Your Hips are Weak. Probably super weak. Especially this muscle: The Glute Medius Or "High Glute" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmwLJ1OQKJM&feature=emb_title Role(s) of the Glute Medius: Truth is, the Glute Med plays several different roles. The primary function of the GMed is position, movement and load dependent. "Hip and knee kinetic and kinematic variables related to the development of dynamic knee valgus would appear to be influenced by gluteal muscle strength and EMG activity. The level of influence varies across single leg squatting and landing tasks and would appear superficially to differ between genders, though this was not … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Single Leg RDL
September 1, 2020 by
The Single Leg RDL might be my favorite lift to prescribe. Not most RX'd (thats how the cool kids used to write prescribed circa 2015), favorite. It's almost like a right of passage. When it shows up on your program it's like you've graduated from padawan learner to Jedi apprentice. But you ain't no Jedi..... Not yet. Does this mean everyone gets SLRDL's? Nope. Sometimes it's not a good fit for that person. Sometimes Single Leg RDL's are not worth the trouble and investment in time to pattern correctly and load effectively. But for many, many clients of mine, "You're gonna get em, you're gonna do them, and YES, they will suck" Single Leg … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Single Leg Hip Thrust
May 9, 2019 by
There is a good chance that 2018 was peak Insta-Ass. What's Insta-Ass? Insta-Ass is the fitness subcategory (which I kinda just made up) that is nothing more than girls in leggings doing "Booty Workouts" and ass shots on Instagram. Actually, lets face it, until the fairly recent and kinda small backlash against the Instagram Fitfluencer thing, the whole Insta-Ass thing was at least 70% of all fitness related posts on Instagram since about 2015. Butt, here's the thing: Glutes REALLY are Important. I have would argue that glutes are the MOST IMPORTANT muscle group in the human body. "for us, for athletes, glutes are everything — the absolute … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Trap Bar Deadlift
October 3, 2018 by
Most People Shouldn't Deadlift..... with a straight bar. Writing those words in 2018 feels kinda like these guys, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXC-jJhFaUI Here comes the we don't give a damn about context Trolls. Regardless of what the 23-year-old internet guru, soothsayer, shaman, "coach" says not everyone should deadlift, with a straight bar. "The Barbell is The Tool of Satan" I was told that a looooonnnnngggg time ago, by a very large and strong man. At least in his mid 50's and repping 405 on the bench. He was telling me sh@t about what I should do to be able to train forever and still progress. One of those things was, "Don't … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Glute Bridge Kneeout
September 20, 2018 by
Butts Are Important Seriously, you need glutes. Functioning glutes. Glutes that actually make you Instagram famous keep your knees from being torn to pieces from collapsing inward. I've said it before, I'll say it again, the glutes may be the most important muscles in the body. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXPDhggbWfM great vid from Athlean X If you tell me, "No, it's the core" I'll not disagree with you. Why? Glutes are Core. If the hips can't be "set" , all the abs in the world can't effectively brace you. Without the glutes keeping the pelvis in a correct (usually neutral) position you'll have to default into the lumbar spine, "dump … [Read more...]
“I Have Tight Hamstrings”, Part 1: No Ass Syndrome
July 25, 2018 by
"My Hamstrings Are Tight" Truth is, this is rarely the case. At least not in the way you think. *Quick Note: Some people DO have tight hamstrings. This has to do with the tendon length, muscle belly, past injury, origin and insertion points. Sometimes, when you put all these things together in the right combo, you DO, in fact have structurally"tight hamstrings". Most don't. What the Hell Do I Mean by Tight Hamstrings? Ummm they feel tight...right? But for real, TENSION. Lots of tension in the muscle, in the hamstring. That's usually what people mean when they use the term "tight". But the real question is, Tension When? I … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Kneeling Squats
May 22, 2018 by
Long, Long, Ago.. In a Distant Land, Circa 2014 There was this dude. Jaret Grossman. At the time he was putting out these, fairly well done and if not enjoyable, tolerable motivational YouTube fitness videos. Little did he, or we, know at the time that 2 of the stars of his videos, both, virtual unknowns at the time would become fitness superstars. One was Marc Megna The other was future instafamous duck butt sensation Jen Selter And just to cut to the chase she's had a LOT of influence on the whole fill your ass with cement in a Miami hotel room cause that's not sketchy at all fitness culture that's been around since circa … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Hamstring Slider Curls
March 13, 2018 by
I'm going to tell you something you probably don't want to hear... You Have a Weak Core, Ass and Hamstrings... Just kidding, you read this blog enough to know that already. The Posterior Chain: Essentially its all the muscles on the back of the body. Calves Hamstrings Glutes Spinal Errectors Lats Rhomboids Traps Rear Delts Traps Triceps Its important and its usually chronically under trained. Fun Fact: Go find the guy in the gym with a big hard ass and a thick heavy yoke (upper back and shoulders) and I'm gonna bet you he's a strong mutha that can lift some serious stuff. Hamstrings and Glutes, A Match Made in Heaven: Hamstrings … [Read more...]
