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Technique Execution & Recovery

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
"EMPTY" (No Weight) Barbell Back Squat with Extended EI	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	5	60"	4	4-10"

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From a visual perspective, the squat pattern is quite simple. However, neuromuscularly and biomechanically it’s actually very complex. As a result it requires a great many number of precisely executed components to lock the movement in. So how the heck does one actually learn to squat properly without going through an exhausting myriad of endless cues? Furthermore to what degree does one emphasize each cue since we never want to over cue someone to the point that they shift too extremely into the opposite direction (i.e. overspreading the hips or excessive hip hinge mechanics.). In other words how much do you emphasize each cue so that each of them is carried out to the proper degree?

The answer lies in simply performing precisely and methodically executed eccentric isometrics. Now I’m not talking about simply collapsing down into the bottom of a squat, then pausing for a few seconds while you mindlessly hang out on your tendons and ligaments. In fact, that’s a bastardized version of an eccentric isometric and will in no way do anything to improve your squat mechanics not to mention your strength or muscular development.

Instead I’m talking about performing the eccentric isometric with painstaking attention to sensory signals and proprioceptive feedback using Jedi-like focus and warrior-like intensity. In simple terms that means performing a slow and controlled eccentric while staying incredibly tight then pausing in the naturally stretched position while attending to as much somatosensory feedback as possible.

For additional movement mastery, perform them using a more extended eccentric isometric protocol. This is done by emphasizing the eccentric and extending the pause even longer in order to feel each and every physiological element and reinforce optimal positioning. Here’s what that looks like.

So why is this so effective?

In essence it’s because our bodies can provide all of the necessary feedback, coaching and cuing we need to optimize our movement. We simply have to know how to listen to the sensory feedback coming from our proprioceptive mechanisms (i.e. muscle spindles) and we’ll immediately begin to use the “sense of feel” to make subtle adjustments and fine-tune our movement. The best way to do this is through the use of properly executed eccentric isometrics.

This also means learning to sense where the natural stopping point and optimal range of motion is which happens to be somewhere between 90 degrees and parallel (read more about proper squat form here). And just in case you were wondering, no, your body is not an exception to the rule. A proper squat including optimal range of motion and ideal joint angles will look almost identical from human to human if it’s performed correctly regardless of differences in anthropometrics.

Now I know what you’re thinking, I’m not going deep enough and anyone can hold heavy weight in the position I’m demonstrating. In reality, pausing in the rock bottom position of an ATG squat takes significantly less effort than pausing at 90 degrees. That’s because the bottom of an ATG squat involves very little active tension and muscle activation since you’re simply collapsing in the bottom position and hanging out on your tendons, ligaments, and connective tissue. Simply put your muscles and your central nervous system are doing very little at that point to hold the position.

In fact it doesn’t take enormous levels of strength, muscle, and force production to hold this position (although coming back up from such as biomechanically compromised position does). Pausing at the 90-degree or parallel position on the other hand takes enormous levels of focus, strength, mental toughness, active muscle tension, concentration, motor control, proprioception, and intramuscular tension. Additionally it requires a highly calibrated central nervous system and precisely dialed in motor unit recruitment patterns not to mention rock solid biomechanics with optimized leverage.

As a result an extended eccentric isometric squat hold is also an excellent diagnostic tool for assessing your levels of neuromuscular efficiency. Simply put if you struggle to lock in and pause using relatively heavy weight with perfect form and rock solid stability then something is neuromuscularly and biomechanically amiss. Once you can hold 90% of your 1RM for a 10-s or longer extended eccentric isometric contraction using textbook form, you’ll know you’ve mastered your squat.

And just in case you were wondering, yes, these concepts and principles apply to every other movement pattern as well, not just squats.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Empty Bar Single leg Bent Over Barbell Rows	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	3 per side	60"	4	3"

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OPTION #1

Single Leg Bent Over Barbell Rows are very difficult yet very effective for working the entire posterior chain starting from head to toe. Every muscle in the back, glutes, and hamstrings have to work overtime to control the load.

OPTION #2

The Sprinter Single Leg Stands is one of my go-to single leg balancing movements that has exceptional transfer to sports and running.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Empty Bar Eyes Closed Barbell Bench Press	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	5-6	60"	4	3"

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NOTE: Perform this exercise eyes closed and focus on perfect form, even if that means excessively slow movements and longer eccentric isometrics.

Unless you’re going to be competing in a powerlifting meet in a few weeks, you’re probably better not touching the barbell to your chest on bench press. Instead I recommend performing 90 degree eccentric isometrics as illustrated in the video.

No, there is not a single research study specifically proving what optimal ROM is one way or another & there likely never will be. However if we examine the research regarding structural physiology, biomechanics, & neuromuscular physiology, all signs point to 90-deg as being optimal when it comes to heavy loads & high impact. Besides saving the joints, I’ve found 90-deg eccentric isometrics to be superior not only in terms of their therapeutic benefit but also for increasing functional strength & size as well as power & proprioception. This is true not only of the bench press but just about every other compound movement including squats.

Additionally I’ve found them to be far superior for maximizing mobility. Yes, you read that correctly!!!!! Limiting ROM to 90-deg (the optimal end range for high load/impact activities) actually promotes increased mobility & ROM. In contrast, performing movements well in excess of 90-deg is oftentimes the very thing that ends up limiting mobility & flexibility as the exaggerated positions often end up gradually producing chronic inflammation over time and inflammation is the very thing that limits our mobility.

You’ll also notice more powerlifters using limited ROM movements in their training such as floor press, board press, pin press, Spotto press, & partials not to mention above parallel box squats. Coincidence? I think not.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Single Arm Planks	#3 & #4	3	12 seconds per side (repeat 2x per set)	90-120"	5	N/A

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Single Arm Planks are one of the best exercises to work the entire core. The drill targets core stability, anti-rotation, rotary stability, contralateral arm and leg activation, and isometric serape effect.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Lat Pulldown Pause Reps	#5,#6,#7,#8	3	5	60"	4	3-5"

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The vertical pulling movement is one of the most critical movement patterns there is. Unfortunately lifters often screw this up by either incorporating excessively heavy loads on pulldowns or using pull-ups and chinups before they're mechanics are locked in. I'm a huge fan of using the basic lat pulldown to re-train the vertical pulling motion in a controlled and systematic fashion. This also allows lifters to use lighter loads to hone in on their technique. In contrast bodyweight such as pull-ups or chin-ups is oftentimes too intense for the athletes to master their body mechanics.

For almost all of my athletes I make sure they've mastered the basics with lighter lat pulldowns before moving to pull-ups or chin-ups. Lat pulldowns are also an excellent option for larger athletes. Here are two of my NFL lineman Fernando Velasco and Cordy Glenn instilling proper vertical pulling motions on the lat pulldown by using moderate loads combined with eyes-closed eccentric isometrics and additional pausing in the contracted position. You'll also notice how I don't have them touch the bar to their chest as that would represent excessive range of motion and faulty mechanics.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Ball-To-The-Wall Overhead Press	#5,#6,#7,#8	3	4	60"	4	2-3"

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The overhead press is one of the most fundamental and important movement patterns there is. If you’re unable to perform the movement without pain or discomfort nine times out of ten it comes down to faulty mechanics, poor muscle activation, and improper positioning. In other words, a fully functional athlete with optimal body mechanics should be able to perform a proper overhead press, and variations thereof, with no issues. With that said I periodically like to employ modifications of the overhead press that are a bit more “glenohumeral joint friendly” while still placing ample tension on the musculature of the shoulders. This is particularly true for some of my overhead athletes. Some of these more “joint and mobility friendly” overhead pressing variations include landmine presses, high incline presses, scrape the rack/rolling wall presses, and one of my new personal favorites, the standing ball-to-the-wall overhead press.

Here’s one of my NFL quarterbacks and GSP sponsored athletes Taylor Heinicke performing this ball-to-the-wall overhead press with dumbbells as we prep him for the upcoming season. As previously mentioned, I’ll still routinely employ traditional overhead pressing exercises even with my overhead athletes, however, this particular variation does provide several unique attributes that no other overhead press provides. Here here are 7 unique benefits of the ball-to-the-wall overhead press.

The ball-to-the-wall overhead press involves an approximately 10-20 degree angled torso position. This slight incline makes it easier to pack and centrate the glenohumeral joint into the most biomechanically sound position, similar to landmine presses and high incline presses. For individuals with shoulder injuries and overhead mobility restrictions this exercise provides the perfect features.
Similar to the above point, the ball-to-the-wall overhead press helps to optimize shoulder/scapular retraction and depression throughout the entire duration of the exercise. Other more traditional “joint-friendly” overhead presses such as the landmine and scrape the rack presses involve a slight forward torso lean. While this can feel quite natural and comfortable it can also reinforce slightly undesired shoulder elevation and scapular protraction (particularly during the eccentric phase) due to the gravitational effects involved with a forward torso lean. In fact, one of the most common errors I routinely witness lifters, coaches, and trainers make during landmine presses is that they fail to produce optimal shoulder retraction and depression and instead keep their shoulders and scapula overly locked and fixed. The slight backward angular torso lean involved with the ball-to-the-wall press helps eliminate this issue while still providing a very mobility-friendly overhead press.
Related to the topic of proper shoulder positioning is the discussion of t-spine mechanics. During the ball-to-the-wall overhead press, the combination of the ball wedged between the wall and the lumbar spine helps to reinforce the natural curvature of the low back while also optimizing thoracic extension and T-spine mobility. That’s because the upper back, neck, and head, can extend slightly back behind the ball due to the unique support and mechanics of the exercise. Additionally, because the torso is slightly angled back, this further helps extend the t-spine as the entire structure and musculature of the upper torso can naturally shift posteriorly. In contrast, landmine presses and scrape the rack presses involve the opposite body lean with a forward torso angle, making it all the more challenging to achieve optimal t-spine extension since the joint structures and targeted musculature tend to shift anteriorly.
Most standing overhead presses place high levels of tension and compressive forces on the low back due to the direct vertical force vectors and axial loading components. While this can be desirable under certain scenarios as it teaches the athlete how to stabilize the spine and strengthen the surrounding musculature, periodically deloading the vertebral column can be an effective strategy for enhancing spinal health and recovery. With that said, due to the unique lumbar support from the stability ball, the ball-to-the-wall squat is one of the most low back friendly overhead pressing exercises there is particularly when it comes to standing variations.
If you’ve read any of my chest training articles you’ll know I’m a huge fan of head-off presses as the position not only helps to strengthen the neck but also helps to elongate the cervical spine, which has a direct positive impact on improving shoulder mechanics and overall spinal alignment. Fortunately, the same benefits can be accrued during the ball-to-the-wall overhead press as the mechanics feel quite similar to a high incline press only the lifter can produce optimal cervical elongation rather than cervical compression, typically seen when the head is compressed into a fixed bench. If you’re football player, MMA fighter, boxer, soccer player, or a fitness enthusiast looking for a joint friendly shoulder press that simultaneously builds neck strength, this one’s tough to beat.
Because the lifter and the load is essentially being supported by a stability ball during the ball-to-the-wall press, this creates high levels of instability and oscillations. Although it’s not necessarily enough to detract from the amount of load the lifter can handle, if the athlete uses excessive momentum and doesn’t control the entire movement, the sudden jerks will cause the ball to bounce, roll, and oscillate making it nearly impossible to control. To dial this movement in, the lifter will be required to use smooth and controlled mechanics essentially forcing them to utilize an eccentric isometric protocol.
Besides eliminating excessive momentum, the ball-to-the-wall overhead press also helps to expose asymmetries and imbalances. If you press more from one side, tilt, or wiggle, then the ball or your body will roll and shift thereby disrupting the entire movement. This is further magnified if you perform the movement using ankle dorsiflexion (sitting back on the tips of the heels) as Taylor demonstrates in the above video. Besides helping to set the hips back posteriorly throughout, which helps optimize overall spinal alignment, the dorsiflexion method eliminates the ability of the lifter to rely on their toes to help them stabilize sloppy upper body mechanics and cheat their way through the movement.

Although I generally like to employ positions that force the lifter to use their toes to help stabilize their body, periodically eliminating this stabilizing component can force other areas, namely the core and upper body, to work overtime to control the movement. Hence the case with the dorsiflexion protocol. If the lifter wiggles, shifts, or loses balance, they’ll be unable to use their toes to anchor their body into the ball and recover their position. In other words the margin for error is markedly smaller.

As an added bonus the anterior tibialis muscles and ankle dorsiflexors are some of the most critical yet neglected muscles when it comes to athletic performance, fitness, and overall movement mechanics. Performing ball-to-the-wall presses with this method helps to address this common weakness.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Bodyweight Bulgarian Squats	#5,#6,#7,#8	3	3 per side	60"	4-5	2-3"

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Bulgarian Squats performed in an eccentric isometric fashion as shown here are an outstanding exercise for strengthening the entire lower body while building significant hypertrophy and improved muscle function. Eccentric Isometrics are also an excellent technique for improving movement mechanics and motor control

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Internal & External Rotation - Band Optional (OPTIONAL)	#5,#6,#7,#8	2-3	5-6 per side	60-120"	5	3"

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MAIN OPTION

Here’s an example of how to apply eccentric isometrics to internal and external hip rotation by applying load/tension to the positions. Notice the more compact yet optimal range of motion in the hips. This degree of internal and external rotation represents the natural or optimal levels of movement we might expect to see during everyday life or in sport. Moving substantially farther than this, although possible for some, reinforces extreme positions we typically associate with injuries, especially to the knees (i.e. extreme valgus collapse), and could increase the risk of injury.

AB OPTION

REPS: 3-4 (10" each walkout rep)

Ab walkouts are a core movement I consistently use with my clients and athletes. However, I periodically like to employ the reverse method, walking backward with the legs rather than walking forward with the arms as I ‘ve found it provides a semi-unique stimulus where the athlete has to stable a more from the lumbopelvic hip complex and legs rather than the upper torso. As a result there tends to be a bit more rotary stability and motor control as the individual’s hips will have a tendency to wiggle and shift back and forth unless the athletes locks their core in, braces their entire body, and maximizes full body tension.

There are also significant extension forces acting on the spine that want to pull the hips and low back towards the floor. As a result the entire abdominal region from the rectus abs, obliques, transverse abs, as well as smaller stabilizers around the lumbopelvic hip complex get blasted. With that said if I had to give one small critique to Elizabeth’s’ form here its that her core could have been slightly more hollowed out which would have pulled her hip and core up a bit higher (something we’ve recently addressed). Rather than focusing on a high number of repetitions, aim for 3-4 perfectly controlled reps as each repetition should take close to 10 seconds if properly performed. As an added bonus there’s also a significant amount of shoulder stability and upper body strength involved in this movement.