed limit.  And Ryan Seacreast – irritates me more than when I walk into a commercial gym and watch people train with no purpose.

They just kind of flounder around with no rhyme or reason, haphazardly doing a few arm curls here, a few whateverthehellthosearecalled there, and pitter-putter along. They’re just there. That’s it.  As if just showing up is all that matters.

Most often, these are the same people who bitch and whine that they never get any results despite going to the gym “x” number of times per week.

Want to know what purpose looks like?  Watch this video taken yesterday of Franklin Pierce RHP, Ryan Thompson, performing some of his med ball work:

THAT’S purpose.

And to think:  this is part of his PRE-WORK, before he even starts the meat and potatoes of his training session.

Every throw looks as if Ryan’s main objective is to knock down the wall. Every throw has meaning.  You can tell there’s intent, and he’s not just going through the motions.

So, the question then becomes:  if you are one of those people who goes to the gym religiously 3-5 times per week, and yet, never seems to get the results you want, are you really working as hard as you could?

Now, this isn’t to say that you have to approach each training session as if you were going to stab someone in the throat.  But by that token, it probably wouldn’t hurt to amp up the intensity a little bit and take things a little more seriously.

  • Increase the speed of the treadmill a couple of notches the next time you’re at the gym.
  • Better yet, get off the treadmill, walk over to the squat rack and use it.  Not to do arm curls.
  • Add a few extra lbs on the bar or dumbbell.  Whatever it is that you’re lifting.
  • Spend a little less time talking about last night’s episode of Dancing With the Stars, and a little more time focusing on the fact that you’ve been in the gym for 45 minutes and have yet to elevate your heart rate past comatose.
  • Try a new exercise you’ve never tried before.  Deadlifts?
  • Shut up and train.  Intimidate the weight.
  • Have fun, sure.  Don’t take yourself too seriously, but you know, train with some purpose.

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

CategoriesStrength Training

Q and A: Hypermobility and the Olympic Lifts

Q: I’ve recently got into Olympic lifting, but my hamstrings are so flexible, I have no tension at the bottom and lose power. Also, my shoulders are unstable when I snatch and my wrists bend too far back when I push press, etc.

I’ve just purchased wrist straps, but I’m not sure what to do about my hamstrings in particular. Any tips or advice? Many thanks in advance for taking the time to read this!

– Paula

A: First off, let me just say that I think it’s awesome that you’ve taken a step outside your comfort zone and decided to take on the OLY lifts. It’s refreshing to see a female get after it and not fall into the Tracy Anderson “no woman should lift a weight over three lbs/excuse me while I vomit a little bit in my mouth” trap.

To that, Paula, I’m dedicating this slow clap to you:

With that out of the way, there’s a few things we need to highlight/discuss.

There’s obviously a lot of efficacy towards the OLY lifts as it relates to strength, power development, performance, and increasing one’s overall level of badassery. As a strength coach, I’d be remiss to state otherwise.

The first point I’d like to cover – for my own edification – is how “technique heavy” the OLY lifts are.  These aren’t just something that you decide to throw into the mix one day and all is butter fly kisses and rainbows. The OLY lifts are hard and often take years to master.

I don’t care how many articles someone reads or how many Youtube videos they watch, NOTHING will trump in-person coaching.

ESPECIALLY in this context.

To that end, I’m just going to assume that you’re under the watchful eye of an established OLY or weightlifting coach.  If not, please do yourself a favor and seek one out.

Secondly, and maybe most important of all, is the heart of your question: Do the OLY lifts and hypermobility mix?

At first glance you would probably think yes. I mean, if you watch many of the top lifters or someone who knows what they’re doing, it would seem that having all that mobility would be a good thing. How else to explain the crazy positions they’re able to get themselves into – with a shit-ton of weight above their head no less!

While there is a fair degree of natural selection going on in terms of having the ability to do those things, you also have to understand that these athletes are demonstrating an insane level of mobility AND stability, as dictated by the joint-by-joint school of thought.

For the amateur or weekend warrior, having excessive hypermobility may (not always) be more of a reason NOT to partake in the OLY lifts.

Of course, how can we even ascertain whether or not someone is hypermobile in the first place?  Are they in any way, shape, or form, affiliated with Cirque de Soleil?  If so, they’re hypermobile.

Kidding aside, one easy screen you can do is the Beighton Laxity Test.

1.  Do the fingers extend past the 90 degree angle to the dorsal aspect of the hand?

2.  Does the thumb contact the forearm with full flexion?

3.  Is there more than 10 degrees of hyperextension in the elbow?

4.  Is there more than 10 degrees of hyperextension in the knee?

5.  Can he or she lay their palms flat on the floor during the toe touch movement?

Generally speaking, if someone scores a 3/5 or higher on the screen, chances are they’re hypermobile.  Or, at the very least, it’s something that needs to be taken into consideration.

With this information on hand, we can make a better judgement call as to whether or not the OLY lifts would be a good fit.  Now, this isn’t to say that if someone tests very high on the Beighton Score that he or she needs to avoid Olympic lifting like a Justin Beiber concert.

I’m not saying that at all.

Rather, all I’m trying to convey is that certain precautions need to be taken into consideration.

1.  Avoid aggressive, uncontrolled ranges of motion during the warm-up.  Especially in the upper body.

2.  I wouldn’t go out of my way to perform a lot of yoga.  If you are: stop.

Well, let me back track that statement.  You can perform yoga, but I’d limit aggressive poses that place a premium on becoming a human pretzel.

3.  With your warm-ups, something to keep in the back of your mind is that closed-chain exercises will provide more stability.

4.  As far as strength training is concerned:  to reiterate, I can’t stress enough how important it is that you seek out a reputable coach, or someone who has experience with the OLY lifts.  Given the excessive ROMs elicited by the sport itself, not to mention how technique intensive it is, it only make sense.

Additionally, since you mentioned how you feel you lose power in the bottom position and that your hamstrings are very flexible, it probably wouldn’t hurt to hammer things like Romanian deadlifts, pull-throughs, glute ham raises, or anything that will help strengthen that area (single leg work included).

5.  It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to include more rhythmic stabilizations into the mix to help teach the joints to, well, stabilize.

6. Static stretching.  Don’t do it.  Seriously.  Stop.

Instead, I’d try to perform more low grade activation drills.  Think:  glute bridges, Forearm wall slides, bowler squats, t-push-ups, dwarf throwing, etc.

And that’s really about it.  Like I said, I think it’s fantastic that you’re pursuing the OLY lifts, but I think given your situation, some precautions need to be made.

In Summary:

1.  Get a coach (if you haven’t already).

2. Don’t go out of your way to perform a lot of static stretching.

3.  Strengthen the posterior chain (especially the hamstrings).  Also, be careful with front and back squats – hypermobility (when not addressed properly) can wreak havoc on the joints when squatting.

4.  Try to include more low grade activation drills and rhythmic stabilizations into your repertoire.

5.  Avoid exposure to Justin Beiber as much as humanly possible. Good luck with that.

If there are any coaches or people with more experience than myself on this particular topic, PLEASE, feel free to chime in.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

CategoriesRehab/Prehab

My Shoulder Hurts: The Finest Whine

Happy Sun’s Out/Guns Out Memorial Day everyone!

Given that it IS a holiday – and the unofficial start of summer – I actually had every intention of NOT posting a blog today, and instead, do nothing but get my lift on and then follow that by eating copious amounts of dead animal flesh and high-fiving any serviceman (or woman) that I happen to cross paths with.

While I’m still going to do those things, it just so happens that my latest article on T-Nation went live, so I actually have some content to share today afterall.  Holla!

It’s about shoulders and how to go about taking better care of them. Trust me:  if you’re someone who takes the iron game seriously, and subsequently tends to have shoulders that routinely feel like they’ve been put through a meat grinder, this article is for you.

Pretty Much the Best Article on Shoulder Health Ever Written**

** = Give or take

CategoriesUncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Holiday Weekend Edition

I’ve sequestered myself in academic quarantine for the better portion of the week getting my presentation ready for next weekend’s Spinal Health and Core Training seminar up in Edmonton (Canada) alongside the likes of Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, and Dr. Jeff Cubos.  Unfortunately, Megatron had a scheduling conflict.

I’m pretty excited – and maybe a teeny tiny bit nervous (I’m hyperventilating into a brown paper bag as I write this) – to have the opportunity to speak on some of the ways we go about handling spinal issues and core training with our athletes and general population clients at Cressey Performance.

My presentation is tentatively called Addressing the Core:  From Assessment to Badass. It’s either that or Your Back Hates You:  Here’s Why.  I don’t know, I’m still working with a few things, but I’m definitely leaning towards the former.

For those curious, in a nutshell I’m approaching this as a massive brain dump and plan on discussing everything from breathing patterns to squat and deadlift progressions (and a few things in between).  Hell I might even throw in a shadow puppet show for good measure.

Nevertheless, between now and next Friday I’m going to try my best to stay on top of putting up some blogs, but don’t hate me if I end up slacking in that department.  Like I said, I’m in academic quarantine mode, and I’m pretty much counting on doing nothing but reading, writing, and working on this presentation between now and then.

Oh look, Baywatch is on!!!!!

10 Hidden Expenses in Opening Your Own Strength and Conditioning Facility – Pete Dupuis

Pistol Pete makes his literary debut and goes into depth on what some of the “hidden” costs entailed when we started Cressey Performance.  Some are old, some are new……either way, it hopefully helps sheds some light to those contemplating opening their own facility.

The Truth About Cleansing and Fasting – Brad Pillon

With intermittent fasting all the rage right now, I felt this was a concise (and well researched) explanation by Brad on the merits of fasting and why those colon cleanse products that taste like sandpaper dipped in cancer are pretty much a waste of time (and money).

While I’m far from an expert on the topic, I will say that I have been toying with the concept here and there and think there’s a lot of validity to it.

For those looking for a bit more information on fasting and how to implement it into your schedule, check out John Romaniello’s Fat Loss Forever.

High School Strength Coaches: Don’t Make This Mistake – The Angry Coach

Don’t train high school kids like they’re adults

That’s the quote that summarizes this article, and I couldn’t agree more.

Many coaches (I did it too, back in the day) are quick to revert to smoke and mirrors when it comes to training their younger athletes, either for the “cool” factor or to try to impress the parents.  Look ma!  Chains!!!!!!!!!!

Listen, teaching a young athlete how to perform a proper lunge or push-up is going to be way more beneficial to his or her athletic performance than those silly agility ladders.  Above all, while focusing on strength should be paramount in terms of priorities (seriously, put those speed cones away), I’d also make the argument that taking the time to actually COACH your athletes ranks even higher.

I can’t even tell how many times I’ve had a high school kid walk into the facility boasting about his 405 lb squat, only to get STAPLED by 185 lbs because I forced him to actually squat to depth.

In any case, this was an awesome piece and I highly encourage you to check it out, and more importantly, forward it to your local high school strength coach.

CategoriesUncategorized

The Perfect Warm-Up?

When most people think of what a well-rounded, bullet proof program encompasses, many will undoubtedly think of optimal set/rep schemes, rest intervals, what exercises to include (and in what order), and, of course, how many days per week they should train given their goals.

Admittedly, all of the above components are important things to consider, and rightfully deserve their time under the program design microscope.  It’s interesting, though, that the last – and arguably the most important – thing to enter the discussion, is the first thing that most trainees tend to dismiss altogether:  the warm-up.

Yeah yeah yeah – I get it. You’re busy, and warming is up is about as exciting as watching NASCAR. Truth be told, we all know we should warm-up, but for most of us (namely, you), the warm-up is usually nothing more than an afterthought; or, something we half heartedly do because our 8th grade gym teacher told us we had to.

Even if you are one of the rare few who actually performs a warm-up, chances are it entails a few arm circles here, a couple of hamstring stretches there, a couple of minutes on the treadmill, maybe a fist pump, and you’re off to the bench press.  Sound familiar?

Yeah I Thought So

Much like you wouldn’t walk out to your car in the middle of winter and take it from 0-60 MPH on the highway and expect it to run optimally, the same can be said about your body.

Moreover, when’s the last time you actually felt good?  I mean reeeeally good?  Can you remember the last time your lower back didn’t feel stiff, or your knees didn’t ache every time you attempted a squat?

Better yet, when was the last time you consistently made appreciable progress in the gym?

The question, then, is what should a warm-up do, and more importantly, what should it look like?

While not an exhaustive list, a good warm-up will (or should) provide the following:

– Increased body temperature.

– Improve joint lubrication.

– Engage the nervous system to a greater degree.

– Improve extensibility/flexibility of muscles.

– Groove movement patterns.

– And, better prepare you for a back alley fight against a pack of ninjas.  You know, just in case.

More specifically, given that many of us spend an inordinate amount of time hunched over in front of a computer on a daily basis, the warm-up should target the areas of the body which tend to be most problematic:  namely, the glutes, hips, thoracic spine, shoulders, and core, to name a few.

Standing in one place, holding a stretch for 30 seconds does nothing in terms of preparing you for the more dynamic nature of what you’ll be doing in the weight room.

We need to take the warm up more seriously and view it not as a necessary evil, but something that will undoubtedly help you not only feel better, but lead to unparalleled performance in the gym.

Carry Your Ass Off

Giving full disclosure, I didn’t come up with this idea on my own. Dan John was the first to really bring carry variations into the limelight, and more to the point, utilizing them as part of an extended warm-up.

As far as bang-for-your-training-buck exercises are concerned, you’d be hard pressed to trump carries.

For those looking for proof, it’s in the pudding:

  • When performed unilaterally, they’re a fantastic way to train core stability – specifically anti-lateral flexion.  But even when performed bilaterally, they’re still an awesome “core” exercise.
  • They obviously help improve grip strength.  Taking it a step further, however, they do an amazing job of “activating” the rotator cuff through a process called irradiation.  In non-geek speak, all this means is that when you squeeze something with a death grip, the RC turns on, and as a result the shoulder “packs” itself.  In a sense, carry variations are a great exercise for those with chronic shoulder issues.
  • Farmer carries do an amazing job at challenging hip stability – especially when performed unilaterally (one arm at a time).
  • They condition the shit out of you. The next time someone asks you whether or not weight training has any cardiovascular benefit, have him or her do a few rounds of carries for 50-75 yds.
  • Without question, carries are also a great way to get a “yolked up” back.  For those dudes looking to build some traps, farmer carries can help.
  • And lets just state the obvious:  they do a superb job of increasing one’s overall sense of badassessey.

To that end, here’s the actual warm-up I’ve been following for the past few weeks.  After a thorough foam rolling session, I’ll head over to the turf and alternate between a carry variation paired with a specific dynamic drill.

A few things to note:

1. When performing ANY carry variation, it’s important to think to yourself, “spine tall, shoulders back.”  In addition, there should be as little deviation as possible in terms of leaning to one side or the other.  The objective is to stay in as much of a straight line as possible – if you compensate in any way, you’re using too heavy of a load.  Also, since this is part of a WARM-UP, you shouldn’t be too aggressive with the loading anyways.  Just focus on perfect technique.

2.  In case you’re wondering, yes, I’m wearing a t-shirt of a lumberjack punching a grizzly bear in the face in all of the carry videos.  I’m not going to go so far as to say that it’s the most awesome t-shirt in the history of the world. But, it pretty much is.

A1. Suitcase Carry (35-40 yds/per arm)

A2.  Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization (x8/leg)

B1. Racked Carry (35-40 yds/per arm)

B2. Half Kneeling Adductor Dips (x8/leg)

C1. Waiter Carry (35-40 yds/per arm)

Note:  be sure to maintain a neutral wrist position on this one, and to “set” the scapulae (you shouldn’t be shrugging the weight).

C2. Rocking SUMO Squat Mobilization (x10)

D1.  Crossbody Carry (35-40 yds/per side)

Note:  Hold the heavier KB (or DB) like a suitcase, and the lighter weight above your head.  Like the waiter walk above, be sure to maintain a neutral wrist position.

D2. Scapular Wall Slides (x10)

E1.  Goblet Carry (35-40 yds)

Note:  having the load anterior to the body really helps to activate the anterior core musculature which has both an anti-flexion, and anti-extension component.

Anti-extension in the sense that it’s really hard to OVER arch the lumbar spine with the anterior load.

E2.  Supine Bridge with Reach (x8/side)

Note:  be sure to maintain hip extension throughout, and yes, that’s Eric Cressey riding a foam roll horse across the screen.  HEE-HAW.

F1. Heartbeat Carry (35-40 yds)

F2. Yoga Push-Up Complex (x5/side)

And there you have it.  Is it really the perfect warm-up*?  Tough to say, but it’s a far step above what most people are doing. As I mentioned above, this is pretty much the exact warm-up I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks and I’m loving it. Try it out yourself and let me know your thoughts!

* = yes**

** = because I said so.

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7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Coach

The other day while sitting through a staff meeting, we were discussing the incoming intern class and how we want to approach this summer’s staff in-service schedule.

Every week one of the staff members sits down with the interns to talk about “stuff.” This can range from anything from exercise technique to troubleshooting program design to why listening to techno during a squat session increases one’s testosterone levels by roughly 317%.

Give or take a couple of percentage points.

In an effort to “open up” the discussion, we often ask the interns what they would like to see covered.   Almost always, they’ll want to discuss assessment straight away.

Not that this is a bad thing, of course.  Assessment is an important component of what we do, and it’s undoubtedly a key factor in terms of molding an individual’s training career. But lets be honest: for most incoming trainers, at least in my eyes, it’s more crucial to learn how to actually coach before we start discussing the variables behind femoral acetabular impingement.

Having the ability to coach someone through a proper push-up or trap bar deadlift – at least in the beginning stages – is far more important to me from a mentoring standpoint than having the ability to discern whether or not someone has ample ankle dorsiflexion.

To that end, today I have a guest post from another former Cressey Performance intern – now strength coach – Dave Rak (AKA:  Rak City) who, after discussing this topic with him the other day, decided to write a post on it.  Enjoy/Yankees suck!

7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Coach

Strength & conditioning is an amazing career field.  We get to go to work everyday and positively impact peoples lives by getting them healthier, stronger, and eventually turning them into unstoppable finely tuned killing machines.  Basically, its the greatest job in the world (well the guy who takes pictures of hot chicks for Sports Illustrated has sweet job too, but I digress).

The unique things about strength & conditioning is that it’s an ever evolving field where we are constantly learning and trying to get better at our profession.  There are thousands of books, DVDs, seminars, and conferences dedicated to continuing education.  What was the last book you read, DVD you watched, or conference you attended about?

I’ll take a wild guess and say it was about training, anatomy, or something along those lines.  Let me ask you another question, when was the last time you read a book, watched a DVD, or went to a conference that was dedicated strictly to the art of coaching?

If you can’t answer this question put down the book on training for a second and go read some coaching books.  I’m not saying don’t educate yourself on exercise science and training but find a proper balance between your strength training education and your coaching education.

Don’t forget our job title is strength & conditioning COACH (I used capital letters there so you know it’s kind of a big deal).  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the science of strength training that we neglect the fact that we are still coaches and we have to deal with our athletes in a practical setting.

You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you can’t coach yourself out of a wet paper bag then what good is that knowledge?  Bottom line, you have to be able to flat out coach, if you can’t, then all those seminars and certifications won’t do you and your athletes any good.  Here are 7 simple ways to improve your coaching.

1. Observe Other Coaches

Working at Boston University I’ve had the opportunity to observe our varsity coaches during practices and I am grateful because it’s given me the opportunity to learn a lot from observing so many different coaching styles.

Just go to a practice and bring a note book.  Forget about the athletes for a second and watch the coaches carefully.  When I observed our men’s basketball coach I left with two pages of notes, and that was just from one short practice.  Pay attention to how other coaches cue their athletes, how they gain and keep their athletes attention, even how they change their tone of voice in certain situations.  You can learn a lot from closely observing others.

2. Remember It Is About More Than Just Strength Training

As a coach you can interact with hundreds of athletes everyday.  You will have an impact on these athletes lives whether you realize it or not.  Are you going to make a positive impact or a negative impact?

If I can help an athlete feel better about themselves, gain confidence, and instill some positive character traits as a result of my coaching then I did my job.  To me that is just as important as increasing their physical ability.  Nothing is more satisfying then an athlete giving you a card or emailing you to thank you for influencing their life in a positive way.

Note from TG:  It’s as Mike Boyle has famously said:  no one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.

3. Videotape Yourself Coaching

This is an exercise I performed in one of my graduate classes at BU and found it very helpful.  Have someone video tape you when you coach so you can see how you are perceived by others.

Watch yourself carefully, you may be surprised with what you see.  Ask yourself, do I look angry when I coach? What does my body language say? Do I look nervous or confident? Do I have a strong presence and command the room, or do I blend in with my athletes? Do my biceps look big in this shirt? How do my athletes see me?  Getting feedback on your coaching “etiquette” will be a huge factor on improving how you actually coach.

4. Don’t Be One Dimensional/Know Your Athletes

Some athletes need to be yelled at and will respond well to authoritative coaching, while others will shut down.  Know what way is best to interact with your players.  Do they respond better to verbal cues or visual cues, what motivates them?

How will you get the most out of your athletes when they walk into the weight room exhausted from a long practice and difficult day at school?  This is the art of coaching.  A good coach knows his team and is able to use many different coaching styles throughout a session to get the most out of their athletes.

5. Read More Coaching Related Material

At the end of the day you’re a coach, and to be an effective strength & conditioning coach you need to find a healthy balance between reading material as it relates to program design and making better athletes as well as reading books that will hone your coaching skills. By learning more about the art of coaching you’ll be able to compliment your exercise science knowledge and become a well rounded coach.

Recommend reading:

My Losing Season– it’s a great book that basically shows you what not to do as a coach.

The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills – this book is full of attention getting moves, learning principles, and numerous learning models that can easily be implemented in your coaching.

Understanding Sports Coaching: The Social, Cultural, and Pedagogical Foundations of Coaching Practice 2nd Edition – the title says it all, nuff’ said.

6. Get Out There And Coach!

The best way to become a better coach is to actually coach and learn from your experiences.  The more experience you accumulate the better you will become.

 7. Give Back

This is something every coach needs to do.  You do not become a better coach by yourself.  Yes, you put the effort into becoming better, but don’t forget about the coach that let you into their practice so you could observe and learn.

This is an example of giving back.

I have been mentored by several great coaches and I would not be where I am at today without them.  Guess what? My mentors where mentored by someone when they where younger, too.

Pay it forward.  When you make it as a coach and are approached by

Author’s Bio

David Rak is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA (CSCS).  He is currently a Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Boston University pursuing his Master’s Degree in Coaching.  Dave oversees Wrestling, Women’s Golf, and Women’s Novice Rowing and also assists with Men’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer.  He received his Bachelor’s in Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and completed internships at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning and Cressey Performance.  Upon his completion of his internship at MBSC, he continued to work part time at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning for 2 and a half years while he finished his undergraduate degree.  This summer Dave will be interning with the South Carolina Gamecocks Football team before returning to Boston University for his final year as a Graduate Assistant.  Dave can be reached at [email protected].

 

 

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Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: 5/21/12

Only 2 posts this week? I feel slighted.

That was a comment left for me last week by someone who was a little “miffed” at me for my lack of blogging prowess. Believe me, I felt bad for only posting two blogs last week, but I think it’s because you’re all spoiled and are used to me writing so often as it is. I’m not blaming you.  I’ve set the standard and I need to own up to it.

If it’s any consolation, though, last week was a HUGE week.

First off, while we had a little bit of a heads up leading up to it, our apartment got a bit of a face lift last week getting all (13) new windows installed within a two day span, and as an added bonus, we also got a new kitchen as well.

Well, by “new kitchen” what I really mean is a new sink and counter tops.  But to say our apartment looked like it went through a nuclear blast would have been an understatement.  It was a mess.  And with a bunch of random dudes walking around making all sorts of noise, it made it hard to get much (if any) work done.

What made the process even more stressful was the fact that both Lisa and I were expecting our families to come into town to celebrate her graduation last weekend, and it was IMPERATIVE that everything got done in time.

It did………….and all was well in the world.

And all I have to say now is that everything looks FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABuuuuuuuulos!1!11!!!

Above all, Lisa is now officially a doctor in sports psychology. After a Hobbit like journey, through all the trials and tribulations, and ALWAYS amazing me with her character and perseverance, she did it!  I couldn’t be more proud of her.

To make the occasion even more sweet, we spent the entire weekend with friends and family celebrating her achievement, and it couldn’t have been more awesome.  THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by and for the well wishes on Facebook.

2.  As a final reminder, I’m going to be in Edmonton the weekend of June 2nd as part of the Spinal Health and Core Seminar along with Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, and Dr. Jeff Cubos. Not only will it be my first trip to Canada since I was a sophomore in college, but it will officially mark the furthest West I have ever been in North America.  Go figure!

Additionally, I’ll be making another trip up to Canada a few weeks after that – this time to Toronto – to speak at the PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar along with Jon Goodman, Nick Tumminello, Dan Trink, Mark Young, and Geoff Girvitz.

Spots are still available in both cases, but if you’re on the fence I’d suggest you snag one up now because as it draws closer to the actual date(s), they’ll be harder to come by

3.  I came across this video of Dr. Craig Liebenson going through a case study of a flexion intolerant back which I felt needed to be viewed by more people. It’s only like ten minutes long, but well worth the investment.  Trust me, your Words with Friends battle can wait.  Watch the video.

If nothing else take notice of the look of death he gives the audience when he points out that ALL signs point to it being a flexion based issue and NOT an extension based one.  Classic.

4.  One of the more common email questions I receive is how one can go about writing for reputable fitness publications like T-Nation or Men’s Health. While I offered a few thoughts on the topic in THIS post not too long ago, fellow strength coach Jon-Erik Kawamoto upped the ante and wrote an awesome blog post HERE which provided some great tips from a lot really smart people like Ben Bruno, Bret Contreras, Molly Galbraith, Mark Young, Sean Hyson, Nick Tumminello, and Optimus Prime.

Okay, not Optimus Prime (although, how awesome would that have been????), but definitely a lot of other recognizable names that go out of their way to offer a lot of insight.

5.  Keeping the same theme, if you’re looking for something good to read, I’d HIGHLY suggest picking up a copy of Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel. Not that I have to pimp anything by these two guys – the names speak for themselves – but this is quite honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while.

It’s formatted in a way where both authors offer their two cents as the book progresses.  Coach John will speak on a topic, and then Pavel chimes in with thoughts of his own.  Both are generally on the same page in terms of their thought process, but I love the contrasting styles.  While I’m obviously familiar with Pavel, I really haven’t read much of his stuff, and I totally dig his no BS approach.

I started the book last week and haven’t been able to put it down since.

And that’s it for today.  I’m about to get my lift in.  Since I’ve been feeling a bit beat up as of late, I decided to drop my training frequency from four days per week to three.  In the past I’ve found that that approach works REALLY well for me in terms of giving my body a break.  What’s more, with several other things going on in my life competing for time – blogs, articles, programming, etc – it just makes more sense to tone it down a bit.  So, for now, for those who care, my training schedule will look like this:

Monday:  Full Body (DL emphasis)
Tuesday:  Hill sprints (grass)
Wednesday: Full Body (Bench emphasis
Thursday:  GPP/Mobility Day (LIGHT Prowler pushes, possibly hug someone)
Friday:  Full Body (Squat emphasis)
Saturday:  GPP/Mobility Day (or what we like to call Superficial Saturday, which can be anything from extra bicep work to even more extra bicep work….haha)
Sunday:  eat lots of dead animal flesh and take a nap.

How you like dem apples?

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Split Stance Low Cable Row

If you ask me there are only a handful of things in this world that people seemingly can’t get enough of:

1.  Cowbell

2.  Twilight (I’m still trying to figure this one out).

3. And in the strength and conditioning realm:  horizontal rowing.

The first two are obviously pop culture references (if you haven’t watched it already, I HIGHLY suggest you click on the cowbell link I provided) that I threw in there just because I can. And because I absolutely despise Twilight.

The latter, however, is something that’s a bit more pertinent to today’s discussion and something that – contrary to above – I feel many, many, MANY trainees go out of their way to avoid – which is a shame.

If you look at the overwhelming majority of programs that people follow, it’s hard not to notice that they’re very anterior dominate.  Meaning, they place a premium on the parts of the body that we can see (pecs, abs, biceps) and generally disregard the muscles that actually play a role in performance and optimal posture (glutes, hamstrings, and rest of the backside).  It’s BRO-gramming in its purest form.

Taking it a step further, even if someone is making a concerted effort to be a good little lifter and including more horizontal rowing into their training repertoire, sadly, most absolutely butcher technique and end up causing more harm than good.

Giving a few examples, here’s some old videos of EC when he was like 15 demonstrating the three biggest culprits:

Chin protrusion, forward head posture:

Hip and lumbar extension:

Humeral Extension with Shrug:

I each case I think we can all agree that neither of the above pass the “shit test.”  Put simply: if it looks like shit, it’s probably shit.

Moreover, none are actually working the muscles that the exercise is intended to target, and there’s a bevy of compensation patterns that come to the forefront.

In any case I bet these look vaguely familiar, right?

If you walk into any commercial gym, anywhere, at any time…. and someone is performing a seated row, that’s what you’ll inevitably see.

That notwithstanding, I do love me some rows.  I think they’re invaluable movement for building an impressive physique, and even more importantly, for addressing many of the postural issues that plague our society.

Nothing represents this phenomenon so succinctly more so than Janda’s brilliant Upper Cross Syndrome.

In dissecting the diagram to the right, we can easily see how our daily lives spending copious amounts of hours in front of a computer, as well as our programming mishaps can play into dysfunction.

The pecs, upper traps, and levator (tonus muscles) tend to be overactive and short/stiff; while on the other side of the fence the neck flexors, rhomboids, and serratus anterior (phasic muscles) tend to be weak and inhibited.

While it can be a bit more complicated, the easy solution would be to stop benching three times per week for…..the…..love……of…….god stretch what’s stiff/short and strengthen what’s weak/inhibited.

While I’m not going to go out of my way to address the former, the best course of action would be to perform some dedicated soft tissue work on the pecs, lengthen the tissue, and then “cement” that new length with some non-eye gouging exercise selection.

With respects to exercise selection, today I want to share yet another rowing variation that we utilize quite a bit at Cressey Performance:

Split Stance Low Cable Row

What Does It Do:  What doesn’t it do?  Obviously we’re going to strengthen the upper back (specifically the scapular retractors), which is never a bad thing.  Secondly, would be the anti-flexion component.  By bending over at a 45-degree angle – which you don’t do during a regular standing cable row – the spinal erectors get quite a bit work trying to prevent shear loading.

Third, one gets a fair amount of glute activation in the trailing leg.

Last, and maybe less obvious to some, would be the multi–planar stability in the front (plant) leg, as the hip musculature (glute max, glute med, deep hip rotators) has to resist the torsional forces placed upon the body.

In short, there’s a lot of “stuff” going on during this exercise, which makes it a winner in my book.

Key Coaching Cues:  While I’m all about progressive overload, I’m not overly concerned about being aggressive with this exercise.  I’d rather one not try to be a hero and do this exercise correctly than use too much weight and look like they’re having an epileptic seizure.

To that end:

1.  Tuck the chin and try your best to prevent any forward head posture.

2.  Squeeze the glute of the rear leg.  Like hard. So hard that you tear your shorts.

3. Make sure to keep the shoulder blade depressed (and adducted)….and don’t shrug the weight.

4.  Pull the elbow towards the hip and squeeze for a 1-2 second count with each repetition.

5.  Give somebody a hug.

Try it out today, and let me know what you think!

 

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Stop Chasing Pain Podcast with Tony Gentilcore

Late last summer I made the trek down to NYC to attend the Peak Diet and Training Summit to get my learnification on as well as take part in an “expert panel” that Joe Dowdell put together as part of that weekend’s festivities.

As much I LOVE getting smarter (and I did a ton of it that weekend), one of the best parts of going to those sort of things is the networking opportunities that manifest and take place.

While I already knew many of the attendees that weekend – Joe, Mike Roussell, Jim Smith, Kevin Neeld, John Romaniello, and John Gaglione to name a few – I also met a lot of new faces, too. You see, many times I end up hitting it off with other coaches, practitioners, and trainers who share many of the same affinities as myself. You know, lifting heavy things, the rotator cuff, and bacon.  God, I love bacon.

As it happened, that weekend I met two people who would end up as significant networking contacts.

One was Jon Goodman of the Personal Trainer Development Center, who wrote a fantastic guest post for this site (HERE) as well as invited me up to Toronto in June to speak at the PTDC Hybrid Training Seminar.

The second was Dr. Perry Nickelston; Or, P-Nickle-Stizzle, as I like to call him.

Dr. Perry is a rare breed indeed.  In his own words:

No. I am not your typical doctor. I have tattoos. I wear jeans to work. My shoes are Vibrams. I wear lots of bling (rings and necklace). I don’t wear a white coat or put ties on. I look for the cause of our pain and don’t chase the site. I don’t have an ego when it comes to referring out. If I can’t help you I will tell you. I don’t want to see you for lots of visits be use that means I am not helping fast enough. I want to teach you how to take care of yourself. I talk like what I feel and I walk the talk. I don’t tell you to do something I can’t do myself. I will use any tool and method to get you well. When you call my office I answer the phone. My office number is my cell number because I am here for you as a person. I am not the status quo…and that’s the way I like it. I love what I do more than anything and I want to share it with others. Got a problem with any of those? Tough cookies!

I had the humbling opportunity to be invited by Perry to talk some shop on his Stop Chasing Pain Podcast last Friday morning.

Even though we only chatted for around 35-40 minutes, he and I covered a lot of ground ranging from things like program design and mastering the basics to some of daily musings inside Cressey Performance (especially assessment) and what “stability” training actually means.

All told it was an easy flowing conversation between two dudes and how we can go about increasing people’s level of awesome.

A slight warning: I may or may not have had a potty mouth during the taping. Sorry Mom.

Nevertheless, Perry does a fantastic job with his podcast – he has something like 30,000 subscribers! – so I hope you’ll check it out and offer some feedback!

 

In the Trenches with Tony Gentilcore