The Perfect Warm Up

I get my inspiration in many different ways. Sometimes it comes from a client that is having some trouble in life, or with a particular movement. Other times it comes from a passage I have read in a book. Most of the time it comes from observing someone doing something really stupid.

I see people all the time who walk into the gym, hop on the treadmill for a few minutes, then jump right into some type of intense physical activity. Now I understand that not everyone is as well informed as I am when it comes to fitness, but doesn't this seem kind of stupid? Is walking on that treadmill preparing you to dominate your training session?

The perfect warm up should accomplish a few things.

• Raise core body temperature
• Increase flexibility and extensibility of muscles
• Improve alignment and posture
• Activate the Central Nervous System
• Prepare you to open up a can of whoop ass

Now how do a couple of minutes walking or running on a treadmill accomplish all of these things? Do you think Dan Marino just walked on the treadmill for a few minutes before he stepped on the field to shred opposing defenses?

Probably, but you aren't Dan are you?

Here are the elements that I believe are necessary for the perfect warm up.

Soft Tissue Work

As it pertains to the warm up, soft tissue work will be classified as use of the foam roller and lacrosse/tennis ball on common areas of soft tissue restriction. The roller and lacrosse ball are used to apply direct pressure to some of these "hot spots", affecting slow adapting, low threshold mechanoreceptors, helping decrease sympathetic nervous system activity, thus reducing tone and tension in muscles that need it. It also helps restore adequate hydration levels in all of your tissues, which is also important for flexibility and extensibility.

Basically, it loosens things up and makes you feel pretty good too.

Spend 3-5 minutes working on your problem areas like hip flexors, quads, TFL/IT band, adductors, calves, lats, pecs, and T-spine.

Ground Work

I think we human beings don't spend enough time on the ground. We spend plenty of time sitting on our asses and laying on the couch, slowly rotting away into piles of blubbery hunched over flesh.

I love Wii and bacon, but come on man!

The ground provides valuable sensory feedback for the body. When you are on the ground, you are in a position of much greater stability because there are more points of contact for your body to draw stability from. This allows your body to move through greater ranges of motion. If you can't move well on the ground, its a safe bet that you don't move very well when standing.

This is a great place to begin your warm up because it follows a logical progression of taking your body from a position of more stability to less stability. It makes it easier to turn on stabilizers and loosen up areas that need it before your body needs to worry about doing more complex tasks like squatting and jumping.

Additionally, ground work prepares you for more fundamental tasks you need daily, like crawling around with your kids, gardening,  or working on the car. I am amazed with how much people struggle with something as simple as getting on the ground and standing up again. Around 28,000 people are injured every year from fall related injuries.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

Don't you think that spending more time on the ground and getting back up might help you out? I'm not a huge fan of yoga, but I use a lot of yoga-based movements in my warm ups. Check out the video below from fellow movement Jedi Eric Cressey for an example of four things you can use.

Self Limiting Exercise

I love self limiting movements. They help build coordination, proprioception, and give some feedback to how you are progressing in terms of your overall movement capability. A perfect example of a self limiting exercise is jumping rope. If you can't jump rope, you will know it pretty quickly. It will either make you feel really cool or incredibly stupid. With practice, you can get better at it and impress all your friends! Seriously though things like this are vastly under rated. Pick one or two and add them into your warm up. Some examples of self limiting exercise are:

• Jump Rope
• Turkish Get Ups
• Bear Crawls
• Single Leg Movements
• Kettlebell Bottoms Up Presses
• Handstands

* Don't go and start doing stuff on the BOSU balls and other balance implements. Its just silly and foolish. I could dedicate an entire post to why unstable surface training for the lower body is stupid. Its sufficient to say if you make this a regular practice, you deserve a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to the face.

Movement Prep

I would classify movement prep as performing tasks specific to what you are going to be doing in your training session. For example, on squat day I might spend some time in the bottom position of a bodyweight squat, focusing on stating tight with a neutral spine. Then I will move to some bodyweight squats, followed by squats with the unloaded barbell and progressively add weight until I get into my work sets.

You can also spend some time practicing skills. If you are in to Olympic lifting or Kettlebell sport this is a perfect opportunity to dedicate some time to skill work.

Be Specific

A great warm up should address any specific limitations that you have. For example, if you sit at a desk all day and can't touch your toes, your warm up should include movements that loosen up the backside and activate the core. Do you have knee pain? Spend some extra time rolling out your quads and calves. Making your warm up specific to your needs will help keep you pain free in the long run and improve performance.

Wrap Up

This might seem like a lot to do before you get into your training, but if you move through things quickly, spending 3-5 minutes on each category, it should never take more than 15 minutes.

Any questions on what to do? Let me know in the comments section!

6 Coaching Cues to Improve Your Bench Press

I thought it was time for a meathead post. I love discussing training philosophy and how to help all kinds of people progress toward their goals, but my real passion is lifting heavy things. To me, there are few things manlier than picking up something heavy or pushing it over your head. Some people like to work on cars, others prefer bowling (not sure why). If I was stranded on a desert island with only three wishes, I would wish for:

1. My wife
2. A barbell with a ton of weight
3. The complete works of AC/DC and Metallica

Greatest Band of All Time

Some of you might think I'm a total dumbass. "What an idiot! Why wouldn't he wish for a boat?" I'll tell you why.

To me, (assuming there is food, water, and a brewery nearby) these are the only three things I need to be happy.

Its like being on a permanent vacation! What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, the bench press.

The bench press is considered by many to be the king of upper body strength exercises. It is used by powerlifters, bodybuilders and athletes everywhere to build strength and size. During any discussion between two guys about weight lifting, nine times out of ten the question "So what do you bench?" arises. Here are six coaching cues to help you get the most out of your bench press.

1. Stay Tight!

As with any of the big lifts, if you want to push big weight, you have to learn to create tension through your entire body. Many will just hop under the bar, push it out of the rack and begin pressing. This is extremely inefficient, unsafe and will limit the amount of weight you can lift. Start by screwing your feet into the floor, tighten your legs, glutes and abs, and squeeze the bar hard.

2. Arch





Arching your back before you begin accomplishes a few things:

• Decreases the distance the bar has to travel
• Puts the shoulders in a safer, more efficient position
• Creates more tension, allowing you to create more stability

A couple of things to remember when arching are to get as much extension through the thoracic spine as possible, and to always keep your butt on the bench. I have seen a lot of guys use their hips excessively by thrusting their hips off the bench to "cheat" the weight up. Don't do it.

Excessively arching through the lower back can also be problematic because this essentially crushes the facet joints in your lumbar spine. Another recipe for back pain. Arching is good, but too much can be a bad thing.

The degree to which you should arch depends on your goals. If your goal is to push the most weight possible (like the guy in the picture above), you will want a big arch. If your goal is chest development, you won't need to arch as much.

3. Pull the Bar Out of the Rack

Pulling the bar out of the rack allows you to keep your lats activated through the lift. When you pull the bar out of the rack the shoulder blades automatically assume the "back and down" position required for an efficient press. The lats are important during the bench press because they provide a ton of stability through the eccentric portion of the lift. When you press the bar out of the rack, you lose most of your stability  Most guys that have weak lats or are unable to use them properly will fail at the bottom portion when the bar initially leaves the chest. Think of pulling the bar out as a straight arm lat pulldown.

4. Pull the Bar To Your Chest

This one is similar to pulling the bar out of the rack in that it helps you create more stability through the eccentric portion of the lift. The more your upper back works during the press, the more stable you will be. As always, more stability = more strength. When lowering the bar to the chest, picture pulling the bar down as in an inverted row.

Also, don't be the guy that says he benches 400 pounds but only lowers the bar six inches. If that's you, just stop. Its not cool. Unless you have serious shoulder problems, the bar should touch the chest on every rep. If you have shoulder pain while benching refer to #2, it can help. Check your ego at the door and take some weight off the bar if you can't do it properly.

5. Drive the Legs

Contrary to popular belief, the bench press is a whole body movement. The feet should remain flat on the floor from beginning to end in the bench press. I often see guys straining to push the weight up with their feet kicking like they are being choked out at the end of The Godfather.

Your legs provide yet another two points of stability you can use during the movement. If used correctly, the legs drive against the floor, transferring force horizontally along the bench through the hips and into the upper body. The legs and hips should act as a brace to give the upper body a connection to the floor and allow the lower body to contribute to the movement. Push the feet into the floor and squeeze the quads and glutes to maximize leg drive.

6. Push Yourself Away from the Bar

Instead of thinking of pushing the bar away, think of pushing your shoulders into the bench and away from the bar. This ensures that you maintain extension though the thoracic spine and keep your shoulders pinned back all the way to the top. If the shoulders roll forward at any point of the ascent, t-spine extension is lost, the shoulders roll forward and stability is lost. When the shoulders leave the bench, they also get placed in a bad position, making you more prone to injury.


Used properly, all these cues can help you build a bigger bench press. Also make sure to include plenty of upper back work in the rest of your program to balance out all the pressing you do.

Remember, strength is a skill. The best way to improve your press is to do it more often with perfect technique using the cues above.

The Stronger Female - Part 2

In part 1 I covered some of the challenges and misconceptions many women encounter when strength training, as well as some strategies for overcoming those obstacles. In part 2, I will discuss the mistakes that many women make in their training programs.

First, I'd like to discuss why we need to strength train the the first place.

When asked about their goals, just about every female that comes through our door says that they want to "tone" or "sculpt". Lets get one thing straight, when undergoing physiological change, muscles can do two things. Are you ready for this cataclysmic knowledge bomb? This is a doozy.

1. They get bigger.
2. They get smaller.

 

BOOM! That's it.

When you strength train, your muscles will get bigger. As I discussed before, your muscles won't get hyooge like a bodybuilder because you don't have a penis. So, why are bigger muscles good? Muscle is more dense, weighs more than fat and costs more metabolically to maintain. In short the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day. More muscle = less fat = you feel better about yourself. I hope that makes sense. Lifting light weights for a ton of reps won't build muscle like using large compound movements for 5-10 reps. It won't make you stronger either.

Now lets get to the most common mistakes women make in their training programs.

#1 - You Only Go to Classes

I'm not saying classes are bad. In fact, I think classes are great. They are fun, help build relationships, and get people moving as a group to accomplish a common goal. The problem is, they do little to build strength and muscle. Most classes are endurance based, so the benefit is largely cardiovascular. Yes, I know its easier to hide behind all the others in the class with you, but you are selling yourself short. Strength training should be the cornerstone of your program. Think of classes as supplemental work and make sure you are lifting at least two days per week.

#2 - You Only Use Machines

Machines have their place, but the majority of your strength training should be done with the barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, and your own body weight. Machines provide a fixed range of motion. Your body just doesn't work that way.

#3 - Lack of Intensity

This is when you see the woman doing 5 pound dumbbell curls for sets of 30 with no expression on her face whatsoever. Don't be so robotic. Push yourself! Make a funny face. Grunt. Strain. Show me that vein in your forehead that pops out when your husband forgets to pick up a gallon of milk (seriously, you should see my wife's its scary). If it feels too easy, it probably is.

#4 - No Progressive Overload

Piggybacking on my last point, if something feels too easy it probably is. I see women doing the same exercises, with the same weight they were using a year ago. And guess what? They look the same. Add some weight to the bar or pick up a heavier dumbbell. If you aren't adding weight, you aren't making progress.

#5 - Training ADD

We have a certain popular fitness DVD set to thank for this one. "Muscle Confusion" is not real. Its a made up term used to sell a crappy product. In order for your body to make progress there needs to be some structure. Some method to the madness. Strength and movement are skills that need to be practiced over and over again to master. You cant get better at squatting and deadlifting if you only do it once or twice per month. You will not get stronger if you don't give your body a chance to adapt to a stimulus before you change it. Why would you want to "confuse" your body anyway? Most people's bodies are already confused! That's why 2/3 of this country is fat and has the mobility of a baseball bat. Write up 3 workouts and cycle through them for a month, then change it up.

I'll leave you with one final thought. Which is more awesome? Squatting 1.5 times bodyweight for reps or 5 pound lateral raises?

Be Awesome

I hope this little series shed some light on why strength training is so important. Many of the principles I've covered can be applied to men as well. Hopefully you all can take something away from this and continue your journey on to a stronger, sexier you.

Now I'm off to eat some corned beef! Happy St. Patty's Day!!

The Stronger Female - Part 1

My inspiration for this post comes from my amazing wife Jodie. There have been several occasions where Jodie has come home from the gym and regaled me with stories of how other men and women have approached her with complements. Jodie is not afraid to venture into the weight room and put the barbell in her hands or knock out sets of pull ups next to a bunch of sweaty meatheads. I would like to think I have had a positive influence on her because I have espoused the benefits of lifting weights and mastering the essential movements everyone (male and female) should do to get lean and strong. That being said I am very proud of her. She is strong, beautiful, and confident. Anyone that knows my wife understands she is an extreme type A personality. If you tell her she can't do something she will most likely prove you wrong , then give you a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to the face.

This is probably why she is so successful. She likes the challenge and appreciates the benefits that come from something that takes time and effort to master.

Women that strength train are a rarity. By strength training I don't mean the 2.5 pound pink dumbbells for three sets of 20. I mean learning to use a barbell, kettlebells, dumbbells and your bodyweight in a bunch of different ways. I would classify strength training as using compound movements (think squat and pull up) for multiple sets of 5 to 10 reps. This also means using a weight that is challenging for that rep range. For example, if you do a set of squats for 5 reps with a weight you can do 15 times (unless its a warm up set), that's not strength training. A better choice would be doing 5 reps with a weight you can do 8 times. These movements do not need to encompass your entire program, but they should make up the meat and potatoes of it.

After proper movement, strength is the foundation that all other skills are built upon. What does an hour on the elliptical five days per week help you accomplish in the real world? Does your Zumba class give you the tools to help your husband with yard work or pick up something heavy when nobody is around to help you? Are you really getting the body you want by doing this stuff? I'm not saying these things are totally evil. I'm saying that they should not be the cornerstone of your training program.

Lets take a look at why seeing a female in the weight room is as rare as Mark Sanchez completing a pass to someone on his own team.

"I'm intimidated by all the schweaty meatheads"

Planet Fitness has made a fortune on selling memberships to people with this concern. They make some pretty funny commercials too. This place is a complete joke. Check out this article to see what their idea of "fitness" looks like as well as some of their commercials. I wouldn't enter the doors of this place if my life depended on it, but I digress. Even I can admit training in a room full of sweaty dudes isn't exactly comforting. Compound this with the fact that there aren't any other females around and you have a recipe for a trip to the nearest elliptical machine or Zumba class.

"I don't know what I'm doing"

Most females (and males too) don't have the first clue about how to lift weights properly or where to begin. Nobody wants to look like an idiot right?

"I don't want to get bulky"

Many women believe that lifting weights will make them "bulky". I'm not going to get too in depth here because I'm sure you have heard all this before. Women have much lower testosterone levels than men do. Most men struggle to add muscle mass with much higher levels of T. I remember being a freshman in college with ridiculously high levels of testosterone and tons of extra time on my hands. I would train 4-5 days per week, eat a metric shit ton of food (yes, that's a real number), and be absolutely ecstatic to gain 1 pound of muscle in a month. So, unless you are a total genetic freak its going to be pretty tough to get "bulky".


Now a Few Steps You Can Take to Set Yourself Up for Success in Any Weight Room.

Step 1: Education

Knowledge is power. There are a ton of resources out there to help you learn how to lift safely and create a solid weight training program. In addition to any of the links listed on the right, two of my favorites are Girls Gone Strong and The New Rules of Lifting for Women. These resources do a great job of dispelling many of the myths surrounding women and strength training. This will also prepare you mentally to overcome many of the preconceived notions you have held in the past.

Step 2: Find a Good Coach

It could be a friend or trainer. I've written about this before, but a good coach will teach you all the finer points of solid technique, make sure you are safe and provide the needed motivation to do things you never thought possible. I have trained a few women that can deadlift more than their male counterparts. Most of them look at the weight on the bar and think I'm crazy, but when they pick it up the look of pride on their faces is priceless.

Step 3: Find a Partner

After you have sought out the help of a good coach, the time may come for you to do it on your own. I have several clients that used to work with me 3-4 times per week and are now seeing me once per week and doing the rest on their own. Change is much easier to handle with someone you trust by your side. The added benefit of someone else to motivate and hold you accountable is also a huge plus. I'm sure all of you out there have a friend that is into fitness. Ask your friend if they would be willing to meet up and train together. Your coach also might be able to recommend a partner.

Step 4: Just Do It

Sorry, but to get results you are eventually going to have to venture outside your comfort zone. I think the best strategy is to wear a hat, put your headphones in, keep you head down and focus on the task at hand. Start small and pick a couple of movements to do in the weight room. After a few times, you will realize it isn't so bad. You might even like it!

I hope all the steps above help you to begin your journey into being a stronger, more confident female. In part 2 of this series, I will describe some common mistakes I see women make in training as well as some ideas for how to set up your own training program. Stay tuned!

The Box Squat: A Useful Tool for Fixing your Squat

I've seen you. Yeah, you over there doing that thingy where you bend your knees and try to get your butt close to the floor. You might call it a squat, but I'm here to tell you its not even close.

The squat is considered by many to be the single best exercise you can perform. It is a staple in strength and conditioning programs everywhere. If you think of any fitness related goal, the squat can help you accomplish almost every one. Sadly, I rarely seen this fantastic exercise done correctly. There are several elements that must be present to perform a proper squat:

• Ankle mobility
• Hip mobility
• Core stability
• T-spine extension
• Coordination

All of these elements must be present to some extent for one to squat correctly. The problem is, the evolution (more like de-evolution) of our society has most individuals sitting behind a desk and performing Krispy Kreme curls and keyboard smashing drills all day. This does nothing to address the aforementioned elements needed to do this staple of human movement. First, I'll tell you what happens when I see most people squat.

Common Flaws

I could probably write an entire post on this topic alone, but for the sake of those of you who don't speak geek, I'll keep this brief.

1. Poor Knee Tracking
This can be observed as the knees caving in upon descent (valgus) or the knees drifting too far forward.

2. Anterior Weight Shift
Observed as one falling forward  or an obvious weight shift to the toes.

3. Lack of Depth
Proper depth occurs where the crease of the hip is at or below the tops of the thighs. A lack of depth can be observed as the guy in the gym with too much weight on the bar and bending his knees. Exhibit A would be the guy in the background in the video below. Not only is he using gloves and a sissy pad ( = loser), but his female counterpart is showing him up and crushing some quality reps. Granted her technique is not perfect, but its always nice to see a female that's not afraid to get under the bar.

Epic Fail



4. Lumbar Flexion At or Around 90 Degrees
This one is the #1 cause of injury while squatting. Allowing the lumbar spine to go into flexion ESPECIALLY under load puts tremendous stress on the interverterbral discs and can lead to disc herniation. It can be observed as the pelvis rotating posteriorly at the bottom. Many individuals will sacrifice neutral spine position to achieve depth. This is always a bad idea. In the drawing below, the example on the left illustrates the correct position.

How to Fix It

You might think I am going to go into a huge rant about how corrective exercise is the only way to go about this and blah blah blah. I am a huge advocate of correctives. Especially when an individual is lacking the proper mobility and/or stability to achieve the correct position. However, squatting is a movement that must be learned, earned, and practiced to master. Consider a baby that is learning to move on its own. The child does not proceed directly to walking before it learns to crawl. It earns the right to crawl, then earns the right to walk. If it is not ready, it simply does not happen. This is the same approach you must take when re-learning how to squat correctly. As with many movements, the single best way to improve your squatting technique is to squat more often. The caveat is, you have to do it correctly through a range of motion that you are capable of without sacrificing proper technique.

Enter the Goblet Box Squat

The box squat has been used by powerlifters for years to strengthen the hips and work on achieving depth with a neutral spine. You can use it to correct any of the flaws listed above. It has several benefits:

• Teaches one to sit back and load the hips
• The box can be raised or lowered to accommodate each individual's range of motion while maintaining neutral spine
• Provides a sense of security and stability when learning or re-learning proper technique
• Can be used for any squat variation

To choose the proper box height, simply grab a friend or trainer and have them observe your position. Grab a light kettlebell by the horns and hold it at chest height. Start with a high box (24'' is usually a good place to begin) and squat down to the box, doing your best to maintain a neutral spine. Pause for 2-3 seconds when your butt touches the box. DO NOT RELAX. You need to stay tight through the entire movement to get the full benefit. Keep lowering the box height until you reach the lowest position you are able to maintain neutral spine. That's the depth that you will start with. Over time, you will be able to progressively lower the box height to the proper depth, then get rid of the box altogether.

Coaching Points

The coaching points below apply to any bilateral squatting variation. For the purpose of this post, I will be using the goblet squat. The goblet squat is the first progression I use when teaching the squat to my clients. If they are unable to achieve proper depth with a neutral spine, I put them on a box until they can.

1. Foot Placement
Place the feet shoulder width apart with the toes pointed out at 20 to 30 degrees.

2.Sit Back
You must initiate the movement with the hips first. The glutes are the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. Learn how to use them!

3. Knees Out
Pushing the knees out is one of the most important aspects of squat technique. When done correctly it activates the external rotators of the hip and creates space for the pelvis to descend between the legs. This is important because if the knees are not pushed out to the correct degree, the femur will run into the ASIS before proper depth is achieved. When this happens, the hips run out of room to move so the pelvis will compensate by rotating posteriorly, thus creating lumbar flexion. Pushing the knees out also helps the knees track the toes instead of migrating too far forward, which could cause knee pain. Take a look at the photo below to get a good idea of what this looks like.

4. Maintain a Neutral Spine
I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Maintaining a neutral spine allows the load to be shared evenly across the entire spine, allowing for a more efficient transfer of force between the trunk and lower extremity. It is the safest, and most efficient way to squat. If you observe the picture below, you will notice I maintain a neutral alignment with my chest out and chin tucked. If you are in the correct bottom position, you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings and adductors.

5. Drive Through the Heels and Hips
Begin the ascent by pressing the heels into the floor and driving the hips straight up into the air. Remember, the hips are the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. The hips, not the legs, are what drive you out of the bottom of the squat. When the hips begin to rise, the rest of the body should rise simultaneously. When approaching the top, finish the movement by driving the hips forward into full hip and knee extension.

Other Training Considerations

With the proper practice and patience, the box squat combined with the coaching cues mentioned above should do wonders for improving your squat technique. However, this alone might not be enough. Make sure you include some form of soft tissue work, mobility, and core work as part of your program. It also would be beneficial to seek out a qualified movement screening professional to determine what specific limitations need to be addressed.

If you want to learn more about the squat and take things to the next level, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. In this text, Mark covers the anatomy and all the finer points of technique needed to master all of the main barbell lifts. It did wonders for my squat and helped be become a better coach as well.

What Systems Can Do for You

I love systems. My life is full of spread sheets, tables, and lists. This is probably because I am a perfectionist and organization whore. I need a guide for how to do things efficiently or I will over think everything. I have been known to take an eternity to complete simple tasks like folding laundry. Seriously, my wife can fold like three loads before I get done with one. Nobody likes sloppily folded t-shirts right?

Systems allow one to maintain structure in times of chaos. You probably already use several systems at work and at home. These systems ensure that things continue to run smoothly and efficiently. Without them, you can encounter situations like forgetting to complete payroll, missing garbage pick-up day, or forgetting to pick up the kids from school.

Systems surround us in every aspect of our daily lives. The human body, Earth's ecosystems, and the flow of traffic on your daily commute are all systems essential to our survival. If one of them fails, it could spell certain disaster. The bottom line is: Systems are Important.

I feel that the fitness industry is lacking in this regard. Many have no system for assessment or program design. They just sit down at the beginning of the day, write up a few random workouts, and begin training. I know this because that's what I was taught at the beginning of my career. Now we have a system for assessment, program design, and nutrition that ensures the client gets the right programming to fit his or her needs. This allows for minimum chaos and maximum efficiency. Our clients move well, are injury free and more satisfied as a result.

We have all these systems we use at home and work that allow things to run smoothly and make our lives easier, so why aren't we using systems in our own training and nutrition programs? Consider how many other obligations you have in your life. Work, kids, home improvement projects, angry mother in law etc. All these things take away the free will we need to devote energy to other things we love. That's why you need a system to fall back on. Here's a few systems you can implement to keep your training and nutrition on track:

Training

Strength and Conditioning doesn't have to be complicated. Just think of all the basic human movements that you need in your daily life. You need to be able to pick up heavy objects for yard work, push a car out of a ditch, pull yourself up from a cliff to avoid plummeting to your death, sprint to grab your child if they are in danger, or carry your friend into a volcano so he can throw a ring into it and save the world.

 
Train these movements consistently and you can accomplish any goal. The examples below are meant to be kept as simple as possible for you busy folks out there. The topic of specific reps and sets is subject for a different post.

Squat	Hinge	Push	Pull	Carry	Self-Limiting
Goblet Squat	Deadlift	Horizontal Press	Row	Farmer’s Walk	Get Ups
Front Squat	Swing	Vertical Press	Pull Up	Suitcase Carry	Jump Rope
Back Squat	Good Morning			Waiter’s Walk	Climbing
Overhead Squat				Sandbag Carries	Chops and Lifts (Half or Tall Kneeling)
					Single Leg Work

Rule #1 - Lift

Pick three to five movements from the above table (one from each category) and perform them in your training session. You can perform them as straight sets, supersets, or in a circuit. Do this a minimum of twice per week.

Rule #2 - Sprint

Sprinting is relative. A sprint for me is going to be much different than a sprint for a 40 year old mother of three who has not trained for two years. It is an excellent activity that involves using your whole body. It could be an all out run or a fast walk. Just move your feet quickly and pump those arms! You can use a treadmill or go outside. Shoot for an effort of 20-30 seconds and rest for 1-2
minutes in between each one.

Rule #3 - Foam Roll and Dynamic Warm Up

Most people's idea of a warm up is walking on a treadmill for five minutes before they get ready to lift heavy things. How does that prepare your body in any way to do that? You might as well go bang your head against a wall for five minutes. Spend a few minutes rolling out some restricted areas with a roller, then get on the ground, roll around, do some lunges and jump rope and get after it. One of the best ways to maintain optimal tissue quality is through soft tissue work with a foam roller and lacrosse ball. Spending five minutes per day working on common areas of restriction like the hip flexors, lats, and calves will do wonders. My favorite roller is The Grid (now available in the camouflage redneck version!).

Here's an example of a typical training day:

Foam Rolling Series and Dynamic Warm Up

Deadlift - 4x5
Pull Up - 4x8
Split Squat - 3x10 each leg
Feet Elevated Push Up - 3x10
Turkish Get Ups - 3x3 each hand

Sprint - 5x100 yards walking back to start as rest

Nutrition

I don't consider myself a nutrition expert by any means. I like to keep things pretty simple. Eat whole foods, drink plenty of water, and limit your alcohol intake. This is a simple blueprint for nutrition success.

Rule #1 - Eat protein with every meal and snack.

Approved sources of protein include: Lean Meats, Eggs, Nuts, Dairy, and Protein Supplements.

Rule #2 - Eat fiber with every meal and snack.

Approved sources of fiber include: Fruits, Vegetables, and Whole Grains. Bread products should be used sparingly.

Rule #3 – Strive to make fats a part of your diet

Healthy fats can be found in nuts, dairy, egg yolks, avocados, and fish to name a few. Fat is not the enemy so don’t be afraid to make it a part of your diet!

Rule #4 – Eat at least three meals per day.

There is all kinds of information out there stating that you need to eat six meals per day and eat every 2 hours, but I find that in the real world, things just aren't that black and white. You need to do what works for you and your schedule. Do you think a brain surgeon has time to take a break in between an eight hour surgery to go have a snack? If you can eat every four hours, that's fantastic, but in the end I think that at least three meals per day is a more realistic goal.

That's It!

I know the above information is far from groundbreaking and it might even have been written about somewhere else already, but in times of chaos one needs a simple system designed around effective elements that have stood the test of time. I challenge you to write out three or four different workouts of your own and stick to them for a month. Then plan out your week of nutrition using the rules above. If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to make steady progress no matter what life throws at you.