"Roll the belt buckle to the chin.." "Push the bottom rib into the abs...." I say those about 50 times a day. Why? It's all about the Open Scissor position. It's no good. But its the default for lots of people. Instead of using the "core" to brace against the forces, this default makes you Instagram famous uses the lumbar spine and pelvis, driving into each other, to buttress forces. In a perfect world we want a neutral scissor position. The neutral scissor is just the "Pillar" or "Cylinder" position, nothing new. Core Control: You don't want excessive lumbar movement, flexion (rounding) or arching (extension). We need to be able to put the … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Band Snatch
October 24, 2017 by
The Band Snatch Is Super Cool and Neat-O The Band Snatch has two strengths: 1: It's easy on the shoulder joint for almost everyone. 2: It'll fry your shoulders in the process. All three heads, front, medial, rear delts will all get swoled up. Plus, I stole it from Shelby Starnes, and he's super jacked, so it must be good. You should do it. Checklist: Shoulders IN the joint, the whole time: NEVER Over-reach at the top: Once the shoulder joint is fully extended, that's it. Don't reach as far back as you CAN, reach to the end range of motion. Once the scapula are retracted and the upper arm (humerus) is centered, STOP! Just like … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: TRX Row
October 9, 2017 by
If I could do only one pulling (rowing) motion what would it be? "100% it would be the TRX row." In my opinion the TRX is the greatest row machine ever built. It's scales easily from beginner to advanced, it's self-limiting, and it's almost foolproof. Plus, and mostly its one of the best tools I've found for training the lost art of scapular retraction. True, you can overdo it. But in my, desk jockey, sitting all day slumped over, world, 9/10 people have a real issue pulling those shoulders down and back, pinching the shoulder blades together in the back. So we NEED to train scap retraction and depression and need to be able to do it with a tool that … [Read more...]
In Praise of Lifting Straps
October 4, 2017 by
Never Use Lifting Straps. They weaken your grip and make you a P.U.S.S.Y I used to say that...a lot. It was like gospel. I was right then and I'm wrong now. Mostly because I was young and dumb.... See, the problem with youth and/ or inexperience is that you're young and have no experience. <---I know, that's really deep. The problem with being young, as it pertains to sports and physical stuff, is you can do really stupid sh@t, often, at high volumes, and intensities and recover almost immediately. You're like a metaphorical, living, breathing Wolverine... Stole this pic, please don't sue me Marvel This means you don't really learn from the … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Band Pullaparts
September 28, 2017 by
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...]
You Should Do This: Floor Press
June 15, 2017 by
The Floor Press: It's nothing more than a bench press without the bench. <---like you couldn't figure that one out. Why It's Awesome: Limits the range of motion at the shoulder joint. It's pretty hard to "dump" (approximation the Humerus) the shoulder forward with these. MUCH easier on the lower back than the bench press cause the legs are out of the equation. The floor provides MUCH better feedback than the bench for maintaining shoulder tightness (packing) and driving the shoulders down into the ground to press the weight. Full Pause or Touch and Go? Either.... Full Pause Floor presses are GREAT for building speed, starting strength and … [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...]
