“Dude WTF happened to you?

When did you become such a pussy?

So none of your clients Squat, Bench or Deadlift anymore?

You’ve got to be kidding me?”

“Isn’t it hypocritical to post videos of you doing those things on Instagram and then come out against them?”

I got that from a few friends and occasional lifting partners from the last 10 years after I put these gems out:

I Actually Prefer Single Leg Deadlifts For Most of my Clients.

Switch exclusively to pushups.

and I posted this, Why We Don’t Squat?- Mike Boyle on my Facebook page (go “Like it”) and agreed with the conclusion,

Traditional Style, Bar on The Back, Squats, are Unnecessary for Most Lifters

So, I guess, a misconception arose, I still love those lifts and I’m not against anything.

Except for Caillou, man do I hate that kid.

The issue here is context.

Do I still perform those lifts?

Yes…

Do they ever give me issues?

Yes, but it’s pretty rare and it’s usually from me being a moron, not the exercise itself.

But I’ve had a lot of time to practice, learn, adapt and understand this stuff.

My clients?

They do it for 1 hour, 1-3, maybe 4 times a week.

They’re lawyers, doctors, professors, students, etc, not lifters.

Again….Context.

Here’s a piece of lifting sacrilege Knowledge Bomb for the Ages:

Unless you compete in a sport that requires barbell squatting, bench pressing and deadlifting from the floor,

YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THOSE EXERCISES

Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter, those exercises are completely unnecessary.

You may want to do them

They may be the best choice for the job

They may be super cool and neat-o

But the fact remains:

You don’t have to do them to get a training effect.

Truth is, most people….well…..they suck at movement.

Not those movements, but MOVEMENT in general…

Like getting up from the couch to raid the fridge, sitting down to go #2.

The whole time, they’re moving like that #2. Which is to say..

Not Good.

Even if I can get them better that day, they have 23 hours left to screw it up, revert and jack themselves up.

Those lifts are pretty technical and can put some commonly injured/ overloaded joints in precarious situations.

That’s only going to cause more issues than they’re worth, the benefit usually just doesn’t outweigh the cost.

If I can substitute other exercises in place of the squat, bench and deadlift and get an equal training effect without the same real and potential costs…

Why Would I Opt for the More Dangerous/ Demanding/ Costly Exercise?

I wouldn’t cause I’m only half Retard, I didn’t go full on retard.

“Never go full on retard, you can’t come back from that”

Why You’re Not Squatting, Benching or Deadlifting this Week.

Number One Priority is: Keep People Safe, Do No Harm.

Number Two: Establish Better, “Normal” Postures and Movement

Number Three: Improve Performance

Whhhhhhaaaaaaaattttt?

Improved Performance is number 3 on the list?

Yepper, it is..

Here’s the thing, you need to have the prerequisites BEFORE you even get to attempt to learn those lifts and the truth is, most people have Desk Jockey Posture and are too weak to fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

I usually get better performance just by getting them back into a more neutral position and keeping them healthy and injury free for a bit, they don’t have to actually get appreciably stronger right away.

Assuming we’re dealing with the typical person today here are the issues I see with these lifts and the most common substitutions for them.

Common Problems With the Squat:

Most folks squat like a collapsing house of cards.

They literally fold up and collapse as they lower themselves.

This includes a lack of core control (so the ribcage pops up), lack of thoracic extension (so they overarch the low back), hip weakness (so they shift to the knees), lack of shoulder external rotation and overall mobility (so they can’t correctly grip the bar and create a stable shelf).

All of this is bad, very, very bad.

Back Squat Substitute: The BSS

This has become my go-to lower body movement.

I think there are just too many pros to leave it out of a program for any length of time.

Pros of the BSS to the Squat:

• More low back friendly, it’s much easier to maintain a neutral lumbar spine through the lift.
• Evens out left/ right imbalances.
• Evens out muscular imbalances in the legs themselves
• Easier to control the knee/ create lateral hip tension/ torque
• Easier to perform with a vertical shin if you have knee pain
• Easier to get a greater depth (ROM) and hip flexor stretch
• Easier to activate glutes.
• Easier to teach and perform
• Less compressive load on the spine

Drawbacks:

• Harder on some peoples knees, this goes for single leg work in general
• May not be able to load to the same degree as the squat.
• People dislike them, and don’t want to be your friend when you make them do these <—-that’s not really a drawback usually. 

Common Problems With The Bench Press:

Getting and keeping a tight shoulder pack happens about 50% of the time BEFORE we even put a loaded bar above them. After this, all bets are off.

Combine that with the reality that the bench (damn straight bar) is just plain hard on most people’s shoulders and you’ve got a recipe for disaster just waiting to occur.

Plus, a LOT of folks have bad backs and getting into a good tight position is absolute HELL on them.

My Substitute for the Bench Press: Blast Strap Pushups

Pros of Blast Strap Pushups to the Bench Press:

• Generally more stable shoulder joint due to the top down loading pattern.
• Greater core contribution
• Much easier to learn and perfect

Drawbacks of Pushups vs the Bench Press:

• Difficult to overload very strong lifters
• Not the same level of total body contribution, in experienced lifters, as the bench.   <——leg drive, lat/ upper back tightness

Common Problems With the Deadlift:

My Substituent for the Deadlift: SLDL

Pros of the SLDL vs the Traditional Deadlift:

• Low back can move without the same level of stress across it.
• Lower Loads can be very challenging
• Easier to load and activate the glutes for many
• Overextension at the top isn’t as traumatic for the tissue.

Drawbacks of the SLDL vs the Deadlift:

• Load, for most its way lighter with SLDL.
• Patterning, much of life requires picking things up with 2 legs not one.
• Upper back and lat contribution is probably less
• Much more difficult or get the technique locked in.

Now, don’t think that these substitutions are set in stone, they’re not, they’re just what I use if someone can’t or shouldn’t be doing the traditional powerlifts in a program.

The Truth is: Many Roads Lead to Rome

Let me say it again….

If you think that’s not the case, you’re probably a cook (at best) and not a Chef, you should refrain form making any programming decisions.

No exercise is that powerful, they all have their inherent pros and cons, cost and benefits.

Exercise selection needs to come down to:

• The posture and movement of the client
• The needs of the client
• The expected outcome of the chosen exercise as part of the program

If that means put a bar on the back and squat, well that’s what it means.

If that means load a bar up and pick it up off the ground, well then, we’ll do that.

If it means we just need to increase the ability of the hips to absorb and create force……

We may not have to do either, and another option may be just as good if not better.

So basically, just about ALL my clients Squat, Bench and Deadlift…

Just not the always how you would expect.

Don’t be a slave to exercises, programs (unless I write them, and even then you jerks know better) and styles/ methodologies of training.

Be a slave to staying injury free, taking care of your body and a slow steady constant improvement.