Read About Exercise

Here's a great barbell curl variation performed by one of my clients and bodybuilders Ben Lai. By using horizontal band resistance and a slightly tilted torso position this allows the lifter incorporate aspects of standard barbell curls for mass building while also producing similar peak contractions to that of a concentration curl. The combination of mechanical tension, occlusion, metabolic stress, and cellular swelling makes this an excellent movement for inducing significant hypertrophy in the biceps.

Read About Exercise

This barbell band resisted skull crusher will obliterate your triceps. It's also much easier on the elbow joints due to reduced tension in the stretched position.

Read About Exercise

Besides being highly conducive for a variety of deadlifts, the iron grip landmine setup is also very effective when applied to rows and horizontal pulls. We'll be focusing on Variation #1 which is the rear facing version. This variation really crushes the lower lats and reinforces shoulder packing and depression of the scapula since the weight is moving in a slight arch posteriorly as you move into the contracted position. If you have trouble elevating your shoulders during rows, these are the perfect solution.

Read About Exercise

The floor press is an incredibly effective movement for crushing the pressing muscles of the body. However the reverse grip variation further taxes the tricep musculature for several reasons.

First, during any floor press, the arms touch the floor several inches before the bar reaches the chest. By eliminating the bottom portion of the movement this reduces shoulder and chest involvement, which places greater stress on the triceps. Second the reverse grip promotes greater elbow tuck and scapular depression which also places greater emphasis on the triceps muscles and reduces the emphasis to the shoulders and outer chest. Third, the reverse grip places more equal tension across all three heads of the triceps (lateral, medial, and long heads) rather than solely targeting the lateral head – a common case with most pressing movements.

Read About Exercise

Here my awesome figure athlete Leslie Petch and I are demonstrating 6 unique ways to load goblet squats. These same principles can also be used with front racked kettlebell squats. With that said, goblet squats and front rack kettlebell squat and goblet squats are amazing lower body exercises. Unfortunately they have 3 main downsides all of which these unique variations address.

1. Most gyms rarely have dumbbells that go past 100-120 lbs. For stronger athletes this can represents a limitation to overloading goblet squats. Each of these variations overcomes that issue. For instance in most of the videos the dumbbell I use ranges from 100-120 lbs yet I’m receiving 50-65 additional pounds of added tension from the bands and chains making the goblet squat well over 150 lbs. For most athletes this will provide ample tension and overload.

2. As effective as goblet squats and front loaded squats are, the upper body oftentimes ends up being the limiting factor due to fatigue as there is only so much the arms and upper torso can hold. As a result the lower body doesn’t always get taxed as heavily as it should especially if ample growth and strength gains are desired. The last 4 variations shown in the video resolve that as the added tension is directly applied to the lower body without placing any additional tension on the upper body or arms.

3. Accommodating resistance oftentimes only applied to barbell squats and deadlifts when it comes to primary lower body movements. However, goblet squats and front rack squats are also quite conducive for applying accommodating resistance to as the bottom tends to be exponentially more challenging than the top. Several of these variations provide ample accommodating resistance in the form of band tension thereby overloading the stronger top position and deloading the weaker bottom position.

Read About Exercise

OPTION #1

Looking for a unique but effective way to blast your back, lats, arms, core, grip, and forearms? Try weighted rope pullups. Try performing several sets of 2-4 reps on each side. Additionally, you’ll want to focus on keeping the core braced throughout in order to avoid twisting, shifting, and tilting. More than likely you’ll also notice a slight imbalance as one side will probably be more challenging than the other. With that said I also recommend performing single arm lat pulldowns (seated, kneeling, or half kneeling) periodically to help minimize this asymmetry.

Lastly I typically recommend super-setting pullups and chin-ups and other vertical pulling exercises with overhead pressing variations such as barbell, dumbbell, and bottoms up overhead presses. That’s because performing vertical pulling motions before vertical pushing drills helps groove a proper overhead position while also activating the lats and opening up the t-spine for improved overhead mechanics and vertical pressing power.

OPTION #2

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.

Read About Exercise

As many of you know I’m a huge fan of the foam roller but not for the purpose of foam rolling or soft tissue work. In fact I use it exclusively to modify exercises and make them more effective or challenging. If you’re unfamiliar with the chest presses, glute bridges, pullovers, squats, inverted rows, planks, lunges, knuckle pushups, and more I’ve written about, and how to apply the foam roller method to them, check out my website as I have numerous articles on these.

With that said, I’ve recently found that strategically applying the foam roller to overhead pressing variations not only increases the difficulty of the movement but also helps enhance mechanics and clean upper overhead pressing technique.

Here are several advantages of using the foam roller for overhead presses as I demonstrate in the video.

1. The overhead press while seated on a foam roller is actually a more low-back friendly variation of the popular Z-press. While I’m a huge fan of the Z-press, the compact torso angle and extreme hip flexion position can periodically cause low back and hip discomfort in some populations. Sitting on the foam roller helps to resolve this due to the less extreme hip flexion angle. Here's what the traditional Z-press looks like as demonstrated by one of my NFL athletes Bryce Jones.

2. One of the most common problems on overhead presses is learning how to position your center of gravity throughout while also producing optimal t-spine extension. This often creates issues where the individual is either overly upright (not enough t-spine extension) which places excessive tension on the glenohumeral joint and rotator cuff or the individual overly extends at their lumbar spine (leaning back too much) thereby placing undue stress on their low back. Performing overhead presses while seated on the foam roller helps to resolve this issue. Essentially if you’re too upright or are too extended you’ll feel like you’re going to roll off the foam roller and lose control of your body position. Simply put it teaches you to find the perfect balance of torso placement, t-spine extension, and spinal positioning. While sitting on a stability ball can produce a similar effect, the foam roller is even more sensitive to anteroposterior deviations in weight distribution and body shifting which further helps teach proper pressing mechanics. With that said I highly recommend using a spotter when performing these to ensure you don’t slip off the foam roller.

3. Learning to brace your core and recruit your abdominal musculature during overhead presses is critical not only for maximizing motor control and overall load but also for minimizing stress to the low back. The overhead press while seated on a foam roller helps cue the lifter to recruit their abs as a means of stabilizing the load and their body.

4. This is a surprisingly intense overhead press that requires precise levels of motor control and muscle activation from head to toe. As a result the shoulders, upper back, triceps, and core get pummeled. However the lifter will be able to use substantially lighter loads relative to other presses to produce this effect. Simply put this is a very suitable overhead pressing variation for individuals with shoulder injuries due to the intense levels of activation yet reduced loading parameters.

Read About Exercise

Here's a great bicep movement that also works the lower body stabilizers. Essentially you're simply holding a lunge position which makes it very difficult to perform curls in this position as it forces the lifter to be very smooth and also tilts them over slightly creating greater tension in the contracted position. It's nearly impossible to cheat on this and any use of momentum will cause you to lose your balance. Try performing 5 reps on each leg.

Read About Exercise

Increased arm hypertrophy & circumference is sure to be a goal for many fitness buffs for 2019. With that said, performing various arm exercises from a single leg position not only enhances the functional elements by adding a stabilization & balance component but it also insures maximal tension on the arms as the lifter is unable to cheat, shift, wiggle, or use excessive momentum. As a result the levels of mechanical tension and metabolic stress produce a significant functional hypertrophy response the lifter may not get otherwise.

Case in point here’s one of my awesome clients Eric McIntyre performing a tricep pressdown from a single leg position while incorporating the band strap method. The band strap method further adds to the stabilization component & requires even smoother mechanics as the instability can become quite intense if the lifter uses anything but smooth & controlled eccentric isometrics. It also forces the lifter to centrate & pack their shoulder joint – a common but oftentimes overlooked problem during arm training.

On that note if you haven’t check out my article “10 BEST NEW YEARS RESOLUTION Goals For Fitness Fanatics” I highly recommend it as eyes closed training along with eccentric isometrics is something I address. Also big thanks to the PTDC for nominating it as one of the top articles of the week. See article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance....

With that said, foot & ankle training is one of the most neglected components of strength & performance. If the feet & ankles aren’t functioning properly then all components of movement performance, strength, & fitness, are compromised. Simply put if the feet and ankles are out of synch it will be impossible to perform any lower body exercise correctly. You’ll be squatting, hinging, lunging, jumping, running, and even walking with faulty mechanics which can lead to a number of potential injuries throughout the kinetic chain. Make it a goal for the remainder of 2019 to master your foot & ankle mechanics and watch your quality of movement improve immensely.