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OPTION #1

Performing deadlifts and squats using the longitudinal hanging barbell protocol not only hammers the entire musculature of the legs including the quads, glutes and hamstrings but it’s also incredibly low back friendly. In addition, it represents a more symmetrical, safe, and natural variation of the Jefferson deadlift.

I’ve stated numerous times over the last several years that the squat stance deadlift is the most natural and joint-friendly deadlift position. Well it just so happens that this variation forces the lifter to employ those exact mechanics as the lift feels very similar to performing a kettlebell deadlift or kettlebell squat. Because the weight hangs directly under your center of mass rather than in front of it (as would be the case with traditional deadlifts), the tension to the low back and spine is markedly less. In addition, the legs receive more direct stimulation as the movement feels quite similar to something like a belt squat.

Unlike the hanging trap bar variation which requires a bit more of an elaborate setup with boxes, the longitudinal hanging trap bar variation involves an incredibly simple and user-friendly setup. Simply load a bar with as much weight as desired, straddle the bar, place a T-bar v-grip handle in the center of that bar, then grip and rip.

In the video below I’m demonstrating the deadlift /dead stop version while my awesome client Leslie is demonstrating the eccentric isometric squat version. Besides the fact that you don’t need to use a trap bar, the longitudinal hanging barbell method provides a few additional benefits over the trap bar variation.

1. There is a significant instability and volatility component involved as the bar must sit perfectly in the v-grip handle without tilting. Any deviations in form, shifting, excessive momentum, loss of motor control, or postural deviations will cause the bar to tilt out of control. For instance if the lifter allows their shoulders to round over or shifts their weight towards their toes rather than driving through the heels, the bar will tilt forward towards the ground. In contrast, if the lifter hyperextends their spine or uses cervical hyperextension to help lift the weight (i.e. tilts their head up excessively) this will cause the rear portion of the barbell to tilt back and down towards the floor with the front end tilting up towards the ceiling. In other words the lifter is required to find the perfect balance of weight distribution and postural alignment in order to maintain balance of the barbell.

2. This is perhaps the single most effective deadlift variation I’ve ever used for teaching the lifter to use strict and rigid pulling mechanics during the first few inches off the floor. If the lifter tries to muscle or yank the weight off the floor rather than smoothly and patiently driving with their legs and hips, the bar will tilt in an almost uncontrollable fashion. In fact, if you watch the very first rep on my deadlift set, you’ll notice I used a bit too much momentum and wasn’t patient enough with my lower body. As a result of slightly muscling the weight off the floor you could see the barbell begin to tilt. However, this provided immediate feedback which I could use on subsequent reps to clean up my form and hone in on my deadlift mechanics for the remainder of the set. This setup also helps to reinforce the idea of pulling slack out of the barbell as failing to do so will also result in loss of barbell control.

3. The longitudinal hanging barbell squat and deadlift also provides one of the best methods for performing deadlifts with a more low-back friendly range of motion. For instance, performing deadlifts from the floor oftentimes represents an overly-large range of motion for many lifters as the individual has to sit down much lower than they naturally would choose to (oftentimes greater than 90 degree joint angles) to pull a heavy load off the floor. Elevating the load 2-3 inches higher typically places the athlete at just the right height where the range of motion feels more ideal and produces joint angles more closely resembling 90 degree joint angles. While you could simply place the weight onto smaller blocks or weight plates, using the longitudinal hanging barbell method (by hooking a v-grip onto the bar) requires a much less complex setup not to mention one where the athlete doesn’t have to worry about the barbell rolling off the boxes/plates each time they place the weight down.

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OPTION #1

This next exercise is a longitudinal hip thrust single leg chest press using contralateral knee drive. Besides blasting the glutes, hip flexors, and hamstrings, these also torch the abs as you’ll be working overtime not only to keep perfect body alignment but to maintain balance and control. Any mediolateral deviations with your feet, hips, or core will result in loss of balance and stability. The harder you drive your hip and knee into the 90 degree position the more dialed in this feels and the more stable the lift becomes.

With that said, a few things to point out about each persons’ form here. Charlene could have driven her knee slightly harder into the 90 degree hip flexion position especially as she fatigued. Austin could have elevated the foot of the hip flexion leg a bit more to maintain a sharper 90 degree angle which also would have worked his core and hips to a greater extent. These are deceptively difficult and require several sets to perfectly dial in. I also recommend starting off with a t-bench setup that I’ve written about over the past years (laying on the bench width wise like a hip thruster) as it’s easier to maintain balance and control in comparison to the longitudinal position as the sides of the bench can’t help anchor you. Once you’ve mastered these try using band tension on the hips to increase the difficulty.

OPTION #2

The single leg reverse knee drive ab rollout on the stability ball is an insanely brutal yet effective core and ab exercise that also targets full body stability as well as the glutes, hip flexors, and quads. I recommend a semi bent arm position as the leverage feels much more natural.

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The inverted row is one of my favorite exercises not only for targeting the entire posterior chain including the upper back, lats, glutes, and hamstrings, but also for addressing posture and spinal alignment.
By performing it in a single arm fashion with a simultaneous hip thrust and contralateral knee drive (a.k.a sprinter inverted row), not only does this fire up just about every muscle throughout the body due to the targeting of both the posterior and anterior oblique slings but the transfer this likely has to athletic performance and sprinting mechanics is quite high.
Lets quickly discuss the various mechanisms involved which will also help the reader better understand how to perform this advanced yet highly effective drill. For sake of simplicity lets focus on the right arm pulling/rowing The posterior oblique sling dictates that the opposite hip extensor/glute and lat work together to create a coiling sensation. During this drill the lifter would essentially row up or pull with the right arm which in turn would fire the left glute/hip. The greater the hip activation the greater the lat activation and visa versa. However, we also know via contralateral activation patterns that the anterior oblique sling can work in conjunction with the posterior sling to create additional activation throughout the entire body as well as the working extremities.

In this particular scenario, the harder the opposite knee and hip drive into 90 degree hip flexion, the greater reciprocal muscles of the contralateral side will fire, which in this case is the glutes. However, to create maximal hip flexor activation of that elevated leg, this also would require us to engage the contralateral front deltoid and pectoral of the opposing arm as this represents the nature of the anterior oblique sling. This also happens to recruit the adductors, oblique and abs, as the force transmission crosses from the upper extremities into the lower extremities. Simply put, this chain reaction starts with contralateral hip flexion and shoulder flexion which in turn creates greater reciprocal muscle activation in the glute and lat of the opposing sides (i.e. contralateral activation). Simply put, it’s a full body row that has tremendous transfer to athletic performance and postural alignment.

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OPTION #1

Bottoms-up exercises are some of the most difficult strength training movements there are. Single leg bottoms up movements represent the epitome of full body stability and motor control. If there's a weak link in any portion of the body from head to toe these will immediately expose it. Once you master single leg bottoms up cleans and single leg bottoms up presses you'll most likely have eliminated a majority of dysfunction throughout your body. One exercise that's incredibly challenging even for the most advanced lifters is the single leg bottoms up clean. The double leg version tends to be a bit too light to truly maximize hip and glute activation. However, single leg variations performed with plates quickly resolves this, as the total weight is loaded to one hip. Furthermore, the plates can swing to the sides of your body without hitting your thigh – something that can't be duplicated with kettlebells. Besides requiring a high degree of balance and motor control, you'll need Jedi-like focus to successfully complete these.

OPTION #2

Here's NFL Athlete Taylor Heinicke on Snatch Grip High Pulls from Eccentric Isometric RDL which is one of my favorite posterior chain power exercises that emphasize hip drive with added functional hypertrophy.

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If you’re looking for a unique yet brutal pullup/chinup variation that torches the core and spinal stabilizers while also promoting optimal body alignment and vertical pulling technique look no further than the dead bug pullup. The offset position produces slight rotational forces that the lifter will be required to resist throughout thereby creating additional tension to the anterior core, transverse abs, quadratus lumborum, and obliques. Furthermore, due to the nature of the oblique slings, the contralateral hip drive position with one hip in flexion and the other in extension creates incredibly high levels of core activation as tension crosses from the lats and upper body into the hips inevitably forcing the core to act as the bridge that allows force to be transmitted across the upper and lower extremities. As a result of the heightened core activation it’s nearly impossible to over-arch the lumbar spine.

With that said, excessive low back arch is a very common problem on pullups. While it’s important to maintain a slight natural curvature of the spine during pullups many individuals attempt to keep their chest out by simply allowing excessive lumbar extension to occur. Instead the lifter should be producing extension through the t-spine while keeping the lumbar spine in a relatively neutral position. This deadbug pullup variation helps the lifter find this optimal position as it’s nearly impossible to over arch the low back. As a result the t-spine must take up the slack resulting in massive tension to the lats not to mention enhanced postural positioning. Perform these without any additional tension on the hips first. Once mastered, add the mini band to further increase core activation and tax the oblique sling.

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OPTION #1

This is a great overhead press variation for stability, technique, and core activation.

OPTION #2

Longitudinal Foam Roller Split Stance Overhead Press is a great shoulder press that reinforces high levels of full body tension in order to maintain balance and control on the foam roller as well as alignment.

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TRAP BAR OPTION

If you’re looking for a unique but incredibly brutal way to crush your entire body from head to toe, try this Reeves trap bar Bulgarian split squat as demonstrated by my awesome client Charlene. The Reeves trap bar setup (a modification of the Reeves deadlift) is something I use quite a bit with my athletes on a number of movements including deadlifts, loaded carries, hinges, lunges, jumps, rows, single leg movements, and more. There are 7 reasons for this. Read more. Read more HERE.

NO TRAP BAR OPTION

Here's a split squat lunge on the longitudinal foam roller with an isometric hammer curl. notice all the 90 degree joint angles which optimizes muscle function, strength, and joint health.

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Here’s a simple yet very effective full body exercise that can easily be modified if you don’t have any equipment. Simply use water jugs, get into a single leg glute bridge position and perform pullovers. You’ll literally feel every muscle in your posterior chain, glutes, hamstrings, core, abs, lats, triceps, & more. If you have a foam roller try using that to increase hamstring & glute activation as you’re now resisting extension forces acting on the knee (i.e. isometric leg curl hold). Besides improving shoulder mobility & stability It’s also a great drill for bulletproofing your low back & hips & helping back pain.

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NOTE: The 2+2+2 rep protocol indicates the lifter should perform 2 rows per every RDL. For example, one will perform 2 rows followed by 1 RDL, followed by 2 rows and 1 RDL, etc. for a total of 6 rows and 3 total RDLs per set.

This next exercise is an underhand grip T-bar rows. Notice how I also have him using an RDL reset protocol every 2 reps rather than just having him go straight through the set without resetting. This is something I use on a majority of bent over rows & T-bar rows with my athletes. Here’s why.

On bent over rows and T-bar rows it’s quite for the low back & spinal stabilizers to greatly fatigue, causing these areas to fail before the upper back. As a result you’ll often see form & posture gradually deteriorate throughout the set. Rather than holding a bent over position & completing all repetitions of the rowing movement, a better solution is to reset after several reps by performing an additional RDL & repeating this several times per set.

Each time you stand up and perform an RDL you’re able to re-set the spine and allow the low back musculature to have momentary rest before repeating the sequence several times for the set. Not only will your form be significantly more dialed in but your low back will be less likely to fatigue and give out before your upper back & lats. This allows for greater strength and hypertrophy stimulus to the upper back and lats.

It also acts as a great 2 in 1 exercises as you’re now performing your rowing movement as well as hip hinge exercise. As an added bonus the modified rest pause or cluster set protocol allows the lifter to handle heavier loads ultimately leading to greater strength & mass gains.

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OPTION #1

Most folks tend to screw up lat pulldowns as they try to use excessive range of motion at the bottom rather than 90 degree joint angles (approximately mid face stopping point). I used to be guilty of this myself.

OPTION #2

Dead bug pullups not only act as a therapeutic adjustment for the low back and spine but also blast the lats, core, and upper back. Focus on perfect alignment and 90 deg joint angles.