Between running the Cressey Sports Performance women’s powerlifting group, preparing for the 2015 Fall Seminar and one of my best friends betting married last weekend, I’ve been slacking with content this week. Here are 20 random fitness thoughts that have floated through my head recently:
1. There’s a reason big important things are called “Meat and Potatoes” and not “Quinoa and Tilapia”. When in doubt, stick with the basics. And eat more meat and potatoes.
2. Trying to use Intermittent Fasting to gain muscle mass is like using coffee as a sleep aid. You’re fighting a losing battle.
3. Female lifters can usually handle more volume at a higher percentage than their male counterparts. Crank up the volume, ladies.
4. If an assessment item won’t influence your programming for a client, then why are you using it? You wouldn’t give a powerlifter a Queens College Step Test or test Grandma’s torn rotator cuff with a 1-rep max bench press, would you?
5. On that note, we’ve got to stop “taking away” exercises from people or making them “earn the right” to do exercises so often. Stop waiting for them to obtain “perfect posture” or straight 3’s on the FMS – it ain’t gonna happen. Let them train and focus on what they do well, not what they suck at.
6. Losing weight is just a numbers game (calories in vs. calories out) at the most basic levels, but establishing quality eating habits should come first before you start counting calories and macros.
7. Gaining strength is just a numbers game too (do more than last time, recover and repeat), but much like nutrition, you have to take care of exercise selection and proper technique first.
8. Using a close grip on the bench press isn’t nearly as shoulder-friendly as what it’s made out to be. In fact, the way most people close grip bench is MORE dangerous than a wide grip.
9. If your coach or trainer boasts about his or her “online training business” but can’t coach a freaking goblet squat, run away.
10. If your coach or trainer pushes the latest cleanse, detox or organic superfood nonsense but can’t coach a freaking goblet squat, run away even faster.
11. Crawling isn’t just for babies. Don’t dismiss it like I did. And if you feel the need to uphold your meathead status, drag a sled while you crawl.
12. You don’t have to be a great lifter to be a great athlete, nor do you have to be a great athlete to be a great lifter.
13. On a related note, it used to be cool to “train like an athlete” if you wanted to get huge or ripped. Truthfully, you probably won’t get very big, strong or ripped if you train like most athletes. They’ve got bigger fish to fry than big biceps and six-pack abs.
14. A beginner may get stronger doing anything but they won’t get anywhere doing everything.
15. Knees cave in during squats? Ask yourself what you’re doing with your feet – not your knees – as you lower yourself into the hole.
16. Speaking of squats, there are 2 kinds of squatters in this world: squatters who bounce out of the hole and squatters who flex out of the hole. Bouncers tend to have a narrower stance, stay more upright and descend quicker. Flexers tend to stand wider, lean forward more and descend slower. Your hip structure, leg and torso length, stance width and bar position on your back will all influence which technique is best for you.
17. Modality matters when you’re doing your conditioning. Think about what gets the job done without interfering with your strength workouts. Biking, jogging, sprinting with the Prowler, kettlebell swings – they all create different types of fatigue, so choose wisely.
18. The best assistance exercise to improve ‘x’ lift is to do ‘x’ lift but make it harder. Add pauses, use a slower tempo, increase the range of motion, use a more challenging/less familiar bar, whatever. Specificity is king.
19. A lack of mobility can be functional. You probably won’t be able to bench 400 pounds and perform a skin the cat.
20. If you like getting strong, come see me and Greg Robins at the Optimizing the Big 3 seminar in Philadelphia on September 19! Register here.
