The 4 exercises that, I think I program for literally every single client. 1) Cat Camel Stretch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxCDP4IzxVs 2) Quadruped Thoracic Rotations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4XAD8N8DH0 3) Glute Bridges: https://youtu.be/MwNP1Ure28Q 4) Band PullAparts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haXhpH20eFc All 4 address "posture" deficiencies more than anything. In an era of perpetual flexed forward, shoulders rounded forward, desk jockey syndrome we need some more upper back to help PULL and HOLD us up. Besides, I was once told you can never have too much ass, abs and upper back. Band PullAparts 101: Stand tall: … [Read more...]
Yeah, I Still Foam Roll.
September 22, 2017 by
The Fitness Pendulum Always Swings to the Extremes: Short Term, Everyone Overreacts. Long Term, Everyone Underreacts..... Rarely does the industry look at anything critically, simply on its merits and faults, weigh them and apply that tool as necessary. Case in point: Foam Rolling Lets take our way back machine to circa 2005. The foam roller took the fitness world by storm <----I know I'm being dramatic here, but it kinda is true. Everyone was using it, for everything.. Core Stretching To "break up scar tissue" <----I used to say that too. No, its not true. Hell, places were doing complete "classes" on foam rolling. Then the last 5 … [Read more...]
If You Can’t Recover, You Can’t Improve
September 13, 2017 by
"At Some Point in the Training Process it is Necessary for Recovery to Become a Training Modality"- Buddy Morris Recovery, what is it? According to Google: "a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength." Google, Recovery or for the nerds: "One definition of recovery is as follows: “Mostly, recovery is defined as the compensation of deficit states of an organism (e.g., failure or decrease in performance and, according to the homeostatic principle, a reestablishment of the initial state.” - William Sands Recovery = a "return to normal" , a "reestablishment of the initial state" But wait, what? Isn't the point of this whole training thing to improve? To … [Read more...]
Is Coaching Dead? AKA: Rise of the Machines!
February 15, 2017 by
Enter The Age of Technology: With explosion of athlete assessment tools in the last decade, everything from movement assessments (FMS), train-ability assessments (HRV), genetic assessments to immediate power output assessments (catapult) training variables and physiology can easily be measured. On the cheap and in, or almost in, real-time. When I first read about the Omegawave (HRV monitor), from Charlie Francis forums, the cheapest model was 10K. Now you can get a fairly reliable HRV app on that magic box that lives in your pocket for under $100, and that's the better ones out there. You can get a crappy one for FREE... These are all INCREDIBLY powerful … [Read more...]
The War on Fat: Keep one In the Chamber
May 20, 2016 by
*Before I get started: this article is NOT meant for someone who has an appreciable amount of fat to lose. If you're 30% or more body fat...you NEED to go full on Tony Montana. At least for a little while. Pull out all the stops, up the cardio, cut the cals, etc. However, if you're in pretty good shape, but not as lean as you'd like to be, this is more up your alley. We need to all agree on ONE basic premise before we start. The body ADAPTS to the stress(ors) applied to it. That means, the body follows this model: General Adaption Syndrome So think of everything (stressor) that promotes fat loss is like a bullet in an old time … [Read more...]
Why I Love Zerchers and You Should 2
May 10, 2016 by
Do you know where Zercher Squats came from? Prison... Supposedly the Zercher squat came about because there are weights, but no racks, in the joint. They needed a way to squat and figured out that they could pick up a lot of weight off the ground in the crooks of the elbow. Zercher Squat. Ed Zercher came up with this squat variety many years ago. In 1966 or 1967, I read about a prisoner by the name of Robert Barnett, who had just pulled a 675 deadlift at 165 BWT. He related that the Zercher squat was responsible for his success. He reported that his best was 395 x 5 reps done off the floor.- Louie Simmons I don't know if that's the truth, but it's a hell of a … [Read more...]
Lumbar Hyperextension, Fake Lockouts and The Pillar Position.
March 31, 2016 by
Booty, Booty, Booty, Rocking Everywhere... https://youtu.be/znUS2KqPYCw IDK if this is NSFW or what, it's kinda hilarious. That line of literary genius was "spit" (that's what the cool kids say these days) by Bubba Sparks circa 2009. With the rise of Instagram "Glute Building Experts" (aka. soft core porn veiled as fitness) and Pintrest 30 Day Butt Challenges there's a whole lotta hyperextension, ie sticking your ass out, getting passed off as "technique". I guess that's what happens when your "fitness expert" is just a model with a big butt who likes to workout.... This "Duck Butt" position that you see a lot of these "experts" exhibit is actually just jamming … [Read more...]
Spoon Bending, Physical Capital and Being Injured!
November 23, 2015 by
"I got hurt doing: insert activity that I associate with the pain I'm currently having" Actually...it's not that simple. That's probably not the case. At least not entirely.... You're just not that fragile. There's a good chance that the activity that you associate with the pain you're currently having wasn't just from: THAT Swing THAT Lunge THAT Pushup Picking up THAT couch... It's more insidious than that. I've Got a Snowball, I Need to Throw it...... From: capt_tain Tom When someone’s back hurts they don’t want to blame their lifestyle, fitness level, or daily patterns. Instead, they want to blame their back pain on starting the lawn … [Read more...]
