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Leg Lowers – You’re Doing it WRONG (3 tips to help)

Leg Lowers – You’re Doing it WRONG (3 tips to help)

by | May 30, 2021 | Blog, Bodyweight, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief

Constantly feel your lower back or hip flexors during ab moves like leg lowers?

Do you just push through figuring your lower back is weak?

STOP!

Not only is this NOT helping you get the desired ab strengthening results you’re trying to work toward but it may also result in lower back and even hip aches and pains.

Here are 3 common mistakes I see people making with leg lower ab exercises and how to avoid them!

Mistake #1: Putting Your Hands Behind Your Lower Back

Stop cheating yourself out of really earning this move.

Putting your hands behind your lower back is a bandaid, a quick fix.

While yes, it can help you avoid lower back pain in the moment, it isn’t teaching you to actually use your abs correctly to protect your back and stabilize.

It allows you to do a move you haven’t truly earned.

Instead you need to regress to progress and modify the exercise to learn how to build up and engage your abs correctly.

Because you aren’t feeling your lower back because it is weak. You’re feeling your lower back because your abs aren’t yet strong enough, or you don’t have the mind-body connection yet, to keep them braced throughout.

Instead of pushing through this variation, if you want to get the full ab strengthening benefits, modify the move doing a single leg lower or even bent knee tuck.

It is always better to modify and get the correct muscles working than to push through a harder variation and compensate.

Modifying doesn’t mean you’re making it easier. It means you’re making it the level you need to work the muscles you want to target best!

You may even find you have to go back to that basic pelvic tilt movement and learn how to engage those abs and glutes correctly to stabilize and brace before adding movement!

Mistake #2: Swinging Your Legs

Leg lowers do work your hip flexors as they are a hip flexion movement.

And your abs are working to stabilize and protect your back.

But if to rush through this movement you start to swing your legs, you’re not going to get any of the benefit this move can have for your abs.

And you’re probably going to start to feel your lower back engaging as your hip flexors fatigue especially.

So stop swinging your legs and rushing through just to get the workout done.

Instead slow down the movement.

Focus on engaging your GLUTES even as you lower your legs a few inches from the ground. And even think about pulling your legs back up using your abs so you get that brace going as you lift.

Slow the movement down and focus on that control and what muscles you actually feel working.

Get more out of every second of work by being intentional!

Mistake #3: Not Focusing On Bracing Your Abs

Too often we just replicate a movement pattern without really being conscious of the muscles we feel working until we are in pain.

We let our lower back take over during this move and just keep pushing through.

We want to get the workout over with or we figure our lower back is weak.

But what we feel working during a move is what is going to “benefit” so to speak from the exercise.

So if you want to work your abs but you only feel your lower back?

Your abs aren’t getting the benefit of this move you’d like.

That’s why it is key you regress to progress and learn how to use that posterior pelvic tilt to your advantage.

While yes our spine has a natural curve, we want to know how to engage our glutes and abs using that posterior pelvic tilt.

Before you even start any level of the leg lowers move, lie on your back on the ground and think about engaging those lower abs to tuck your hips slightly toward your ribs. Even feel your glutes engage with the tuck.

From here you can do a bent knee march, double knee tuck, single leg lift or those killer double leg lowers.

But you should only advance as long as you can keep those abs braced.

If you lose that brace, you need to regress or shorten the interval of work, cutting back on time or reps.

Trying to do more without the correct muscles working is only going to backfire.

SUMMARY:

As much as we all want to do those fun and challenging exercise variations, at times we need to regress to progress and take our ego out of things.

Learn how to engage those abs correctly and build up to earn that harder move so you can get more out of every rep of that amazing leg lower ab exercise!

For an amazing Lower Ab Workout, give this burner a try! It’s a great way to finish off your workouts!

–> Lower Ab Burner

 

Can’t LOSE Fat? Try These 2 Tips

Can’t LOSE Fat? Try These 2 Tips

by | May 21, 2021 | Blog, Diet, Exercises

Trying to lose weight as quickly as possible on the scale is a completely different focus than fat loss.

And often the faster we strive to see weight loss, the more we really don’t control for fat loss nor optimize our body recomposition.

Actually the more we can negatively impact our body recomposition results!

Because often in our attempt to lose weight faster, we slash our calories super low and try to exercise more.

This results in, yes more weight being lost, but this weight is not only fat but also MUSCLE.

It can also cause us to create metabolic adaptations and hormonal changes that can make us look SOFTER, which is the opposite of what we want to happen.

And this is especially the case when we’re working to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds.

You simply can’t out diet or out exercise TIME.

And while, yes, calories in vs calories out matters, we can’t focus on purely trying to starve ourselves by slashing our calories super low or creating more of a deficit through our training.

Actually we need to stop focusing on our training as a way to burn calories at all.

And we need to stop purely focusing on our calorie intake if we want the best fat loss results possible.

These improper weight loss practices, and even at times extreme deprivation diets and overtraining, are what lead to that horrible yo-yo dieting cycle.

They lead to potentially rapid weight loss on the scale, but also that weight rebound.

Through these fad diets, we create unsustainable habits, thrown our bodies out of whack and often create metabolic adaptations that make it even harder to lose the weight the next time we attempt to.

So if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “My age just makes it so much harder?”

Or “It’s so much harder than it used to be to lose weight!”

Well that might have less to do with getting older, and more to do with the improper dieting practices you’ve implemented previously!

The great part is though, we CAN reverse much of the “damage” we’ve done.

We can retrain our body to eat more and lose fat while restoring our metabolic health.

But we have to stop looking for a fast fix.

Instead we sort of have to do the OPPOSITE of what we’ve been told to do…

We need to focus on these two key things…

1. Macros
2. Strength Training

And then we need to focus on something we can truly maintain long-term.

Because motivation and willpower are fleeting.

We need to use those times we are motivated to put in new healthy habits that are sustainable. Because through those routines and habits that don’t take as much willpower to implement, we will keep doing what we need to do to get results even on those days we aren’t as motivated.

We need to focus less on creating a calorie deficit and more on doing the things that keep our metabolic rate higher while learning to fuel in a way that leaves us feeling energized while needing to utilized stored energy aka fat to fuel.

And that means we need to focus on macros and strength training.

So why are these two things so key?

First let’s talk about MACROS…

Before you even adjust your calorie intake, I recommend you focus on your macronutrient ratios – what portion of your calories come from proteins, carbs and fats?

How you adjust your macros can impact your energy levels and your fat loss results without you even consciously adjusting your calories.

It can even impact the number of calories you feel you need to be fueled while creating a small deficit just because of the differing thermic effects of each macronutrient.

When we fuel properly too, we help prevent unnecessary metabolic adaptations and we keep our body running efficiently.

Not to mention we maintain our energy so we want to live the lifestyle we enjoy!

When first focusing on macros, start by adjusting your PROTEIN intake.

Honestly, if you want the best fat loss results, protein is the main thing that matters.

A review of studies, showed that really protein intake is what determined what ratio worked best for weight loss. Whether you went high fat or low fat, high carb or low carb, the ratio that always produced the best results was the one higher in protein.

And it’s because protein can keep you feeling full and fueled.

Not to mention the thermic effect can only further aid in fat loss without you needing to create any more of a technical calorie deficit.

Protein takes the most energy to digest with about 20-30% of the total calories in protein eaten going to digesting it while carbs take about 5-10% and fats take 0-3%.

Studies have shown protein to have a thermogenic effect 5 times greater than carbs or fat!

Basically you burn more calories to utilize protein than the other two macros!

Increasing your protein can also help you build and retain lean muscle mass even while in a deficit.

Studies have shown that a high protein diet is the only diet to help you do so. Not to mention it can even help you prevent gaining fat when in a calorie surplus!

It’s so key we do EVERYTHING we can to avoid muscle mass loss, not only to age well, but to keep our metabolic rate higher and avoid the metabolic adaptations we often see with extreme diets.

Retaining lean muscle mass will help you burn more calories at rest not to mention, muscle makes you look LEANER as you lose that fat!

And the cherry on top of all of this, and just another reason to focus on protein…

Consuming protein can increase levels of glucagon, a hormone in your body that can help control body fat.

When glucagon is released, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose for the body to use.

It can also help liberate free fatty acids from fat tissues aka provide fuel for cells and make that body fat do something useful instead of hiding our six pack.

Ok so you’re sold on focusing on macros…now why should you focus on strength training over cardio?

We focus so much on the calories we burn from exercise and trying to create a deficit through our training.

Which can be great for beginners just starting out looking to make a lifestyle change who find moving more, or adding in some workouts, easier to start than looking at their diet.

Just by adding in more activity they will create a calorie deficit without changing their diet.

This focus on a calorie deficit is also why many people turn to cardio when they want to lose weight. It has a higher calorie burn per session.

But our bodies adapt over time, meaning we don’t burn as many calories from these sessions (no matter what your very inaccurate fitness tracker tells you). And unless you keep training longer and harder, which there is a limit to, you won’t be able to out train your diet long-term.

So you WILL inevitably need to make dietary changes. Sorry. Trust me I’ve tried out training your diet.

It never leads to lasting results and often leads to burnout and injury.

Also, endurance training can be catabolic to muscle tissue, especially if you aren’t very conscious of your fueling.

So while you may be burning a few more calories in your training sessions by doing cardio especially to start, you aren’t doing anything to raise your resting metabolic rate, which impacts the calories you burn throughout the day.

And your resting metabolic rate has way more potential to help you burn more calories on a daily basis long-term and create LASTING results and long-term fat loss maintenance.

Not to mention you may only perpetuate muscle loss, especially if you’re slashing your calories super low, which will result in worse body composition and potentially metabolic adaptations that make it harder and harder to lose weight as we get older.

And this is why strength training is so key.

Not only can you increase your resting metabolic rate by building muscle because muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat, BUT you also are going to be functional stronger, look leaner AND preserve that muscle mass more while in a deficit and trying to lose fat.

If you want to eat more, look leaner and prevent a lot of the adaptations we often associate with getting older?

You need to be focusing your training on STRENGTH TRAINING.

Now if you enjoy cardio, you don’t need to cut it out.

But just STOP focusing on workouts as purely about the calorie burn from that single session.

Stop focusing on trying to do more to leave yourself feeling slaughtered.

Stop trying to out train your diet.

And instead see your workouts as a chance to build the lean physique you’ll reveal by how you fuel.

Use your training sessions to build lean muscle to keep your metabolism humming and look leaner long-term. Use your sessions not for that quick fix, but to help you better maintain your fat loss long term.

SUMMARY:

I know it’s tempting to want to do MORE to get results faster, but we have to remember that often the faster we lose weight on the scale, the less we are truly focusing on that body recomposition.

As much as it stinks to hear, slow and steady wins the race.

Focus on just those two key things of MACROS and STRENGTH TRAINING and find a routine you can follow consistently if you want amazing body recomposition results!

If you’re ready to dial in your workouts AND your nutrition to achieve amazing results with a plan that is actually SUSTAINABLE, apply to my 1:1 Online Coaching below.

–> Apply To 1:1 Coaching

 

the Most Underrated Glute Exercise

the Most Underrated Glute Exercise

by | May 12, 2021 | Blog, Bodyweight, Butt, Core, Exercises, Pain Relief, Warm Up

The stronger your mind-body connection is?

The more you can lift, the faster you can run and the further you can cycle!

Basically the STRONGER YOU ARE!

Strength is not just about brute force but also about neuromuscular efficiency – how quickly can you recruit the CORRECT muscles to perform a movement and produce force.

That’s why it is key we include exercises to really improve that mind-body connection and make sure we are able to engage the correct muscles whenever we need.

Because as much as we focus on form, proper form does NOT always mean you’re engaging the correct muscles.

Actually often the more experienced a lifter you are and the more athletic you are, the more you can mimic a proper looking movement pattern while compensating and recruiting the incorrect muscles to do so.

This can not only result in injury but often holds us back from lifting as much as we truly can.

It prevents us from being as strong as possible because we aren’t using muscles efficiently together. We aren’t making the correct muscles pull their own weight.

That’s why you need to include some isolation moves to activate those underactive muscles and make sure you’re engaging the correct muscles at the proper times.

One muscle that often needs to be the focus of our activation work is our GLUTES.

Our glutes are commonly underactive due to our modern lifestyle.

So focused activation work can help us improve our mind-body connection to better recruit our glutes during compound lifts and when we run or cycle.

One of my favorite moves, and a very basic and often underutilized move, is the Single Leg Bent-Knee Reverse Hyper.

This move is fundamental if you want to improve your hip extension and focus on isolating those glutes.

And it’s a really great way to test if your hamstrings tend to want to take over and compensate for your glutes.

Often our hamstrings can become synergistically dominant for underactive glutes and that can result in hamstrings strains, lower back, hip and knee pain.

So if you tend to feel your hamstrings even during moves like glute bridges? You need to give this reverse hyper variation a try.

To first test your glute activation, lie face down on the ground. You can relax your chin on your hands as you straighten both legs out. Then bend one knee to about 90 degrees. Flex that foot. Do not curl the heel in toward your butt as this will engage your hamstrings.

Then drive your heel toward the ceiling and extend your hip.

What do you feel firing first? Do you feel your hamstring first or your glute?

Do you feel both? Or can you just isolate your glute?

If you can just isolate your glute fabulous! Do 15-20 reps and pause at the top to really establish that mind-body connection and even get a little pump going.

If you can’t feel your glutes, try adjusting how you’re cueing and performing the move.

Here are a few tweaks to try.

#1: Focus on driving your hip down into the ground as you drive the heel back so you don’t rotate open. Think about almost pushing your hip bone down into the ground instead of just lifting up.

#2: Think about STOPPING the lift with your glute over just trying to lift up higher. You want to focus on that glute engagement over the movement itself.

#3: Kick just slightly out as you lift. Remember not to curl your heel in toward your butt. Our hamstrings are worked by that knee flexion so avoiding it can help. However, going too straight with your leg can also make it harder for some to focus on their glutes.

#4: Slightly abduct your knee or move it out to the side before you lift. This can better engage the glute medius to help engage that glute max. Just be careful you don’t rotate your hip open. Just slightly move the knee out to the side.

Try one of these tweaks at a time to see what helps. You may even find you need to combine all the cues to get that glute firing without the hamstring trying to take over.

As silly as it may seem, sometimes just changing how we cue ourselves to perform a movement with a very slight adjustment can really help us better establish that mind-body connection when we’ve struggled in the past.

Just don’t rush through the movement. Pause and assess. Be intentional with the exercise over just trying to get through the reps.

Doing the “right moves” without feeling the correct muscles working won’t get you the results you want.

Focus on activating your glutes.

SUMMARY:

Use this underrated glute isolation move as both an activation exercise but also a test of hamstring compensation. It is a great way to make sure your hamstrings aren’t trying to take over and work when your glutes truly should be.

Be conscious of what you feel working during your workouts and do not simply go through the motions.

The more we can truly create proper recruitment patterns and use the correct muscles efficiently and effectively, the stronger we will be.

Sometimes we need to take things back to basics to get results.

We are never above those simple fundamentals!

Working to improve your glute activation?

Check out my Booty Burner Program!

–> LEARN MORE

Push-Ups For Beginners – 5 Simple Tips To Perfect Your Push Up

Push-Ups For Beginners – 5 Simple Tips To Perfect Your Push Up

by | Apr 22, 2021 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Push Ups

Push ups not only require a lot of upper body strength but also core strength.

They require you to properly recruit and engage everything from your shoulders to your knees so your body moves as one unit. You need to not only have amazing strength but also proper wrist, shoulder and scapular mobility and stability.

They are a much more complex movement than we often give them credit for.

That’s why I want to share 5 tips to help you not only dial in your push up form, but also strengthen all of the muscles involved in the movement so you can improve your push ups.

But first, I want to explain why it’s key we remember we may need to regress to progress to start.

And one of the best ways to do that is by using an incline over even the knee push up variation!

The knee push up variation is actually more challenging than we often give it credit for. And it doesn’t teach us to engage everything between our shoulders to our feet.

We need to train that full plank position to help us better engage everything as we build up toward that full push up from the ground.

That’s why the incline push up is a great way to modify the push up to start.

You can start off a wall and slowly lower the incline as you’re ready.

And by using an incline, we can even mix up the push up variations we include as we build up.

It can be boring feeling like you aren’t able to try some of those fun push up variations. But using an incline, you don’t have to stick with just the basic push up.

You can include other push up variations that may even be great accessory moves in and of themselves to improve your strength toward that first full push up.

Want to target your triceps more?

Try the close grip push up off an incline.

Or if you want to work on your core strength more as well as your shoulder stability?

Try the shoulder tap push up.

By mixing up your push up variations you can keep you training fun and interesting and even address your weak links to get stronger!

5 Key Tips To Help You Improve Your Push Ups

#1: Drive back through your heels.

Part of getting stronger is also about being more EFFICIENT in your movements. It’s about learning how to engage muscles correctly so it actually requires less effort to do the movement.

And one great way to make sure you have the proper tension during the push up to maintain that nice straight line from your head to your heels, is to cue yourself to drive back through your heels.

This will help you flex your quads for that nice plank position.

Because while this is an upper body move you need to have that proper full body engagement so you aren’t overloading your upper body but also making your lower body assist you in moving efficiently.

When you set up for the push up, push backward off the balls of your feet. Feel the change in how you flex your legs as you do this. Just make sure that as you drive back, you keep your hands outside your chest and don’t let them shift up above your shoulders.

Keep pushing backward off the balls of your feet as you lower down.

Feel those legs stay engaged to help you maintain that plank position!

#2: Push the ground away.

Want to engage your triceps, shoulders and pecs better while helping prevent elbow pain during push ups? Focus on your hands grip on the ground.

That tension we create through our hands down into the ground can really help us better activate the muscles of our upper body.

And it can help us prevent overuse from rocking out on our hands.

As you set up for the push up, spread your fingers with your middle finger pointing straight ahead. Grip the ground or incline with your entire hand, even pressing your thumb down into the ground.

At the top of the push up, think about pushing the ground away just slightly to even better stabilize your shoulders.

And do not lose this tension even as you lower down. Too often we just think about lowering down over maintaining that tension into the ground.

But this tension can also help us in that transition from lowering to pressing back up.

If you’ve ever felt like you struggle at the bottom to change to pushing back up?

This focus on your hands pushing down into the ground can make all of the difference. So even as you lower, push the ground away so that when you move to push back up, you’ve already created that tension.

#3: Feel your back assisting.

While yes, the push up is a move for our chest, shoulders and triceps, we can’t ignore the important role our upper back plays in this movement.

We often think about our scapular movement, or the movement of our shoulder blades, during things like rows.

But that scapular movement is essential to actually create a more powerful press.

Proper scapular movement can mean healthier, happier shoulders, elbows and even wrists. Not to mention you avoiding neck pain from push ups.

So as you perform the push up, think about your back working to support your shoulders.

Make sure that, when you set up, you very slightly pull your shoulder blades down toward your butt as you unshrug your shoulders. Think about feeling the sides of your back slightly engage to support your shoulders.

Then, as you lower down, think about your shoulder blades drawing together toward your spine.

As you press back up, focus on pulling those shoulder blades apart.

Use your back and that proper scapular movement to power your press!

#4: Use push up holds.

Push ups are basically a moving plank so often when we think push ups and improving our core strength, we turn to plank holds.

And those are great.

But you can actually work on that plank position from just about any point in the push up.

By holding even mid-way through the push up or at the bottom, you can really strengthen not only your core but also your upper body.

You can also help yourself overcome any weak points or stick points in the move.

If there is a point you feel you always get stuck at?

Hold there to strengthen everything.

When we hold, we can really focus on what we feel working because we aren’t distracted by trying to actually perform a movement.

We can stay in one position and run through the muscles that should be working to make sure we feel them. We have time to even assess our form and make small tweaks.

That time under tension can help us build strength as we work on that mind-body connection to use muscles efficiently.

So next time you include some accessory core work, try including bottom push up holds or mid push up holds instead of just doing even the high plank position to work your core!

#5: Quality over quantity.

Practice makes better. But only when you’re practicing the proper movement. If we get lazy with our reps and compensate or replicate improper movement patterns?

We are going to ingrain those bad habits through repetition.

So as you build up, make sure to focus on quality over quantity. Make every rep your best rep to really solidify those proper movement patterns.’

And focus on fewer reps of a harder variation to really challenge your body to progress.

Too often when we want to work toward that first full push up, we just make ourselves better at the modified variation by adding more reps.

Instead of doing more reps of a more modified push up, we need to think about doing fewer reps with more sets to keep attempting a more challenging variation.

So if you can do only 1 push up off a lower incline, but 5 off a higher?

It is better to include that 1 rep off the harder variation, simply resting longer between to create the volume over sets.

Because you need to use those harder variations to get better at them!

Summary:

Use the incline push up variation to help you build up toward that first full push up from your toes. You can even start off the wall and lower the incline as you feel ready.

As you build up, use these tips and cues to help you dial in your push up form and use muscles efficiently to perform the movement.

And don’t be afraid to use some fun variations off the incline to help you target those weak links and keep your training fun and interesting!

The BIGGEST Deadlift Mistakes (No One Talks About)

The BIGGEST Deadlift Mistakes (No One Talks About)

by | Mar 18, 2021 | Blog, Exercises

The Deadlift – This is personally one of my favorite exercises.

It is a challenging hip hinge movement that works your entire posterior chain or backside.

It is a move that is often demonized and feared for causing lower back aches and pains.

But while this move can be misused and end up resulting in lower back injury, it is actually a key movement pattern to learn to perform correctly if we want to avoid long term back, hip and even knee issues.

That’s why I want to share not only 3 tips to improve your deadlift but also one of the biggest problems I see people encountering when trying to recruit muscles correctly to perform this posterior chain move…

They think of this move as a PULL instead of focusing on the PUSH to initiate the lift.

And that focus on the deadlift as a pull is often what results in us overloading our lower backs instead of correctly bracing our abs and using our hamstrings and glutes to initiate the movement of the bar off the ground.

Instead of thinking about pulling the bar up off the ground, next time you set up to deadlift, think about PUSHING the ground away with your legs.

While a seemingly simply change in how we cue ourselves to do this move, this can change the entire sequencing of how we recruit muscles to perform the movement.

Think about it this way…

When you step up to the bar and think, “I have to pull this off the ground,” you may hinge at the hips to sink down to the bar and grab it, but your innate response is to then start to tug with your upper body and arms.

This often results in mistakes like the bar drifting away from our shins, us not engaging our lats to lock everything in, rounding of the thoracic and lumbar spine, not to mention our butt rising up far too quickly, resulting in what is often called the stripper deadlift.

This can all lead to over use of our back instead of our glutes being a driver of the lift.

This simple miscue in how to initiate the move can be the culprit of our improper recruitment patterns and result in compensations and injury,

When we instead focus first on this move as a PUSH, our attention shifts to our foot’s connection with the ground and the use of our legs to initiate the movement.

It allows us to create and maintain the upper body tension we need to hold the bar while focusing on the movement coming from our lower body.

So next time you step up to the bar, don’t think about pulling the bar off the ground. Focus instead on PUSHING the ground away with your legs!

Now what are 3 other tips to improve your deadlift so you can rock this amazing lift?

Tip #1: Don’t be married to one deadlift variation.

I LOVE….did I say LOVE!? The barbell sumo deadlift. Honestly if I could only do one move the rest of my life, that move would be it.

BUT as much as I love the barbell sumo deadlift, this is not the only deadlift variation I use personally or with all of my clients.

Not every deadlift variation will be right for us and our build and previous injuries.

And different variations may suit our needs and goals as they change over time.

Not only may we use different stances, different amounts of knee flexion and even different starting positions to activate muscles to different extents, but we may change up the equipment we use to load the moves down and provide resistance.

The key is using the hip hinge movement in a way that addresses our needs and goals instead of getting caught up in one version being the “best” or “right” way to do things.

If you have slightly longer legs?

You may find the sumo stance works better for you.

Whereas if you want to target your back in general a bit more? You may choose to do the conventional deadlift.

Or if you want to place an emphasis on working your hamstrings?

Maybe you do a Romanian Deadlift.

If you’re just starting out with deadlifting?

Maybe you use a kettlebell instead of a barbell. The kettlebell can be a great tool to use to learn how to hip hinge correctly.

It’s easier to set the kettlebell back between your feet to properly load your glutes during the deadlift whereas there is more risk with the barbell variation of it drifting forward in your efforts to protect your shins, which can lead to lower back overload.

You can even do band deadlifts or unilaterally loaded deadlifts to create more tension at the top of the move where the glutes are stronger or focus more on your core strength, creating an even anti-rotational element to the move.

The point is, there are so many different variations of this amazing hip hinge movement you can use to get the most out of the exercise and even use the move as its own accessory lift!

Tip #2: Create tension before you lift.

Bracing is key if you want to protect your lower back.

But it’s not just about bracing your abs and creating tension there when it comes to the deadlift.

While you want to engage your abs as if you’re about to be punched in the gut to help protect your lower back as well as exhale during exertion in the lift, you want to make sure you create tension in a few different places BEFORE you even attempt to move the bar off the ground.

This helps make sure that muscles work efficiently together.

Too often we see rounding of our back occurring because we lose tension or haven’t properly engaged before starting the lift.

Next time you set up to deadlift, think about your foot placement on the ground. Think about driving the two points in the ball of your foot and one in your heel down hard into the ground.

As you hinge and grab the bar, engage your lats and depress your shoulder blades so your shoulders feel locked in.

Even think about both hands fully wrapping around to grab the bar so that each finger has that connection.

Then create that tension not only down into the ground but also through the bar. While you won’t lift the bar, you want to think about removing any “slack” from your arms so that everything is locked in.

By creating this tension, you can then use your body as a lever to lift by driving the ground away.

While this sounds like a lot of things to focus on, the engagement will become natural over time.

But using this little checklist to set up when you’re learning can help you make sure you’re creating tension in the right areas to use muscles efficiently to lift.

Part of strength is using muscles efficiently together.

Tip #3: Remember every lift is PRACTICE.

Every time we deadlift, we are practicing the movement pattern.

And what we do consistently becomes habit.

Therefore improper form during our “practice” will lead to us consistently implementing improper form and recruitment patterns as we progress.

That can result in us not only not progressing as far as we’d like in terms of lifting more with this amazing move, but it can also result in overload which eventually results in injury.

It’s why, as hard as it is to check our ego, at points we need to regress to progress.

While there will be some form break down when you’re an experienced lifter testing those limits and attempting one rep max work, you need to remember that when you hit that compensation point, it’s key to then address those weak links.

Sometimes you have to lower the loads and go back to basics. You have to use accessory lifts to work on strengthening muscles or components of the movement.

Sometimes you even need to use other deadlift variations to help you build up.

Progress is never linear, and we have to remember that no matter how advanced we are, each lift is practice and teaches us things we need to go back and work on.

SUMMARY:

The deadlift is an amazing hip hinge movement to strengthen your entire backside.

Learning how to perform this movement correctly and control it can often be the key to even avoiding back aches and pains in the future.

Start focusing on that push away to drive the movement while using these 3 tips to help tailor this amazing move to fit your needs and goals!

What is your favorite deadlift variation?

Fix Your Squat – 3 Squat Myths That Need To Die

Fix Your Squat – 3 Squat Myths That Need To Die

by | Mar 12, 2021 | Blog, Exercises

What does it mean to have picture perfect squat form?

And is there really truly such a thing?

Or are we actually doing MORE damage by trying to force one version of proper form on every single person no matter their build, training experience or previous injury history?

Because I believe there SHOULD be variation to movement patterns, and even an emphasis placed on recruitment patterns, or the muscles that actually SHOULD be working, over just mimicking a proper movement, I want to discuss 3 squat myths, how they came to be and why they actually hold us back from getting the most out of this amazing compound move – the Squat.

But first, I want to discuss why we can’t force one version of form, or even simply one variation of the squat on every single person.

While I do believe we should have standards of form and seek to work on proper movement patterns, I think we also have to recognize that we will not all move the same.

We can’t see form as black and white, simply good or bad.

We have different builds, different postural distortions and even different goals. And this means that not everyone will squat with the same stance or even benefit from the exact same squat variation.

And sometimes forcing someone to fit a form mold you feel is correct can lead to overload and injury as their body compensates to mimic the movement you’re telling them to do.

Our bodies will seek out mobility from joints or areas not meant to provide it or even overuse smaller muscles in an attempt to replicate a movement.

So while you may love the barbell back squat, a client may not be ready for that movement or ever even need to do it. Instead a single leg squat to box or goblet squat may be right for them.

They may have more forward lean or even a wider squat stance.

They may need a mini band for that tactile cue to help them activate their glutes. Or due to limited ankle mobility, they may need to squat to a box to start to help them better load their glutes without their lower back engaging.

We need to see opportunities in slight variations of movements over ranking them as better or worse, good or bad.

3 Squat Myths That Need To…Die…

Sometimes simply using the same but different because of how it affects muscle activation may be key to our own progression!

So what are the 3 Squat Myths that may be holding you back?

Myth #1: Your knees can’t go past your toes.

Knee pain is an all too common complaint. And tight hips and limited ankle mobility are common mobility restrictions due to our modern lifestyle.

These things combined are part of the reason we saw the rise of the cue “Your knees shouldn’t go past your toes.”

This cue was meant to help remind people to actually sit back over first bending their knees forward while letting their heels rise up.

It’s intentions were good.

However, it’s perpetuated the belief that squats are bad for your knees or that your knees can’t travel forward and instead need to stay over your ankles.

But to achieve a deep squat or a full pistol squat?

This just isn’t possible.

Your knees can and, often even SHOULD, travel past your toe with no negative consequences.

The key is making sure you’re properly loading those glutes and sitting back.

You need to make sure you have the proper hip and ankle mobility to be squatting as low as you are while keeping your heels down.

If you can’t load your glutes and keep your heels down, you may then have issues with your knees traveling forward as the muscles around your knees become overloaded.

So while this cue was well intentioned due to mobility restrictions and injuries that were popping up, you simply may not be able to work through a full range of motion with proper form if you try to force your knees to stay behind your toes!

The key is working on your ankle and hip mobility so you can properly load while potentially even using a squat to box variation to help you control the movement and properly load.

Myth #2: You need to stay super upright.

A nice upright squat position looks beautiful. Unfortunately though many of us simply don’t have the build to do it and trying to prevent ourselves from leaning forward will result in lower back aches and pains.

While we want to work on core stability and hip and thoracic mobility as much as possible to improve our squat posture, we also do not want to force someone to keep their chest upright if their mobility and build don’t allow for it to be done with proper recruitment patterns.

Too often we try to force a proper looking movement at the expense of actually utilizing the correct muscles.

And while this cue came about to help people avoid turning the squat into a hip hinge, it can backfire if we try to force a position we can’t control.

We have to face the facts that some of us just aren’t built for picture perfect Instagram worthy squats and work to maximize our squatting form based on our builds.

Now this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on your mobility to get more upright, but it does mean you need to recognize there will be acceptable variations in the squat and that your squat movement pattern may involve more forward lean.

It’s why coaching people, you may want to avoid having them face a wall to cue “chest up.”

Especially if you have long femurs and a short torso, you may find that a slight lean forward as you squat allows you to get lower, load your legs better AND even avoid lower back aches and pains instead of trying to arch to stay upright.

You may also use box squats or front loaded squat variations to help you properly sit back and even brace your core to ultimately keep a more upright body position.

It’s key though that you don’t force an upright posture at the expense of arching your lower back and causing aches and pains there.

Myth #3: Your squat needs to be (insert depth here).

I’ve heard everything from “Don’t squat below parallel or your knees will explode” to “You need to squat ass to grass or it doesn’t count.”

The real answer to the proper squat depth question?

Is…it DEPENDS!

The difference of opinion on squat depth and cueing came about because one side feared the knee pain they often saw clients suffering from with squatting while the other wanted to help people strengthen through a full range of motion for better muscle gains AND to even maintain better mobility as they aged.

But we have to recognize that not everyone will be able to squat to the same depth.

Your structure, injury history and mobility may lead to you limiting your squat depth and even controlling it through use of a box or bench. Or it may allow you to squat into a nice deep squat very comfortably.

But whatever range of motion you can control, you want to work through it as fully as possible. Our goal is always to train through the largest range of motion we can properly control.

Which for some may be that full deep squat while for others it may be to parallel.

But we need to stop demonizing one or the other. And we even need to recognize that BOTH can be useful at points even.

Even someone who can easily perform a deep squat may limit squat range of motion strategically to work on weak points or stick points.

Form isn’t black and white.

But we need to realize when cues may be misused and perpetuate improper recruitment patterns or lead to everyone trying to force the same mold.

One size doesn’t fit all.

There is no one best move or movement variation.

Use these tips to help dial in your squat form to work with your build, needs and goals!

Ready to move and feel your best with workouts tailored to your needs and goals? Check out my 1:1 Coaching!

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