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Contextual Interference Workout

- Stability & Recovery Emphasis -

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**WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)**
SEE BELOW FOR YOUR DETAILED WORKOUT WALKTHROUGH

Special Instructions for Today’s Workout

Today’s workout consists of a large superset of 8 exercises, perform as a full circuit 2-3x.Will specifically be using a protocol called contextual interference. To highlight, contextual interference is a term used in the field of motor learning where an individual is required to be more mentally and cognitively engaged in the activity they are performing simply because there are few/less repetitive tasks taking place back to back. Instead multiple activities, tasks, or skills are carried out sequentially thereby requiring the used to retrace their motor program before repeating the same task later during the training session. This helps improve motor learning, skill acquisition, and movement mastery due to the higher level of mental engagement and cognition required when performing each movement/task. This is something Dr. Joel Seedman discusses in great depth in his book MOVEMENT REDEFINED.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Toe Touch Stride Hold Swaps	1-8 (Complete Circuit)	2-3	4 per side	30"	4-5	N/A

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Here’s one of my awesome clients Matt Jordan demonstrating a very advanced and difficult variation of the kettlebell swap. As most of you know improving foot, ankle and hip function is something I work on quite extensively with my athletes and clients. One exercise I use on a consistent basis to do this is the Single-Leg or Kettlebell Swap. I've found it to be highly effective at improving lower-body function, alignment and muscle activation from the feet to the hips as well as the core. In fact, the swap is an exercise I developed out of pure necessity after witnessing a large number of athletes who displayed various types of foot and ankle deficiencies that were wreaking havoc on the rest of their bodies, particularly in the knees, hips and low back.

One of the great features of the Single-Leg Kettlebell Swap is that it's effective for improving nearly all forms of foot, ankle and hip deficiencies including pronation (valgus collapse), and supination. The Swap is also one of the single greatest drills for enhancing rigidity, stability, tightness and motor control throughout the entire body. Besides improving force production and power output, it teaches athletes how to absorb force, thereby enhancing performance and decreasing risk of injury. Similar, Single-Leg Swaps are also great for addressing energy leaks as there will be an almost immediate loss of balance. Learn to stabilize and maintain optimal alignment while swapping from side to side, and watch energy leaks gradually disappear.

This particular variation using a toe touch stride hold is also an excellent movement for teaching individuals to keep their feet and hips aligned with each other (a critical component of proper walking, running, sprinting, and overall gait mechanics). With eyes opened, this is actually a slight regression for those who are unable to perform the swap on one leg. Eyes closed is a different story. In fact, closing your eyes makes this one of the most mentally and physically challenging exercises you’ll ever perform as the level of focus needed to maintain balance and motor control is off the charts.

Fortunately Matt Jordan is training to be a Jedi knight for the upcoming star wars films so as Yoda would say "swap, he must”. As an added bonus he'll be a master at passing the drunk driving test.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Longitudinal Goblet Squat	#1-#8	2-3	3	30-60"	5	3"

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I spend quite a few months out of the year working with high level athletes. Unfortunately oftentimes they only have several weeks to work with me while in between teams or in the middle of seasonal transitions. While enhancing speed, power, explosiveness, and muscle mass are an important part of the training process, improving muscle function, body mechanics, and overall quality of movement, as well as injury prevention are even more vital for the athletes career.

Unfortunately time constraints and scheduling can make this process quite challenging. Besides implementing appropriate cues, instructional tips, and proper coaching techniques to help lock in their movement mechanics, I frequently like to employ exercises that literally force the lifter to perform the movement correctly. While I’ve highlighted many squatting variations over the past several years that I utilize to create this technique-optimization effect, one that I’ve recently been using with great success is something I refer to as the longitudinal goblet squat.

Simply hold the dumbbell by the end of the weight and try to keep it as parallel to the floor as possible while performing squats. Here I’m performing the bilateral eccentric isometric version while my awesome client Leslie Petch is demonstrating the more advanced single leg variation.

Besides being deceptively difficult, this is without a doubt one of the most effective squat variations I’ve ever used to help clean up squat form and improve lower body mechanics. With that said here are 10 reasons why the longitudinal goblet squat is so effective.

Many athletes place too much load onto the front of their feet (towards their toes) when squatting. The longitudinal goblet squat forces the lifter to sit back onto their heels or else the forward weight shift will literally cause the front end of the dumbbell to tilt in which case they’ll dump the weight.
Many athletes tend to bend over excessively at the spine even when performing goblet squats. Any level of excessive forward torso lean or exaggerated hip flexion will result in the athletes dumping the weight as they’ll be unable to keep the dumbbell parallel to the floor.
Learning to brace the core and tense the abs can do more for squat mechanics and technique than just about any other cue. Fortunately the longitudinal goblet squat forces the core to be braced more intensely than just about any squat variation I’ve ever used. Just be prepared to feel as though you’re about to get punched in the stomach when performing these as the amount of core bracing is through the roof.
The longitudinal goblet squat also helps eliminate shoulder rounding which is another common problem particularly on anterior loaded squats such as goblet squats and front squats. Unless the athlete packs their shoulders and tenses their lats while bracing their core, they’ll be unable to hold the weight in the longitudinal position.
Similar to the core bracing cue, learning to create high levels of full body tension can do wonders for your squat by producing concurrent activation potentiation and irradiation. In other words it teaches you how to stay tight ultimately resulting in greater neural drive to the working extremities including the muscles of the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
Few if any individuals will be able to use more than a 50 pound dumbbell when performing the longitudinal goblet squat. However, the amount of tension to both the lower and upper body is inordinately high. As a result this is perhaps the single most intense “lightly-loaded” squat variation you’ll ever perform. If you have low back issues, knee pain, or hip problems, this represents an ideal variation as it’s one of the most joint-friendly yet intense squat variations out there.
Because the longitudinal loading protocol creates a scenario where the dumbbell can easily tilt over and dump out of the lifters hands, it ends up eliminating any excessive momentum as it forces the lifter to squat in a slow and controlled fashion. In fact unless the athlete incorporates the eccentric isometric protocol they’ll find it quite difficult to perform these without losing control of the dumbbell.
While the amount of tension to the lower body is quite high especially considering how light of a load the lifter will be using, the amount of tension to the upper body particularly the upper back, biceps, shoulders, grip, and forearms is quite significant. In fact, some athletes will find that their upper body strength gives out before their legs do.
If in fact upper body strength is the limiting factor when performing these the longitudinal goblet squat is also very conducive for single leg squat variations ultimately resulting in the legs giving out before the upper body. Just be prepared to perform one of the most brutally challenging squat variations you’ll ever perform.
The longitudinal goblet squat is quite versatile. In fact it can be employed in a number of ways including as a warmup protocol to prep the body for heavier squat methods, as the main squat variation for a particular workout, or as a high intensity finisher. It’s also one that’s quite conducive for performing on days where you’re attempting to deload the spine yet create an intense full body training stimulus.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Renegade Plank Row	#1-#8	2-3	4 per side	30-60"	5-6	2-3"

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OPTION #1

This renegade plank row is a slight regression of the traditional renegade row as the incline position produced from the bench makes the movement more manageable for the lifter. Performing this with the hand on the bench is my go-to variation for teaching the renegade row. Once they nail that we then move to the forearm on the bench as shown here before eventually moving to the standard renegade row performed on the floor. This variation is also conducive for teaching the single arm plank which is another one of my favorite core exercises. Finally, this renegade row variation is very conducive for allowing heavy overload rowing movements as the position is slightly easier on the core than the floor variation thereby allowing greater stimulation to the lats and upper back. To maximize the effectiveness of this movement, focus on keeping a rigid spine throughout with the shoulders depressed and retracted and the legs completely straight. Lastly try to stay as tall on the toes as possible without the heels sinking towards the floor. This is a very common mistake a see many liters and trainers making and it's simply a compensation pattern used to take stress of the core as the lifter can sit back on their heels rather than pushing the torso forward and hollowing out the core.

OPTION #2

The iron grip plate landmine squat stance deadlift is one of my favorite ways to performing heavy deadlifts. Traditional landmine deadlifts gripping the collar are great, however grip is usually the limiting factor. This is quickly resolved by holding the iron grip plates as you can grip exponentially more weight in this fashion.

Because the weight is located between the legs & directly under the center of mass rather than in front it essentially feels like a kettlebell or dumbbell deadlift as it represents a very biomechanically safe position. However, rather than being limited to the weight of the kettlebell or dumbbell, these allow the lifter to overload the daylights out of the movement as you can easily use well over 500 lbs by simply stacking on plates.

In reality the movement has many similar attributes as a trap bar deadlift due to the load being next to the center of mass. It also transfers exceptionally well to squats as well as sumo deadlifts or squat stance deadlifts not to mention the wider stance is typically a bit more conducive for targeting the glutes as well as the inner thighs. With that said, alternating between these & trap bar deadlifts is recommended.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Half Body Off Dumbbell Chest Press	#1-#8	2-3	4 per side	30-60"	5	2-3"

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ere's one of my favorite combination chest press and core stabilization movements performed by NFL defensive end Jarius Wynn. I call this the half-body-off single arm dumbbell chest press. Simply shift your body over laterally to the side the bench until you half of your body is off the side of the bench. There are several unique benefits of this type of press.

First, there is a massive anti-rotation component involved here as literally feels like your body wants to rotate and flip off the bench. The core musculature involved for rotary stability are working overtime to lock this in. In addition you'll feel the glute and hamstring on the side the loaded arm contract so forcefully to keep you firmly stationed, it will feel as though your poster chain wants to cramp.

Besides the intense core activation, the rotational forces also want to pull the elbow and weight away from the body essentially trying to abduct your shoulder from your torso. As a result your chest and pectoral muscles must work overtime to resist these abduction forces as the movement feels as though it turns into an anti-fly exercise. This produces incredible tension on the pectorals as you're essentially holding the top of an isometric fly throughout while performing a pressing motion.

Another benefit of this movement is that the scapula are free to move without being fixed or locked onto a bench similar to a pushup or landmine press. This allows a more natural shoulder position and scapulohumeral rhythm as the scapula can move in a more natural fashion. In fact for any other my athletes who've had a shoulder injury this is one of my go-to variations as it's very safe for the glenohumaral joint.

Finally, the unique loading and positing allows the shoulder and arm to move through a slightly greater range of motion particularly in the eccentric stretched position as the bench is not prohibiting the shoulders from fully retracting. As a result this improves shoulder mobility while simultaneously teaching the athlete stop stabilize the shoulder joint. The slightly greater range of motion is also very conducive for stimulating functional hypertrophy in the chest, shoulder, and triceps.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Longitudinal Bulgarian Goblet Squats	#1-#8	2-3	3 per side	30-60"	4-5	2-3"

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The Bulgarian squat is an incredible lower body exercise that literally targets every muscle in the legs. Unfortunately there are 2 common issues I often witness when watching individuals perform them. First, they tend to have an overly staggered stance position rather than a semi-inline stride position. Ideally, individuals should assume a semi-inline or semi-overlapping stride position during Bulgarian squats, lunges, or split squats. This means that the back and front foot should either intersect (when looking at the person from the front) or both feet should line up right next to each other with no space between them.

Unfortunately most individuals perform Bulgarian squats, lunges, and split squats with something I refer to as a straddled or staggered stance where there’s several inches of space or more between each foot. This ingrains faulty hip activation and dysfunctional stride mechanics that translates to groin pulls and inflammation to the hip joints. This also promotes energy leaks throughout the lower body that results in loss of torque, power, and stability, not only for the lunge itself but also during other related lower body movements such as sprinting.

Placing the back leg on a bench in a longitudinal fashion as shown in the video, rather than using the traditional width wise approach, teaches the athlete how to perform the Bulgarian squat with a more in-line position as they have little room to let their feet become overly staggered. Simply line up your body with the bench and keep the back foot from falling off. If you can maintain this while performing Bulgarian squats then you know your positioning is semi-inline.

The other common issue that many people complain about on Bulgarian squats is that the back foot often has a tendency to cramp. This is typically a result of extending too far in the top position. Rather than coming up fully to the top of the movement, focus instead on staying in the bottom half of the Bulgarian squat as Bryce demonstrates in this video. Not only does this eliminate the common foot cramping issue but it provides enormous levels of constant tension and metabolic stress to the quads, glutes, and hamstrings thereby promoting strength and size gains throughout the lower body.

And yes you can perform Bulgarian squats with the back leg on a barbell or smith machine bar to avoid the cramping effect however you’ll also forego the feedback mechanisms associated with using the longitudinal bench variation to create a semi-inline stride position.

Finally, you’ll notice that Bryce is performing the movement with a significant forward torso lean and hip hinge throughout. This is not an unusual or unique variation of a Bulgarian squat but instead represents the ideal and optimal form for any and all Bulgarian squat and lunge variations. Including the eccentric isometric (controlled eccentric with a pause in the bottom position) helps the lifter feel for these optimal mechanics and make the necessary adjustments. Inevitably this also leads them to a position of ample forward torso lean and solid hip hinge mechanics as this is the most natural and biomechanically sound position for any Bulgarian squat, lunge, split squat, or even a normal squat pattern.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Single Arm RDL's	#1-#8	2-3	5 per side	30"-60"	4-5	2-3"

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Here's a very simple yet deceptively intense single leg RDL as shown by my awesome client Ben Lai. Besides taxing the posterior chain they also emphasize anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion, core stability, and postural alignment as well as upper back, lat, and grip strength. Additionally these target each hip to a surprising level of intensity depending on which arm is loaded. For instance holding the weight in the left arm taxes the left glute and hamstring significantly more than the right and visa versa.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Lat Pulldown	#1-#8	2-3	4	30-60"	4-5	3-5"

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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). For today's pulldown, close your eyes and really feel rather than look for the proper movement. Use a longer eccentric isometric to find your proper mechanics as this will maximize your strength, size, and joint health.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Single Arm Bottoms Up Overhead Press	#1-#8	2-3	3 per side	2-4 minutes	4-5	2-3"

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Bottoms-up exercises are some of the most difficult strength training movements there are. The single arm bottoms-up overhead press performed with the kettlebell is the most classic bottoms-up movement. Not only will these build the shoulders, upper back, core, and grip strength, but they will teach you to control offset loads as you'll be holding the weight on one side (unilateral).