A few weeks ago I was back in PA for Thanksgiving. Outside of the bitter cold I really enjoyed the trip. It was really nice to spend some time with family and eat copious amounts of dead animal flesh, stuffing, and various forms of dessert.
Sometime before dinner, my brother in law asked me about my take on Crossfit. This wasn't the first time I had been asked this question, so my response was relatively quick and well-rehearsed. After I shared my thoughts, I started thinking about the frequency that this debate occurs across the interwebz.
First, let me say that I am not a "Crossfitter". I have never stepped foot in a "box" and never participated in a "WOD". I won't get into why. It's just not my bag baby.
So why is the Crossfit discussion so popular? The more I think about it, the more I keep coming back to one response:
WHO CARES??
It is such a tired argument and frankly I'm tired of hearing it.
Sure we can argue the dangers of putting a loaded barbell in the hands of a beginner, the lack of individual assessment, high dropout rate, the rhabdomyolysis scare etc. Next thing you know, Crossfit is going to cause cancer.
I should also mention not all Crossfit facilities are created equal. There are several coaches out there that do a great job assessing and programming for the individual limitations and strengths of their members.
I'm not debating Crossfit's effectiveness. The system has produced some amazing bodies and extremely fit individuals. At the end of the day, the best program is one the individual will stick with long term. You could design the best program in the world, but if the individual doesn't adhere to it, none of that matters.
Crossfit isn't for everyone. The same can be said for powerlifting, bodybuilding, football, and naked twister. But you don't see entire forum threads devoted to arguing the semantics of, "Right hand green." Do some research and determine what training modality will best fit your goals. Then just give it a shot. If it doesn't work or you hate it, move on and try something else.
Look, it doesent matter what you do. There is always going to be an element of risk involved in any activity. Every time you crawl out of bed, you run the risk of getting hurt.
What's that? You forgot to screw in the lid on your coffee mug? BURN!!
I think you see my point here.
As with any endeavor, the most important thing is identifying the risk factors involved and managing that risk. This can be done with education, good systems and quality coaching. If an organization has these things in place, there is very little to worry about.
In the end, we are all fighting the same fight. The fight against an overweight nation and a sedentary lifestyle. We should all be happy people are willing to get off their asses, move, and lift heavy things.
You don't like Crossfit? That's cool. Just shut your pie hole about it, because nobody cares. Who are you to pee in someone else's Kool-Aid anyway?
Now is the season where some of you might be considering finding a personal trainer to jump start your routine after the sinful mastication you will participate in over the holidays. Some of you might need to lose a few pounds and others might be ready to train for a competition or event of some sort. That being said, I thought it would be a good time to highlight some things to keep in mind when deciding whether your investment is worth it.
Considering what I do for a living, one might think my answer to this question is a resounding YES. While I believe my services are worth the money, the value of training with me depends on a lot more than the services I provide.
After several years in the fitness industry, I have discovered the answer to this question is not as black and white as you might think. There are quite a few different factors to consider when determining whether personal training is really worth your hard earned cash.
Environment
What kind of environment is going to be the most conducive to your success? Some people thrive on the presence of others, while others prefer a more intimate setting.
Large group training is all the rage these days. The most popular group training modalities in the fitness world today are Crossfit and Zumba, with bootcamps coming in a close third. When I mention Zumba I tend to throw up in my mouth a little bit (how many fit people do you see doing Zumba?), but I understand the appeal to some degree.
In a group setting you have a sense of camaraderie where like minded individuals are converging to accomplish a singular goal. This inevitably leads to building some great relationships and keeps people coming back for more. It is also MUCH more affordable that traditional personal training. The caveat to group training is it tends to be a little watered down because it fails to take the wants/needs/abilities of the individual into account. If you don't have specific goals or dysfunction and simply want to exercise, this is totally fine.
Small group and 1-on-1 personal training are a little bit different. The atmosphere isn't quite as electric, but it is a better fit for individuals that want or need a little more instruction. Provided the trainer knows their ass from their acetabulum, you should receive a posture and movement screen to determine strengths, weaknesses, and dysfunction and some individual nutrition and goal setting. If you have very specific goals (athletes) or have some major movement dysfunction, small group or 1-on-1 personal training are going to be your huckleberry.
Lastly we have online personal training. Online training is quickly becoming popular. It is more affordable and provides coaching for those who are motivated to do it on their own. Programming and coaching are done from a distance via Skype and email correspondence. Again, for the more motivated individual with some existing fitness knowledge, it can be a great fit.
Environment is the first thing you need to consider because you need to be in a place that motivates you to keep coming back. Choose a place that is conducive to productivity, filled with a good coaching staff, and makes you feel the most welcome.
Coaching
A good coach is worth his/her weight in gold.
Knowledge of functional anatomy, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and nutrition are important attributes for any coach. You might have to do a little digging to find these individuals due to the high turnover rate and low barrier of entry in the industry. Many trainers get their entry level cert and do nothing to further themselves as professionals. It is important to find an individual who has a solid knowledge base because they are going to be able to identify movement faults, risks, and limitations to design a program to fit your individual needs. Also, the more advanced your goals (or the more jacked up you are), the more seasoned and educated your coach should be.
Just as, if not more important than the aforementioned attributes is the ability to be a good coach.A coach is a teacher, mentor, and motivator. The individual should relate to you on a personal level and be willing to go the extra mile to help you on your journey. A good coach will deliver you the honest truth when you are falling short, and give you the appropriate praise when warranted.
If your prospective trainer/coach does not fit the above criteria, save your money.
If you live in Charlotte, congratulations! Look no further.
Commitment
Maximize your investment
I say this to my clients all the time. At this point, most of them roll their eyes at me when hearing it, but I never hesitate to throw it out there because it couldn't be more true.
Commitment is the most important element in determining the value of personal training.
Many enlist in training services because they are enamored with the novelty of having a trainer. Others believe that exercise alone is the golden ticket.
"Three hours out of 168 every week is enough to get the body I want right?"
If you truly want to "maximize your investment", you have to commit to living the lifestyle. No, an intense weight training session does not mean you have earned the right to consume an entire Grande Meal from Taco Bell post workout. You have to practice good nutrition, recovery habits (ie sleep), and yes even do a little more exercise on your own for it to be worth your money.
Squeezing the most out of your personal training dollar is 90% dependent on what you decide to do with your time outside the gym.
Your trainer can't go home with you and hold your hand, feed you, tell you to put down that 12th beer, and make you go to bed early every night. Those choices are completely up to you.
On a personal level, I tend to expect a lot from my clients. Almost to a fault. The way I see it, they are investing a lot of money to work with me, so I take it upon myself to deliver the greatest value possible. For me, training is the opportunity to teach someone. The old saying"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime" could not be more true in my case. My most successful client relationships are not trainer/trainee, but rather teacher/student.
In this business, you only get paid for done. I expect to see progress because I am good at what I do and am willing to invest the time and energy into achieving a result.
If you show me the commitment, you will get it back on my end ten fold. Show me no commitment and expect little in return.
Summary
Keep in mind I am NOT trying to discourage anyone from seeking out a trainer. This is my livelihood after all. I am simply attempting to make you aware of the requisite requirements to get the most out of your money.
Seek out the right environment, a good coach, and commit to the process. If you do these things, personal training is worth every penny.
First impressions are kind of a big deal. You can determine a lot about someone within the first couple minutes of meeting them. There are usually a few things that stand out like a nice watch, big smile, eye contact, or shoes. From a physical standpoint, you can usually tell when someone takes care of themselves. As a fitness professional I can appreciate things like good posture and muscular development. Among other attributes, I think many of us can appreciate a set of well developed glutes.
What, you thought Kim Kardashian was famous for her talent?
Aside from the obvious aesthetic appeal of a well developed backside, proper glute function is essential for injury prevention and athletic performance. There have been numerous studies done on how better glute function translates to knee, hip, and low back health in addition to contributing to better performance.
Basically, a better butt is almost as awesome as Arnold Schwarzenegger riding a unicorn while drinking Wild Turkey and slaying communists. All while AC/DC is playing in the background.
So sad I couldn't find a picture of that...but I digress.
Unfortunately, many have what Dr. Stuart McGill calls "gluteal amnesia". Due to the sedentary nature of our society, we spend more time sitting on our glutes than we do using them. Most people have no idea what ideal hip extension looks or feels like. As a result we have more marshmallow asses and low back pain than buns of steel and bulletproof spines.
Here are a few things you can use to wake up those glutes.
1. Know What Proper Hip Extension Looks Like
You might think I would start with a long list of stretching and corrective exercises, but before you go down that road you need to know what proper hip extension looks like. Many are quick to jump into a corrective strategy without addressing whether motor control is the real issue first. A little bit of coaching can go a long way.
There are several different hip extension exercises out there, but I find the easiest way to teach it is with a simple glute bridge. Lie on your back, bend the knees, brace your abs and drive the heels into the floor to lift the hips as high as possible. Give your glutes a good squeeze at the top.
photo credit: motherfitness.com
Notice in the image above how there is a straight line from the knees, through the hips, and all the way to the shoulders. This is the position the hips should be in at the top of every rep of squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and most other lower body exercises that are performed. If you can achieve this position AND feel a good contraction in the glutes, you may be ready to progress to more advanced variations.
Conversely, if you feel your hamstrings light up like a Christmas tree your glutes probably aren't firing properly. If this is the case you need to address a few other things first.
2. Learn How to Breathe Properly
I have covered breathing at length before, so I won't belabor the point here.
Proper pelvic alignment is essential to proper glute function. If you don't know how to breathe properly, chances are the pelvis is already out of alignment due to an accessory breathing strategy. If the diaphragm isn't doing its job, the hip flexors and paraspinals will most likely be picking up the slack and contributing to more anterior pelvic tilt.
Try some crocodile or 3 month breathing to get yourself right. Get on the floor and knock out 10-15 deep diaphragmatic breaths with a full exhale.
3. Stretch the Hip Flexors
Piggybacking on my last point, stiff hip flexors can pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt, thus limiting the glutes' ability to extend the hip.
There are several reasons for short and stiff hip flexors that I will not get into here. It is sufficient to say some extra stretching for this area can help. There are many examples of effective hip flexor stretches out there on the interwebz, so I'll let you do the homework.
4. Train Anti-Extension
After you have loosened things up a bit, you need to cement that new mobility with some stability work. Training the anterior core to resist lumbar extension is essential because it allows the hips to fully extend without extra spinal motion.
In layman's terms, the spine should stay still so the glutes can do their job.
My favorites are ground based core exercises like dead bugs, pullovers, plank variations, and ab wheel rollouts.
5. Train the Glutes Directly
Now that you have addressed potential weak links, its time to get into some direct glute work.
I didn't used to be a huge fan of glute bridges and hip thrusts, but after incorporating some of them into my own training and programming I have changed my tune. These are also a great way to train hip extension for individuals that don't tolerate spinal loading well (ie. back pain).
SL Hip Thrust
Barbell Glute Bridge
There are a few different options here and different ways to load each. Just make sure you brace your abs, drive the heel into the floor with each rep, and get a full contraction in the glutes at the top. I actually just came across a post on Greg Robins' site that went up today on hip thrust variations. Check it out here.
Give these a try and enjoy the soreness.
Summary
Whether your goal is to sculpt a more aesthetically pleasing backside, reduce pain, or to improve your performance, the glutes merit some direct attention in any training program.
Keep in mind you can do all the hip thrusting and stretching in the world to make your butt look better, but if your nutrition sucks nobody will take notice.
Put the above points into action and you should be happy with the result.
I've been in a bit of a writing funk lately. Between work and all the other stuff I have going on I haven't been feeling overly inspired. I suppose that's part of the creative process. Coming up with insightful content week after week certainly isn't an easy task. I am also very analytical, which certainly doesn't expedite the writing process.
I've actually heard of several accomplished authors scrapping months or years of work because they thought it was crap. Others spend years working and never get published. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on myself considering I am still pretty new to this whole writing thing. At the end of the day the best thing I can do is keep writing and getting better. This happens to make a wonderful transition into the first item in this month's stuff you should read.
Something strange is happening. Now that I have been 30 for a couple weeks, I feel markedly wiser and even more handsome. Hopefully this renewed intelligence and good-lookingness will lead to fame and fortune in the next decade.
Now, on to the second half of my 30 lessons.
16. The best way to get stronger is adding weight to the bar. If you are lifting the same weights week after week, month after month, you probably aren't making any progress. Vary the load, intensity, speed and rep schemes you are using and make sure poundage is increasing. A few of my favorite programs out there include 5/3/1, The Juggernaut Method, AMD, and Show and Go. I haven't purchased it yet, but Eric Cressey's High Performance Handbook is out now and I'm sure it is a fantastic program as well. Go pick one of these up if you are serious about getting stronger.
17. Pain is a manifestation of dysfunction elsewhere. If your knee hurts, the knee probably isn't the problem. Look for a mobility or stability problem in the adjacent joint. The same goes for the shoulder, back etc.
18. Cherish every day and every moment. You only get one shot at life.
19. Auto-regulation is a fantastic thing. Some days we feel great and others we feel like crap. Real life is tiring and stressful. If you always keep your foot on the gas you will inevitably burn out. Constructing a program that allows one to capitalize on the good days and "punch the clock" on the bad is crucial to long term success.
20. Preserve your athleticism. We don't spend enough time at play. All the time we spend in the weight room is beneficial, but along the way we stop running, jumping, rolling and throwing. Why? Make it a point to get outside and play or add some agility work into your routine. All that time in the weight room doesn't mean much if you can't play a little flag football with your buddies without getting hurt.
21. Consistency is the key to long term success.
22. View your time and energy as an investment. You have control over the situations, and individuals (personally and professionally) that are worth your investment. Invest wisely.
23. We don't give breathing patterns enough credit. You don't really own your stability until you can breathe through it. Start making proper breathing a priority and marvel at the results.
24. You should never pay anyone for something you can do yourself (unless that person is me).
25. Movement capacity is the most important aspect of fitness and performance. Strength is important, but not at the expense of proper movement. If you can't get yourself in the correct position to squat, deadlift, and press you will never be as strong as you could be.
26. Any idiot can make you tired. A good coach will make you better. Any good fitness professional has a systematic way of approaching just about everything. Results by default aren't worth your money. If your trainer can't identify the steps they will take to progress you to your goal, take your business elsewhere.
27. Goals MUST be specific and measurable. It is much easier to hold yourself accountable if you have a quantitative measure to aim for. Anything else is spinning your wheels.
28. If more people picked up heavy things and listened to AC/DC the world would be a better place.
29. There is a difference between "training" and "exercising". Exercising is for those with no direction. They have no goals and no expectations of themselves. Going to the gym and eating well is nothing more than an obligation and they expect to see results with minimal effort. Training is for those who have a purpose. They have concrete goals and hold themselves to a higher standard. Their time is a valuable commodity and they use it wisely. Training is a life long pursuit and it takes a heavy dose of hard work and dedication. These individuals don't get hung up on minor setbacks. They keep pushing forward and setting new goals.
30. All your health efforts don't mean shit if you don't buckle your seat belt.
Hopefully you all take something away from a few of the lessons I've learned in my short time on this earth. Looking back, I have been pretty fortunate thus far and hope to live happily through my next 30.
Well it's official, 30 years ago I graced the world with my presence.
You're welcome world.
All kidding aside, I have so much to be thankful for and am grateful for every new day. I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the most important lessons I've learned over the years regarding strength training, movement, and life. When I sat down and made this list I thought it would be difficult, but I actually had a tough time keeping the it to 30!
1. Master the basics first and do them forever. Everyone seems to be in a rush to get to the coolest, most advanced training and nutrition protocols. Movements like squatting, hinging, pulling and pushing should always form the cornerstone of your training program.
2. Perfect practice makes perfect. Half reps and half-assed nutrition won't get you any closer to your goals.
3. If you're not assessing you're guessing. How can you get to point B if you don't know what point A is? You should constantly be assessing to gauge progress and set new goals.
4. 90% of your problems can be solved with hard work and a positive attitude.
5. Stop looking for a fitness solution to a medical problem. If you are injured (there is a difference between hurt and injured), seek out the help of a clinician.
6. Avoid frequently training to failure. Training to failure has its place, but 5 clean reps are better than 8 ugly reps.
7. Stop with the sit ups already! Train the core to resist motion.
8. Time your carbohydrate intake around your training. On training days the majority of your carbohydrate intake should be around workout time. Limit carbohydrate intake on non-training days.
9. Strength builds character. I learned some of my most valuable lessons in the weight room. Overcoming fear and testing your limits will make you a better person inside and out.
10. Corrective exercise in the traditional sense is overrated. We should be trying to correct movements with movement rather than focusing on what muscle group isn't working properly.
11. You can't run to get a runner's body. You need a runner's body to run. Running is a high level activity, yet the first thing most people do to get fit is embark on a distance running program. Most are nowhere near qualified to run to their mailbox much less run a 5k. Clean up your diet and build tissue tolerance through strength training first.
12. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
13. Don't forget to rotate your lifts. Back squatting and bench pressing for months on end will make you strong, but can also lead to an overuse injury. I learned this one the hard way. Change the bar placement, angle, or grip every few months and your joints will thank you.
14. Don't subscribe to just one form of conditioning. HIIT, speed work, and long duration cardio all have different benefits and are part of a well rounded conditioning program. You can prioritize one or two over the others depending on your goals, but don't completely ditch any of them.
15. Never stretch just for stretching's sake. Flexibility should be approached on a case by case basis. If someone already has an extreme amount of laxity (looseness) in a particular joint, why would you continue to stretch it? This does way more harm than good. Yet another reason why assessment is so important. Eric Cressey had an excellent post a while back about this topic. Check it out here.
If you look in my closet for example, you won't find a cornucopia of different wardrobe options. I generally stick with a tee shirt and a pair of jeans on most occasions. I own exactly two suits (c'mon bro I'm a trainer) and two pairs of dress shoes. In my experience, you really can't go wrong with a nice tee shirt and a pair of jeans. For most occasions, it just works.
The ancient Spartans are well known for their minimalist approach. They carved away nearly every activity they deemed a luxury and focused on a simplistic lifestyle. Their architecture, speech, and way of life revolved around success in the only aspect they deemed necessary; war. They ate only what was needed, trained efficiently, and concealed their intellect in an effort to be underestimated by their adversaries.
Spartan minimalism will serve you well in several aspects of life. Especially as it pertains to training and nutrition.
Spartan Training
MED stands forminimal effective dose. This is the lowest volume, lowest frequency, and the fewest changes needed to achieve the desired outcome. In this case, less is more.
I find it best to pick three things you can make time for that directly contribute to your success. Consider this: If you had to choose just three exercises to achieve your desired result, what would they be? The best choices are always going to be compound movements which recruit the largest number of motor units and muscle fibers.
For example, if your goal is fat loss:
Chin Up 5x10
Kettlebell Swing 5x20
Twerk till you puke or sprint 5x100 yards
Or strength development/muscle gain:
Deadlift 6x3
Chin Up 6x8
Press 6x6
Keep in mind this is the bare minimum, but accomplishing these three things allows you to continue to make progress in times of chaos. Depending on your fitness level and goals, you can add variety with different exercises, set, rep, and rest period combinations. Use these three movements as your MED and add more when you have the time and energy.
This is very similar to how I train most of the year. I don't waste my time with the newest, coolest fitness trends or a set of bullshit DVDs that promises results in 90 days. I know what works and I do it consistently.
Spartan Nutrition
One could argue nutrition is not so simple. True, there are several factors to consider when designing a good nutrition plan, but there are four variables one can isolate to achieve the best outcome. The four most important nutritional variables are:
Protein intake
Fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption
Food quality
Common sense
Most nutrition plans fail because of shortcomings in one or more of the above variables. You would be surprised to see how many people have problems with #4. Not surprisingly, our MED for nutrition will revolve around these variables.
For Fat Loss:
Eat only clean foods with a very short list of ingredients.
Consume a minimum of 30g of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Eat a salad or green vegetable with every meal.
For Muscle Gain/Strength:
Consume a minimum of 50g of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Eat a fruit or whole grain with every meal.
Eat a salad or green vegetable with every meal.
I think common sense goes without saying here. Again, this is the minimal effective dose. Sure you would benefit from keeping track of calories and macronutrients, but when your proverbial well is running dry this Spartan approach works great.
Summary
The Spartans were successful because they showed tireless dedication toward achieving a single goal. Taking the Spartan approach is simple, not easy. Any quest for self-improvement takes a healthy dose of dedication and determination.
Consistency is key. We all have several obligations. Home ownership, children, and work to name a few. Few of us have the time or energy for a year-round rigorous training and nutrition plan. When the things get crazy at home and work, you need a simple set of effective principles to fall back on. By stripping away all of the excess, you allow yourself to make continued progress in the things that matter.
I am officially only two weeks away from the end of my youth. The big 3-0 is knocking at the door.
I had previously been looking at this upcoming milestone with feelings of dread. Looking back, I'm not really where I thought I would be at this age. So I grabbed my high school yearbook and looked up my prediction on where I would be in ten years. It said something about living in California and drinking protein shakes on Venice beach in between sets of deadlifts with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Just kidding, but hey a guy can dream right?
After some self-reflection I realized I've accomplished some pretty great things in my 30 years on this earth. I'm proud of myself for making a positive contribution to society and hope to continue to do the same in the my next 30.
Now on to this month's stuff you should read. Enjoy!
Nobody can debate the effectiveness of the squat. It is the cornerstone of any good strength training program. Regardless of your goals, some squat variation deserves its special place in your program.
Want big legs? Squat.
Shapely glutes? Squat.
A date with Sofia Vergara? Keep squatting.
The back squat is probably the most popular squatting variation. It also allows one to handle the most load, therefore I consider it the most beneficial.
Early in my strength training career, I really didn't know the difference between the low bar back squat and the high bar back squat. My coaches probably didn't either. Like any beginner, I just put the bar on my back and started cranking out reps. For a beginner this is probably fine, you just need to get used to squatting with some weight on your back and adding pounds to the bar.
As one progresses to the intermediate level, it becomes useful to know the difference between back squatting in the low bar and high bar positions. This way one is able to choose which is a better fit for their goals.
High Bar Squat
The high bar position is the most commonly seen bar placement in the back squat. Walk into any commercial facility and you will likely see any Bro Montana using a high bar position hammering out half reps with a puss pad and less than stellar technique. I'm not saying the high bar position is bad, just making a point that its rare to see someone squatting correctly in a commercial gym.
In the high bar position, the bar is placed high on the shoulders, right on the upper traps. Due to the higher center of gravity one must maintain a more upright torso through the movement. This decreases the knee angle and increases the hip angle, thus making the lift more quad dominant.
Due to the quad dominant nature of the lift, the high bar squat is best used by those with more aesthetic goals in mind (big quads). High bar squats are commonly used by bodybuilders because of increased quadriceps recruitment. The high bar position is also preferred by Olympic lifters because it keeps the torso more upright (as in catching a clean in the bottom position).
The only real downside to the high bar position is that it limits the amount of weight that can be used.
Low Bar Squat
The low bar position is less commonly seen in your average commercial gym setting. Usually because it is more technically demanding and most people simply don't know how to do it correctly.
In the low bar position the bar is placed lower on the shoulders. The proper position is located right above the spine of the scapulae. The first attempt at maintaining this position is usually very uncomfortable, especially when the weight gets heavy. The "chest out" cue becomes very important when using a low bar set up.
Due to the lower center of gravity, this variation requires a more angled torso during the descent. It feels a little strange at first because you have to actively lean forward at the torso and sit back at the same time. This increases the knee angle and decreases the hip angle, thus making this movement more posterior chain dominant and allowing for maximal glute and hamstring recruitment.
A low bar position is best used by those with more performance based goals because the lower center of gravity and ability to recruit the hips more allows for the use of heavier loads. Low bar squats are commonly used by more experienced strength trainees and powerlifters. I would argue that they are more beneficial to athletes as well (stronger backside = more powerful athlete).
A downside to the low bar squat is that it can be hard on the shoulders. Placing the shoulders in an abducted and externally rotated position under load can beat them up over the long haul. Especially if your shoulder mobility is a little shaky to begin with. If you decide to make the low bar squat your variation of choice, it would be wise to rotate periods of high bar and front squatting (along with the usual pre-hab) into your programming to keep your shoulders healthy.
Summary
As always, knowledge is power. Knowing the correct variation to use based on your goals will serve you well over the long haul. I've cited it a few times on here now, but Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength is an excellent book for those of you that want to get more serious about your barbell training.
So here's a quick recap:
High Bar Squat
Lower learning curve.
More quad dominant.
Less weight can be used.
Best for aesthetic-based goals and Olympic lifting.
Low Bar Squat
Higher learning curve.
More hip dominant.
More weight can be used.
Best for performance-based goals and the serious strength crowd.
Hard on the shoulders. Make sure to rotate your lifts accordingly.
The split squat is an extremely versatile movement. It can be performed in several different ways and should be a mainstay in any program from beginner to the advanced trainee.
Still think split squats are for beginners?
Split squat variations are some of my favorite movements to use for a few reasons:
Teaches one to maintain hip extension on the rear leg while the front leg is moving. This is very important for sprinting.
Many of the individuals I work with have low back pain. The split squat is an excellent exercise for these individuals as it allows one to load the legs without overloading the spine.
Builds stability and strength in a single leg stance, which is important in sports and other activities of daily living.
Builds thighs of steel.
In this installment of movement mistakes, I'll break down three of the most common errors I see when performing the split squat. The following cues should help clean up your technique so you get the most out of yours.
#1 - Lumbar Hyperextension/Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Notice the excessive arch in the low back in the image above (along with the unstable surface = fail). This places the pelvis and low back in a poor position and decreases the core's ability to contribute to the movement. This is usually a core stability issue or due to a poor set up.
Coaching Cues
Get your ribs down.
Line your pelvis up directly under your rib cage.
Squeeze the glute of the trailing leg.
Drop the back knee straight down during the descent.
#2 - Excessive Use of the Trailing Leg
Sometimes people just aren't coached correctly or they don't understand what they are trying to achieve with a particular movement. This is one of those cases. When initially viewing this movement, many believe that the back and front legs contribute equally. While the trailing leg has to do some work, it is more like a 80/20 split from front to back leg. If the back leg is on fire when doing this, you more than likely are using it too much.
Coaching Cues
Focus on lowering yourself straight down with the front leg and drive the midfoot into the ground on the ascent.
Visualize your back leg as a kickstand.
#3 - Letting the Knee Drift too Far Forward
You can also see this in the image above. Allowing the knee to track too far forward leads to increased shear forces on the knee joint. If you want to keep those knees healthy, you will want to avoid this at all costs. The knee can be allowed to track forward slightly, but you generally want a vertical shin throughout the movement.
Coaching Cues
Maintain a vertical shin
Keep your weight distributed through the midfoot and heel.
Remember, details matter. You will be surprised how much these small changes can make a difference. Keeping the above cues in mind will clean up your technique so you can get the most out of your split squat variations.
I'm going to tell you a little story. This should help you put things in perspective a little bit in regards to where you are in life personally and professionally. I think writing all of this will help me as well.
So, sit back on your festive pumpkin chair with your pumpkin spiced whatever with a side of pumpkin bread and enjoy a trip down Matt's memory lane.
Back in January of 2010, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and become a Physical Therapist. I did some research and found out I would have to take several additional undergraduate courses to satisfy pre-requisite requirements in addition to a bunch of volunteer observation hours in various Physical Therapy settings.
It was a pretty daunting task and I took some time to weigh the pros and cons of what I was about to embark upon. It would take me approximately two years to complete the task and after the fact, there would be the risk of rejection and all my hard work being for nothing.
Now I have always been of the mindset that if one puts their mind to something and puts fourth their absolute best effort, one will get what they want. With this in mind, I decided it was worth the risk .
Over the ensuing two and a half years, I took 10 additional undergraduate classes and completed nearly 200 hours of voluntary observation hours in various clinical settings. I did all of this while training full time and continuing my professional development. I wanted to make sure I would be the best trainer I could be, and at the same time prepare myself to be a standout student in the Physical Therapy classroom.
I studied biomechanics, strength and conditioning, assessment modalities, and obtained an additional certification.
After two and a half years of hard work and constant stress, I finally finished what was the equivalent of a second bachelor's degree. I paid my money (application fees are incredibly expensive when you add them all up) and applied to six different programs. I was exhausted. Then I waited.
And waited
And waited some more.
About three months went by, and I started getting letters. One rejection, another rejection, and another. When it was all said and done I was rejected by five programs and placed on the wait list for one. Then I waited some more and didn't get in to the wait listed school.
I was crushed.
I felt like such a failure. It felt like my whole world was going to crash down around me. All of that hard work....for nothing. I was lost.
"How could I take such a huge risk?"
"Was I too rash with my decision making?"
"What the hell do I do now?"
"Do I really want to be a trainer for the rest of my life?"
On a positive note, after all those rejections, in April of 2012 I got married to the love of my life, Jodie.
We were married in St. Lucia and it was absolutely wonderful. It was just what I needed to get my mind off of things.
When we returned I spent a couple of months re-thinking things and decided to give it another shot. I did some more observation hours and got another certification to make myself look better on paper. I also called around and spoke with some professors and people on the admissions committee.
I applied again.
Fast forward to this past January. Rejected again.
Crushed....again.
"How could this happen?" I worked so damn hard! All those feelings of failure and inadequacy came rushing back. I didn't know where I would go from there. Truthfully, up until recently the last several months have been a rollercoaster of emotions. Anger and negativity being at the forefront of those emotions. I was smack in the middle of what I call "Negative Town".
I had been wrestling with the internal conflict of what to do next. Can I honestly make a career out of fitness? Should I start my own business? Should I do something else?
All of this internal conflict and negativity was weighing me down like a two ton boulder on my back. It was affecting my work and most importantly, my marriage.
Not long ago, Jodie and I had a long "discussion". You married folks out there know what I mean by "discussion". She really put things in perspective for me. I had been carrying all of this anger around with me and I wasn't enjoying my life. I was dwelling on the few negative things that had happened to me and I was failing to look at the positive. All I was thinking about was that I wasn't where I wanted to be.
So I sat down and made a list of all the positive things I had done in the past 5 years.
Got married to an absolutely wonderful person and my best friend.
Bought our first house.
Raised a dog.
Paid off some debt.
Added more debt.
Helped literally hundreds of people get healthy and feel better about themselves.
Formed some great relationships with some truly great people. (The people of Mint Hill, NC really are some of the most amazing, genuine people I have ever met.)
Earned the equivalent to a second bachelor's degree in Biology. (Maybe I should try and make that official by the way.)
Completed a ton of professional development including certifications, books, DVD's, webinars, and seminars.
Became a better person.
Started a pretty awesome blog.
What the hell is wrong with me?! I have so much to be happy about! My heart should be full.
The moral of the story is that its way too easy to dwell on the negative.
Am I exactly where I want to be in life? Hell no, but I have some great things going for me. I know for certain I'll never stop trying to get better personally and professionally. I'm way too awesome to be carrying all that negative bullshit around with me every day. And you are too.
Your career does not define who you are. The type of person you choose to be does.
So don't take a trip to Negative Town. Perspective is everything. Take a step back and look at the positive things in your life. Make a list if you have to. Trust me it helps. Be thankful for what you have and appreciate it every second of every day.
Now, because I can't resist an 80's reference, I'll end with one of my favorite movie moments of all time.
* I apologize for the sloppy format of this post in advance. I typed some of it up in word and had some formatting issues when copying it on here.
I took a little break from blogging for the past couple weeks to re-charge my creative batteries and think a little more on how I want to deliver my content moving forward. I can be extremely analytical at times. I believe this serves me well, but also works against me when writing because it takes a little longer than I would like when generating content. A classic case of "paralysis by analysis" if you will. My goal is perfection, but I realize that perfection isn't always possible. I just want to continue to deliver great content that all of you can use to get the most out of your training and daily lives. That being said, I plan on having some great, actionable content for you all in the coming weeks and months.
In my last post, I discussed some of the elements that contribute to shoulder problems as well as a couple strategies you should consider to keep your shoulders healthy.
Now I will dive into what I consider the most important element of shoulder pre-hab: program design.
Program Design
A well rounded training program is of the utmost importance when keeping your shoulders healthy. Most individuals fail miserably in this regard. Week after week, guys bench press their way into oblivion, paying little attention to proper recovery modalities and balanced training.
Treat the guidelines below as a check list of sorts. If you are having some shoulder issues or simply want to take care of your body, take a moment and assess what your training looks like. If you are missing any or all of the items below, fill in your gaps and get rid of anything that might be working against you.
1. What to Omit
One of the first things I learned in my FMS training is that one can do all the preventative maintenance and corrective exercise in the world, but if you are constantly doing exercises that are "feeding your dysfunction" none of it is going to work. If you are currently having some shoulder problems or have the mobility of a baseball bat, consider removing the following exercises from your programming.
Barbell bench presses
All overhead pressing
Dips
That's right, I said bench pressing. This might be a hard pill to swallow for some, but if you want to get serious about your long term health its time to consider it. Trust me I am a huge fan of the bench press, so I'm not saying you have to remove these forever. Just for a little while until you improve your mobility and get out of pain. If your mobility is sound and you have no pain, you are free to do any of these.
2. Perform Soft Tissue Work
We need to reduce tone and tension in overactive
tissues, so the next item on our list is soft tissue work with the foam
roller and lacrosse ball. The two most problematic areas of restriction are
the latissimus dorsi (lats), posterior shoulder
capsule, and the pec minor. These three muscle groups tend to pull the
scapula and humerus into a bad position.
Spend 1-2 minutes on each area before and after each
training session.
3. Address T-Spine Mobility
Remember our overhead reaching example from last time?
That is a perfect example of why T-spine mobility is important. When we
can achieve adequate levels of extension and rotation with our thoracic
spine, the shoulder blades and glenohumeral joint can move much more
freely.
This can be addressed through correctives as well as in exercise selection. The main purpose of these exercises is to drive more extension and rotation through the thoracic spine. There are several you can perform, but these are my favorites.
Correctives
Side-lying windmill
Bench t-spine mobilization
Exercises
One arm DB bench press
One Arm Push Up
4. Stretch
There are so many different camps on stretching these days. Some believe stretching is dumb and others swear by it.
Let me lay it out plain and simple: You should never stretch just for stretching's sake.
Stretching should be approached on a case-by-case basis. For example, I've worked with several females over the years that have extreme laxity (loose joints) through the hips and shoulders. They have more than enough hip and shoulder mobility already yet they continue to stretch and take yoga classes because they believe it is good for them. These are the last people that should be performing static stretches. In this case, stretching is doing more harm than good. These individuals would be much better served working on establishing more stability through their body with extra core work among other things.
Since you are reading this post, I am assuming your shoulder mobility is about as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense right now.
One of my favorite ways to stretch the upper body is with band traction. I regularly use these myself and on my clients and they work great. Check out the video below by Mike Robertson for a sweet example.
5. Pull More Than You Push
Pretty simple here. Most individuals are extremely out of balance. They spend all of their time performing way too many pressing exercises and not enough pulling/upper back work. This is usually done in the effort to achieve a bigger chest and bigger bench press.
Sometimes in order to achieve balance, we need to train in an unbalanced fashion. This is one of those times. Your back can NEVER be strong enough. A big strong back will keep you more healthy, and help you lift bigger weights. Plain and simple.
Shoot for a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of pulling to pushing using plenty of pull up and rowing variations.
6. Train the Cuff, Low Traps, and Serratus
Anterior
Many times we also neglect the smaller stabilizers of the upper back. Pull ups are rows are fantastic exercises, but they don't do the best job of hitting the smaller muscles around the shoulders. The rotator cuff, low traps, and serratus anterior play very important roles in scapular and glenohumeral stabilization, thus they deserve attention as well. These are a few of my favorites.
Pick one or two of these and perform them before and after every training session.
The difference between open chain and closed chain pressing deserves some attention here as well.
Open chain exercises are when the proximal (think close to you) segment is fixed and the distal (your hands) segment is moving. A perfect example is the bench press. During the bench press the shoulder blades are fixed in place while the hands are moving. An excess of this under heavy loads can be very stressful on the glenohumeral joint. This is one of the reasons why excessive bench pressing can lead to shoulder problems.
Closed chain exercises are when the proximal (think shoulder blades) segment is moving and the distal (your hands) segment is fixed in place. The push up is the best example of a closed chain exercise here. Allowing the scapulae to move around the rib cage is a good thing.
Many are quick to dismiss the push up because it is "too easy". I beg to differ. There are a plethora (Yes I said plethora. I have a very extensive vocabulary.) of ways to load push ups to make them more challenging. You elevate the feet, add bands, plates, chains or any combination of these. Push ups are a staple in any shoulder-friendly program I write.
Make sure to balance your pressing with some push up variations.
Putting It All Together
I've covered quite a bit over the last two posts. In summary, make sure you are making the appropriate lifestyle and training modifications using all of these points:
Implement proper lifestyle modification techniques such as sitting up straight, moving around more often, and breathing properly.
Make sure to use correct exercise technique.
Omit harmful movements if necessary.
Perform soft tissue work daily.
Address t-spine mobility through daily correctives and proper programming.
Stretch.
Pull more than you push.
Train the stabilizers of the upper back.
Balance your pressing through the use of open and closed chain movements.
If you are having some shoulder problems or simply want to keep your shoulders healthy over the long haul, take a few minutes to assess your training and lifestyle habits using the points outlined above. If you are missing any of these elements, fill in the gaps and you should be happy with the result!
P.S. - Like what you have been reading? Help me out and spread the word! Don't forget to like and share!
September marks the beginning of several significant life events.
As evidenced by the cataclysmic wave of pictures on Facebook, many of you are sending your children of to school for yet another year of learning and extra curricular activities. I'm sure all of you moms out there are looking forward to all of the miles you are about to put on your minivan.
Those of us that have yet to embark upon the pleasure of parenthood have been counting down the days to one of the most important American traditions.
FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!!
Right about now I'm happier than Dikembe Mutombo blocking a shot.
You see, growing up in Western Pennsylvania you learn three important things:
Never leave the house without a winter coat and an ice scraper.
Iron City is NOT a real city.
If you don't love football you might as well crawl back into the womb, because you don't belong here.
I could devote an entire wave of posts to counting the ways I love football season. The slight chill in the air, the smell of homemade chili bubbling in the crock pot, the sound my computer makes when one of my fantasy football players scores a touchdown, even my wife yelling at me for locking myself in the bedroom after my team loses.
Alas, I digress. I suppose I had better get on to this month's stuff you should read. Enjoy!
I stumbled across Fitocracy a couple of months ago and was instantly intrigued. Fitocracy is the Facebook of fitness. You can create a free profile, log your workouts, earn points, complete quests, earn achievements, learn, and many others. It makes fitness a game of sorts. I believe creating a community and making fitness fun is very important. I would highly recommend checking this out. You can view my profile and add me as a friend HERE.
