Today’s “Exercise You Should Be Doing” has a unique flavor compared to exercises in the past.
1. It’s as miserable as it sounds.
2. The word “deep” is going to be contingent on individual anatomy, overall mobility (ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, t-spine extension), and one’s ability level to actually squat. Basically, unlike the internet, I’m not an a-hole and expect everyone to squat ass-to-grass.
Likewise, as I’ve stated 717 (+/- 203) times on this site, not everyone can/should press overhead. You have to earn the right to press overhead. Limitations in shoulder flexion have to be taken into heavy consideration here.
That said this exercise is pretty baller, albeit a fairly advanced variation.1
3. It’s two exercises in one! Two is always better than one. Two ninjas are better than one, two pairs of clean underwear are better than one, hell, two sandwiches are better than one.
I mean, when isn’t it?
About the only time two isn’t better than one is Michael Bay movies.
So lets jump into it.
Deep Squat Press
Who Did I Steal It From: Can’t say I recall. But for shits and gigs I’ll say Ben Affleck.
What Does It Do: Works as a nice progression with regards to squat patterning. The asymmetrical or “offset” load provides a fantastic rotary stability component to the exercise. And, of course, the pressing component incorporates the upper body making this a full-body exercise to be reckoned with.
Key Coaching Cues: First and foremost I’d make sure to audit your clients and ensure they can perform a standard Goblet Squat before tossing this into the mix.
Can they maintain proper alignment – in that there’s no excessive rib flair throughout the duration of the set. The anterior load of the KB or DB should help offset this.
Chest Up.
Push knees out (heels stay glued to the floor), squat DOWN not necessarily BACK.
Maintain abs, and think about “pulling” into the deep squat position.
End result should be elbows inside knees, chest up, natural arch in lower back.
If they hit all the checkmarks above, your client(s) are probably good to go with this variation.
HOWEVER:screening them for ample shoulder flexion is crucial. If they lack sufficient overhead mobility the “press” component of this exercise may be contraindicated.
HOWEVER (PART II): Squat depth will be highly individualized. Some people lack the requisite mobility to squat below parallel. Others, however, lack stability in the form of protective tension, which more or less tells the CNS to put on the emergency breaks. So, what may seem like a mobility restriction is just lack of stability.
[^^^ There’s more to this screen that I’ve added since writing the post above (I should update it), but this should provide ample insight].
Do you or your client pass the above caveats? Good, you’re good to go.
Grab a kettlebell and start in the racked position. With your free hand make a fist and squeeze like a mofo. This will help create more bodily tension.
Squat down to your “usable” ROM and once there, maintain tension (don’t relax), pause for a 1s count, own the position, and then press the KB up towards the ceiling making sure to follow with your eyes.
Now that I think about it: this is also a great t-spine rotation exercise!
Perform 5-8 repetitions, and repeat the same process on the other side. Alternatively, you could perform this exercise as squat, press, stand back up, squat, press, stand back up, etc.
You get to pick your poison here. Give it a try and let me know what you think
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.
Enjoy.
The Key to a Perfect Training Program
Here’s the thing: there is no “key,” or ideal way.
First of all, everyone is different. What works for one person may not be the best fit for someone else.
We can sit here and argue over ideal exercise selection, exercise order, sets/reps, high-bar squats vs. low-bar, rest intervals, and whether or not it’s best to use a 2-1-2 tempo or a 1-2-1.2.
The best set/rep scheme for your client(s), especially beginners, is the one that gets them in the gym 3x per week for 52 weeks. Get them to master that – the art of SHOWING UP – and magical things will happen.
As this post goes live I’m in route to Austin, TX with my wife Lisa to take part in our inaugural Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop.
We’re excited because we both feel this is an underserved “niche” within the fitness community. The stuff I’ll be speaking about is nothing new – program design, breaking down squat and deadlift technique, why Darth Maul is the best Sith Lord ever, you know the important stuff.
While I feel I offer a unique perspective on all of those things and feel I have expertise, they’re all topics that are covered by many other coaches.
However, it’s the stuff the two of us will be speaking about in tandem – The Art of Coaching & Behavior Change, how to increase motivation and autonomy with your clients, how to assess your client’s willingness to change – that’ll be the real treat to the attendees attending.
Well there’s that, and the 0.01% chance they all witness a marriage crumbling before their eyes. This is mine and Lisa’s first attempt at working with one another.
Either the weekend ends as a glorious success, complete with high-fives and a ticker-tape parade, or we’ll be hiring divorce lawyers and fighting over custody of the cat.
With their 4th installment in the Functional Stability Training series, Eric and Mike break down “movement,” from the assessment process to the gym floor.
The sale price ($30 off) only lasts until the end of this weekend, so act quickly while you can to take advantage.
I know some strength coaches who view them as a valued asset to their programs, providing insight on their athlete’s movement quality as well as highlighting any “weak links” that may exist.
And I know some strength coaches who could make a list of other things more valuable or worth their time:
Deadlifts
Squats
Arguing with a vegan
Running a 5K
A basket of dicks
I, for one, do find value in them. Of course, whether or not I transplant them into someone’s program depends on several factors; namely, their goal(s).
Sorry, but if someone’s goal is hypertrophy I can think of roughly 412 other exercises more prudent to get the job done than the Turkish get-up.
I’m not saying it’s a waste of time to include them in a program designed to get someone jacked – maybe include them as part of an extended warm-up to get the joints primed for larger, compound movements, or, say, if someone has the movement quality of a pregnant pig (they’re a nice addition to GPP days) – however, I’d raise an eyebrow (or two) to any coach who places heavy precedence on including them in such a program.
That said, I find the get-up to be one of those universal movements I use with my athletes and general fitness clients alike. For athletes it’s a great way to control fatigue and reduce axial loading. Not to mention we’re accomplishing a lot with regards to scapular stability, hip mobility, glute activation, as well as working on primitive patterns such as rolling, half kneeling, to standing.
I pepper them into programs for general fitness clients because, well, it’s good for them (and I like to LOL when they call me an a-hole for making them do it).
There are a lot of moving parts to the get-up. Not surprisingly, this makes the learning curve a bit tricky for some with regards to honing technique
Much like how I prefer to layer the KB Swing, I think it’s wise to also break down the get-up to more bite-size portions.
Today I’d like share a tip I learned from StrongFirst Team Leader, Artemis Scantalides, on a subtle “technique trap” many seem to fall prey to.
Maintaining a vertical knee (which helps to keep the glute engaged during the initial roll to press).
Guy Bortz was kind enough to invite back onto his show for a second time this past week, and the link is now live.
I know there are a lot of fitness podcasts out there jockeying for your attention, but Guy is building quite the empire with the guests he’s been able to line up:
Dan John
Dr. John Rusin
Nick Winkelman
Greg Nuckols
Dean Somerset
Mark Fisher
Tony Bonvechio
Pete Dupuis
Kamal Patel
Max Shank
Mike Israetel
Mike Boyle
General Hawk from GI Joe
You should listen – he’s doing an awesome job. And I think what I like most about this podcast is that it’s very conversational in tone.
Just two dudes talking shop.
This time around we discuss my leaving Cressey Sports Performance, branding, how to do it well, and we also touch on training hips, shoulders, and deadlifts.
And there’s some small-talk about movies at the start….;o)
In fact, I don’t consider myself a “writer” in the first place. I’m a strength coach who happens to have the ability to write sentences that don’t suck. Sometimes back to back; and sometimes including the proper usage of the semicolon.
Full Disclosure: I don’t even know if I used the semicolon correctly in that last sentence. If I did, sweet. I win the internet today. If I didn’t, whatevertheflyingfuck. I don’t care.
Kurt Vonnegut hated semicolons:
“Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.”
My buddy, John Romaniello, a talented writer in his own right (and someone who, too, lifts a metric shit-ton of weight), by contrast, loves the semicolon:
“I think it’s a splendid little piece of punctuation.
While I don’t think it’s really necessary in any respect, I do notice that people who use the semi appropriately tend to be solid writers; or, at least, have a firmer grasp of structure than most. (An observation of cognitive bias, perhaps.)
….to me, the semicolon implies, “there’s always more to say.”
So, yeah, I’m not a good writer.
But I don’t think anyone who writes thinks he or she is good at it. Only a select few can be Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway, David Eggers, Anne Lamott, Stephen King, or He-Man.4
Most people who write – at least in my experience – will describe their prose as “bat-shit awful” on average days to an “indiscernible, incoherent attempt at passable English” on the good days.
I 100% fall into this camp.
I’ll admit that writing doesn’t come easy to me. I am not one of those people who can sit in front of their laptop, swiftly tap away on their keyboard, and conjure up some masturbatory masterpiece that’ll live in literary lore.
Fact: that last paragraph alone took me five minutes to write. But hot damn, alliterations are awesome aren’t they?
Writing can, and often is, a marathon of agony for me.
However, what can I say: I love it. As a self-described introvert…nothing recharges me or satiates my inner “leave me the fuck alone” troll than writing.
I can sequester myself in some corner at a cafe, or, preferably, in my office with my cat, Dagny, and be as content as content can be.
A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
As agonizing as writing can be now, it used to be way, way, way worse.
However, as with anything, you get better at doing it by, you know, doing it.5
I’m approaching 1,800 blog posts on this website. That’s a lot of writing. And that number doesn’t include all the articles I’ve written for other publications and websites.
I started, and I got better.
I often receive emails from other fitness professionals asking me how they can get their names out there and how they can become better at writing.
I’m honored they’d ask me in the first place, and feel obliged to be honest:
“First of all, thank you for the kind words. You obviously have impeccable tastes in the strength coaches you follow. I bet you’re super good looking too. To answer your question: Just start. Shut up, and start. Stop emailing me (and everyone else you’re asking the same question to) and start.”
Okay, maybe I’m not such an awful “writer” after all.
I’m leaps and bounds better today than I was when I first started a little over ten years ago. I can see growth in my writing. I have a style. There’s better sentence structure, transitions, flow, and I finally know the difference between there/their/they’re.
REMINDER: Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop – Austin, TX (Saturday, June 18th)
Hey fitness pros/fitness enthusiasts in the AUSTIN, TX area. I’ll be down there next weekend (Saturday, June 18th) – along with my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis – for our inaugural Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop.
Topics covered include:
1. The Art of Coaching & Behavior Change – not only learn the ins and outs of coaching your clients on the gym floor, but also learn some cool Jedi mind-tricks on mindset and avoiding negative self-talk to boot.
2. The difference between external and internal cueing (and why one is better than the other).
3. Introversion vs. Extroversion – and as it relates to be an effective coach.
4. Breaking down squat and deadlift technique.
5. Why squatting ass-to-grass isn’t for everyone.
6. Why our cat is the cutest cat ever.
And much, much more. CEUs via the NSCA are available.
For more information (location, payment, etc) you can go HERE.
In the Spring of ’96 I made my first collegiate start as a pitcher. I was playing for Onondaga Community College out of Syracuse, NY, and we were down in Florida for our annual Spring Training trip.
Can you find me?
Not only was it the first time I saw green grass in several months (winters in Central NY are long and brutal), but it was my first trip to Florida, which meant it was also my first time seeing palm trees.6
We arrived in West Palm Beach to play West Palm Beach Community College. On the bus ride from our hotel to the field I was fidgeting, listening to my Discman – remember those? – probably Wu-Tang Clan or Tribe Called Quest, and trying everything I could to take my mind off of destroying the back of my pants.
It was my first collegiate game, my first start, so of course I was nervous.
And if that wasn’t enough, I heard inklings from some of the players and coaches that 8 of the 9 players in the line-up for WPBCC were drafted out of high-school in the previous year’s MLB draft.
Okay, now I was really nervous.
I took a few deep breaths, said a few words of encouragement to myself7, and proceeded to do my normal pre-game ritual of stretches, long-toss, and warm-up.
And then it was game time.
1st Batter: ground ball out.
“Whatever, this is easy.”
2nd Batter: strike out.
“MLB prospect my ass.”
3rd Batter: walk
“Okay, you can’t win them all.”
4th Batter: 0-2 count, I threw a hanging curveball, and I think the ball is due to pass Neptune’s orbit any day now.
If my memory serves me, I lasted four innings, and we ended up losing that game 12-4. Or 72-4. I don’t remember all the details.
Whatever the score ended up being it stands to reason I didn’t do well.
That said, it was a learning experience:
1) Don’t throw hanging curveballs on an 0-2 count to arguably the team’s best hitter.
2) Even though I was nervous heading into that game, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad bit smug. I mean, I was an All-League selection in high-school, twice! I got this.
Um, no.
My first college game served as a wake-up call for me, and provided the slap in the face I needed to respect that anything can be a lesson you can learn from. And it’s how you observe, reflect, digest, and use those lessons moving forward that will make all the difference in the world. It’s how you prevent history from repeating itself.
While I didn’t realize it at the time I was using a form of DISFLUENCY to my advantage.
“The people who are the most successful at learning – those who are able to digest the data surrounding them, who absorb insights embedded in their experiences and take advantage of information flowing past – are the ones who know how to use disfluency to their advantage. They transform what life throws at them, rather than just taking it as it comes. They know the best lessons are those that force us to do something and to manipulate something.”
In other words: people who are actively “disfluent” take data and transform it into experiments whenever they can.
Taking an example from the book, Duhigg references a study performed in 2014 at UCLA which examined the relationship between learning and disfluency by looking at the difference between students who took notes with their laptop and those students who took notes the old fashioned way.
By putting pen or pencil to paper.
As Duhigg states:
“Recording a speaker’s comments via longhand is both harder and less efficient than typing on a keyboard. Fingers cramp. Writing is slower than typing, and so you can’t record as many words.”
In not so many words, students who use laptops put forth less effort and can “collect” twice as many notes as their pen holding counterparts.8
“Writing is more disfluent than typing, because it requires more labor and captures fewer verbatim phrases.”
Common sense would make us assume that the students who took notes with their laptops – and thus, collected twice as many words – would score better on tests and be able to recite more of what the lecturer said.
Of course, you would be 100% incorrect in assuming this.
Don’t worry, if it’s any consolation, when I first heard Eminem I thought to myself “no way this guy lasts.”
There was also a time I thought Mariah Carey and I were soul mates.
Shows how much I know.
What the researches found was that, time and time again, those students who wrote their notes down out-performed laptop users on test scores of the lecturer’s content.
What Does This Have To Do With Your Health and Fitness Goals?
When we bump uglies with new information, and want to learn from it, we should force ourselves to do something with the data.
NOTE:it’s not physically possible to “bump uglies” with information. It’s just a metaphor. Don’t be weird. Unless, you know, you’re part of The Matrix or something and you actually can do it.
If so, we need to hang out.
To quote Duhigg one more time:
“It’s not enough for your bathroom scale to send you daily updates to an app on your phone. If you want to lose weight, force yourself to plot those measurements on graph paper and you’ll be more likely to choose a salad over a hamburger for lunch.”
Likewise, those people who take the time to track their training sessions – recording exercises done, sets, reps, and total weight lifted – tend to stay more consistent and make better progress than those who don’t
Too, when it comes to honing technique on any given exercise, reading other coach’s insights and perspectives on it is great. You may learn a new cue or subtle tweak that resonates.
However, I’d argue it’s those people who take a more laborous approach, take the time to record their lifts with a camera, and analyze their lifts that end up hitting their goals quicker and with more efficiency and precision.
What’s more impressive or baller than a muscular, strong-looking backside?9
Any Joe Schmo can walk around with decent sized biceps or a six-pack that would make Tyler Durden jealous. Walk into any commercial gym and you’ll see both.
However, it’s a bit of a rarer occurrence to see someone with an impressive upper back. Not JD Salinger making a public appearance rare or even unicorn rare; but rare nonetheless.
It’s a shame, too, because having a strong upper back provides many advantages.
1) It Makes You Look Yoked
Remember that opening scene from the movie Troy when Achilles (<— I know, second Brad Pitt reference in less than ten seconds. Last one I promise) “fights” Boagrius?
To help jog your memory, this is Boagrius:
You can’t technically see his upper back, but do really need to in order recognize he’s a ginormous human being?
Yeah, sure, the fight between him and Achilles was over in a blink of an eye, but we’re still talking about those traps.
And speaking of traps, who can forget Tom Hardy in the movie Warrior.
For starters, it’s a fantastic movie about brothers, fathers, and some of the best MMA fight scenes ever filmed – even my wife liked it.
Secondly, between his role as Tommy in Warrior (as well as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises), Hardy pretty much sealed the title for “Best Traps in Hollywood” and subsequently spawned a tsunami of “Get Traps Like Tom Hardy” workouts.
Traps, indeed, are the new abs.
2) Increased Overall Strength (DUH)
Having a bigger “anything” generally assumes increased strength. Trying really hard not to include a penis joke here.
A larger muscle can generate more force. More force equates to increased strength. Increased strength is never a bad thing.
To be more specific, though, having a bigger/stronger upper back can have huge carryover to improved performance in many lifts – especially as it relates to the “big 3.”
Squat
Having a bigger/stronger backside can translate very well to a better squat.
A bigger upper back makes it easier to allow the bar to rest on the “shelf.”
The back musculature must fire isometrically during a set to prevent falling forward and to prevent any excessive rounding.
Anyone who thinks the lats aren’t involved with squat performance is kidding themselves. The lats have attachment points in the intertubicular groove of the humerus, scapulae, portions of the vertebrae (T7-T12), the thoraco-lumbar fascia, as well as the iliac crest.
Activating the lats during squats provides significant more spinal stability and allowance of force transfer between the lower/upper halves of the body. This is partly the reason why people can back squat more than they can front squat.
Bench Press
Ask any powerlifter what’s more important for a big bench press – chest or upper back – and most will likely say “both!,” however default to the upper back (and technique) as being more of a limiting factor.
Chad Wesley-Smith of Juggernaut Training likes to use the analogy of the upper back serving as a “base of support” during the bench press. A thicker/wider upper back will:
Get you closer to the barbell (less distance the bar as to travel).
Assuming technique is on point, will act as a “springboard” to propel the barbell off the chest.
Deadlift
Similar to what was noted above with squats, a bigger/stronger backside will almost always equate to a better, less vomit-in-my-mouth looking deadlift.
Everything – traps, rhomboids, lats, erectors – work in concert, isometrically, to counteract both compressive and shear forces playing tug-of-war with your spine.
The stronger your back, the stronger your deadlift.
3) Illusion of a Bigger Chest
I work with a lot of men who’s #1 goal is to have more sex have a bigger chest. Common sense tells us that in order to have larger chest muscles (pecs) we need to train them.
And I agree.
Unfortunately, guys tend to be so enamored with training their chest that “chest day” becomes “chest week.”
52 weeks a year.
As a result, many are left with an overly kyphotic posture (rounded upper back and shoulders) because they’ve developed a muscular imbalance between their front and backside, which ends up “hiding” their chest development.
So what ends up happening?
More chest exercises.
Which only feeds into the problem.
Many are left flummoxed when I suggest the answer is to perform more BACK exercises. Often, the answer is to strengthen and focus more on their backside, which will then “open” things up and give the illusion of a larger chest.
It’s like being Gandalf. Except, you know, not.
Back Strategery
Which leads us to the obvious question: Tony, will you just STFU and tell me WTF do I do?
This is a blog post, not a dissertation on anything & everything back training…but I’d be remiss (and an a-hole) if I didn’t provide at least some actionable advice.
1) Horizontal Pulls vs. Vertical Pulls
It’s generally accepted that back training can (and should) be divided into two camps: horizontal pulls and vertical pulls.
According to lore – and every bodybuilder in the history of ever – horizontal pulling tends to target upper back thickness, while vertical pulling tends to target width.
Bodybuilders are jacked and know a thing or two about putting on muscle, so who are we to disagree?
Horizontal Pulls = deadlifts, bent over rows, Seal Row, Yates row, DB rows, chest supported rows, Batwing rows, inverted rows (which are more of a hybrid, but certainly fall into this category), etc.
Vertical Pulls = chin-ups, pull-ups, lat pulldowns.
This is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully gets the point across.
If you’re someone who follows more of an Upper/Lower split during the week (4x per week), it may help to divide your upper body pulling days into horizontal vs. vertical.
If you’re someone who follows more of a full-body split (say, 3x per week) you could approach your back training in an A/B fashion.
A = horizontal pulls.
B = vertical pulls.
Week 1 = A, B, A
Week 2 = B, A, B
So on and so forth.
2) Train Your Back More Often
I honestly feel back training is something most people could get away with doing every training session. This doesn’t mean, of course, you need to go heavy or balls-to-the-wall every time.
On days you squat or deadlift or both if you’re a badass (or Wolverine), your back is getting plenty of work, and it probably wouldn’t bode well to follow suit with some heavy Bent-Over Rows or Pendlay Rows.
You can, however, toss in some moderate to high(er) rep (not to failure) accessory work afterwards in the form of DB rows or maybe some Band Face Pulls.
In any given week I like to include at least ONE heavy (3-5 reps) horizontal pulling variation, in addition to a moderate (8-12) and high-rep (12+) variation.
The same goes for vertical pulling – although, options are a little more limited here.
It’s undulated periodization 101.
It may look something like this:
Day 1
A. Deadlift: 3×4-6
B1. Speed Squat: 6×2
B2. Speed Chin-up/Pull-Up: 6×3
C1. Flat Bench DB Press: 3×10
C2. 1-Legged Hip Thrust: 3×8-10/leg
D. Band Face Pulls 3×15-20
Day 2
A1. Front Squats: 3×4-6
A2. 1-Arm DB Row: 3×8-12/arm
B. Speed Bench Press 6×3 OR DB Bench Press 4×6-8
C1. 1-Arm Landmine Press 3×10/arm
C2. Hinge Row: 3×10
D1. DB Goblet Squat: 3×8
D2. Pallof Press 3×8/side
Day 3
A1. Bench Press: 4×5
A2. Weighted Chin-Up: 4×3-4
B. Speed Deadlift: 6×1
C1. Cable Pull-Through 3×10-12
C2. Ab Rollout 3×10-12
D1. Seated Cable Row: 2×10
D2. High Rep Band Tricep Pressdowns: 2×20
And then you can tinker with varying set/reps each week.
3) Sneak It In
You can also “sneak” more back exercises into the mix and increase volume.
Pair a light row exercise with all warm-up sets on bench press.
Every time you walk past a chin-up/pull-up bar during a workout, perform 1-3 reps. Or, perform 1-3 reps every time you go to get a drink of water.
One option I like is to combine a unilateral row exercise with any additional speed (or technique) work I have a client perform. So, if I have someone doing 8 sets of “technique” work on squats, I’ll pair that with 8 sets of 1-Arm DB Rows (albeit only 4 sets per side)
Set of Squats paired with 1-Arm DB Row – Right Arm Only
Set of Squats paired with 1-Arm DB Row – Left Arm Only
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.
Know what I say about exercise variety?
“Exercise variety, shmeshmercise flafliriety.”
As in, “Exercise variety? Meh.”
As in, “You don’t need as much of as you think you need.”
Or, to put it another way: “fuck it, it’s overrated.”
I’ve reached a tipping point of tolerance, hovering in the vicinity of going bat-shit crazy as it relates to watching people wasting repetitions (and their time) performing superfluous exercises in the name of Likes and Instagram bragging rights.
Don’t get me wrong: I understand that for some of you reading, this comes across as nothing more than me playing the role of ornery, cantankerous strength-coach…hellbent on reminding everyone that, “when I was your age, I worked out without Tweeting about it, barbells were pretty much it, and I didn’t even CrossFit.”
Now, please excuse me while I go yell at the kids to get off my lawn (and then peel out of my driveway in my Gran Torino).
Exercise variety has its place. I want to make that clear. For some people it’s the “variety” that keeps them sane and motivated to show up day in and day out.
Sometimes, it is about having fun, and there’s a degree of excitement and anticipation when we head to the gym to try something new.
I’m all for it.
In addition, exercise variety can also be a valuable asset to help address technique flaws or weaknesses with any one particular lift. It’s that subtle jolt in doing something different – while attacking something specific – that can make all the difference in the world.
Conversely, it’s the vanilla nature of doing the same exercises, in the same order, for the same sets/reps for weeks, months, and years on end that oftentimes derails progress.
So, in many ways, exercise variety is a crucial component in long-term, consistent, and systemic (improved) performance in the weight room.
On the flip side….
Exercise Variety Can Stagnate Mastery
Far too often I find trainees grow infatuated with the “newness” of new. They turn into Dug, the dog from the movie Up:
SQUIRREL!!!
Before they’re able to demonstrate any semblance of understanding and “mastery” of an exercise – in this case lets default to the “big 3 (squat, bench press, deadlift) – they’re distracted by the squirrel, or the shiny, gimmicky, whateverthef*** exercise that that guy is doing over there in the corner of the gym.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
I am right there with you: the hip hinge looks boring, and it is boring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZufiCSUTjc
It’s not a sexy exercise, and it most certainly will not win you any social media followers; but I gotta tell ya, as a coach, nothing is more valuable to me than the hip hinge.
Once someone masters that, their exercise toolbox grows exponentially.
I can more or less do whatever I want with him or her.
Deadlift? Check.
Squat? Check.
KB Swing? Check.
Fight Jason Bourne? Check.
It behooves me to drill the “big 3,” to the point of boredom and nausea, over and over and over and over again.
The Pareto Principle almost always applies here: 80% of your results are going to come from 20% of the work. If someone wants to get strong, more athletic, or even shredded…the basic, boring, “stuff” is going to get the job done.
I mean, if you want to get better at back squatting…back squat!
I know, I’m full of good ideas.
Besides, you can add plenty of “variety” playing with bar position, foot position, stance width, in addition to fluctuating sets/reps, tempo, and rest intervals.
Granted it’s an “old school” approach, but what good does it do to spend a week or even a month on a given exercise only to move on before any level of competence or motor learning has transpired?
What good does it do to add variety for the sake of adding variety?
We are providing a service, and we must take into consideration our client’s goals and preferences. There is a degree of compromise.
However
Mastering the basics, using less variety, at least in the beginning, for most people, most of the time, is going to supersede exercise flamboyance.
