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OPTION #1

This variation of the Pallof press works all of the stabilizers in the body from head to toe while also working all of the muscles involved in rotation and stabilization. There are several benefits for using this exact variation. First the rope is much more difficult to lock in compared to a standard cable attachment. To keep the rope rigid and linear you'll be forced to create greater full body tension and stability. The goal is to make the rope look like a straight fixed attachment even though it will have a tendency to bend and waiver. The other factor that makes this Pallof press variation effective is the stride stance or semi-lunge stance position. Besides crushing the core, this in-line stride stance position requires greater foot and ankle stabilization as well as innervation through the smaller stabilizers around the hips.

In this particular variation I'm loading the movement in a contralateral fashion with the load pulling my front leg medially. Therefore it's forcing me to resist valgus collapse of the hip, knee, and ankle and push the hip joint and knee laterally. For most lifters especially those prone to valgus collapse or pronation this is the optimal loading pattern. For those who struggle with supination or excessive knee spread (a much more uncommon issue) the pulley would be fixed on the opposite side of the leg in an ipsilateral fashion thereby forcing the lifter to resist lateral or varus forces on the leg and ankle as they push in medially.

OPTION #2

NOTE: Can be performed without a band.

The single leg sprinter stand is one of my favorite single leg balancing movements as it not only emphasizes the oblique slings but it has incredibly transfer to sprinting mechanics. Regress by eliminating the band. Perhaps the best way to start off training the oblique slings with contralateral hip and arm activation patterns is to perform a basic isometric sprinting simulation position. Simply hold a single leg stand while driving the elevated leg into maximal 90-degree hip flexion and simultaneously driving the arms into contralateral flexion and extension as my NFL athletes show here. Also make sure to maintain maximal dorsiflexion in the ankle of the elevated leg as this represents optimal foot position during sprinting mechanics.

Essentially you’re holding an isometric stride position that mimics the extension-driving position of a sprint during the maximal velocity phase or upright position. Focus on bracing the daylights out of the core and pulling the stomach in as aggressively as possible rather than allowing lumbar extension to occur in the low back region. Additionally, try to create as much full body tension as possible by continually driving the knee and arms as aggressively as possible. This is where the oblique slings come into play.

The harder you drive the front arm into 90 degree flexion (near the face) by aggressively recruiting the biceps, front deltoids, and upper chest, the more you’ll be recruiting the core, oblique, adductor, and hip flexor of the opposite/contralateral side as this represents the nature and function of the anterior oblique sling. Similarly, the harder you drive the rear arm into extension by aggressively firing the lats, triceps, and rear deltoids, the more you’ll recruit the lumbar muscles and contralateral hip extensors/glutes of the other leg as this describes the nature and function of the posterior oblique sling.

It’s important to make sure the hips are aligned mediolaterally as each hip, knee, ankle, and foot should form a relatively straight line without any side to side deviation. Additionally the foot of the support/down leg should be perfectly straight or even slightly internally rotated to help maximize foot torque into the ground.

The harder you drive the knee and arms while bracing the core and maintaining perfect body alignment, the greater the level of intramuscular tension that should build throughout your body until it ultimately ramps up to near maximal levels from head to toe. In fact, this should essentially feel like a maximal effort overcoming isometric hold where the athlete is giving 100% physical and mental exertion. This is one of those drills where you get what you put into it. If you do it right you should feel like you just performed several max effort sprints.

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Here's a simple yet effective landmine jump squat exercise that not only taxes the lower body and improves power output but also targets grip strength and core strength. That's because the bar will want to slip out of the lifters hands not to mention the load and landing wanting to laterally shift your body. To stick the landmine you'll have to create full body tension from head to toe.

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The rotational renegade row with lat pulldowns is one of the most effective ways to crush your upper back, lats, and core at the same time. Try using half your bodyweight as I show here with 100 pound dumbbells and eccentric isometrics. The rotational method is also incredibly effective for improving shoulder health and function. This rotational component allows a more supinated grip position in the top contracted position which maximizes tension and shoulder centration. In contrast, the pronated grip in the bottom position allows maximal eccentric elongation and stretching of the lats.

Not only does this provide a very strong hypertrophy stimulus for the entire upper back and lats but this helps optimize scapulohumeral rhythm and glenohumeral joint mechanics. In other words it reinforces proper shoulder function and positioning. Additionally, the rotational forces create additional torque on the torso and spine thereby requiring greater activation throughout the entire musculature of the core and abs to resist these rotational forces.

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Hand clap pushups are a great strength, power, and explosive upper body exercise for the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core stabilizers.

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The landmine station is one of the most versatile pieces of strength training equipment with limitless options for modifying functional movement patterns. One of my favorite lower body landmine exercises is the front loaded goblet lunge. However, like most lower body exercises, the level of tension in the top position is relatively low in comparison to the bottom position. By using accommodating resistance through the incorporation of a resistance band, this allows the lifter to maintain constant tension on the legs while also overloading the stronger top position.

Here’s one of my awesome clients Elizabeth Yates showing how it’s done. This combination is surprisingly joint friendly yet quite intense on the entire lower body not to mention the core, shoulders, and upper back. Additionally, the front loaded position (which creates a slightly more upright position in comparison to a traditional lunge) combined with the increased tension in the top half of the movement makes these incredibly intense on the quadriceps and upper thighs. Try performing several sets of 5-8 reps during your next lower body workout. This can be performed with or without the band as shown in the video.

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OPTION #1

The landmine is one of the most versatile training tools in existence. Over the past several years it’s gained quite a bit of popularity particularly for exercises such as deadlifts, squats, presses, and hip hinge variations. That’s because the variations tend to be very user friendly with angular force vectors that not only match the body’s natural movement mechanics but also take stress of the joints and low back. This same concept can just as easily be applied to goblet or front loaded good mornings as shown here by NFL athletes Vantrel McMillan and Marquell Beckwith. The degree of core activation is unusually high with these so be prepared to brace your abs and whole body throughout the set.

OPTION #2

dumbbell cleans & snatches with RNT band resistance (reactive neuromuscular training) with bands from coach Nick Tumminello which are the best bands in the industry for anchoring to the body.

I consistently implement Olympic lifts & variations with my athletes to improve explosive power, speed, & strength. Unfortunately the force vectors produced from free weights don’t perfectly match up with how the hips & glutes function. Simply, cleans & snatches are axial loaded movements with vertical force vectors however the hips, which happen to be the key muscles involved during Olympic lifts, function more in an anteroposterior hinging fashion (front to back).

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it is quite easy for athletes to perform Olympic lifts without emphasizing hip drive & triple extension resulting in very little activation from the posterior chain. Unfortunately this minimizes the benefits of Olympic lifts & may in fact predispose the individual to a number of compensation patterns & injuries. In fact, many research studies as well as anecdotal evidence from coaches & trainers now suggest that Olympic lifts are relatively ineffective (compared to other explosive training modalities) for improving speed & power.

However, these results are likely due to improper coaching & execution of the movements as properly performed Olympic lifts do in fact provide great value for athletes & fitness enthusiasts alike. The key is producing explosive power by aggressively & violently firing the posterior chain (as well as nearly every other muscle in the body). Fortunately, applying reactive neuromuscular training (RNT) to Olympic lifts helps resolve this & also provides additional benefits.

With that said here are 7 reasons why applying RNT to cleans & sntches is so effective.

1. Applying RNT horizontal band resistance to the hips produces tension in an anteroposterior fashion. As a result the hips are required to extend forward not only to launch the load upward but also to resist the band tension. One way to think of this is that we’re combining Olympic lifts with elements similar to a cable pull through, kettlebell swing, and hip thruster. Athletes who have difficulty full extending the hips or cutting the hip extension phase short will benefit greatly from this.

2. Besides requiring the lifter to produce full extension, the RNT band resistance also produces greater glute and hamstring activation due to the direct loading of the posterior chain. In other words the posterior chain is forced to be involved to the level it should be during Olympic lifts.

3. The direct posterior horizontal band loading provides a pulling sensation to the hips further emphasizing proper hip hinge mechanics as it literally pulls the lifter into a proper RDL or hip hinge position. This is one of the most critical aspects of Olympic lifting as ample hip flexion at the bottom of the hinge is paramount to stretching and engaging the posterior chain. If you struggle moving into a proper hang position with ample hip hinge mechanics during your Olympic lifts, the RNT method is a sure fix.

4. A very common problem on Olympic lifts is that lifters rely on incomplete yet quick hip extension by producing a mini hop or jump to jolt the weight up into the catch position. Instead of jumping using a partial hop, the lifter should be trying to drive into the floor for as long as possible in order to maximize hip extension forces. Although many strength coaches erroneously advocate faulty mini-jump mechanics (using incomplete hip extension), which emphasizes knee and ankle extension rather than hip extension, the band resistance technique helps to eliminate this for two reasons. First the lifter is required to get their hips all the way through and fully extend in order to resist the tension produced from the band. Second, attempting to jump while having a force pulling posteriorly on the hips will cause the lifter to lose his or her balance backward. To maintain one’s balance during the RNT method the lifter will be required to keep in contact with the floor throughout the lifts thereby further maximizing hip extension and force production.

5. The RNT method requires the lifter to have a slight forward torso lean at the top of the overhead snatch position which represents the ideal slot position for finishing any overhead Olympic lift. If you have difficulty nailing the overhead position of your snatch, simply add the RNT method as you’ll be required to properly position your hips, torso, arms, and center of mass.

6. The RNT method is more joint and low back friendly than traditional variations. That’s because it doesn’t require as heavy a barbell or dumbbell loading as traditional Olympic lifts since a portion of the resistance is now in the anteroposterior direction from the bands. In other words the hips will be required to allocate a portion of the force production directly to the horizontal band tension. Simply put you won’t be able to handle quite as heavy a direct loading on the barbell or dumbbells. As a result the lifter can use slightly lighter loads yet still maximal effort hip drive and explosive power ultimately reducing stress to the spine and shoulders not to mention the rest of the joints.

7. Many lifters have a habit of becoming overly loose in the catch position during their Olympic lifts. The RNT method forces the lifter to stay tight in the catch position as lack of full body tension will result in loss of balance in the posterior direction. Not only does this teach the lifter how to absorb force more efficiently but it also improves strength and full body stability.

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If you’re looking for a unique but very effective method for targeting your lats try this rotational strap method. Here's one of my awesome clients Matt Jordan applying it to the lat pulldown using standard wrist straps attached to the barbell. Although this isn’t one that you’ll load up with incredibly heavy loads there are several unique benefits not only for improving movement mechanics but also for stimulating functional strength and size in the upper torso. Here’s why you would use this variation.

1. The straps create a more unstable and vulnerable bar attachment. Because you’ll be gripping the hanging straps several inches or more below the height of the anchor point on the bar, this causes the bar to be more susceptible to tilting, swaying, shifting or rotating. If you begin to pull more from one arm or allow one shoulder to elevate higher than the other, or you use excessive momentum, these deviations will be magnified as you’ll begin to loose control of the bar attachment. In essence you’ll be forced to use smooth, crisp, symmetrical, and precise vertical pulling mechanics to keep this locked in.

2. This rotating strap lat pulldown variation absolutely crushes the grip as you’ll have to pinch the daylights out of the wrist straps to keep the handles from slipping out of your hands. If you’re in need of a lat pulldown variation to crush your hands, grip, and forearms, this one’s tough to beat. You can also use towels to crush the grip even further but unfortunately it can take away slightly form the rotational movement which leads me to my next point.

3. This specific set up allows a very natural rotational pulling motion to occur rather than the overly rigid grip attachment you would typically find with a standard lat bar setup. In essence you’ll be using a fully pronated grip at the top position and gradually rotating to a fully supinated grip as you reach the fully contracted bottom position. Besides being very conducive for reinforcing proper and smooth scapulohumeral rhythm and centrated glenohumeral joint mechanics (locked in shoulder joint), the rotational movement is also very effective for stimulating significant lat activation and growth.

The reason for this is that the overhand or pronated position allows a greater lat stretch while the underhand or supinated position produces a more forceful contraction in the lats at the end of the concentric pull. This produces both mechanical tension and muscle damage (to a moderate degree) as well as a degree of metabolic stress and local occlusion. As a result the stimulation and muscle mind connection you’ll receive to the lat muscles will be significant to say the least even though the load will be relatively light. However, for those suffering with joint issues and overuse injuries, having access to a lat exercise that allows you to use lighter therapeutic loads while simultaneously crushing the lats is always a welcome bonus.

If you feel like grip strength is more of a limiting factor during these, try pre-exhausting your lats immediately prior to the pulldown using some form of kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell pullover. You can also use straight arm pulldowns with bands or a cable system for more constant tension on the lats. In fact this is exactly what I had Matt do during this workout and his lats were pummeled for several days. Typically 2-3 sets of 5-8 repetitions will more than suffice for this pulldown. Read more HERE.

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This is a great overhead press variation for stability, technique, and core activation.

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HARDER OPTION

Please note, this is an optional exercise of the day. This straight arm ring pullover/pulldown exercise is quite an advanced exercise and is much more difficult than it looks. By using strict form it really crushes the lats, triceps, core, and stabilizers of the entire body.

With a few adjustments you can make this one of the more physically challening rings exercises there is. The longer you make the rings and the further in front you place your feet the more strenuous this one becomes. Besides being incredibly challenging the ring pullover is highly effective at targeting the lats, triceps, and core, not to mention all the stabilizers throughout the rest of your body (from head to toe).

EASIER OPTION

Here's a great use of the high intensity technique known as pre-exhaustion. This superset technique involves performing an isolation movement for a muscle group immediately prior to performing a compound movement. This produces significant fatigue and activation in the targeted muscles allowing those specific muscle groups to fail before other smaller muscles do. This pre-exhaustion principle is something bodybuilders have been using for decades to crush specific muscle groups.

In this example one of my awesome clients Matt Jordan is performing a straight arm pulldown (more of an isolation movement) prior to performing a pullup/chin-up exercise. The straight arm pulldown fatigues the lats so much so that by the time he performs the pull-ups his lats and upper back give out well before the smaller muscles of his biceps and arms do thereby inducing greater hypertrophy gains in the lats. Similar protocols can be done with other muscle groups such as leg extensions before squats, flyes before chest presses, and glute bridges or leg curls before RDL's. You can also use pullover variations before pullups and pulldowns to a produce a similar effect shown in this video.