Low Back Pain Its a real mother. Over 80% of ALL people (Americans) will experience Low Back Pain (LBP) in their lifetime. LBP is the #2 cause of disability and the most common reason for work days lost. There are about a bazillion causes for low back pain. Those reasons range from genetic to catastrophic injury to many people just do consistently stupid things (myself included) that aggravates their back. The worst part is, they rarely even realize what they're doing is the root cause of their pain. Fundamentally, people with low back pain tend to share a few movement strategies, TOO MUCH low back movement. Lack of Gluteal Activation/ Reliance/ … [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: Kettlebell Swing
January 15, 2020 by
"If you could only do one exercise what would it be?" I seriously HATE that question. It instantly tells me that whoever is asking it is SUPER lazy. Why? Because why would you only do one exercise when you can do ANY and ALL of them? BUT If there was only one exercise I could do it might, MIGHT be the kettlebell swing. Why? Mostly cause it's boss as all hell. Other than that, it's probably the best example of highly user friendly, easily applicable, total body, explosive strength. "Strength and conditioning professionals may use both kettlebell swings and explosive deadlifts to increase deadlift strength and vertical jump power." - Effects of … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Snatch Grip RDL
June 27, 2019 by
Deadlifts are Cool Again. Wasn't too long ago they weren't. But they are now, and in 3-5 years, they wont be again. How Do I Know This? I watch people do them on the reg and just because you picked it up off the ground, doesn't make it a good deadlift. "It's Not a Deadlift That Hurt Your Back. It's What YOU Did, and Called a Deadlift, That Hurt Your Back" Here's the common deadlift issues I see. <----yes, they usually all go together. Arches collapsed Knees Collapsed Hips posteriorly tilted Low back rounded Thoracic spine rounded Shoulders out of the joint Reaching for the weight Knees driving forward (and in) Why Do … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Landmine RDL
March 9, 2019 by
The Most Butchered/ Tortured/ Faked movement in the world... The Hip Hinge Its NOT a squat Its NOT "bending over" It's NOT "sticking your butt back" It's a HIP HINGE. Hip Hinge: "A hip hinge is movement (flexion and extension) through the hip joint, keeping a neutral spine and the knees slightly flexed." -Breaking Muscle Key Points to the Hip Hinge: Neutral Spine Vertical or Near Vertical Shins Throughout the Movement Hips "stay high" and move behind the knees. The Difference between a Squat and a Hip Hinge: A squat has a greater knee-joint (motion, flexion/ extension) contribution. Deadlifts (hip hinge) have a greater HIP joint (motion, … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Kettlebell Batwing Gorilla Row
January 2, 2019 by
Want Healthy Shoulders? You need to pull more. A good rule of thumb is you should be pulling, or more specifically horizontal pulling, ie rowing vs pushing, ie benching in a volume of 2 or 3 to 1. That means 2 or 3 sets of pulling exercises to every pushing exercise. Keep in Mind: You need to PUSH the rowing weight harder than you probably are already. Too often people will institute this 2:1 rowing to pressing ratio, but the pressing is done with intention and effort and the pulling is done half heartedly with 50% weights. A Sometimes Foolproof Way to Ensure The @or 3:1 Ratio Happens Calculate your total volume. Volume, not sets. Volume= … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Single Leg Deadlift with the Angled Barbell
January 17, 2018 by
Just About Everyone Should Deadlift. I mean, they're pretty much the epitome of a "functional" exercise. Like, ya kinda gotta pick stuff up off the ground. But deadlifts with the straight bar can be the DEVIL. Yes, IF you do them with correct technique you'll be ok. IF you have proper: Mobility Bracing Muscle activation Strength TECHNIQUE You'll be ok. But what happens when you don't have perfect technique, like when you're not qualified to do the lift or fatigue sets in? Truth is, there is a HIGH possibility of: Bad SH@T Happening And unlike some other lifts, when Bad Sh@t Happens in the straight bar deadlift there typically … [Read more...]
You Should Do This: Band Good Morning with Band Around Knees
October 14, 2015 by
Ohh low backs, how you ruin our lives.. Truth is, it's not our low backs fault. It's our fault: we develop faulty movement patterns and then unknowingly do things that exacerbate the issue. In this case it's the ability to hinge at the hips. This is mostly comes down to 2 factors: #1: Initiating Movement at the Low Back #2: A lack of Glute Activation Once we can initiate movement from the hips and turn the glutes on everything else falls in line and you might actually start loading your hips instead of your low back. But I Already Know How To Hinge: Maybe you don't... It's fairly common for experienced exercises to overreach lower back to create a … [Read more...]
