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OPTION #1

Here I’m performing what I refer to as Barbell Kayaking Rotations. When performed from the 90 degree eccentric isometric split squat lunge, these target just about every muscle from head to toe while simultaneously working rotational strength & motor control in the transverse plane. One of the unique benefits of this movement is that each rotation not only involves significant rotational torque, force production, & acceleration but there’s also substantial deceleration and force absorption.

These can be performed from either the top of a split squat position or the bottom of the split squat/lunge position. I recommend starting with the top of the lunge then gradually work your way into holding the bottom 90 deg eccentric isometric.

When performing these in the bottom of the eccentric isometric lunge, not only do these blast the entire lower body, but the smaller stabilizers of the hips, knees, feet, & ankles get worked overtime to maintain balance & control the body while rotating the barbell.

As an added bonus these are a phenomenal conditioning & cardio drill that get the heart rate spiked to max levels due to the incredibly high intensity & effort levels needed to perform these even with light loads.

OPTION #2

There are 8 benefits of this drill.

1. Besides requiring greater motor control than a traditional forward walking loaded carry, the backpedal version involves a much slower & deconstructed protocol that creates enormous levels of full body tension & activation from head to toe.

2. The Shins & Calves get hammered here due to the very precise & exaggerated dorsiflexion-plantar flexion cycles.

3. The loaded backpedal with emphasis on body mechanics, form, alignment, dorsiflexion, & plantar flexion have phenomenal specificity for sports performance.

4. These involve constant tension to legs as you’re required to stay in an athletic stance with moderate knee flexion & hip flexion throughout rather than a tall standing position on traditional loaded carries.

5. These also involve significantly more glutes & hamstrings because of more hinged & slightly bent over position.

6. You won’t need nearly the same weight as traditional loaded carries to create the same intensity levels. As a result these are easier on the joints but just as brutal on the targeted musculature.

7. If you have a small facility or are limited in space, these are very convenient as even a 5-yard area of space will suffice.

8. These require surprisingly high levels of balance, stability, & alignment to keep your body & load in control. Lack of these features for even a split second will cause significant and noticeable deviations to your positioning.

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OPTION #1

This next exercise is a tough bodyweight core bird dog plank drill that involves high levels of anti-rotation, anti-extension, and rotary stability. Performed on the floor or with eyes closed is also crazy tough. Adding in the foam roller increases extension forces and instability.

This exercise provides 3 unique benefits. 1) It teaches a tall foot position which is critical for proper plank positioning. 2) It teaches tall hips and hollow body position 3) Reinforces greater full body tension, motor control, and stability. It’s also great for bulletproofing the low back and hips. More in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/fix-your-pushups-and-planks-with-the-foam-roller

OPTION #2

This is one of my go-to adduction drills. Front half of foot hanging off edge of bench allows full internal rotation thereby contributing to more complete hip adduction since internal rotation & adductor muscles work together.

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OPTION #1

Technique, form, body mechanics, and muscle function are absolutely critical. In fact, research demonstrates that much of the musculoskeletal pain we experience is directly related to our muscle dysfunction, faulty body mechanics, and movement aberrations. With that said last week I released a massive article on PAIN SCIENCE (See HERE.) and how it’s directly related to body mechanics that’s making quite the ruckus in the fitness industry. Also big thanks to the Personal Training development center for naming BEST article of the week.

Unfortunately mastering your body mechanics & muscle function is oftentimes easier said than done. This is particularly true of complex movements such as squats. So how does one actually learn to move or squat properly?

The answer lies in 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 & ligaments. In fact, that’s a bastardized version of an eccentric isometric and will in no way do anything to improve your squat not to mention your strength, muscular development, or joint health.

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

So why is this so effective?

Our bodies can provide all of the necessary feedback, coaching & cuing we need. We simply have to know how to listen to the sensory feedback coming from our proprioceptive mechanisms and we’ll begin to use the “sense of feel” to make subtle adjustments and fine-tune our movement. The best way to do this is through eccentric isometrics.

This also means learning to sense where the natural stopping point & optimal ROM is which happens to be somewhere between 90 deg and parallel (110 deg) as I show here with 495 pounds.

OPTION #2

Here’s actor Terry Crews on his 1st goblet squat of our 1st session after giving him a quick 1 minute tutorial & a few basic cues with 90 Deg Eccentric Isometrics.

Notice he hits right at 90 degree joint angles which is something I’ve witnessed repeatedly not just sometimes or most the time but every single time with hundreds if not thousands of clients.

With appropriate instruction & minimal cueing, every single individual will naturally gravitate to a 90-deg joint angles & everyone’s squat will essentially look the same when performed properly. The same is true of all movement patterns.

And NO it’s not because I have spent years forcing them to move a particular way. Instead, it represents what the human body will naturally gravitate to when given the opportunity. My coaching simply provides that opportunity, nothing more, nothing less.

So how is it that everyone stops at 90-deg joint angles so similarly & almost identically even with minimal instruction? Simply, if I gave any other number, say 120 deg or 70 deg, I couldn’t make it stick. The fact that everyone hits almost identical 90 deg when given the chance to listen to their body’s feedback is a very strong illustration of an innate, built-in sensory mechanism that ensures the body will naturally gravitate towards optimal movement. That’s why we use eccentric isometrics because it gives the individual the opportunity to find this on their own.

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OPTION #1

Offset barbell leverage training is very similar to offset barbell loading in terms of the effects and benefits. The primary difference is that rather than placing more weight on one side of the bar to produce the offset stimulus, you’ll simply shift to one side of the bar. This places one side into a more biomechanically disadvantageous position & the other side into a biomechanically strong position. Think of these as a combination barbell movements combined with a Pallof press.

Although the effects are similar to offset loading, this tends to produce even greater rotational forces the lifter will have to resist both on the barbell & their body. Although it’s difficult to overload these the level of core stability, anti-rotation, full body tension, anti-lateral flexion, & rotary stability are through the roof.

Although you can use a moderate loads & simply shift several inches to one side, you can actually perform these with just an empty barbell by shifting all the way to the outside of the bar near or at the collar as Austin shows here. Just remember the farther over you shift the exponentially more physically demanding these become so start gradually shifted.

Just beware these are deceptively brutal both physically & mentally. This same strategy can also be employed on overhead presses, squats, lunges, deadlift & other traditional barbell movements.

OPTION #2

Here's a crazy yet very effective back and lat exercise that's a combination of an incline cable row with a lat pulldown. These torch the back and postural muscles as you'll have to fire the daylights out of your upper back and lats to stay glued to the bench. Chains or weighted vest may be necessary if you go heavy.

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

Offset barbell leverage training is very similar to offset barbell loading in terms of the effects and benefits. The primary difference is that rather than placing more weight on one side of the bar to produce the offset stimulus, you’ll simply shift to one side of the bar. This places one side into a more biomechanically disadvantageous position & the other side into a biomechanically strong position. Think of these as a combination barbell movements combined with a Pallof press.

Although the effects are similar to offset loading, this tends to produce even greater rotational forces the lifter will have to resist both on the barbell & their body. Although it’s difficult to overload these the level of core stability, anti-rotation, full body tension, anti-lateral flexion, & rotary stability are through the roof.

Although you can use a moderate loads & simply shift several inches to one side, you can actually perform these with just an empty barbell by shifting all the way to the outside of the bar near or at the collar as Austin shows here. Just remember the farther over you shift the exponentially more physically demanding these become so start gradually shifted.

Just beware these are deceptively brutal both physically & mentally. This same strategy can also be employed on overhead presses, squats, lunges, deadlift & other traditional barbell movements.

OPTION #2

Here’s one of my favorite barbell chest pressing protocols namely the incline bench press with hollow body leg raise. You’ll also notice I have him performing the movement without touching the chest similar to a Spoto press (made popular by world famous powerlifer Eric Spoto (@ericspoto). In fact I have most of my athletes perform their barbell chest presses in this manner as it prevents over-stretching of the muscles and tendons while also maximizing stability and motor control. I’ll be talking more about this topic in m upcoming book so stay tuned for that.

There are 7 reasons why this is so effective

1. Learning to drive with the hips and legs during chest presses is an essential component for maximizing force production and pressing mechanics. However, many lifters lack the ability to fully engage their upper body musculature and rely excessively on their legs to help press the weight up. As a result the stimulus to their chest, shoulders, and triceps, is minimal. Implementing the leg raise protocol during chest presses is a very effective method for resolving this as it helps to isolate the upper body by eliminating the assistance of the legs. This is also the grand equalizer of all bench press protocols as it’s truly an indication of upper body strength.

2. By using this method to periodically isolate the upper body pressing muscles this helps create a stronger muscle mind connection with the targeted musculature. Once these enhanced neural connections are grooved into your CNS, transferring these improved activation patterns back to standard chest pressing variations will inevitably result in increased pressing power.

3. With consistent use of the leg raise chest press protocol you’ll notice increased hypertrophy to the chest, shoulders, and triceps, as the amount of intramuscular tension and metabolic stress will be significantly greater than you would typically find with standard chest presses. In fact the degree of metabolic stress and mechanical tension to the local musculature will be greater than just about any chest pressing variation you’ve ever attempted.

4. With the leg raise chest protocol you’ll experience increased activation of the core and surrounding stabilizers. The increased recruitment of these areas will greatly improve your motor control, balance, and stability. Once you return to standard chest pressing variations you’ll feel unusually locked in with your mechanics as you’re CNS will be more dialed in than ever.

5. Learning to fire the core and avoid excessive lumbar arch during chest presses is something many lifters struggle with. In fact over-arching the lumbar spine during the bench press is a sure-fire way to both injure your low back and eliminate the growth-inducing stimulus of the chest press itself. Using the leg raise position eliminates this as the core must work over-time to stabilize the spine and pelvis by keeping it neutral.

6. Enhanced core stability and spinal rigidity aren’t the only stabilization components addressed during the leg-raise chest press position. Because the lifter has no firm foundation with his or her legs, their bodies are in a fairly vulnerable and unstable position while lying on the bench. Excessive momentum, shifting, asymmetrical pressing, or cheating can easily result in loss of balance. As a result the lifter is forced to eliminate compensation patterns and rely on crisp yet smooth motions to complete the exercise. This means more tension to the targeted musculature and less tension on the joints.

7. The leg raise chest press technique indirectly improves the lifter’s ability to activate the upper back and lats as well as tuck the elbows. The reasoning is a bit complex but see if you can follow.

When the legs and hips are driving into the floor (during standard chest presses) this allows the lifter to set a base with their feet and another base with their upper torso. By pushing from these two points this creates an almost-coiled like, spring-loaded position making it easier to tuck the elbows, fire the lats and upper back, and depress the shoulders. This represents optimal pressing mechanics for any traditional chest press particularly when attempting to maximize strength development. Unfortunately many lifters lack the ability to recruit their upper back unless they can create tension with their legs. But even then, their upper back activation is sub par at best.

By eliminating the legs from this equation, it becomes exponentially more difficult to fire the lats and depress the scapula as you’ll no longer have a solid lower body foundation to press into. However, over time, the lifter will be forced to adapt to this by mastering the ability to fire the upper back and tuck the elbows as a means of ensuring control of the load and their body.

Once the lifter can harness their ability to activate the lats and create proper shoulder centration while keeping their legs elevated, the muscle-mind connection this produces in the lats, upper back, and shoulder retractors is incredibly high. After mastering this, returning to standard chest press with the legs firmly planted will feel more powerful than ever as your ability to lock the scapula in and engage your upper back will be exponentially improved.

OPTION #2

This chaos band method is something I’ve written about for many years now as it’s one of my favorite oscillating kinetic energy training methods that involves unpredictable perturbations & oscillations the lifter must learn to control by not only dialing in their stabilizers & core but also by firing their primary muscles more aggressively.

Oscillating kinetic energy has also been shown to improve proprioception & somatosensory feedback ultimately allowing greater kinesthetic awareness & sense of feel. When combined with eccentric isometrics (slow controlled movements with brief pause in stretched position) this further enhances feedback from various proprioceptive mechanisms in the body particularly muscle spindles.

In fact it’s these muscles spindles that hold the secret to mastering body mechanics and fine-tuning one’s movement to the point that you can become an iron game ninja warrior capable of even the most insanely advanced movements. This also means you just bullet proofed that athlete so that they’re not only more efficient in their sport & on the field but they’re less likely to get injured.

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OPTION #1

This is a great exercise for targeting the glutes and hamstrings in the fully-contracted position. Focus on creating a strong contraction and tension at the top position, hold for several seconds then lower slowly. Once you touch the floor drive back to the top position without resting on the floor. This exercise can be done by driving through the entire foot (flat foot position), or the heel (toes elevated/dorsiflexed position).

OPTION #2

Excessive external rotation on hip thrusts & glutes bridges is becoming an increasingly common problem. We want neutral & straight alignment which this variation reinforces.

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Proper lunge mechanics produce the most biomechanically sound osteokinematics that inevitably allow the lifter to safely handle the heaviest loads with the greatest efficiency. If you’re unsure as to whether or not you have strong lunge mechanics and efficient technique you may want to assess your strength on the movement. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to use at least 50% of your 1RM squat and perform several proper lunges with controlled technique and smooth form. If you’re unable to do this then you’re lunge mechanics are most likely amiss. Here I'm using well over 50% of my 1RM squat to perform barbell lunges/split squats using controlled lifting tempo.

See the second video tutorial for a detailed overview on executing proper lunge mechanics.

Read About Exercise

Want to know one of the most effective ways to clean up your pullup technique? Use the trap bar. Yep, that’s right, most people use the trap bar for lower body exercises and occasional upper body lifts like rows and presses. However it’s also incredibly effective when applied to pullups as demonstrated in the video. There are 5 specific reasons why using the trap bar is so effective for pullups.

1. REINFORCES OPTIMAL T-SPINE EXTENSION

By focusing on touching the top of your head to the back portion of the bar (as shown in the video) it provides the perfect feedback mechanism for cueing the lifter if he or she produced optimal t-spine extension. If your body fits through the trap bar at the top of the pullup then you’re lacking t-spine extension.

One of the most common mistakes on pullups is not getting enough thoracic extension and trying to stay too upright. Many fitness professionals have mindlessly bought into the faulty notion that any degree of extension is dangerous to the spine. This has led to the faulty recommendation of very dangerous cues such as “don’t let your ribcage protrude”, “keep your spine flat”, “drop your chest” etc. Well I’ve got news for you. A proper pullup requires significant t-spine extension plain and simple.

If you don’t achieve optimal t-spine extension by leaning back from the upper portion of the torso and sticking your chest out with military-style posture then not only will you miss out on targeting your lats, but you’ll destroy your shoulder joints and elbows in the process. So stop trying to stay excessively upright and quit worrying about over-extending your back on pullups. It rarely happens and even if you do happen to go too far it’s infinitely better than being too flexed at the spine with an overly flat and kyphotic back.

In fact an overly flat or kyphotic spine is exactly the same alignment we see in elderly individuals who lose the structural integrity of the vertebral column. So if an aging spine and postural degradation are your thing then by all means keep that flat back on pullups and rows. However if the goal is optimal body mechanics, a muscular upper back, and a healthy functional spine then stick that chest out and extend your t-spine.

2. REINFORCES OPTIMAL RANGE OF MOTION

Another very common mistake on pullups is using excessive range of motion during the concentric phase and over-pulling at the top. This is something I’ve written several articles about as it’s incredibly important not just for maximizing back activation but for joint health and upper body mechanics (Read More Here) Fortunately the natural stopping point for pullups happens to be at nearly the exact spot where the head touches the bar on trap bar pullups. If you feel like you need to go higher at the top, more than likely you’ve been using faulty mechanics with excessive ROM that involved internal rotation, shoulder protraction, and scapular elevation, all of which are destructive to the body. However, if you can’t touch the bar, chances are you need a bit more back strength.

3. ELIMINATES MOMENTUM

Having the bar touch the head also provides another invaluable lifting cue. Simply put, it forces the lifter to slow the movement down and eliminate excessive momentum on the concentric phase. Jerking your body up to the top rather than relying on smooth and strict mechanics will literally cause you to pop your head on the bar and potentially knock yourself out. I’ve used this with many of my NFL athletes and it does wonders for reinforcing smooth pullup mechanics. As an added bonus it’s also fantastic for keeping constant tension on the lats and taking stress off the joints.

4. ELIMINATES CHEATING

Besides using excessive momentum on pullups, many lifters like to cheat their way through the movement by kipping, shifting, wiggling, swinging, and pulling with asymmetrical form. By placing the trap bar on top of two safety pins in a squat rack, it keeps the bar fairly unstable. Too much cheating and shifting will produce immediate feedback as it will literally cause the trap bar to slide, twist, or rotate on the pins.

5. PROVIDES A UNIQUE BUT EFFECTIVE GRIP POSITION

Performing pullups on the trap bar provides a unique but highly effective grip position and hand placement for stimulating functional hypertrophy in the upper back. Simply put, you’ll be using a combination wide, neutral grip which is something most gyms don’t have access to. This happens to be a very shoulder friendly variation of pullups as it allows the use of the wide grip (which targets the upper lats) while still reinforcing the optimal elbow tuck position which is critical for healthy shoulder joints and posture.

TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS

Like any pullup, these can be progressed and weighted. I typically recommend several sets of 4-6 reps using smooth and controlled tempos.

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

The Kickstand overhead barbell military press is a great shoulder exercise that not only crushes the deltoids and upper body but also targets a moderate level of instability and balance. It's a bit more forgiving than pure single leg variations therefore the lifter will be able to focus a bit more on overloading the shoulders without balance being too much of a limiting factor. If anything the slightly unstable based will simply force them to slow the movement down and dial in their form in order to maintain control of the movement.

OPTION #2

This next exercise is a Sprinter Dumbbell Snatch & Lunge Complex. Taylor goes from a forward split catch snatch into a dynamic reverse lunge. Great drill for addressing multiple biomotor elements including unilateral power, full body stability, full body mobility, alignment, acceleration, deceleration, impact training, posture, & more. Make sure you master foundational 90 deg eccentric isometrics before attempting as they’re very advanced.