CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

Porcelain Post: The Birddog Exercise: Please, Start Coaching It Right

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” first came to fruition last year between Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2.

Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.

Enjoy.

Copyright: fizkes / 123RF Stock Photo

 

The Birddog Exercise: Please, Start Coaching It Right

The birddog exercise is a common drill used in many components of health/fitness. It’s most commonly utilized within yoga/pilates circles and referred to as either the donkey kick or chakaravakasana. Which, as we all know, is Elvish for, “doing something poorly and making my corneas jump out of their sockets into a fiery volcano.”

Okay, that’s not true.

But we all know that the bulk of people performing this exercise, whether they’re in a yoga class, performing it on their own, or following the tutelage of a strength coach or personal trainer, end up looking like this (not always, but enough to warrant an intervention in the form of this brief post):

Copyright: fizkes / 123RF Stock Photo

The birddog exercise not only targets the back, but also the hip extensors. It also, and more importantly, teaches the discipline of using proper hip and shoulder motion while maintaining a stable spine.

The picture shown above is the complete opposite of that. What we see instead is a gross exaggeration of lumbar (lower back) extension and a lengthening of the rectus abdominus compounded with excessive rib flare and cervical extension.

Essentially this person is tossing up a ginormous middle finger to any semblance of spinal stability.

Now, in fairness, maybe the woman pictured above was coached into that position for a specific reason:

  • Prepping for the World “How to Eff Up Your Back” Championships?
  • Because it’s Wednesday?

I don’t know the true details. Maybe I should lighten up.1 But what I do know is that I find little benefit in performing the birddog, and it’s likely doing more harm than good.

And when I see it performed this way it makes me do this:

via GIPHY

 

Lets Clean Things Up, Shall We?

What’s most frustrating is the reactions I get from some people when I ask them to perform the birddog. I’ll get someone coming in with a history of low-back pain, and after taking them through a series of screens to see what exacerbates their symptoms I’ll then have them demonstrate this exercise.

What follows is typically a few eye-rolls and a seemingly crescendo of “come on Tony, really? I’ve been doing this exercise all along, can we please turn the page?” 

Low and behold 9/10 (if not 10/10), the same person who has been complaining of weeks/months/years of low back pain in addition to a bevy of other fitness professionals espousing the merits of the birddog, when asked to demonstrate it, ends up looking exactly like the second picture above.

Case in point. I had an eval with a new female client last week. She was a referral from another trainer located here in the Boston area and she informed me that this client had been battling some chronic low-back shenanigans for the past few years. To the other trainer’s credit: much of what she had been doing with this client was spot on (and I have zero doubts this client was coached very well). However, the birddog lends itself to be one of those “hum-drum, don’t worry, I got this” exercises where people (I.e., the client), when left to their own devices, becomes complacent and lackadaisical in its execution.

Play close attention to the before and after videos below:

The birddog exercise is a well known exercise to help build core strength/endurance and spinal integrity, and many people do it very poorly. It’s one of those exercises that gets the “yeah, yeah, I already know how to do that one” treatment because it looks so simple and easy. Here’s a new client that came in yesterday for an eval and described a long history of chronic back pain. She actually presented with both flexion & extension intolerance. Sucks. I asked her to show me her birddog because she mentioned she had been performing it all along (top video). I wanted to swallow a live grenade. It wasn’t a great looking exercise. She’d fall into an excessive arch on every rep more or less “feeding” her symptoms. So I took a few minutes and coached her up to clean up the pattern. I got her to find “spine neutral” and cued her to instead of thinking about raising her back (moving) leg UP, to move it BACK instead. To help with this I also had her place her foot on a ValSlide so as she extended her leg back she couldn’t arch through her lower back (sorry my video taking skills sucked here and I didn’t show the ValSlide. I promise it’s there though). Once there, and her leg was fully extended, I had her ever so slightly lift her foot off the slide an inch or two (not much) and then “own” the position for a few seconds. As you can see a HUGE improvement. Talking the time to coach your clients up, even on the seemingly “easy” exercises can make all the difference. I suspect we’ll be able to accomplish a lot in the near future.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

 

Before = her execution of the exercise was “feeding” into her symptoms and most likely resulted in a kitten dying.

After = ticker tape parade for coaching!

With a just a few subtle cues and a “molding” of the exercise to better fit her current ability level, we were able to significantly clean up her technique and the exercise not only felt more challenging, but she felt better.

  • The difference maker was placing a ValSlide underneath her moving leg so that she’d be less likely to fall into extension.
  • From there, with the leg fully straight, I then had her lift her foot off the ground an inch or two and then “OWN” the movement/position.
  • She then held for a 3-5s count, performed 3-5 repetitions per side, and we then fist pumped to some Tiesto.

Coaching oftentimes involves paying closer attention to the details, even with the more mundane exercise that we often take for granted. With the birddog it often behooves us to slow people down, get a little more hands on with them (provide more kinesthetic awareness), and hold then accountable to be SPOT ON with their technique each and every rep.

This is what separates correctives and programs that work (and serve a purpose) and those that lead to less than exemplary results due to haphazard execution.

CategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 1-Legged Glute Bridge Floor Press

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody. This is mine and Lisa’s first V-day as parents (two weeks in). Her Mom is in town this week helping out with our little guy, and this is the sort of dichotomy is going down.

I went to BU to get a quick lift in, and Lisa headed down to Newbury St (downtown Boston) to hit up a fancy hair salon. HA – who says romance is dead?2 Thanks Grandma for babysitting.

Copyright: romastudio / 123RF Stock Photo

No wordsmith foreplay today, lets get right into things….

1-Legged Glute Bridge Floor Press

 

Who Did I Steal It From: My man, Ben Bruno. He mentioned these a few years ago in a few blog posts of his and I immediately thought to myself 1) was a brilliant idea and 2) I’m an idiot for never thinking of something like this myself.

What Does It Do: I refer to this as a “hybrid” exercise in that it combines two exercises into one and trains several key functions:

  • The Floor Press component is a great fit for those with cranky shoulders or where pressing with a full ROM may be problematic. The floor prevents the shoulders from “rolling” forward (from too much glenohumeral extension) and is a nice way to provide some kinesthetic feedback so trainees know when to stay out of the “danger zone.”
  • The Floor Press also serves as a nice tricep accessory movement.
  • The Glute Bridge component obviously serves as a prime way to train the glutes. Holding the isometric hold increases time under tension.
  • Additionally it helps improve hip stability (the idea is to keep the hips “level” throughout. I like to cue people to pretend their hips are headlights and that they shouldn’t dip or move).
  • Maybe most important of all…the exercise just looks bad-ass.

Key Coaching Cues: I gave one away above (keep the hips level). By and large I believe this is a pretty self-explanatory exercise. Start with the DBs on your lap and then bump/scooch them up as you lower yourself towards the floor. Even though you’re on the floor, you still want to practice proper scapular positioning (down and together). Bridge up with BOTH legs (then decide which one you want to elevate).

From there press away. I like to force people to come to a complete stop when their upper arms touch the floor. Another thing to considers is to try to keep the elbows at a 45 degree angle in relation to the body. You don’t want to have the elbows too close to the torso (crowding) as that will increase the chances of the shoulders rolling forward, and you also don’t want the elbows flared out too much as that will often place the shoulder in a vulnerable position in terms of overall stability.

Elbows at 45 degrees tends to be the Goldilocks position. Just right.

Shoot for 5-8 reps per leg.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design

The Humble Goblet Squat

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

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

Copyright: blanarum / 123RF Stock Photo

The Holy Grail

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

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

Dan John stumbled upon this excellent exercise by chance.  

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

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

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

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

I guess you can say he choose wisely.

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

But what makes the Goblet squat so good?

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

 

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

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

1. Goblet Box Squat

 

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

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

1A. Goblet Box Squat

1B. Single Arm Row

1C. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

 

2. KB Goblet Squat with Lowering

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

3. Goblet Squat with Resistance Band

Click HERE

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

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

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

1A. Goblet squat with band 8-12 reps

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

1C. Your grip will love you

 

4. Goblet Squat 1 ½

 

 

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

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

1A. Goblet squat 1 ½

1B. Push up position plank

 

5. TG Addition: Goblet Elevator Squats

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

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

 

Wrapping Up

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

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

About the Author

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

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/9/17

Julian has officially been home for a week, and Lisa and I have officially turned into zombies. I’m not complaining, though. I recognize lack of sleep is what every (new) parent must endure and understand it’s a right of passage.

Doesn’t make it any less sucky mind you. I feel like I got hit over the head with a bag of dicks.

Enough about dicks, lets get to this week’s list shall we?

Copyright: tzido / 123RF Stock Photo

Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff

1. Latest article up on MensHealth.com

Half the reason most peoples skip their warm-up prior to training is because most take way too long Here’s the “perfect” warm-up done in just five moves….HERE.

2. Early bird registration for the Online Trainer Academy is now open.

 

I started doing online training back in 2005 before it was a thing. I had no idea what the hell I was doing back then. All I had was an Excel spreadsheet template to write programs on and a flip phone. One of my most vivid memories is when my then ex-girlfriend thought it was weird that I had all these pictures of half-naked people on my computer.

Pffffft, whatever.

Nevertheless, today, online training is a big deal. If you’re someone who’s thinking about it, but having a hard time developing the systems to make it a viable way to make money this is definitely something you should considering investing in.

You can take advantage of the early-bird registration and receive $200 off the regular price. Check it out HERE.

3. 2 Workshops Coming Up

Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Vancouver, April 1-2nd.

Dean Somerset and I will be in Vancouver that weekend to talk shoulders and hips and to start a tickle fight.

For more information and to sign up you can go HERE.

SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th

I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.

For more information you can go HERE.

The “Stuff” to Read

The Smarter Alternative to Ineffective Unstable Surface Training – Meghan Callaway

 

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Unstable surface training, more often that not, comes across as gimmicky. Sure, there’s a time and place for it, especially for those coming off injury, but most people use it as a way to garner Instagram views.

However, this was an awesome article. And, Meghan is a beast.

Massive Chest Growth With Anti-Fly Chest Press – Joel Seedman

Joel has forever changed International Chest Day with this innovative article.

Physical Preparation 101 – Mike Robertson

Mike’s 11 DVD set on anything and everything covering his approach to assessment, program design, and helping people increase their general levels of badassery is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price.

This is easily one of the best resources out there, bar none.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Easy peasy.

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

My Go To Squat Progression For Pretty Much Everyone

Teaching a beginner how to squat well can be challenging. There’s no denying there are a lot of moving parts that can derail our best efforts to do so.

Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo

 

My intention of this quick-n-dirty post isn’t to break down the squat in its entirety. For that I’d encourage you to check out Greg Nuckols’ How to Squat: The Definitive Guide.

It’s basically the War and Peace of squat biomechanics and technique. Except, you know, not written by a Russian.

Instead, my goal today is to hammer home a few candid points when working with beginners on their squatting technique.

1. “Beginners” in this sense could mean a 13 year old who’s never touched a weight or a 57 year old who’s had a few decade hiatus. And everything in between. Male, female, athletes, non-athletes, centaurs, you name it.

2. The squat is a basic human movement pattern. Unfortunately, in today’s world, we don’t move as much as we used to, and subsequently many struggle with the movement. Oftentimes one’s only source of physical activity is if or when they get their butts to the gym.

And even if they do that, there’s no guarantee they exercise in a range of motion below a certain degree of hip flexion.

There’s truth to the common phrase “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

This isn’t to insinuate that everyone has to squat to a certain level or that you’ll lose some street cred if you happen to not squat ass-to-grass. As I’ve repeatedly stated on this blog everyone is different (leverages, anthropometry) and it’s silly, nay, fucking moronic to think everyone has to squat deep.

So whenever I work with a beginner or someone coming off a significant injury it’s on me – the coach – to take the time to groove a solid squat pattern.

This rarely (if ever) involves placing a barbell on someone’s back on Day #1.

Why?

  • Because I said so….;o)
  • Many people lack the requisite t-spine (extension) and shoulder mobility (abduction/external rotation) to hold a barbell in that position without it feeling weird of wonky.
  • Many lack the kinesthetic awareness to sit back (and down) in a fashion that emulates a squat.
  • There’s no Golden Rule that we have to load people right away.
  • I’m more concerned with teaching proper position.

It’s that last point – teaching proper position – that’s a game changer in my eyes. You see, many people tend to “sit” in a state of perpetual (excessive) extension where their pelvis tilts forward, otherwise known as anterior pelvic tilt (APT)

To be clear: APT is not bad or wrong or needs to be fixed. It’s normal. However, when it’s excessive it not only places more strain on the spine (particularly the facet joints), but it also leads to poor alignment where the diaphragm and pelvic floor point in different directions.

Within PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) circles (<— total nerd fest) this is called the “Scissor Position.” What we’d like to strive for is what’s known as the “Canister Position,” where the diaphragm and pelvic floor are aligned or stacked on top of another.

Another way to think of it, is something I stole from Dr. Evan Osar.

“Think of your pelvis as one ring and your rib cage as a bunch of more rings. What you want is to stack those rings on top of one another.”

Mike Robertson is also a fan of this approach and even goes a step further and notes the importance of reaching, and how that can have a positive effect on one’s overall positioning. When we “reach” we nudge ourselves into a little more posterior pelvic tilt (back to “neutral”) and we then achieve proper diaphragm/pelvic floor alignment. Bada bing, bada boom.

If all of that comes across as me speaking Elvish, watch this video.

Plate Loaded Front Squat

 

The plate loaded front squat is now my “go to” squat progression when working with beginners. It’s something I’ve used for years for a few reasons:

1. The plate serves a counterbalance as one squats down towards the floor helping them to learn proper torso positioning and balance. It’s makes things infinitely easier with regards to sitting back & down into a squat.

2. Pressing the plate out front also helps to better engage the anterior core musculature. This is so crucial. I can’t tell you how many times people have come in for an assessment telling me stories of trainer upon trainer telling them how “tight” they are because they couldn’t squat past parallel. Prior to coming to me they had spent years, years stretching and working on any number of hip mobility drills.

Thing is: they weren’t tight. People rarely are. Or, at least it’s rarely ever that cut and dry (tight vs. not tight). In reality most are weak and unstable. For many, their nervous system is putting on the brakes because it perceives a lack stability. By having trainees press the plate out front it automatically forces the core to fire – thus providing more stability. And miraculously they’re able to squat deeper.

And I come across as the next Professor Dumbledore.

Moreover, it was Mike Robertson who pointed out to me the added benefit of the plate loaded front squat. The “reach” results in better diaphragm and pelvic floor alignment.

It teaches people context, and to own the “canister” position (preventing the ribs from flaring out). That way, when they progress to barbell variations, they’ll have a better understanding of what we’re after and what will (in all likelihood) allow them to perform at a higher level for longer periods of time reducing the risk of injury.

Want More Mike Robertson Nuggets of Programming Badassery?

Physical Preparation on Sale

I owe much of my programming savvy to Mike Robertson. It’s little nuggets of wisdom (as demonstrated above) that helps to separate him from the masses. I’ve always enjoyed his approach and way of explaining things. There aren’t many coaches who have the innate ability to take complex topics and “dumb them down” for the masses (like myself).

His excellent resource, Physical Preparation 101 is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price from now through this Friday (2/10).

It’s basically his entire philosophy on program design. 12 DVDs of Mike Robertson knowledge bombs. I have zero doubts the money you invest in this will pay for itself tenfold in client retention.

Do yourself a favor, go HERE and thank me later.

Categoriesfitness business

Credentials: What They Mean and What They Don’t

People should be proud of their credentials. I am of mine: Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, FMS, OPP (down with it). You earn what you earn. No one can take them from you. However, what do they really mean? Do they mean you know more than someone else or carry more expertise? Do they allow you to jump the line at Disney World?

In today’s guest post by NJ based physical therapist, Dr. Nick Licameli, he breaks things down and explains his interpretation of what having credentials next to your name means.

Enjoy!

Copyright: icetray / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Credentials are important. There is no denying the fact that having professional credentials increases the likelihood of  expertise and professionalism, however it is a mistake to put too much emphasis on the letters surrounding a name rather than the heart and mind of the one possessing the name.

I am a doctor of physical therapy and a professional natural bodybuilder. What does this mean?

Being a Doctor of Physical Therapy:3

This simply means that I have completed the necessary undergraduate, graduate, and clinical course work from an accredited physical therapy program and passed my licensing exam. This says nothing about how well I did in school or if I ever failed a class or had to retake something.

Copyright: bialasiewicz / 123RF Stock Photo

Remember, there are doctors out there that got B’s and C’s in school.

As the saying goes, “C’s get degrees!” That being said, I feel compelled to mention that I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology and graduated in the top ten of my class in physical therapy school.

Does having the title of “Doctor” make me better than anyone else? OF COURSE NOT! There are many older and more seasoned physical therapists out there without doctorates that are light years ahead of me in terms of knowledge and skill set. It’s not about what you graduate with or a title before or after your name. It’s about what you do with that title.

Formal education does not make an expert, it teaches how to become one. Real learning does not happen during school or during a credentialing course. It happens after school hours. It happens when no one is watching. It happens when you sacrifice your own free time to pursue a burning passion within yourself.

Much like bodybuilding, no one sees the daily grind of work that it takes to create the finished product.

The majority of my knowledge of exercise, nutrition, and bodybuilding has been obtained through hours spent furthering my education outside of the classroom, learning from experts and relating the information back to the content I was learning in physical therapy school.

This blending of the two worlds made my job and my passions one in the same. It is important to learn from experts, but it is more important to take that information and apply it to your own deep burning passions.

As the eastern philosophy says:

“We seek not to imitate the masters, rather we seek what they sought (Covey, 1989, p.281).”

I’ve made my degree my own.

There are many doctors of physical therapy that don’t know the things that I know because I pursued my passions on my own.

Here’s a good example of what I mean.

Maybe a physical therapist is passionate about animals. In his free time, he obtains knowledge about therapy dogs.

He dives into the research on therapy dogs until he’s blue in the face. He seeks out experts in the use of therapy dogs and learns from them. This person would be a physical therapist with expert knowledge on the use of therapy dogs. Because he didn’t learn that information from school, he has something unique that other physical therapists do not.

Certainly not all doctors of physical therapy are experts on the use of therapy dogs, but it’s where his passion lies so he has molded the two worlds together. He has made his degree his own.

Being a Professional Natural Bodybuilder:

This simply means that I was the best, according to the judges, at a particular competition. While turning pro has been a goal of mine for years, it’s important to remember what it means and what it doesn’t mean.

It does not mean that I am in some way better than competitors without a pro card. There are many, many competitors out there who would blow me away, but have not been able to turn pro yet. I could have brought the same physique to five different shows and received five different placements.

The placing in a competition has to do with who shows up to the competition on that particular day. If aces show up, you may get 5th place with a killer physique. If beginners show up, you may take first with an average or below average physique. Just like how having a doctoral degree or extensive credentials doesn’t always equal a quality practitioner, having a pro card doesn’t always equal a quality physique.

To my fellow competitors from that night, I say keep working hard. Keep at it and don’t get discouraged. I know the feeling. Don’t let your placing in a competition define your self worth. I am honored to have shared the stage with such a great group of guys.

Conclusion

Judging someone’s worth based on credentials is like judging a quarterback based on number of Super Bowls won.

It’s an inaccurate measure of talent, ability, experience, and expertise. The point here is that the doctorate, the pro card, or any other credentials are not what make me special.

Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my accomplishments in both academia and bodybuilding, but I understand that they do not make me better than anyone else. Where I excel is having a strong passion for science, education, training, nutrition, and helping others.

No title or degree can create that. Yes, I use my titles in my signature, but it is not meant to gain undeserved trust, respect, or prestige from others. They’re simply my titles.

Again, there are physical therapists, trainers, coaches, and bodybuilders out there with barely any credentials or letters surrounding their names who know much more than I do. I can only hope to seek out those individuals and soak up as much knowledge as possible from them to better myself.

Always seek first to understand, then to be understood. Be humble, be open, and never stop learning. My goal is to earn respect because of my actions, heart, and knowledge, not my titles or degree.

About the Author

Nick Licameli is a doctor of physical therapy and professional natural bodybuilder. He graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, then furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24.

His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways.  He views bodybuilding through the eyes of a physical therapist and physical therapy through the eyes of a bodybuilder. His passion lies between his love for the journey of bodybuilding, education, and helping other.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAWFe5BmaJ_WFAh2aqsOg8g  

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/3/17

It’s been an eventful week. You’ll know why when you read below. Lets get to the meat and potatoes shall we?

Copyright: urfingus / 123RF Stock Photo

Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff

1. Oh, Hello

Meet Han Gandalf Gentilcore Julian Lewis Gentilcore. Born 1/31/17 at 12:22 PM.

Lisa and I are so happy, excited, and tired….;o) Lisa, by the way, was a CHAMPION. Thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes via email, social media, and texts.

And so it begins…..

2. Appearance on Ben Coomber Radio

I had the pleasure of being invited onto the Ben Coomber Radio Show recently.

In typical fashion I was witty, intelligent, and cunning. But that’s just my own assessment. Ben’s a pro and has one of the most successful health/fitness podcasts over in the UK. We dive right into things and start talking about “effective” gym training. At about 30 minutes, it’s the perfect thing to listen to on your commute. Or to pass time as your significant other watches The Bachelor/Walking Dead (depending on gender).

Direct download HERE.

iTunes download HERE.

3. Latest article on MensHealth.com: 4 Push-Up Mistakes You’re Making

Despite it’s popularity and recognition as an exercise staple, nothing gets more eye-rolls when I plan them into a program (especially from guys) than push-ups.

Stop being a nimrod and do them right…..HERE.

4. 2 Workshops Coming Up

Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Vancouver, April 1-2nd.

Dean Somerset and I will be in Vancouver that weekend to talk shoulders and hips and to start a tickle fight.

For more information and to sign up you can go HERE.

SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th

I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.

For more information you can go HERE.

The “Stuff” to Read

The 10 Most Overrated Workouts and Diets – T-Nation

The combined years of experience of the coaches who contributed to this article is 5,798. Give or take. With that much experience giving their insights, you should listen.

What Are the Best Anti-Rotation Exercises? – Todd Marsh

Woo-hoo for the Pallof Press!!!

Improve Your Bench Press & Posture With This Technique – Joel Seedman

Not many people think quite as much outside the box as Joel Seedman. Here’s a perfect example. I’m going to try this with some of my clients soon.

Social Media Hightlights

Twitter

Instagram

Categoriescoaching Conditioning speed training Strength Training

What Sport Specific Really Means

Soooo, I’m a dad now. Lisa was a CHAMP all throughout, and I’m confident we’ll be heading home today from the hospital. As a heads up, you can expect just as many pics of my kid as my cat…;o)

I’m still a little busy, so please enjoy today’s guest post from strength coach Erica Suter.

Copyright: tnn103eda / 123RF Stock Photo

 

What Sport Specific Training Really Means

Every time I write an article, I may sound like I want to chop everyone’s balls off.

Truthfully, I get fired up with certain themes in the strength and conditioning world, making my prose honest, raw, and at times, harsh. My article on fitness celebrities, for example, was one of those topics I approached with fervor and sass.

Today’s topic is no different. So let’s dive in:

Sport Specific Training

For the past 5 years, I’ve been lucky to work in both the strength and conditioning, and skills-based realms of performance enhancement. I’m a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who helps athletes get strong, but I’m also a licensed USSF soccer coach who teaches technical soccer skills. I keep my CSCS side separate from my technical side. I’m either in the weight room blasting Skrillex, or out on the soccer field working on my tan:

 

Knowing both worlds certainly makes me aware of the distinction between strength and skill work.

But alas, confusion still arises. Especially amongst parents, I get questions like:

“So do you do sport specific training for soccer players?”
“Can you get Little Johnny to have a stronger throw-in with medicine ball work?”
“Can you do female soccer specific ACL injury prevention?”

Full disclosure: Getting kidnapped by orcs from the Lord of the Rings sounds way cooler than explaining sport specific training to parents.

Note From TG: Hahahahahahahahaha. That was good. I’m stealing it.

I do, however, want to play the part of the understanding strength-skills coach and share some knowledge on this topic. Here goes nothing.

What Is Sport Specific?

Sport specific has been sensationalized in the strength and conditioning industry as a method of training that mimics a specific skill of one’s sport in the weight room. Often, strength coaches are pressured to train sport specific, especially because they have access to a plethora of fancy gadgets and gizmos.

However. Advanced equipment can be more problematic than effective.

We do not have to kick a heavy medicine ball to build a stronger soccer shot. Nor do we need to tie a golf club to resistance bands to generate a more powerful swing. We do not need a baseball attached to a sling shot to improve pitching speed. And we do not need to strap a spontaneously combusting jetpack to a track athlete to get them to sprint faster. Sorry if that was extreme.

Put simply, the more flashy tools we add, the quicker faulty motor patterns arise and skills-based mechanics go down the drain. Not to mention, an athlete will not be able to perform a skill based movement through it’s full range of motion. This can lead to decreased skills performance, weakened neuromuscular firing, less power output, and increased chance of injury. I get it: cool equipment makes parents “oooh” and “ahhh” and makes strength coaches look like magical fairies that shit sparkles.

Alas, I digress.

Some things to consider:

– Practicing a sport with a weighted vest doesn’t allow for pristine sprinting mechanics.

– Performing soccer 1 v. 1 moves with a resisted harness does not allow players to explode with the ball at maximal speed to beat a defender.

– And running sprints with a Bane Mask while holding a football and wearing your helmet and pads is well… stupid.

Two Different Jobs

The strength coach’s role is to get athletes stronger and less prone to injury through proper strength, power, and energy systems training.


In the other corner, the skills and team coaches help with improving the soccer kick, the bat swing, the golf swing, the hockey shot, and the tennis serve. It is not the strength coach’s job to bring the court, field, or ice rink into the weight room and duplicate these actions with loaded contraptions. That is why we have distinguished differences between Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists and licensed sports coaches.

Expertise exists in the dictionary for a reason.

ex·per·tise
ˌekspərˈtēz,ˌekspərˈtēs/
noun
  1. expert skill or knowledge in a particular field.
    “technical expertise”
    synonyms: skill, skillfulness, expertness, prowess, proficiency, competence; More

Strength Training Carry-over to Sport

Strength coaches don’t mimic skills in the weight room. Rather, they mimic movement patterns that will enhance a skill.

As an example:

Skill: Shooting a soccer ball

Movement patterns: hip extension, hip flexion, core stability, hip stability, ankle stability, plantarflexion, transfer of force through the trunk.

Planes of motions: frontal (plant foot and hip stability), saggital (kicking leg), transverse (transfer of force through core and hips for shot accuracy).

Weight Room “Sport specific” exercises: Dead lifts, hip thrusts, single leg hip bridges, plank progressions, psoas activation, lateral step ups, medicine ball rotational slam, single leg bridge variations, to name a few.

Single Leg Bridge Progression:

 

Lateral Step Up:



Psoas/Core Activation:

 

What we do in the weight room is already “sport specific” to some degree, as strength coaches provide athletes the fuel that is needed to powerfully and deliberately execute skill-based movements.

But if we reallyyyyyyyy want to be sport specific, then the athlete must PLAY MORE OF THEIR SPORT.

Going to drop the mic right there. Thanks.

About the Author

Erica Suter is a certified strength and conditioning coach, soccer trainer, and fitness blogger who has worked with athletes and non-athletes for over 5 years. She is currently a strength coach at JDyer Strength and Conditioning, and also runs her own technical soccer training business in Baltimore, MD. Her interests include writing, snowboarding, and reciting Lord of the Rings quotes to her athletes and clients.
Categoriesmindset Motivational personal training psychology

The Planet Fitness Myth

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

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

However, taking politics out of the conversation4, it’s a safe observation to note we live in an era where we have a proclivity to shield people from “bad” feelings or from experiencing failure or hardship.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy.

The Planet Fitness Myth

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The gym floor isn’t a church after all.

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

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

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

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

  • The deadlift is an awesome exercise that strengthens the whole body. Have them read THIS.
  • Having temptation around when trying to make a change is a sure way to fail.
  • Excluding certain people from the gym doesn’t mean judgment and intimdation stop.
  • Those feelings described don’t last. Whether they’re real or imagined, use them for positive change.
  • How can you tell if people are judging you anyway? They might just be checking you out.

Wrapping Up

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

No matter how delicious they are.

About the Author

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

CategoriesFemale Training

Why Women Should Embrace the Bigness

Or, to make things a bit more click baity maybe an alternative title of this post should be: “Why Women Should Train for Gainz.”

Copyright: restyler / 123RF Stock Photo

 

I mean, why do words such as “mass, size, gain, muscular, bulk, and bigness” need only apply to men?

While the tides have changed in recent years – in no small part to places like Cressey Sports Performance, MBSC, I-FAST, AMP Fitness, Tuff Girl Fitness, War Horse Barbell Club, SVPT Fitness, Mark Fisher Fitness, Legacy Strength, and Beyond Strength Performance, to name a few, not to mention the popularity of CrossFit5 – it’s still readily apparent walking past any magazine rack or watching any infomercial, the overall message directed towards women with regards to fitness is still one rife with less than stellar connotations.

“Tiny”

“Tone”

“Tight”

“Drop”

“Small”

“Smaller”

Women tend to be inundated with these sort of words all….the….time. Actually, more like punched in the mouth 24/7, seven days a week.

Being smaller, or less of what they currently are is the reverberating theme. And I don’t like it. I don’t like it one iota.

NOTE: Please don’t interpret this as me saying any one woman has to look or strive to look any one way. It’s your prerogative to look how you want to look – small, big, twight (<– said with Goldfinger’s accent from Austin Powers), rotund, I don’t care. Be you. However, I think it’s a fair assessment that the majority of the mainstream media nudges women into thinking that adding, or being more, is less than desirable.

And with that, here are some reasons why women getting their diesel on is a GOOD thing.

1. Purpose

This bodes well for anything – whether it’s to add size, lose fat, train for a competition, or squat King Kong. Having a goal in mind, any goal, gives your training a little oomph, or purpose.

It’s amazing what happens to one’s mindset and approach in heading to the gym when there’s a plan in place. Rather than haphazardly “showing up” and doing a little of this and little of that, training under the guise of adding muscle provides a kick in the pants like nothing other.

To steal some insight from Julie Read:

“You see, a hypertrophy program helps you build the size of your muscles, the cross-sectional size…the girth. I really like how Nick Tumminello puts it “unlike strength training, the goal of training for size is more physiological than it is neurological. It’s about upgrading your body’s hardware, like bones, connective tissues, and muscles. You literally build your body, forcing the tissues to develop and grow stronger.”

And, while it leaves me feeling fatigued, it does so at the muscular level versus in the Central Nervous System (CNS).”

Which is a nice segue to…

2. It’s a Nice Break

I like getting people strong. That’s what I do best. Many of the women who train with me operate underneath the same umbrella. It’s like they’re my own personal army of deadlifting fembots.

Ohhhhh, snap. Austin Powers reference #2!

I can’t deny, though, that training for strength – at least long-term – can be a bit of a drain. Both physically and mentally. Taking a bit of a break and dedicating a macrocycle (or two6) towards aesthetics (namely, muscle growth), and using sub-maximal weight, is a fantastic way to approach things when you’re feeling drained and need an opportunity to reenergize.

Speaking of aesthetics…

3. Aesthetics

Far be it from me to attempt to explain or pontificate on what looks good and what doesn’t. I’m not here to sway anyone’s beliefs or preferences on the topic.

That said, I’d be remiss not to mention the aesthetic benefits of adding muscle to one’s frame. Muscle is what adds shape and contour to the body. What’s more, assuming one’s diet is in check, and there’s less fat covering the muscle, the more those shapes and contours can be shown off or accentuated.

You can’t do this trudging away on the elliptical machine for hours on end and performing endless repetitions of whateverthefuck with pink dumbbells.

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

There’s a saying out there a lot of misinformed people like to spout out in defiance of women strength training and training for size.

“Muscle weighs more than fat.”

This is often used as a scare-tactic – mostly by people trying to sell their shady products – to deter women from lifting (appreciable) weights.

Um, no. 1 lb of muscle is the same as 1 lb of fat. A pound is a pound.

You see, muscle actually takes up less space than fat. Which is why, often, when many women begin to lift weights they may only set a net difference of a few lbs. of total bodyweight lost, however look as if they lost much more.

Obligatory “lifting weights won’t make you big-n-bulky” diatribe.

“It’s hard to put on muscle. Real effing hard. 100% of guys wish they could add muscle as fast as many women “think” is possible.”

You won’t turn into He-Man in a week. Or a month, or a year for that matter.

This is still my favorite video ever on the topic:

 

4. Confidence

I think this one is self-explanatory. I LOVE when I witness the switch flip with many of the women I train, from delicate flower to Xena beast mode deadlift warrior.

The key to programs like The Bigness Project is to always, at all times, demonstrate success. The idea should be to showcase to women that they can do stuff, and not revert to lame semantics where the message is “oh, you’re a girl, you should do this instead.”

The easiest examples would be the idea behind “girl push-ups” and/or the idea that women can’t perform pull-ups/chin-ups.

 

Good programs, programs that work, are ones that build people up and help to make their participants autonomous.

And they also, not coincidentally enough, make people work.

Both hard and intelligently. And that begets confidence. And that’s priceless.

5. Because, Why the Heck Not?

*Also, because my wife is obsessed with Jen Sinkler.7

In my wife’s eyes Jen can do no wrong. Everything from her funny daily anecdotes to her choice of eye liner, my wife is on board with. And when Jen made her big reveal the other week after completing The Bigness Project….

…….all I heard over my shoulder was “daaaaaaaaaaaaayum.”

I think she was referring to both the biceps and leg warmers.

Suffice it to say, Lisa was impressed and is already chomping at the bit to give this program a go once she has the “all clear” from her doctor. She’s 40 weeks pregnant (our little guy is due any minute now), and she’s amped to get started. How cool is that?

I mean, it’s no secret many women struggle with feeling “too big” during and post-pregnancy. The fact my wife is salivating over a program squarely focused on “Bigness” is very cool and a radical notion.

The Bigness Project

Is on sale NOW. However TODAY will be your last chance to get in on the action before it’s taken away.

That’s right, if someone wants to get a copy of The Bigness Project they’ll need to do it between now and end of day today (1/27), or wait until the project is offered again at a future date to get in. If you’re interested, even remotely, THIS is your last chance to get in.

Do it. DO IT.