The squat may be the king of all lower body exercises, but if you’ve ever squatted heavy, you know that it’s extremely taxing on the upper body too. So taxing, in fact, that many people experience shoulder pain during squats at one point or another. That nagging feeling in the front of your shoulder makes it …
Last week’s Technique Tuesday discussed what you should do between sets of squats, so naturally, this week focuses on the bench press. Remember, your “A2” exercise should do one of three things: Mobilize (in this case, thoracic spine mobility) Activate (lat tension) Excite (explosive pressing movement) Watch the video below to see what exercises I …
Technique Tuesday: What Should You Do Between Sets? (Bench Edition) Read More »
One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “What should you do between sets?” Besides just sitting there and resting (which is totally fine), you can make good use of your rest periods by focusing on one of three things: Mobilization Activation Excitation This week’s Technique Tuesday explains how to attack these three areas between …
Technique Tuesday: What Should You Do Between Sets? (Squat Edition) Read More »
In part 1 of this multi-part series that answers the question, “How deep should you squat?” I discussed how your training goals will influence how deep you need to squat. This week’s Technique Tuesday dives further into the physical limitations that will determine how deep you can or should squat. Spoiler alert: good coaching is ALWAYS …
Technique Tuesday: How Deep Should You Squat? Part 2 Read More »
In the first installment of a multi-part series, this week’s Technique Tuesday begins to answer the age old question, “How deep should you squat?” Sounds like a simple question, but the answer isn’t as simple as it seems. This week, I step out of the gym and into the office to discuss why the number …
Technique Tuesday: How Deep Should You Squat? Part 1 Read More »
I had a good talk with a friend of mine the other day on my drive home. My former training partner and roommate during grad school, we were both pretty darn strong, but couldn’t be more different. He was simple, I was complex. He liked repetition, I liked variety. He asked me straight up, “Do you …
Many people struggle with the concept of “Chest up, ribs down” during squats and deadlifts. It’s tough to extend through the upper back without hyperextending the lower back and disengaging the core muscles. It’s equally tough to keep the ribs down and abs engaged without rounding the upper back. Well, turns out bench t-spine mobilizations teach …
Stack.com – 3 Bear Crawl Variations for Better Core Strength <<< CLICK HERE! As a lifter and a coach, you have to keep an open mind. Case in point: I have a running list of exercises that I used to hate but now kinda like. The more I learn, the more often I realize that …
Stack.com – 3 Bear Crawl Variations for Better Core Strength Read More »
The fitness world is exceptionally prone to the overreaction/under-reaction phenomenon. That is, fitness-minded people often fall victim to an all-or-nothing view of certain foods, exercises or training methodologies. Remember how scary dietary fat was in the 80’s? How about evil carbs in the 2000’s? Spinal flexion sure was terrible 10 years ago, but now extension …
Here’s the bad news: I had so many problems with my squat that I could break them into a 3-part article series (read part 1 and part 2 here). Here’s the good news: I fixed most of them and want to share the knowledge I gained along the way. After years of lifting and coaching, …
How I Cured My Squat Woes (so You Can Too) – Part 3 Read More »
