Categoriesmuscle growth Program Design Strength Training

The Pecification of Pecs

In case you aren’t picking up what I’m putting down from the title of this post, what you’re about to read is not about climate change, political reform, or ranking the best painters and architects from the Rococo Era.1

No, no…what you’re about to embark on is a little journey and discussion on pecs. You know, these guys:

27301664 - strong athletic man fitness model torso showing six pack abs. holding towel

Copyright: pjphotography / 123RF Stock Photo

Every since man first noted how lifting heavy things – rocks, tree trunks, people – over and over again often resulted in a more muscular physique, he’s been obsessed with building his pectoral muscles, or pecs for short.2

“Obsessed” is a bit of a downplay here. You know how young teenage girls are obsessed with Justin Bieber and how their lives were ruined the other day when he decided to delete his Instagram account?

Well, that pales in comparison to how much guys are obsessed with training their chest. Take that away from them, and you’re bound to see an uptick in the sales of pitchforks.

So, um, yeah…guys like to train their pecs.3 The question, then, is why do so few have sub-par pec development?

Walk into just about any gym on the planet on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday and you’re bound to see any number of guys finishing up the 47th set of bench press.

What gives?

NEWSFLASH: The Bench Press Isn’t a Super, Duper Pec Developer to Begin With

[Cue Dramatic Chipmunk here]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

 

Sorry fellas: it isn’t.

I get it. Me saying the bench press isn’t the most “pecy” exercise is akin to me saying Kate Upton isn’t attractive, or that pizza isn’t delicious, or that The Empire Strikes Back isn’t the best Star Wars movie.4

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a very effective exercise to build both mass and strength (there’s a reason why the bench press is 1/3 of the holy trinity or “Big 3” of any successful strength & conditioning program). Hoisting a barbell off your chest thousands of times is going to result in something happening.

However, if you want to get geeky about it, and if your goal is to actually build your pecs (and not necessarily gain some powerlifting street cred), then you could make an argument that the bench press isn’t the ideal way to go about things.

Your pec (namely, Pectoralis Major) muscles have two origin points:

  • Clavicular Head – on the anterior border of the (medial half) of the clavicle.
  • Sternal Head – on the anterior surface of the sternum.

As far as actions are concerned, the Clavicular Head aids in flexing the humerus; the Sternal Head aids in extension and adduction of the humerus…neither of which are optimally “stimulated” with the bench press.

Do the pecs get targeted during a set of bench press? Yes, absolutely. Does the bench press, typically, allow for a person to use the most weight in overloading their chest musculature? Yep. And does Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, in his recently released book, Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy state, repeatedly, that one of the major drivers of hypertrophy (muscle growth) is mechanical tension?

YES…GOSH. GET OFF MY BACK!

The bench press can (and should) be part of an overall approach to building pecs that would make Superman swoon. However, as Schoenfeld notes:

“Research indicates that mechanoreceptors are sensitive to both the magnitude and temporal aspects of loading.”

In non-Elvish speak this basically refers to the differentiation of peak concentric, eccentric, and isometric actions of muscles and how research demonstrates that time under tension is often the de-facto consideration with regards to hypertrophy.5

Cool, we’re all on board with that.

However, in addition, Schoenfeld notes:

“Mechanoreceptors also appear to be sensitive to the type of load imposed on muscle tissue. Stretch-induced mechanical loading elicits the deposition of sarcomeres longitudinally.”

During the barbell bench press, the pecs are rarely (if ever) taken through their full ROM, and this can be a significant strike against why it’s not the best choice when it comes to developing pecy pecs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A

 

What to do, what to do?

1) Relax, You Don’t Need To Ditch the Bench Press

Not that I was worried this was going to happen, mind you.

The bench press is still relevant to the discussion…it’s just sometimes, you know, a bit overplayed. To that end, it bodes in your favor to experiment. Flat, decline, incline, close-grip, wide-grip, rest/pause, clusters, high-rep, low rep, whatever the case me be…..use them all.

However, if your goal is to really engage the pecs you may be better off doing all of the above with DUMBBELLS.

Dumbbells allow for a bit more wiggle-room with ROM (humeral extension), in addition to involving more of an adduction component.

Also, if you wanted to up the ante even more, try some squeeze presses:

 

2) Perform More DB Flyes

Yeah, I said it. DB flyes, yo.

Now, of course, I wouldn’t say this should be your main movement of the day (since you’re less likely to use a ton of weight on these compared to bench variations), however flyes are an excellent secondary or accessory movement to compliment things.

Namely because they really work the pecs in adduction…..something that doesn’t happen with a barbell.

These can be tricky with regards to shoulder health, so if you’re someone with a history of shoulder issues, one way to make these are more “user friendly” is to perform Pause DB Floor Flyes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1lVf6–0aQ

 

Doing so will help you stay out of end ranges of motion that may compromise the shoulder, yet you’re still working the pecs in an action they’re designed to do (at least concentrically): humeral adduction.

3) Push-Up Adduction Holds

I stole this concept from fellow strength & performance coach, Eric Bach. Assume the starting position of a push-up, but then instead of going up and down…try to “bunch up” the floor with your hands and hold for a 10-20s count.

 

You want to talk about feeling a major burn/pump in your pecs, this it. And, to bring flyes back into the conversation try this killer superset I also stole from Eric Bach:

A1. Push-Up Adduction Hold x 10-20s
A2. Pause DB Floor Flyes x 8-10
A3. Bounce a quarter off your chest x infinity.

4) Add Accentuated Eccentrics

The idea of accentuated eccentrics was first introduced to me by Christian Thibaudeau back in the early 2000’s.

It’s no secret to any meathead that the eccentric portion of a lift (yielding, lowering) is where we’re strongest and where the most muscle damage occurs.

This can elicit profound gains in muscle and strength.

One method to take advantage of that fact is accentuated eccentrics, the more popular of which are super slow eccentrics and negative training.

Taken from Thibaudeau’s Accentuated Eccentric Training article from T-Nation:

“Super Slow Eccentrics

This technique is fairly simple: using a moderate to heavy load (60-85% of your max) you execute a super slow yielding phase while lifting (overcoming) the bar explosively. The following table gives you the parameters to use depending on the load you select:

Load Yielding Portion Reps/Set Load Yielding portion Reps/Set
60% 14 sec. 3 75% 8 sec. 2
65% 12 sec. 3 80% 6 sec. 1
70% 10 sec. 2 85% 4 sec. 1

This type of accentuated eccentric training is fairly easy to do and can yield impressive muscle size and tendon strength improvements.

Negative Training

“Negatives” basically refer to performing only the yielding portion of an exercise and having spotters lift the bar for you. You should use a load that’s between 110 and 130% of your maximum when performing negatives. The time of the action (lowering) depends on the load:

10 seconds if the load is 110-115%

8 seconds if the load is 115-120%

6 seconds if the load is 120-125%

4 seconds if the load is 125-130%”

Another, albeit less sexy approach, is to add an accentuated eccentric during a set of push-ups. I know Dr. John Rusin is a fan of these. Often I’ll have my athletes/clients perform a set of 5-10 reps and then hold their last rep in the bottom position for a count of 10-20s:

 

Again it’s a nice way to emphasize the eccentric portion of a lift AND increase time under tension (under stretch).

And that’s it on my end.

Have any tricks of the trade to add yourself? Share them below in the comments section or mozy on over to Facebook and leave a comment there.

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise Strength Training

Strong Traps, Healthy Shoulders

A funny thing happens whenever I inform someone (namely, guys) they need to hit their upper traps more. The immediately go into Bane mode:

Visions of heavy barbell shrugs, breaking Batman’s back, and walking around asking people “do you feel in charge?” run rampant.

It’s all well and good, I have nothing against shrugs. I draw the line against breaking people’s backs though. BAD BANE, NO!

Shrugs are undoubtedly a great exercise to build the upper traps. And the upper traps are kind of important when it comes to the ability to bring one’s arms overhead – they’re one of three muscles that help to upwardly rotate the scapula.

Via my time as a coach at Cressey Sports Performance (and even now) I work with a lot of people with shoulder issues. Training the upper traps directly has gotten a bad rap in recent years. But for athletes and lifters who are stuck in spine-extension based postures and can’t raise their arms overhead, training the upper traps can be a game changer for overall shoulder health and performance.

The key? Ensure they’re trained with upward rotation.

Continue reading my latest article on T-Nation.com HERE.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Hollow Position Plate Rotation

Like many of you I have been watching the Rio Olympics and often picking my jaw up from off the floor witnessing the feats of power, speed, agility, and artistry that many of the athletes display.

Whether it’s watching Usain Bolt float to the finish line or shaking my head in disbelief as Katie Ledecky almost laps the competition during the finals, it’s impressive to watch and witness years of dedication and hard work culminate into a two-week span of giving a shit about sports I never knew existed.6

As is the case every four years, much of our attention (and jaw droppiness) is fixated on the seemingly physics defying feats all the gymnasts showcase.7

Simone Biles would be exhibit #1.

To put it bluntly, she is a superb athlete and is raising the bar to standards we’ve never seen before. However, to be fair, what gymnasts as a whole are able to do seems better suited for The Matrix than real life. It’s just, you know, Simone is a real-life Trinity.

There’s no way any of us mere mortals can emulate what they do. Right?

Right. You are correct. No one is impressed by your shirtless somersault.

You may be surprised, though, that one of the most traditional “introductory” movements that most gymnasts learn on day #1 is one of the best (and most underrated) core/abdominal exercises everyone can perform; and should perform. Even you.

It doesn’t require a ton of skill nor two easy payments of $19.99. All you need is your own body and some attention to detail.

The Hollow Body Hold

I wrote about the Hollow Body Hold (and how it can be used to help women get better at doing chin-ups/pull-ups) HERE. It’s a wonderful way to teach trainees what it means to attain full-body tension, as well as helping to drive home some context (on the floor) of what needs to happen if or when someone is ready to hang from a bar.

NOTE: I think you should totally read the entire article linked above, but I’ll post the video here too. But only because because I know most you have the attention span of that dog from the movie Up (and because I love you).

 

Hollow Hold = body tension. This is key. As Men’s Health fitness advisor, BJ Gaddour, notes:

“The hollow-body hold allows you to properly transfer force from your upper body to your lower body without any energy leaks. The stronger and more stable you are in this position, the more power you’ll have when squatting, throwing, pushing, pulling, jumping, hitting, kicking, or sprinting.”

For most, the regular ol, “vanilla” hollow hold will be more than enough. However, if you’re interested in upping the ante try this other variation:

Hollow Position Plate Rotation

 

Who Did I Steal It From: the happiest person on Earth, Jen Sinkler.

What Does It Do: makes you hate life takes all the benefits of the original hollow hold, but now adds the challenge of keeping the torso “engaged” while in the presence of movement.

Key Coaching Cues: begin by assuming the “v” position as with any standard hollow hold and lower to a position you’re able to maintain. Press feet/ankles together! While holding a pair of 2.5-5 lbs. plates you’ll rotate each in as large of an arc as you can handle – starting overhead – without deviating from position.

Of course, the contraindication here – in terms of total ROM – is whether or not one has ample shoulder flexion to begin with. Those with limited ROM can still perform this exercise, but will need to be aware of compensatory patterns (excessive forward head posture, losing lower back position on bench).

Assuming a green light, try to cue yourself “palms up” in both the top and bottom positions. This will make it a little more shoulder friendly (less narrowing of acromion space and help drive a little more scapular posterior tilt).

Much like Jen, I like to shoot for higher reps on this exercise – anywhere from 10-30 total repetitions – and to ensure each is performed in a controlled manner. I.e., once you enter “it looks like you’re having an epileptic seizure territory” you should stop there.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

5 Myths Killing Your Fat Loss Progress

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Boston-based strength coach and trainer, Ryan Wood. Ryan’s made a cameo appearance on this site in the past writing a two-part series on lessons he learned preparing for his first powerlifting meet. You can check those out HERE and HERE.

Switching gears, today he’s discussing lessons learned and myths he avoided in losing 25 lbs. and dropping down to 10% body fat. Like a boss.

28110314 - loosing weight, close up of muscular built man wearing too large jeans isolated on white background

Copyright: rangizzz / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Myths Killing Your Fat Loss Progress

Today I’m going to outline five fitness myths I avoided to lose 25lbs. (I previously wrote a post talking about seven things I learned dropping to 10% body fat which you can read HERE.)

Fitness myths run rampant, and, unfortunately, steer many people in the wrong direction. If fat loss is your goal then follow along closely as I discuss five of the most common fitness myths killing your fat loss progress.

Myth 1- You’ll Lose Strength

A lot of people fear losing strength when they begin a fat loss diet. Common belief says if you cut calories your strength has to suffer.

While you shouldn’t be too concerned about hitting one rep max personal records, you certainly don’t want to risk losing strength.

So what should you do?

The answer is carbohydrates. Too many people drastically cut carbs when beginning a fat loss diet. This usually results in quick weight loss but also a huge decrease in performance and strength. Carbs are your main energy source and fuel your training sessions. If you’d like to retain as much strength as possible while shedding excess body fat then keep your carbs in your diet for as long as possible.

I believe when fat loss is the primary goal you should train with higher volumes to help retain muscle mass as calories decrease.

Because of this, I suggest aiming to hit new 8-10 rep maxes

The higher volume training will help you preserve muscle, which when you transition back towards building strength, will be imperative for improving your top-end numbers.

Here’s me hitting some sumo deadlifts towards the END of my diet:

 

My best all-time sumo pull is 510lbs which was done at a powerlifting meet after months of prep and peaking.

It’s definitely possible to keep most of your strength, if not improving it slightly, albeit in different rep ranges.

Take home points:

  1. Keep carbs as high as possible to help fuel hard training sessions.
  2. Focus on improving 8-12 rep maxes, not maxing out.
  3. Keep the goal the goal. Don’t worry if you can’t hit your all time best at this exact moment in time. Focus on your fat loss goal if that’s your priority.

Myth 2- You Must Eat Clean And Avoid Certain Foods

The gurus say the only way to get leaner is to eat clean or only eat gluten free, organic, dairy free, or sugar-free .

This is what I think of when I hear ‘clean eating’:

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think eating whole foods the majority of the time is a great way to get leaner and in better shape. It’s what I do *most of the time.

But eating clean 100% of the time is not a requirement for fat loss. Nor is avoiding entire food groups or demonizing certain foods.

Why?

Because I love ice cream too much.

And burgers.

And ice cream. Oh, I said that already.

You can and certainly should be able to enjoy a treat every now and then while still reaching your fat loss goals.

I did it and you can, too.

You just have to be in a calorie deficit, which means you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re burning.

If you’ve got room to spare in the calorie department, enjoy an ice cream. Just make sure you’re still under your calorie allotment for the day.

Remember, calories are your number one fat loss priority. No amount of clean eating will help you get results if you’re consuming 1000 more calories than you should be.

Take home points:

  1. Create an energy deficit by taking away 250-500 calories from your baseline diet.
  2. Eat a balanced diet of whole foods but don’t fear or avoid certain foods because someone tells you to.
  3. Enjoy treats every now and then provided they fit into your calorie goals.

Myth 3- You Have to Diet For A Set Amount of Time

About a week and a half left on my 12-week diet I hit my goal weight and felt pretty good with my physique and the progress I had made.

So I ‘ended’ my diet.

what the what? GIF – wut tinafey 3orock GIFs in wut

Basically, I went from continuing to try to lose any more weight right into a maintenance phase.

You can set goals to diet for 8,10, or 12 weeks but that doesn’t mean you HAVE to diet the entire time.

If you hit your goals early, then by all means, stop the diet and move into a more sustainable diet.

You’re the only one that can determine if you’re happy with your progress and if you should stick out your diet for another couple weeks.

I’m not saying this to give you an excuse to end your diet a month early. I’m simply saying if you’ve put in 8 or 9 weeks and have hit your goal weight OR better yet, feel phenomenal with how you look, then stop your diet.

Dieting is not a sustainable part of fitness. It’s a somewhat brief period of time in the grand scheme of things to help you reach your goals.

Put in the work, be consistent, and end your diet early if you’re happy with where you’re at physically and mentally.

Take home points:

  1. You can end a diet early if you’re happy with where you’re currently at progress wise.
  2. Once you end your diet, slowly add calories back in to stabilize your weight and give yourself some diet ‘relief.’
  3. On the flip side, don’t extend your diet week after week because you aren’t at your final end goal. Sometimes it takes several 10 or 12 week periods to reach your goal. As a point of reference, my progress took about 7 months.

Myth 4- You Must Do Cardio to Lose Fat

I’m not a cardio hater, I promise.

But the truth is, cardio is not the magic to fat loss.

33301123 - sport, fitness, lifestyle, technology and people concept - men exercising on treadmill in gym

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

Better yet, it’s 100% not required to lose fat.

Can it help? Of course, it can.

But it’s definitely not something you have to do in order to trim up. As long as your diet is in order, you will lose fat doing pretty much anything. I prefer a heavy dose of resistance training combined with a calorie deficit.

Cardio is a tool that can be used to enhance progress but I wouldn’t rely on it as your only form of exercise if you can help it. Check out THIS piece where I discussed why I prefer lifting over cardio for fat loss.

Take home points:

  1. Cardio is not a requirement for fat loss. A calorie deficit is the number one most important. Period.
  2. If you like or enjoy cardio then include it in your programming. Try to have more lifting days than cardio if possible. This will help you retain more lean mass while losing body fat.
  3. Cardio is not magic. Don’t rely on it to make up for a poor diet.

Myth 5- You Shouldn’t Get Hungry If You’re Eating the Right Foods

Yea. I know. It’s crazy to think some people believe that eating the ‘right’ foods will keep them from getting hungry during a diet.

The truth is, if you aren’t getting hungrier the further you get into your diet, your results are probably pretty crappy. Hunger is a fact of dieting. Eating less (calorie wise) is required to lose body fat.

There are no magical foods that will alleviate your hunger when you’re 10 or 11 weeks into a fat loss diet. Sure you can increase food volume by consuming more low-calorie foods like dark green veggies, but hunger is real and very important.

It tells you whether or not you’re headed in the right direction. You should be experiencing hunger as you progress week to week in your diet. At the beginning of your diet, you might not be super hungry. However, every time you make an adjustment to your plan, you will feel hunger rumbling deep down inside your stomach.

Use this as feedback that progress is being made. Don’t get tricked into believing that you shouldn’t get hungry after losing 10, 15 or 20+ pounds. Anyone that says you won’t be hungry during your diet is completely crazy or has never dieted before.

Remember, you won’t starve. Being hungry is completely normal during a diet so try your best to embrace it.

Take home points:

  1. Hunger is a normal part of dieting
  2. While still controlling for calories, eating lower-calorie, volume-dense foods can help with hunger a little bit.
  3. Use hunger as feedback that you are making progress

Wrap Up

If you can avoid these five fitness myths you’ll likely be off to a good start. To help you set up your own fat loss diet, grab your free copy of ’10 Commandments of Fat Loss’ HERE.

Remember that progress, especially fat loss, takes time and lots of hard work. It won’t happen overnight that’s for damn sure.

About the Author

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 8/12/16

Lets jump straight into this week’s list…

Bookshelf

Push-Ups: You’re Doing Them Wrong – Joel Seedman

1. I know, I know…push-ups are about as exciting as watching a NASCAR race.

2. I learned quite a bit from reading this article, actually.

3. Also, Joel is someone you should add to your “must read” list. I’ve been really, really impressed with his work of late – very smart guy.

Body Shaming is Not OK. Words Are Extremely Powerful Weapons, So Keep Your Fucking Opinion To Yourself – Meghan Callaway

My inner feminist came out in full force as I was reading this article. I can’t believe what comes out of people’s mouths sometimes.

Will CrossFit Make You a Better Athlete? – Travis Pollen

In response to a guest post by Travis Hansen that was posted on my site earlier this week titled Why CrossFit Doesn’t Make an Elite Athlete, the Fitness Pollinator himself, Travis Pollen, wrote this excellent retort.

At the end of the day CrossFit is what you want it to be. Does it make someone more athletic? Of course! It’s hard to argue that point.

Does it produce “elite” athletes…maybe, maybe not. This, unfortunately, is one of those instances where the internet will argue semantics. Either way, both are a great read……..and as always, the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

Side Note: it was refreshing to see how two individuals with two varying opinions could be “civil” in arguing their point of view. No BS, ad hominem attacks, or yo Mama jokes. It brings a tear to my eye.

Bonus Stuff

In case you missed the teaser trailer earlier in the week, this is happening…..

 

Dean and I hope to launch this sucker within the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

Also, the new Rogue One trailer was released earlier today, which means I’m going to have a raging nerd boner for the next 16 hours.8

 

Interesting Fact: Last week, while in London, Lisa and I stayed in Canary Wharf which has a tube station deep underground. One of the trainers who attended our workshop informed me that some of the scenes in the movie were filmed there. In fact, if you watch the first Rogue One trailer there’s a part where you see the characters running down a long corridor being chased by Stormtroopers, presumably inside the Death Star (at the 1:06 mark).

So, in effect, I was IN THE MOTHERFUCKING DEATH STAR!

Categoriescoaching personal training rant

Porcelain Post: Jedi Mind Trick Your Way to More Clients and Better Retention

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” was invented by 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.

35803741 - man sitting on a toilet seat with his pants and boxers down

Copyright: tuomaslehtinen / 123RF Stock Photo

While I know most mean well, I’m often amused by some of the posts and/or sponsored ads I come across on Facebook directed towards fitness professionals in an effort to teach them how to get more clients and better market themselves.

NOTE: For the record, I call BS on any person who says they’ve figured it all out and are willing to let me in on all their secrets for a mere $5000 weekend marketing bootcamp.9

The reality is, you don’t need to try to so hard. Well, you do…you just don’t need to overthink things and be a moron about it.

You Want More Clients or Wish the Ones You Have Would Work With You Longer?

1) Be Patient (and Be Good At What You Do)

Admittedly this is not a sexy answer. I might as well tell you the secret to getting better at deadlifts is to deadlift.

Success comes with experience. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re an incoming personal trainer or coach it’s going to take months, if not years to establish yourself as a credible professional. Yes, there are exceptions and examples of people who do very well very quickly (and build a client roster that anyone would be envious of).

Tragic as it may seem, the likelihood this will describe you and your ascent within this industry is slim.

Get good, unapologetically good, at what you do (as in coach your clients well) and over the course of time, people will take notice.

When I worked in commercial gyms early in my career I can’t tell you how many clients I picked up as a result of them observing me over the span of several weeks. They’d watch how I interacted with my clients – how I was hands on, paid more attention, sometimes wore pants – and how my approach was different than how many of my colleagues interacted with theirs.

You’re always being watched and judged by your actions. The secret to separating yourself from the masses is to be better than the masses.

The act of giving a shit is profound, and people know it when they see it. So be patient, do the work (like everyone else has done in the history of ever), and see what happens.

2) Don’t Be Afraid to Say “I Don’t Know.”

The ol’ saying “fake it till you make it” has a time and place…until it doesn’t. People can smell a fraud a mile away.

Like it or not, you are a profound resource for you clients with regards to health & fitness information. Often times you’re THE resource, or at least top three:

  1. Google
  2. Their doctor
  3. Their friend who read something on the internet.
  4. You

Okay, so maybe top four.

That said, I don’t understand why some trainers and coaches are afraid to say “I don’t know” when they don’t know the answer to a question…as if they’re going to somehow lose personal trainer demerit points or Alex Trebek is going to pop out of nowhere and laugh in their face.

Here, let me show you how easy it is to say:

Example #1

Client: “Tony, why does my knee hurt when I do lunges?”

Me: “Maybe you lack ankle or hip mobility, or maybe keeping a more vertical tibia will help. Lets take a look.”

Example #2

Client: “Tony, what does the rotator cuff even do?”

Me: “Well, every anatomy book will tell you it’s involved with actions like glenohumeral external and internal rotation, as well as abducting the humerus. However it’s real function is to center the humeral head in the glenoid fossa. Also it helps with ninjaing.”

Example #3

Client: “What’s the point of kipping pull-ups?”

Me: “I don’t know.”

Photo Credit: T-Nation.com

See, it’s easy.10

3) Along the Same Lines, Don’t Be Afraid to Refer Out

The obvious talking point here is to refer a client out to a physical or manual therapist within your network when he or she experiences discomfort or pain when exercising.

Unless you went to school for physical therapy stop pretending to be one.

Too, why not refer someone out if or when their goals or needs surpass your level of expertise and knowledge? Again, I feel this bodes in your favor. Knowing your limitations as a coach is not something to be ashamed of. You can’t expect to be a jack of all trades.

If someone is interested in Olympic lifting I refer out.

If someone is interested in contest prep for a stage show I refer out.

If someone is interested in taking their DL from 600 to 700 lbs I refer out.

If someone is interested in training for the Laser Tag World Championships I own that shit.

46060017 - laser tag playground equipment close up view

Copyright: ideastudios / 123RF Stock Photo

When a client understands you have his or her’s best interests in mind, and are willing to refer them to someone who best fits their needs, I guarantee you nine times out of ten they’ll be back as a paying client or refer someone they know to you.

Win-win.

4) Practice Unrelenting Transparency

Here’s the Jedi Mind Trick of all Jedi Mind Tricks.

Be up front with clients that your goal is to make it so that they won’t need your services long-term.

 

One of my favorite books of all-time is Simon Sinek’s Start With Why. If you haven’t read it already, you should.

The idea is that instead of asking how or what or when, you should ask WHY? Everything begins with asking why and then you can hone on the how, what, and when.

Lately I’ve been starting each one of my speaking engagements by explaining my WHY behind what I do for a living. Coincidentally it’s the same message I relay to all new clients:

“There are any number of trainers and coaches out there you could hire. And like most of them, I too want to help you achieve your goals – whether it’s to get a little stronger, improve performance in your respective sport, shed some extra body fat, or help with a nagging injury.

I choose to do so with integrity and honesty, in addition to using equal parts evidence-based research and anecdotal “real-world” experience.”

I want to help you achieve your goals, but I also want to help you not have to rely on me long-term. I want to teach you, educate you, coach you. It’s my goal to make you your own best ally, asset, and advocate.”

A funny things happens: most tend to stay around for a while.

NOTE: Okay, so that was the opposite of a porcelain post and ended up being longer than expected. My bad.

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise Program Design

It’s Coming: The Complete Shoulder and Hip Blueprint

Much like Winter in Game of Thrones……It’s coming.

Hip&Shoulder-Landscape

Except, you know, in this case “it” has less to do with the Night King, White Walkers, and the impending doom of man, and more to do with shoulder and hip assessment, corrective exercise, strength & conditioning, and programming strategies to optimize performance in the weight room.

Dean Somerset and I filmed our Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop in Oslo, Norway this past spring and we’re excited to give everyone a sneak peak on what to expect:

 

Yes, the music is a bit dramatic. We were originally gonna go with “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin to F*** Wit” or “You’re the Best Around” from the Karate Kid soundtrack, but figured both were a bit more dramatic.11

In any case, we’d be honored for you to take a look. And stay tuned for a release date in the very near future.

Seriously, it’s coming…..

Categoriescoaching Conditioning rant

Why CrossFit Doesn’t Make an Elite Athlete

Note From TG: I apologize in advance for the “click-bait” nature of this article.12 I have to assume that, based off the title, many of you have travelled a long distance across the internet to read what follows.

Welcome.

I hope you stick around. This is a guest post from strength coach, Travis Hansen. Do I agree with every word? No. Do I feel he brings up many valid points? Absolutely.

And on that note, happy reading. 

Without a shadow of a doubt, the question that I get asked more than any other as a coach, goes something like this: “Is your training style like CrossFit?”

Rather than get upset or start verbally bashing CrossFit like many do, I just simply inform the person that our training system is different in that it’s “athletic based” and CrossFit simply is not. But wait, Crossfitters are tremendous athletes right?

Unfortunately, they aren’t and by the end of this article you will know exactly why.

20110925 - crossfit fitness woman push ups pushup exercise and man weight lifting

Copyright: tonobalaguer / 123RF Stock Photo

Now if you have an extreme bias and preconceived notion regarding the CrossFit training philosophy, please try to stay objective and hear me out. I promise to stay completely objective even though it may come off harsh, and I will provide you with the facts for why we can’t and shouldn’t refer to Crossfitters as great athletes.

Athletic = CrossFit?

Lets begin with the actual definition of being athletic. What does it mean, who has it, and who doesn’t? Automatically, it is safe to say that we would associate this term with people like Calvin Johnson, Lebron James, Mike Trout, Yasiel Puig, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Serena Williams, and many more.

And we definitely should since these individuals undoubtedly epitomize athleticism. The definition of being athletic is the capacity to perform a specific skill set or series of skills at a high level to help improve sport performance. Below is a list of the predominant athletic based skills.  

Athleticism:                              

Power

Strength

Speed

Agility and Quickness

Conditioning

Now if a person can perform each of these at an ultra-high level they are going to be insane on the field, court, or wherever more times than not. Why? Because he or she will be able to express any specific sport skill, and research has shown that sport skill attainment is enhanced with increased athletic ability.

Next, I would like to also include some areas of training that serve as secondary and will help regulate performance in the athletic skill set. I will just call these secondary factors.

Secondary Factors:

Nutrition

Prehab-Rehab

Program Design

Muscle Building

Fat Loss

So taking into account just shear athletic skill, how should we rank CrossFit? I scored the system a 1 out of 5 or 20%. In other words it fails miserably for an actual athlete looking to perform better in a specific sport setting.

14158006 - young woman stretching her back after a heavy kettlebell workout in a gym

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

Words and opinion are very cheap, so I will show from a scientific and evidence based standpoint why they receive such a low score. Afterwards, I will elaborate on how crossfit fares with the support areas known as secondary factors, and finish by addressing any other areas of athletic development in which you didn’t see listed and how they fall into the puzzle.

Are You Still Reading?

The first skill on the list that we need to tackle is power. What is power? Power by definition is Force x Velocity. I like Strength x Speed which essentially means the same thing and is a bit easier to understand for most.

So it’s the ability to express as much force as possible as fast as humanly possible. Common displays or formal assessments for power that we use as athletic development or strength and conditioning coaches that you commonly witness in the sport realm is the Vertical Jump, Broad Jump, Running Vertical Jump, Throwing Velocity, Hang Clean/Snatch, etc.

Now how many people in CrossFit do you see perform a standing 40” Vertical Jump? How many do you see perform a 45-50” Running Vertical Jump? How about a 10’+ Broad Jump? Or a PROPERLY performed Hang Clean executed with a load that is 1-1.5 times that person’s bodyweight?

Before I continue, please don’t go out and scour the web desperately in an attempt to locate one individual who attained some of these values and had to have been practicing CrossFit at the time.

There are exceptions to every rule.

What’s important to note is that the system as a whole doesn’t come close to implementing the methods necessary to elicit these types of performances on a regular basis like so many athletic training systems across the country do. Keep in mind that these figures have become commonplace in team sport settings and scale MUCH MUCH higher in the elite population of athletes.

The next skill on the list is Strength. The ability of a muscle or muscle group to produce maximum voluntary force without time being a factor. A population that demonstrates this better than any other on the planet should immediately come to mind, and this is Powerlifters!

[Also, any athlete looking to become more athletic should adopt and perform a modified version of a powerlifting system such as Westside Barbell to maximize their athleticism.]

Lets stay on the topic at hand though. How does CrossFit as a whole score in the strength training department? Unfortunately, not very well at all. Without providing personal observations of this, I would way rather provide you with some valid “Strength Standard Charts” to reference as sound evidence HERE:

Now taking into account this solid reference which has factored in a legion of lifters across various federations at different body-weights, how would CrossFit score?

Not very good.

How many of these individuals do you know that can Bench Press 1.5-2x their bodyweight, or Squat and Deadlift 2.5-3x their bodyweight following a CrossFit training system? Not very many if you are being honest.

Ok this next one should not take too long. Speed! How many people in CrossFit do you know who can record an electronic 2.5-2.6 second 20 yard dash, or a 4-2-4.4 second 40 yard dash, or a sub 6.7 second 60 yard dash? Few and far between.

Agility and Quickness are next on the athleticism list. Also known as “Change of Direction Training” in many sectors, Agility and Quickness is the ability to accelerate and begin rapid motion in one direction, decelerate in that same direction, plant properly and then re-accelerate or “cut” in a new direction fast!

Exercises such as the 5-10-5, Cone Drill, 1-2 Stick Series, etc. are great variations that serve as Agility and Quickness Training Tests.

Note From TG: it kinda-sorta looks like this…..;o)

Moreover, guys like Barry Sanders and Darren Sproles are brilliant examples of this athletic skill at work. If you really watch it’s not very hard to identify that just the shear nature of CrossFit fails to deliver here.

Team sports such as football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, etc. are so athletic and require that a male or female constantly move and react in all 3 planes of motion as fast as possible through the entire muscle contraction spectrum (concentric, eccentric, and isometric). CrossFit on the other hand lives on a tightrope as events are practiced in an exclusive linear fashion, omitting an essential athletic quality.

As I’ve visited different “boxes” just mainly out of curiosity, or heard Crossfitters brag to me about how athletic they were, I’ve never actually seen drills practiced that encourage the development of this athletic function. Have you? Therefore it’s only fair to discount this system as an option for enhancing Agility and Quickness.

Conditioning is obviously going to be the one area of performance where I would have to credit CrossFit absolutely.

Several Crossfitters possess tremendous work capacities and development of the 3 metabolic energy systems (Alactic, Lactic, and Aerobic) much like boxers and MMA fighters. This can be seen at any of the CrossFit Games on ESPN. In regards to strictly conditioning, the feats exhibited by these competitors is quite impressive.

What Next?

So as of right now I believe I’ve proven to you why CrossFit fails in terms of effectively enhancing athleticism. Next I think it’s important to briefly analyze all secondary measures which could impact the primary skills to show what else may or may not be missing for athletes looking to get more athletic and better in a particular sport, who regularly practice CrossFit.

The first element that I would like to discuss is Nutrition. Obviously, “The Paleo Diet” is the foundation for all of the CrossFit population. I must admit that I think there were quite a few positives I took away from both books. The intent of the content is very health-based, the food selection is very nutrient dense, and Dr. Loren Cordain disclosed some interesting scientific points surrounding the topic for sure.

In his book “The Paleo Diet for Athletes,” Dr. Cordain does a great job of adjusting the modern Paleo diet recommendations and states the need that athletes following the Paleo Diet could derive half of their total caloric intake for the day from healthy carbohydrate sources:

“For example, an athlete training once a day for 90 minutes may burn 600 calories from carbohydrates during exercise and needs to take in at least that much during stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 of recovery. This athlete may be eating around 3,000 total calories daily. If he gets 50 percent of his daily calories from carbohydrate, he would take in an additional 900 calories in carbs that day in stage 4, above and beyond the carbohydrate consumed in the earlier stages of the day.”1

And if you would like to know exactly why athletes need more carbohydrates than check out this series of articles I recently wrote:

5 Scientific Reasons to Eat Carbs

5 More Scientific Reasons Athletes Should Eat Carbs

Even More Reasons Why Athletes Should Eat Carbs

Prehab and Rehab Techniques are critical for competitive athletes who want to excel indefinitely, and it should be categorized as its own type of training if it officially is not already.

Techniques such as immersion baths, contrast, EMS, massage, tempo work, mobility/bodyweight circuits, meditation-relaxation, cat naps, static stretching, corrective exercises, and much more have been scientifically proven to hasten recovery from all the high intensity work and provide several benefits (Blood flow, nutrient and hormonal delivery, etc. etc.) to ultimately assist in athletic enhancement.

A majority of this should be implemented into a competitive athlete’s program from the get go, however, I’ve never really seen much discussion or emphasis of this type of training from Crossfitters, so I can only assume it’s not very important to this culture even though it’s undoubtedly essential to athletic performance.

Without a properly structured training program it would be very difficult to ensure that athlete’s are staying healthy and improving in all facets of performance over the long-term. Periodization is key and serves as the foundation for everything in the program.

However, I’ve never officially heard of any type of scientifically valid program design model being implemented for athletes who follow CrossFit. Do you guys elect a Linear, Alternating, Undulating, Concurrent, or Conjugate based System?

What I do know is that the works of famous programming researchers such as Tudor Bompa, Charlie Francis, and several others have shown us that having a pre-planned annual training model is a must for an athlete looking to reach his full potential. 2

A simple “WOD” which is arbitrarily designed to satisfy that particular day’s workout in the name of a male or female, will not suffice and the results will show.

Note From TG: here’s where I’ll chime in. The idea that all CrossFit boxes don’t adopt some semblance of programming structure is a bit harsh (not that I think that’s what Travis is implying). I’ve trained at and observed numerous CrossFit gyms and have been very impressed with numerous staff’s and their attention to detail on this topic. 

To say that Ben Bergeron – who coached both winners (male and female) at this year’s CrossFit Games – doesn’t implement a “plan” or pay special attention to detail with regards to how to best set up/periodize his athletes for success is unrealistic.

Just wanted to give some props when props is due.

The last two remaining secondary factors are fat loss and muscle building qualities. 

I must give kudos to CrossFit for creating a lot of fat loss testimony all over the world. I’m sure that thousands of people have lost weight/fat utilizing the CrossFit system. 3

However, what really bugs me is that you rarely if ever hear credit being distributed by CrossFit authorities on where specific training strategies were adopted. Did they just magically guess and innovate methods proven to work better than anything on the training market?

Hell no.

Furthermore, I see many specialized fat loss techniques being regularly implemented by CrossFit such as: HIIT, Metabolic Resistance Training, Timed Sets, Complexes, etc. but where the hell did that come from?

Not Crossfit unfortunately.

Ten years ago a guy by the name of Alwyn Cosgrove was busting out fat loss manuals left and right and disclosing drills and methods I nor anyone had ever seen before. The training concepts were brilliant and revolutionary at the time, but still hadn’t hit the mainstream yet.  He was also sending out newsletters at the time which validated these now popular methods through sound research and tremendous data he was collecting at his training facility in South California with his wife Rachel, who was also a proven expert. I still have them. But how many of you actually know Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove? I guarantee not as many as there should be.

Muscle Building is the final remaining topic that needs to be discussed. It’s no secret now that the CrossFit system involves primarily a moderate intensity/high training volume approach for general fitness, conditioning, and fat loss purposes.

With that being said this form of training environment will lend well to acquiring quality muscle mass pretty fast and it’s also why so many of the guys that practice CrossFit are pretty jacked. If you want to know more in depth info on this topic then definitely checkout the research and works of guys like Jason Ferruggia, Brad Schoenfeld, Bret Contreras, and Lyle McDonald.

Specific muscle mass or cross sectional area is also going to be a very strong indicator of athletic success in many cases, so this is one area where CrossFit has a decent foundation laid out if they can implement all of the training concerns mentioned previously.

Inter and Intramuscular Coordination, balance and stability training, and core training are I’m sure other areas that coaches or anyone reading this would think needs to be a primary concern. Fortunately, the methods employed for the primary skill set I provided you will do a tremendous job of enhancing these qualities indirectly. Here is a piece I wrote for the ISSA awhile back which illustrates my point as it pertains to balance-stabilization training:

Does Balance Training Improve Speed?

Well That’s it Everyone.

I hope you enjoyed this piece and learned the distinction between CrossFit and real athletic training.

They are presently very dissimilar, although they get tied in together many times based on my experience for whatever reason. Too re-iterate I’m really not trying to demean or be destructive towards the CrossFit philosophy at all. Peer review should be overly critical and brutally honest. I’ve written many articles and a couple of books and I can tell you firsthand that this is the case from the experts that analyzed my work, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

If CrossFit is really serious about crossing over into the athletic training realm, then they need to start taking science more seriously, credit the founders, and utilize methods that are actually intended for athletes that truly work.

Lastly, I really think we currently underrate just how great so many high level team sport athletes really are. Genes aside, contemporary team sport athletes are amazing. On a final note, understand that athletic development is a big puzzle, and there is a lot that has to come together for any one athlete to be successful.

SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES:

#1-Cordain, Loren. The Paleo Diet for Athletes. Rodale. Emmaus, PA. 2005.

#2-http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/sports-training/overview-of-periodization-methods-for-resistance-training/

#3-http://www.bjgaddour.com/what-do-you-think-about-crossfit

About the Author

Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF. He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association.

 

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 8/5/16

I know, I know…I posted one of these earlier this week. I’m the jerk.

In fairness I normally post my “Stuff to Read” series on Fridays, but since I was taken off track the prior week and didn’t post one I made up for it on Monday. Besides, as this goes live my wife and I are en route to London to present our 2-day Strong Body-Strong Mind workshop.

32319360 - thames and london city

Copyright: sborisov / 123RF Stock Photo

We’re excited of course. Not only because we’re visiting London for the first time as a couple (I visited back in 2014 and Lisa studied abroad back in her college days), but also because it’s our first “go” with presenting our 2-day workshop (we did a 1-day workshop in Austin, TX back in June).

We’re expecting 30 or so fitness professionals from across the UK to come in and listen to myself speak to assessment, program design, coaching the “big 3,” and why Jason Bourne could kick James Bond’s ass and Lisa will bring more of a mindset/behavior change/creating autonomy & competency with clients vibe.

Keep your eyes and social media ears peeled, because I’m hoping to announce some Boston dates soon. Or, if you’re someone who’s interested in hosting Lisa and I…shoot me a message. We’re pretty cool to hang out with.

Strong Body-Strong Mind FACEBOOK

Why Having a Strong Pelvic Floor Isn’t Enough – Ann Wendel

A whole lotta “YES” to his article written by Ann Wendel of Girls Gone Strong. Incontinence is not something women should just “deal with” or “shrug off.”

Likewise, the adage of solely prescribing Kegel exercise to fix pelvic floor dysfunction is a thing of the past. The “fix,” in fact, is much more integrated…incorporating positional breathing drills, dedicated mobility work (in the right areas), and even progressive overload strength training.

Give this a read. It’s important stuff!

Strength Beyond Strength – Jaclyn Moran

A wonderful article written by Jaclyn Moran of War Horse Barbell Club (Philly in the house!) that will resonate with many women.

Stop comparing yourself to others. You do YOU.

This is 40 – Bret Contreras

Hubba, hubba, hubba.

CategoriesFemale Training

The Problem With “Female Specific” Training

Before I dive into the meat and potatoes of this tightly batched, to-the-point, soiree of a fitness article lets first address the obvious…

It’s bonkers that in this day and age if you Google the term “female training” or “women’s fitness” you’re inundated with images like this:

20821722 - fitness instructor exercising with small weights in green park

Copyright: zoomteam / 123RF Stock Photo

We all know what it implies:

1. Donald Trump is bat-shit crazy.

AND

2. Women should train with light weights (presumably for higher reps) for that “toned” and “sleek” look many are after.

And we all know what my reaction is:

Somewhere between wanting to toss an ax into my face and this:

GIF in #Dumbfounded

To say I feel it oozes a toxic tone and connotation – that woman shouldn’t (or can’t?) train with appreciable weights – would be an understatement. Not only does it set women’s fitness back decades (I’m talking pre-Thigh Master era), but it also would make Susan B. Anthony shit a copy of “Hey, You, Woman, Get Back In the Kitchen and Make Me a Sandwich” out of pure rage and embarrassment.

For the Record: the above book doesn’t exist.

I’ve written several pieces on this site (HERE , HERE, and HERE, for example) extolling some of my thoughts on the topic of training women. I’d be remiss not to at least entertain the idea that there are many women out there who, by and large, could care less about deadlifting 1.5x bodyweight, performing a strict, un-assisted chin-up, or doing anything with a barbell on their back.

As much of a fan as I am of encouraging women to pursue performance-based goals, many are happy (and do very well) following programs that suggest they use “light” weights or no weights at all.13

Hey, anything that nudges anyone into a consistent behavior that gets them active where the alternative is binge-watching Netflix is cool with me.

However, being the strength coach that I am, I’m biased, and feel such programs (you know, the ones that promise 10-20 lbs. lost in one week, but only if you follow a cabbage soup detox sprinkled with belly-button lint from a Centaur) lead to inferior results.

In all the articles I’ve written and points I’ve made detailing my beefs with female specific training and the problems I have with it, there’s one “thing” I’ve always neglected to point out.

The Biggest Problem With Female Specific Training is Using the Term “Female Specific Training” In the First Place

I kinda feel stupid for not addressing this obvious point sooner.

I remember listening to a story Mike Boyle said once where he chuckles every time he comes across a “ACL Prevention Program,” particularly when it comes to female athletes.

It’s BS.

Yeah, yeah, we can talk about how research demonstrates that female athletes are 6-8x more likely to tear their ACL compared to their male counterparts, how Q-angles enter the conversation, and even how estrogen receptors during the menstrual cycle can affect things.

20561464 - image of young woman football player hitting ball

Copyright: nexusplexus / 123RF Stock Photo

But at the end of the day, as Boyle noted, there’s no such a thing as an “ACL prevention program.” Any well-designed program that focuses on getting athletes stronger (particularly the posterior chain), teaches them how to decelerate and land properly, as well as works on change of direction and movement quality in general is an ACL prevention program in its own right.

And lets just call a spade a spade:  I don’t think it’s so much an ACL issue with women as it is “they’re just weak” issue.

Now, this doesn’t apply to all women of course. But generally speaking many women are “hand held” when it comes to programming (see above) and it just comes down to getting them stronger.  Plain and simple.

So while I do agree there sometimes exists a slight dichotomy between men and women, what their goals are, how they’d like to look, and how that affects our approach to training them, any program that teaches the basic movements – squat, hip hinge, push, pull, lunge, carry – caters those movements to fit the individual needs, ability level, and anatomy of the person, and then follows suit with the principles of progressive overload….is a (good) program.

Do we really need to call it “female specific?”