The Pistol

I was reviewing our single leg series this morning and realized that I neglected to discuss the pistol, so here you go.

The Pistol is the king of single leg work.  It is an extremely athletic movement, requiring high levels of strength, mobility and flexibility.  Essentially, it is a single leg squat with the non-working leg sticking straight out in front of you at the bottom of the movement.

As far as loading is concerned, some people find it easier to learn the movement while holding a moderate weight kettlebell in the goblet position.  This can help with your sense of balance and groundedness while performing the movement.  I would recommend trying it loaded and un-loaded to find which works better for you. 

Start the movement by balancing on one foot, with your weight going straight through your heel into the floor.  Push the hips back.  As you descend into the squat, raise the heel of your non-working leg, keeping it just an inch or two off the floor, throughout the entire movement.

The bottom position of the movement is when your non-working leg is parallel to the floor.  At this point your tail should be within inches of the ground.  Keeping your weight through your heel, press back up into the starting position.

At the outset, it is unlikely that you will be able to get into the bottom position at all, much less press back up out of it.  The best way to regress the movement is to perform it to an increasingly lower box or step to give you support and a depth finder in the bottom of the movement.

As you are working toward progressing to the full pistol, it is important that you hammer away at your hip mobility, hamstring flexibility and glute strength, as these are the key factors which will affect your ability to perform a pistol.

I'd love to hear about your progress in the comments section.

Train smart; eat right.

Technorati Tags: Athletic Development,Exercise Descriptions,Functional Movement,Movement Patterns,Performance,Single Leg Work,Squats

Implements and Tools vs. Toys and Gadgets

So I was at the gym the other day, and there was another trainer there working one of his clients. He was a new client, only his second session with the trainer. I'm on the mat doing my foam rolling and mobility work, and I look up to see the client doing push-ups with his hands elevated on a bar inside the squat rack to make it easier. At the same time, he is wearing a 20 pound weight vest to make it harder.

I think to myself, "That's odd, but maybe he needs the added weight of the vest for his next movement." Nope. The next movement is bodyweight lunges, and the guy can't do a single one with a full range of motion. Now I'm puzzled. When they are done with the not push-ups and the partial lunges, they move on to front squats. The client does not have the range of motion in his wrists and shoulders to use an olympic fronts squat grip, so he is using a cross face grip. Now the weight vest is restricting his grip and causing the bar to slide down his chest with each rep.

To me, this is a classic example of a trainer not knowing the difference between a toy/gadget and a tool/implement. A weight vest is an outstanding tool when used properly. In this case however, it was hindering everything the client was trying to do. Having your clients wear a weight vest during a workout is a great way to boost metabolism and progress bodyweight movements. But if the client can't do the movement(s) without the vest, then the vest is just a toy that hinders their performance and their opportunity to make gains.

So now the question becomes, why would a trainer do such a thing. The only answer I can come up with is that the trainer wants other gym members to see his clients using his toys so that they will want in on the action. It's an advertisement. "If you work out with me, you'll get to do this fun stuff too." To the uneducated eye, it can look very appealing.

The same can be said of all of the other tools trainers have at their disposal: medicine balls, Bosu balls, swiss balls, suspension systems, kettlebells. The list goes on. These are all great tools when used with the right client for the right exercises and with the goal of increasing performance in mind. Too many trainers don't know how to properly use these tools, simply because they have not looked at the research, or have chosen not to educate themselves properly.

If you are a trainer who uses UST (if you need me to tell you what that stands for, you should probably turn in your certification, but for the non-trainers in the audience: Unstable Surface Training) with your clients, do them a favor and pick up a copy of Eric Cressey's Unstable Surface Training. Read it before your next session. Your clients will thank you.

Train smart; eat right!

Technorati Tags: Athletic Development,Movement Pattern,Silly Trainers

Safety in the Gym

The single biggest mistake I see people making in the gym is this:

They imitate what they think they see other people doing.

There are a few key factors here that can add up to any combination of injury, ineffectiveness and frustration.  They are:

1. Unless you have a solid understanding of exercise kinesiology, the movement that you saw and the one that you re-produce when you attempt it yourself may be very different.
2. The person you are imitating may have no idea what they are doing.  This can even be the case if they appear very fit, are well-built or (gasp) they are a trainer themselves.
3. Your training goals are different then the training goals of the person you are imitating.  This happens most often when a person training for fat loss imitates the training of a bodybuilder.

This is one reason that I advocate everyone invest in a few weeks worth of training sessions with a qualified trainer when they first begin working out.  I also recommend buying a few sessions every 3-6 months, just to help you with form checks, exercise progressions and matching goals to programming.

The issue of safety in the gym becomes and increasing concern, now that movement based exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, cleans and overhead presses are coming back into vogue.  On the surface, they appear to be fairly simple movements to imitate.  In practice however, the difference between performing them properly and going through the motions, or performing them improperly has huge ramifications with regard to:

• Your safety.
• The metabolic advantages of the movement
• The development of the muscles each movement is intended to target.

Train smart; Eat right.

Technorati Tags: Deadlift,Movement patterns,Performance,Squat

The Single Leg Deadlift

Sorry for my lack of posting in the last week, I was out of town with my wife Lisa. Actually, we were in the rainforest in Puerto Rico celebrating our 10th anniversary. Technology wasn't quite what we were expecting and ended up with no internet access for the week. Expect some great quality content over the next several days.

The single leg deadlift is an oft neglected movement. Unlike the two legged version, it is not a great movement for building raw strength or hypertrophy, but when it comes to improving athleticism and movement quality, I view it as a must use tool. It is outstanding for training balance while opposing large external forces. It is also useful for training the glutes in the transverse plane (that is while twisting,) something they are often subjected to in sport.

This movement can be performed with one or two dumbbells or kettlebells. Kettlebells will give you a starting point which is higher off the ground, which can be advantageous when first learning the movement. If you don't have kettlebells in your equipment arsenal, you can get the same effect with dumbbells by placing them on an aerobic step or at the bottom of an open platform. When first starting out, I would strongly advise against using a barbell or hex deadlift bar. The risk of losing your balance and your inability to recover from a potential fall is significantly increased with either of these implements.

To perform the movement, set up on one leg, with the other foot held just a couple of inches off the ground. While maintaining a neutral spine, push the hips back and down, allowing the knee of the plant leg to bend. Grasp the weight and return to the starting position. Points to focus on:

• Drive your weight through your heel. Do not come up on the ball of your foot.
• Force your scapula down and back before lifting the weight. Maintain that position throughout the movement.
• Keep your spine in it's natural, neutral position throughout the movement.
• Start with light weights for several sessions until you get a real good feel for the movement.

Progressions:

• Use one heavy dumbbell on the side of the plant foot to challenge the anti-rotator muscles of the core.
• Use one heavy dumbbell on the side opposite the plant foot to challenge the anti-rotator muscles of the core in a different manner.
  
• Add a small hip rotation at the top of the movement. Be certain not to twist so far that you feel a pull in the knee. The knee is a joint that is designed for stability, not mobility.

Train smart; eat right.

The Reverse Lunge

The reverse lunge is a great movement for developing glute and hamstring strength. When weighted, it is also a great progression towards the holy grail of single leg movements, the pistol, or one-legged-squat.

To perform it, simply step back and drop down by bending your front hip and knee until the rear knee grazes the floor. Return to the starting point, by rising up and bringing the rear foot forward. Do not push off the front foot and come up to a new position one step back from where you started. You want the leg that carries the tension on the down portion of the movement to be the same one that carries the tension on the return.

Train smart; eat right.

Single Leg Work

I find that a common misconception among guys in the gym is that single leg work is somehow not manly. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe it's because we have images from the covers of yoga magazines of women in leotards doing single leg deadlifts with 3 lb. pink dumbbells.

Thankfully, this is changing. As the training industry makes a shift to more functionally based, athletic type movements, lunges and the other single leg lifts in all of their glorious variety are making a return to training programs everywhere. If you've never done any single leg training, you've been missing out on a great way to:

• Expose left/right imbalances.
• Activate and strengthen weak glutes, improving posture and reducing back pain.
• Improve your hip range of motion.
• Strengthen your ankles and improve balance.
• Eliminate front/back muscle imbalances, one of the leading predictors of muscular and joint injuries
• Boost your training poundage on the two leg squat and deadlift.

If that list doesn't convince you, then clearly training to improve health, lifestyle and athleticism is not on your list of goals. I recommend that you go back to reading Muscular Development for your training advice. Have fun making gains on that 5 day split at 2 hours a day. I'm sure your back will be bigger than Dorian's by this time next year you hypertrophy freak.

One of the beauties of these movements is that they follow a nice progression in difficulty level. With each new level you reach, you will improve mobility, strength and balance. They are also fantastic for anyone who is rehabbing from a back injury, in that with many of them, there is no need to load the spine, as bodyweight is sufficient.

Over the next few posts, I will review the finer points of and coaching cues for the following single leg movements, along with their corresponding progressions and variations:

• Forward Lunge
• Reverse Lunge
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Single Leg Deadlift
• Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
• Pistol

Until then - Train Smart; Eat Right

Technorati Tags: Athletic Development,Functional Movement,Movement Patterns,Single Leg Work,Squat

Improving Your Squat

Following is a checklist of some of the most common problems with an individual's squat.

• Leans too far forward with the upper body
• Knees cave in as you descend
• Can't get into the bottom position (below parallel)

Now let's look at how to correct each of these.

Leans too far forward

Commonly, this is associated with a lack of mobility at the hip joint.  As the hips descend, overly tight hip flexor muscles pull the torso forward, rather than allowing it to remain upright.  This can be fixed by dynamically stretching the hip flexors and quads.  In your pre-workout warm-up, begin to perform Rocking Hip Flexor mobilizations.  To do this, stand in a split stance, with one foot out in front of the other, as if you were about to perform a lunge.  Push your weight forward over your front foot, placing a stretch on the muscles at the front of the back hip.  Hold that position for a one-count, and rock back onto your back foot.  Perform 8 repetitions per side.

Knees cave in as you descend

This problem is generally caused by over-active adductors (the muscles on the inside of your thighs) and weak, or under-active, abductor muscles.  It is very common in women.  A nice little trick that I learned from Mike Robertson's blog is to take a piece of rubber tubing or exercise band and tie it around your knees as you squat.  By putting this little bit of pressure on the outsides of the knees, you cue the abductor muscles to keep the knees in proper alignment.

Can't get into the bottom position

This is generally a problem associated with the tight hip flexors.  If you've fixed those and are still having problems getting all the way down, then a few coaching cues might help.

• Hips back - as you begin your descent, make sure that you are pushing your hips back first.  (As opposed to bending the knees first.)  Some coaches will cue you to think about closing the car door when you have two arms full of groceries.
• Keep your weight through your heels.  In the squat, your weight should never be on your toes, or the balls of your feet.  You should be able to wiggle your toes through the entire range of motion.
• Practice, practice, practice!!!

Good luck taking that squat form to the next level!

Train smart; eat right!

Pete

Technorati Tags: functional movement,movement patterns,performance,squat

Quality Movement - The Squat

The squat has long been heralded as one of the best movements for mass gain, leg strength and core strength.  Arnold called it "The King of All Exercises."  It's one of the three lifts used in powerlifting.  You can't do the olympic lifts without it.  It's even been immortalized in poetry.  (Nods at snooty literature majors in the audience.)  Okay, let's call it a rhyme instead.

But, before we look at the squat as an exercise, we have to look at it as a movement pattern.  Why you ask?  Because if you can't do one properly with just your bodyweight, you have no business loading up your back with 6 big wheels and going for reps!

So what does a good squat look like?  Again, think of what a four-year-old looks like when they squat down to play in the water, but don't want to get their bottom wet.  The key points to notice are:

• Weight is through the heels, they are not up on the balls of their feet.
• The spine is neutral.  The proper "S" curve is maintained.
• The shoulders are behind the knees.

Here's a great test that Gray Cook, designer of The Functional Movement Screen and author of Athletic Body in Balance recommends for checking your squat form:

While standing sideways in a doorway, holding a broom handle overhead in a locked out position, squat down as deep as possible.

You pass the test and may continue squatting as part of your exercise routine, if you meet all of the following:

1. The heels remain on the floor.
2. The feet do not slide or rotate.
3. The knees are aligned over the feet.
4. The hips are below the knees.
5. The broomstick does not touch the wall.

You fail the test if any of the above are not met.

Some common reasons for not being able to squat properly include tight hip flexors, inability to activate glutes, lack of ankle mobility and lack of core stability.  Over the next few posts, we will look at teach of these issues and some corrective exercises for each.  In the meantime, one of the best ways to improve your squat form is to squat.

Here's a great method for correcting improper form:  Stand 6 or 8 inches away from the wall and squat as deep as you can without touching the wall.  Practice this a few times a day, until you can get your hips below your knees without touching the wall.  Once you are capable of this, move in 2 inches, until you can do it with only 4 inches between you and the wall.  If you can do it from a distance of 4 inches, your squat form is pretty solid.

Technorati Tags: Functional movement,Gray Cook,movement patterns,Squat

Quality Movement

When looking at movement quality, it is generally agreed upon by physical therapists, strength coaches and other movement specialists that gross motor patterns, as they apply to exercise, can be broken down into a few basic movement patterns:

1. Squat
2. Lunge
3. Vertical Push
4. Horizontal Push
5. Vertical Pull
6. Horizontal Pull

It is also generally agreed that there are several inhibitions we place on our ability to perform many of these patterns by living a 21st century lifestyle.  These inhibitions are generally related to the amount of time we spend sitting.

At its worst, sitting will inhibit the glutes and hamstrings, tighten the hips, cause distorted arching of upper and lower spine, and creating a stiffness in the lower back.  Think about how you used to squat when you were a little kid, or how a member of a primitive culture is able to squat down and sit back "on their haunches."  When was the last time you were able to do this.  The reason that you can't is that you spend so much time sitting in a chair, that you have developed many of the issues mentioned above.

If you are an endurance athlete or weightlifter, who is not currently performing a mobility routine, it is likely that these problems are even worse for you.  The reason being that not only have you developed improper movement patterns, but you are reinforcing them on a constant basis, under load.  Thereby further ingraining them in your central nervous system, the place where all of our movement patterns are stored.

At age 20, these problems are minor inconveniences for everyone except the highest performing athletes.  In our 30's and 40's, the stiffness starts to set in, and begins to inhibit our lifestyles (getting on the floor and playing with the kids becomes uncomfortable, shoveling the driveway leaves us stiff for a couple of days.)  By our 50's and 60's it's no longer "It's not comfortable to do that", it becomes "I can't do that."  By our 70's and 80's, these same inhibitions are what lead to many of the issues that lead to helath problems, including slipping and falling. It is also a large part of what leads to the inability to perform daily tasks, and the accompanying need for additional support from family or professionals.

The good news is that regardless of age, we can all make significant improvements to our movement patterns through a simple stretching and mobility program.

Over the next few posts, I will discuss each of these problem areas and give you some tips to help you improve them.

Technorati Tags: movement patterns,performance