Proper Spotting Techniques for Strength Training

Spotting. It's an art and many people get it wrong.

Not theses guys.

Apparently this is what goes on at Boston Sports Clubs daily, or is it Cubs?

At least they are benching.

 Thanks to my spies for sending me this GOLD.

More stolen goods here

My good friend Sean Hyson might be a genius.

He has access tot the best minds in the training field and has formed a few opinions I AGREE with 100%.

You can read them here.

Stuff people make way too big a deal about

I had to edit typos out of this today. Kevin graciously told me that I was a blind moron and needed a new prescription for my glasses. He was right. I can hardly read my screen. Here is another re-post from Gregtrainer.com.



This could definitely be a series. I don't feel like making promises though. I already committed to discussing training variables for the foreseen future.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday, and looking forward to a great weekend. Here are some things I am sick of people making a fuss about:

1. OVER TRAINING: "Dude I think you might be over training"

Dave Tate once said when asked about the de-load: Most people need to re-load. I tend to agree. Most beginner's: a) don't think they're beginners, and b) read training information that is not applicable to them. I use deloads in my training, and in most of my client's programs. Notice I said most, not all, and a deload is relative. It basically means do less. Less of not a lot is pointless...see where I'm going.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but has anyone received significant gains in the gym and not done a lot of hard work? You are going to have to put some volume in, some effort in, and show some mental fortitude. When you do that you will need to reciprocate with sleep, food, and better decision making (i.e. not going out 4 nights a week). If you aren't doing the latter you are probably under recovering, not over training. RELOAD.

2. ACCOMMODATION: "You gotta shock the body, keep it guessing, you know?"

I think I do, wait no, I don't think I know what you're talking about. If this is the basis of your training philosophy, congrats, you did it, your body has not accommodated to anything. It also hasn't positively adapted to anything because you never gave it time to. This is why you look the same and are weak.

Your body is going to be pretty shocked by moving hundreds of pounds. You only do it for a total of maybe 4 hours a week. It's also going to be shocked when you do one more rep, one more set, add 5lbs, or give it a break (not you point # 1 guy) only to pick back up and smash it again.

Cut the crap with a different workout every week. Honestly, you are more intelligent than that. Give things time to develop. Give the things that have a ton of transfer (big lifts) a lot of time to develop.

3. PERFECT FORM: "Nice set, but I think you put a little too much body English into that"

Disclaimer: I am not an advocate of stupid things that get people hurt. I hoped we could just assume this, but once I heard the thing about ass, you, and me, it makes me uneasy to even use the word. Additionally, as a coach you must progress with more caution and patience than you may choose to do for yourself. Your body is yours, your client's body is theirs, be careful.

Now that we got that out of the way. Please don't let perfection stand in the way of getting better. I have a video of myself pulling 455 with a back position that would make a chiropractor weep. I didn't hurt myself, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. My point is this. What you can move today, with a little less than perfect form, you will move in a few months with grace.

Additionally, on an exercise like the one arm DB row, a little body English, and a DB that is heavy as crap, is still going to make me stronger. What's not, is doing the same weight for 2 years and judging the guy next to me for moving a little bit.

I will finish this topic with one important concept. Movement in some places is ok, while movement in other places is dangerous. Using our two examples: Deadlift and the upper back rounds, ok, it's heavy, keeping working on it. Lower back rounds, check your ego, and your technique. DB rowing and the shoulders / upper back rotate a bit, ok, it's heavy and over time that weight will not warrant the rotating. Lower back and hips rotate, check the ego and technique. This is true with many exercises. Bottom line, a little break in form when pushing the envelope is ok, get over it.

4. OTHER PEOPLE: "He is squatting wide, she is doing crossfit, they are eating paleo"

Stop worrying about other people. When you do, you might actually do something positive for yourself. A lot of things work, maybe everything in some way. Waste your energy on continually dissecting what everyone else is doing, and little energy worrying about what you are doing, and you will get nowhere. It's true for training, it's true for life. Worry about you, and find solutions that work for you.

Keep an open mind, consider advice, but stand for something. It all works, your commitment, and undying effort towards a chosen approach will be more important than what that approach is.

...I'm doing another one of these.

by Greg Robins of TPS

Managing your traiing variables-Part 1

 Greg is very busy typing new stuff, fortunately, it's all gold. Here is another re-post from gregtrainer.com

Recently we talked about the importance of "program management". The concept is somewhat broad, but the first step is to understand the different variables that affect a training program. My plan is to start with the more well known concepts (i.e. volume and intensity), but also branch out into some of the lesser considered variables as well.

I think the most important variable to consider in a training program is volume.

Volume can be equated to the total work done in a given amount of time. Therefore, each session has a given amount of volume, but so does each week, and training block.

Many people assume that the heavier the weight they're lifting, the more they must be doing. This isn't necessarily true. It's easiest to view volume in "total tonnage." While you may have set a PR on a given day, it doesn't mean that overall you did more work.

For example:

Squat Session 1: 135 x 5, 185 x 3, 225 x 1, 275 x 1, 315 x 1 = 2,045lbs

Squat Session 2: 135 x 5, 135 x 5, 135 x 5, 135 x 5, 135 x 5 = 3,375lbs

Both sessions included 5 sets. Session one included 4 sets over 135lbs, but only 6 total reps at those weights. While session 2 included no weight over 135lbs, 25 total repetitions were completed, and over 1,300 more lbs were moved.

That is an imperfect definition of volume, but I think it gives you a solid idea of what variable we are managing.

So how do we manage volume? Here are a few important bullets:

·         It can be managed many different ways, but it must vary. You cannot do a ton of volume all the time, just as you cannot set a PR every single week (forever). Make sure you include periods of Very high, high, medium, low and, very low volume. Depending on how you organize your training, these amounts of volume will come and go at different times. For the general person I have found the most success when volume is varied each week. For athletes, with well defined off seasons, a more block style can be beneficial.

·         We will talk about intensity in the next installment, but volume and intensity should share an inverse relationship. The acuteness of this relationship may depend upon a person's preparedness or goals, but it will be present in some capacity. If the intensity is very high, the volume must be low.

How will high or low volume affect a person?

High volume will largely produce a muscle fatigue effect. The outputs being given aren't necessarily that high, but the total amount of work will leave the muscles tired. The results of this are often increased soreness, and increased hypertrophy. The residual effect of high volume training can lead to significant strength gains when volume is managed correctly over the course of the training cycle.

Lower volumes are important to work in as well. First off, transitioning from higher volumes to lower volumes will give the body a chance to recover and regenerate. Therefore, it makes sense that these periods be included in any program. Furthermore,  they can be used wisely to peak for competition. Low volume, should be used in the context of weekly volume when a person has multiple training sessions during the week involving near maximal attempts.

Hope this gives you more insight on managing volume in your program. Stay tuned for part 2!

Training success takes sacrifice

Another great re-post from gregtrainer.com


If you’re serious about reaching and surpassing your goals, it should be your number one priority. If it’s not a priority then you’re not as dedicated as you might think. With that said it will take commitment, and more importantly sacrifice, to take you to the highest level of success. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or an average gym you must have the attitude to do whatever it takes to get you where you want to go. Here are three tips to put you in that direction:


1. Invest in the proper training environment


When choosing a training environment your thought process shouldn’t be the mileage it takes from your house or office. The distance should be the last thing on your mind. Think about it this way, if you’re investing in the supplement industry and expect that by simply taking some powder will magically take your training to the next level, you’re wasting your money. What you should be doing is investing in a training environment that has experienced athletes, coaches, and the proper equipment. It shouldn’t matter if that gym is down the street or 60 miles in another state. This investment will be worth its weight in gold. At Total Performance Sports we have a day called “training day”, which is one Saturday out of the month. This training session is dedicated to one movement, for example, recently it was the bench press. The great thing about our training day is that anyone can participate. We have coaches that can help if you’re a competitive power lifter, professional athlete, or your average gym rat. The total cost for our training day is $20, how much would you pay for a supplement that guaranteed you would set a personal record on the first day of taking it?


2. Leave your ego at the door


Investing your time and money is only part of the equation. You also need to leave your ego at the door. The only way to do extraordinary things is to surround yourself with individuals who are extraordinary. How will you separate yourself from others? You need to swallow your pride, and this might require taking 1 step backwards to take multiple steps forward. You need to be able to accept criticism on technique, program design, and your mentality towards training. Place yourself in an environment with successful coaches and athletes and absorb anything and everything you can.


3. Program Management


The last piece to this puzzle is often neglected and that’s program management. You can surround yourself with the most experienced coaches and follow all of the proven methods but what your lifestyle may not allow you to positively respond to this type of training. Management is how you handle day-to-day stressors. This includes getting proper sleep, eating healthy, managing relationship situations, and/ or handling work-related stress levels. All of these factors need to play a role in how you manage your program on a daily basis. This is where sacrifice will come in to play. If you just completed a tough squat training session and then that night go out to the bars and get smashed until 3 a.m., this will stress your system even more. Now your body has to recover from both the training session and the inexcusable boozing extravaganza. This will limit what you can do for your next training session. Furthermore, if this is a common occurrence over-time all of the fatigue will accumulate and will have a negative impact.


If you adhere to these three guidelines you will set yourself up for future success. Please remember it’s a total package and you need all three to reach the highest level possible for yourself. If you make this a priority then this will be a formula for success.


by Jamie Smith  of TPS 2012

3 Principles of program design

re-posted from gregtrainer.comToday I have a BEAST post by my boy Jamie Smith. I know a lot of people have questions on how to design a program that makes sense. Like so many other things, it comes down to the basics, and a firm understanding of them. Below, Jamie does a fantastic job of laying it out for you. Don’t skim through this, and make sure to download the tables, they are something worth saving to keep as a reference. Additionally, I linked to some past posts on overload, accommodation, and specificity, if you want more information.
Adaptation is a very important concept because without this mechanism “we” (humans) would not exist. We are always adapting to whatever life throws at us. The same holds true to any strength and conditioning program you are implementing. The primary objective of any strength and conditioning program is to elicit a positive systemic response. The Science and Practice of Strength Training (Zatsiorsky and Kraemer) states that Overload, Accommodation, Specificity, and Individualization are the basic concepts of physical training. To obtain your short and long term goals you must follow these basic principles of program design.
Accommodation occurs when there is a constant stimulus placed on a living organism.
This is the reason you haven’t seen any improvements using that same “bodybuilding” program over and over again. To create a positive stimulus one must have some type of overload. Properly organized programs that are sequenced with varying volume, intensity, and density will avoid the negative aspects of accommodation. There are many different ways to plan a program. For the purpose of this article I will not go into great detail about all the different schemes. In short, there are two major schemes, Concurrent and Concentrated. A concurrent approach is when you train all of the different methods at the same time. The concentrated approach focuses on only training a specific method for a length of time. There are many variations of each model, but from my experience the concurrent, with an emphasis approach, is the one of the most efficient ways to train. This style of training will include all of the different methods, but the training load will be determined by that day’s objective.
The first principle of programming is to develop an overload. There are many ways to produce overload. The first step is to determine the training means or exercise selection. When choosing exercises its best to organize them into different movement patterns.

Squat Pattern	Free Squat
Hip Hinge Pattern	Trap Bar DL
Horizontal Push	Push-up
Horizontal Pull	DB Row
Vertical Push	OH Press
Vertical Pull	Chin-ups
Posterior Chain Dominant	GHR
Single Leg Movement	Split-squat

Then prioritize the movements that will be dependant on one’s goals. Here are some different examples:
TABLE 1 <– Click Me To Get Table
After you prioritize your different movements, then you can implement a specific method that will help you reach your goals. The methods can be organized in 5 different categories.
Table2(m)<– Click Me To Get Table
The second principle, individualization, is an important concept to understand. Everyone will respond differently to each method because of different life-styles (stressors), weaknesses (muscular imbalances, asymmetries, and sticking points), and psychological state (motivated, lazy, or “work-aholic”). This will go hand and hand with the third principle of program design, which is specificity. When planning and organizing a program you must be as specific as possible. Your program must have a realistic objective and a purpose. If you have an increase in specificity then there will be a high transfer, which will produce better results. The program should use the means and methods that will produce improvement of your specific objectives. There are a lot of misconceptions out there but you must realize that all of the methods are related in one way or another. They all are built around foundational strength development. Depending on your objective/ goals you must realize that the development of basic strength will positively carry-over to all of the different methods. For example, if your goal is fat loss you will benefit much more if you spend a specific duration developing foundational strength levels through the max and sub-maximal effort methods. Then you can implement and wave in the other methods that are specific for fat loss. The reason for focusing on foundational strength is to allow your body to perform more work at a higher level without over-stressing your system. Depending on your focus you can implement all of these methods at once – but must pick and choose which method you want to emphasize. The emphasis approach is manipulated by the amount of volume each method has throughout the program. It is important to note that while improving the foundational strength levels, you can still perform some type of conditioning (work capacity) during that same training session. But if your emphasis is on improving strength you must back off and control the volume of your conditioning. You can’t serve two masters, but over-time with a properly organized program you can reach all of your short and long term goals.
The last piece of the program design puzzle is management. This is the most important aspect when it comes to program design. What I mean by this is after you organize your program, what’s next? It looks great on paper but what if your lifestyle won’t allow you to positively respond to this type of programming. Management is how you handle day-to-day stressors. This includes getting proper sleep, eating healthy, managing relationship situations, and/ or handling work-related stress levels. All of these factors need to play a role in how you manage your program on a daily basis. This will not only play a role for each individual training session but if not managed properly over-time all of the fatigue will accumulate and have a negative impact. When it comes to program design the whole purpose of planning your training is to develop optimal results.
The next time you sit down and organize a program really think about these principles. Make sure you set specific objectives that are attainable. Once you establish the purpose of your training program then you can pick and choose the different means and training loads. After putting all the pieces together you must manage all of the different variables that life will throw at you. There will be good and bad days but please remember no matter how thorough your program design, results are impossible without passion and dedication.
By Jamie Smith 2012

Jamie coaching the press.

Friday's Training

I wanted to do some stuff to work my weaknesses, so here is what I did:
Overhead Squats-used a broomstick and did a bunch of sets of 5
Box Jumps-5x5 to a 24" box. I didn't push the height, I just wanted to get back in the swing of jumping. I haven't jumped in years because of my banged up knee, but it has been feeling really good lately so I went for it.

Bamboo bar bench-I used the Westside Earthquake bar.

You load plates or kettlebells on the bar with mini bands and bench press with it. The bar shakes wildly forcing you to stabilize. This hits muscle s you didn't know you had. Should have listened to Nate because my bicep is killing me today.

Prowler Push-4 sets of 200 feet.

That's it for taoday.

Free video

I just got a note from my buddy, Jedd Johnson.  He just got back from a clinic with  over 250 strength coaches and athletic trainers.

At the seminar, Jedd spoke with a bunch of the attendees and many of them are using Strongman Training these days because of the benefits this type of training has for athletes in the way of muscle building, strength increase, and power development. TPS is one of, if not the pioneer in training athletes using Strongman.  ( NOTE: Many years ago , TPS predicted this would become the industry standard for building bulletproof athletes. It seems that it is now coming true. If you are going to learn how to do it, get the information from someone who knows how.)

And it’s not just big football players that are using Strongman equipment at the University level...

The truth is athletes from all sports are using them to become bigger, stronger and more powerful.  Volleyball players, Baseball players and even Swimmers are doing Strongman Training and Odd Object lifting and getting better at their sports because of it.

Going back a way with this pic of Bob Jodoin and Phil Rago at the original TPS on Broadway.

Why are players from all of these diverse sports doing this, you ask?

Because Strongman Training is loaded with benefits. 

In fact, if you check out this video from Jedd, he’s going to tell you about the benefits of Strongman training.

Check it out here = > Free Video on the Benefits of Strongman Training

                                    

Don't wait if you want to get better,

Murph

P.S.  This video will only be available for a few days.  Don’t miss out.  If you want to do something different with your training and are sick of the hype from all the  programs that are just the same old boring recycled stuff,

check out what Jedd has to say right here = > Free Video on the Benefits ofStrongman Training

                                   

What the hell is with the Turkish Get Up?

Get ups, you love them or you hate them.
Why do so many in the strength community bash them?
I love them.

1. Let's start out with this list of things about the TGU:
2. The TGU hits almost all of your major muscle groups.
3. It also requires tremendous stabilization from your torso. 
4. They require a great deal of flexibility in the hips. 
5. They improve mobility//stability in the shoulder. 
6. They get you strong in unusual ways.

 Get ups are one of our foundation exercises at TPS. WE frequently see people who have extremely poor hip flexibility and shoulder issues and weak upper backs from sitting at a desk all day. The get up can FIX all of these issues. One exercise that can fix a whole host of orthopedic issues? Really? Really.

TGU's can also make you brutally strong when loaded properly. Standing up from a prone position while holding a foolishly heavy weight overhead requires a large amount of strength, everywhere. Go ahead and see, grab a 32kg kettlebell and do a few get-ups properly. Bet you can't.

Think you're a badass, try this!

 Adding in TGU's to your training will open your hips and restore mobility and build strength, they will strengthen your upper back and restore strength and stability to your shoulders, and they will build a bullet proof midsection. They are a true wonder exercise.

So why are they so bashed in certain "strength" circles?

I'm not sure but I have a few ideas.

First, a bunch of people in the strength community think if it's not pulling, pressing or squatting it's bullshit.


This just isn't true. Yes you must pull, press and squat but you CAN do other exercises. Adding in the get-up will address weak links and eliminate them.

Second, most people just don't know how to do them OR teach them. Just because you can't do an exercise is no reason to say it sucks. You have no idea how many professional "trainers" that I have seen that can't do or teach a squat or deadlift right in the past 20 years in this industry. Not one of them has ever said that pulling and squatting sucks. Don't even get me started on overhead pressing and benching. Those are two exercises that are done WRONG more than most by professional "trainers".

Does your trainer have a squirting flower and a tiny car?

Third, get ups are HARD to learn and hard to do right. When we have big, strong guys with mobility issues a lot of times we see them try something, have trouble with it and say it sucks. Ego gets in the way. They just don't want to look weak in front of the boys and just go back to squatting because they are good at it. Her is a tip: find something you suck at (make sure it's good and not fluff) then get good at it.  bet you'll see some improvement in your lifts.






Try using your shoe when doing a getup. It teaches balance and alignment. Don't let it fall!

Watch my boy Gray teach you how to dot. TGU

Stop bashing and start getting down with the get up.

Get a great workout at home.

Train at home. 

 Are you someone who trains at home, or maybe don’t have time to get to the gym, yet still want to get in a quick workout? 

What if I told you that you can get a full body workout in your driveway or basement with a piece of equipment that costs about $12? 

How? 

Sand bag training. 

 Take an old gym bag, or an army duffle bag, and fill it with 100-250 pounds of sand. 

 Putting the sand in a few trash bags inside the duffle bad and taping them up will keep the sand from turning your basement into Miami Beach. 

 Start a little lighter, it’s easy to add sand if it’s too light.  You can get sand at most home centers for $3-5 per bag. 

Now to the workout. 

Wrestle the sand bag from the floor to your chest, and press it overhead.  Do this for 1-2 minutes and rest.  Then do another set. 

Next, hoist the bag up to one shoulder and then do a squat.  Drop the bag and lift it to the other shoulder.  Again, don’t count reps, go for 1-2 minutes. 

Last, lift the bag to the chest, bear-hug it, and run, walk, or job around for 1-3 minutes, rest 1-2 minutes, and go again. 

 Add a set of each in once a week.  You’ll feel this in muscles you didn’t know you had!

The sandbag’s odd shape and instability make it perfect for a full body workout, and to stress muscles that won’t normally get a workout. 

How many reps should I do?

We get lot's of questions on what is Prilepin's Chart?
Here it is. Use these as a guideline as to how many lifts you should od at a certain amount of weight for optimal results.

Prilepin’s chart gives set percentages of one’s max to be used in training. Here’s what it looks like:
Prilepin’s Chart

Percent	Reps/sets	Optimal	Total range
55–65	3–6	24	18–30
70–80	3–6	18	12–24
80–90	2–4	15	10–20
90+	1–2	4	10