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OPTION #1

OVERVIEW

I’ve found the offset elevation back squat to be one of the single most effective variations for cleaning up squat form. As most of you know, I’m a huge fan of offset training for a number of reasons. Not only does it require greater motor control and body awareness but it also places incredible intramuscular tension on the targeted muscles. While the most common versions of offset training typically involve loading different weights on each side of the body, implementing an offset elevation by positioning one foot or hand on a several inch platform provides several additional benefits. Here are 7 reasons why it’s so effective.

BENEFITS

1. One of the biggest issues that can contribute to asymmetrical positioning occurs when individuals get overly concerned and distracted with how symmetrical a movement feels. While it’s critical to pay attention to symmetrical loading and symmetrical positioning it’s actually more important to focus on executing the basic steps of a movement with proper cues such as tight core, proper posture, controlled eccentric, foot alignment, and general limb position etc. Becoming overly concerned with symmetrical positioning can distract the lifter from these other more important cues. Ironically this can degrade their symmetrical positioning even more so. This offset elevation squat helps address this as the lifter inherently approaches each set understanding that the movement will feel semi asymmetrical throughout therefore they don’t have to be overly concerned with their sense of symmetry. Instead they can focus more so on basic squatting cues and general biomechanics with less distraction about how symmetrically aligned or symmetrically loaded they are. As previously mentioned I’ve seen this be one of the most effective methods for enhancing symmetrical loading and positioning.

2. When it comes to cleaning up the squat or any movement pattern for that matter, learning to engage the core is always a surefire way to produce immediate improvements in form. Offset elevation forces the lifter to activate their core to a greater degree as a means of stabilizing an asymmetrical hip and pelvic position.

3. Offset elevation squats are one of the most effective drills I’ve used for teaching the lifter to set the hips back. That’s because in order to create a stable and comfortable position with the offset elevation, the hips (especially on the elevated side) will have to hinge back. Simply put, the lifter is forced to flex the hips and produce ample hip hinge before they even begin the rep all of which must be maintained throughout the set.

4. The offset elevation squat is one of the most effective squats for reinforcing proper squat depth and eliminating collapsing at the bottom. Because of the semi-awkward nature of the offset elevation, it feels incredibly awkward and unnatural to use excessive depth. In fact, some individuals may even feel a slight pinching sensation in their hips and pelvis when using excessive depth particularly in the elevated foot. However, this actually provides productive and beneficial feedback as its teaches the lifter ideal squatting depth and mechanics. To avoid this pinching sensation and very uncomfortable hip position the lifter will be required to use approximately 90-degree joint mechanics

5. The offset elevation squat variation requires significantly lighter loads than what would be used for traditional squats. For instance Ben is using 315 in this video, which represents the heaviest load he would use for the offset elevation squat. However for traditional squats he’ll go significantly past 405. As a result the lifter can produce an intense training stimulus with lighter loads thereby taking stress of the joints and spine.

6. The offset elevation squat produces significant metabolic stress due to the constant tension that the elevated leg will be required to maintain throughout. That’s because the elevated leg will have to stay slightly bent throughout the entire set thereby keeping a degree of constant tension on the lower body that you normally wouldn’t experience during other squats. This makes it a highly effective hypertrophy stimulus and functional mass builder.

7. As asymmetrical as it is, the offset squat actually helps address asymmetries and weakness as you’re pushing slightly more with the elevated leg, somewhat similar to a single leg exercise, although the lifter should try to push as equally as possible with both legs. In fact whenever I see any form of asymmetry with my clients and their barbell squat position, the offset elevation squat is one of my go-to variations for producing almost immediate improvements in symmetry.

QUICK TIPS

Although the offset elevation squat is fairly self explanatory here are several important cues and tips you’ll want to remember.

1. Make sure the elevated foot/leg is slightly in front of the other leg (roughly 3-5 inches in front).

2. Use an offset elevation of approximately 3-6 inches.

3. Keep both feet relatively straight

4. Push as equally as possible through both sides although the elevated leg will most likely feel like it’s performing more of the work.

5. Focus on keeping the bar and shoulders as parallel to the floor as possible.

6. I suggest performing several sets of 3-5 reps on each side of the body. In addition start with 50% of your typical squat load and progress from there.

7. The offset elevation technique can be applied to any and all squat variations including front squats, goblet squats, Zercher squats, and more.

OPTION #2

Here are 8 facts about Eyes Closed Training with Eccentric Isometrics. Much more on this topic in my book MOVEMENT REDEFINED.

1. The better the athlete can become at tuning into subtle yet critical somatosensory feedback, the more they will be able to master their mechanics.

2. One way to enhance an individual’s ability to tune into their proprioceptive feedback & make necessary adjustments is through eyes-closed protocols combined with 90 deg eccentric isometrics.

3. Eyes-closed training is something I frequently incorporate with all of my athletes as it does wonders for improving body mechanics.

4. Closing your eyes during exercise forces muscle spindles & other proprioceptive mechanisms to work overtime to control the movement.

5. Even when my athletes keep their eyes open, using the mirror is off limits except for very occasional glancing & coaching illustrations.

6. Whenever you use the mirror, the image from the mirror reflects back to your retina & gets processed by your occipital lobe before the brain cognitively compares this image with the desired outcome.

7. Cerebellar coordination of movement modification in response to these visual & cognitive processing steps can take 200-500 milliseconds, roughly 8-10x longer than it takes proprioceptive mechanisms such as muscle spindles to respond (30-50ms).

8. If you use the mirror to make corrections, by the time you’ve made the adjustments, the error has already transpired whereas muscle sensory receptors can detect these potential errors before significant movement deviations occur.

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Renegade rows are one of my favorite combination upper back and core exercises. Unfortunately many individuals perform them with excessive rotation, twisting, and shifting of their torso. While a very slight degree of rotation is acceptable when rowing the weight into the top position as this can produce a stronger contraction through the back, excessive twisting simply minimizes tension to the core not to mention to the upper back and lats. Although there are several ways to eliminate this (i.e. placing a plate or a dowel on the person’s back) such as during the table top variations another incredibly effective method is the offset angled protocol. Simply place your feet on 20-35 degree angled decline bench and perform renegade rows as demonstrated by my awesome client and national level figure athlete Leslie Petch.

Essentially this position is creating additional rotational forces on the torso and rowing arm. Not only does this light the core up more so than just about any movement you’ll ever perform but it also prevents excessive rotation and twisting. For example if you’re rowing your right arm, the natural tendency is to twist and rotate the right side of the torso up towards the ceiling. However, the offset angled position prevents this as the right side of the torso is being pushed aggressively towards the floor throughout the set.

Don’t be surprised if you have to substantially decrease the amount of weight you typically handle during renegade rows. In fact I suggest starting with single arm planks using the offset angled decline bench before progressing to these constant tension renegade rows. And yes, keeping the weight elevated throughout the set rather than allowing it to touch the floor is the optimal method for performing any renegade row as it provides constant tension to the core and upper back.

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This single arm barbell bench press variation performed by one of my bodybuilding athletes Ben Lai is an incredibly challenging yet effective movement for building the chest, shoulders, and triceps, as well as promoting proper pressing mechanics and shoulder stability. Adding an eccentric isometric by performing a slow negative then pausing in the bottom position is key for enhancing proprioception and body mechanics. With this movement, you'll be forced to perform every component precisely and with correct positioning as anything but this will result in the barbell moving in an uncontrollable fashion. Also notice how Ben is lowering to an optimal 90 degree position rather than collapsing by going further and releasing tension from the muscles. Ironically going deeper would also create excessive destabilizing forces on the barbell simply because the body would no longer be in a biomechanically sound position. The strongest position is always the most stable position as well as the safest position which typically involves 90 degrees angles, or parallel and perpendicular joint segments. The most effective way to find these optimal joint angles is by using eccentric isometrics as your body will provide the appropriate feedback so you can feel where the optimal position occurs.

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The offset angle protocol can also be applied to pull-ups and inverted rows by placing a barbell in a squat cage using staggered safety pin heights. You’ll notice that my clients use a slightly more compact range of motion during these as attempting to use too large of an ROM can pull the body excessively out of alignment particularly in the shoulders and scapular regions. In fact, this is a common quality amongst many offset position exercises as a more compact ROM is typically ideal to maintain proper alignment and spinal positioning. With that said the there are several unique benefits of this offset angled method when it comes to pullups and chin-ups

1. As asymmetrical as the movement is, the offset angled pullup actually helps address asymmetries and weaknesses. That’s because you’re pulling slightly more with the higher arm, making it somewhat similar to a single arm pulldown or single arm pullup. However the lifter should still try to pull as equally as possible with both sides of their body and avoid moving into an overly asymmetrical position. With that said, don’t be surprised if one side is significantly more difficult.

2. When it comes to dialing in your pullup and chin-up form, learning to engage the core is always a surefire way to produce immediate improvements in form. Offset angled pullups force the lifter to activate their core to a greater degree as a means of stabilizing the movement and resisting rotational forces and lateral flexion forces. In other words if the core gets loose the body will actually twist and rotate due to the asymmetrical position.

3. The offset elevation pullup requires the lifter to use stricter, slower, and smoother pulling mechanics inevitably leading to greater metabolic stress, mechanical tension, and muscle damage. As a result they’re incredibly effective as a functional hypertrophy exercise not only for the entire upper back and lats but also the biceps and forearms.

4. One of the first things my athletes will mention on offset angled pullups is how much they feel their forearms and grip are getting worked. That’s because the offset position requires greater full body tension which inevitably produces increased grip activation and forearm recruitment. In addition, the barbell itself has a tendency to roll on the pins creating even greater stress to the girp and forearms. Each of these grip-related components leads to greater concurrent activation potentiation and irradiation thereby producing increased neural drive and motor control throughout the kinetic chain.

As such, if you want to build massive lats and a thick back try performing offset weighted pull-ups as I show here alongside two of my awesome clients Ben Lai and Leslie Petch. I also recommend using either the dorsiflexion loading method or knee flexion loading technique. Check out my full length article to read why it's so effective at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/offset-pullups-for-massive-back-lats

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The double offset sounds complicated in theory but it’s quite simple in practice. There’s essentially 2 forms of offset loading involved; one is the actual load being heavier on one side, and the other is the use of different training tools in each hand. While one arm is essentially performing a relatively standard overload movement in the form of a heavy dumbbell press, the other arm is performing a lighter yet highly unstable pressing variation in the form of a bottoms-up press. The goal is to transfer the same crisp and proper mechanics produced from the bottoms-up kettlebell technique to the arm that’s simultaneously pressing the heavier dumbbell on the opposite side.

Once mastered, the movement should appear seamless and synchronized as if you were using the same tools and loads on each side with no visible differences in body position and mechanics. This requires in incredibly high degree of neuromuscular coordination, body awareness, sensory integrated movement, and mental engagement.

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REPS NOTES: Perform in both contralateral and ipsilateral directions, equating to 8 reps per side (total of 16 reps per set).

Offset angle training particularly when applied to single leg movements helps hone in on a number of lower body dysfunctional patterns while also targeting some of the smaller stabilizers of the lower extremities and feet & ankles. For instance, standing laterally on the bench so that the inside or medial portion/inside of the foot is on the decline/lower portion of the bench) is essentially pushing the individual into pronation and valgus collapse. As a result the person will have to resist this by relying on the muscles responsible for ankle supination, hip abduction, and hip external rotation (i.e. outer hips and glutes). This is also a great drill for restoring the natural arch of the foot and teaching individuals how to push their knees apart on movements such as squats.

You’ll also notice how Leslie switches sides and also performs the drill in the opposite fashion so that the outside or lateral portion of the foot is on the decline/lower portion of the bench). In essence this is attempting to push the individual into supination and varus collapse. As a result the person will have to resist this by relying on the muscles responsible for hip adduction (inner thighs), and ankle pronation, while pushing to the inside of their foot. This is also a great drill for teaching individuals to activate their big toes which is critical for proper foot & ankle mechanics not to mention preventing groin strains.

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The bottoms up good morning is an incredible hip hinge variation. Unfortunately grip and arm strength is oftentimes the limiting factor as the upper body can fatigue before the glutes and hamstrings. By performing these in a single leg fashion as shown here by Ben Lai you reap the benefits associated with bottoms up loading while also ensuring substantial unilateral overload to each hip.

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Here's a great ab rollout variation where the lifter uses the landmine station to perform bird dog ab rollouts. These target the entire core not only via anti-extension but also via rotary stability and anti-rotation.