101 strength training mistakes

7/26/2019 101 Strength Training Mistakes

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125 Of The Most Commons Training Mistakes Made

By Beginners, Seasoned Lifters, and CoachesAnd the Solutions for ach

Compiled by James Cerbie with help from Pat Koch, Eric Bach, Jason Maxwell, Marc-Jason

Locqiao, Matt !shbolt, Jon "oodman, #yan !ndrews, Chris $ren, %im "eromini, %homas

"ian !rdito, Laren Bradley, and Ben&amin Pic'ard


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!isclaimer

The information in this "ook is offered for educational #ur#oses only$ the reader should

"e cautioned that there is an inherent risk assumed "y the #artici#ant %ith any form of

#hysical acti&ity' (ith that in mind, those #artici#ating in strength and conditioning

#rograms should check %ith their #hysician #rior to initiating such acti&ities' Anyone

#artici#ating in these acti&ities should understand that such training initiati&es may "e

dangerous if #erformed incorrectly, and may not "e a##ro#riate for e&eryone' The

author assumes no lia"ility for in)ury$ this is #urely an educational manual to guide those

already #roficient %ith the demands of such #rogramming'

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Ta"le of Contents

(elcome and Thank *ou+

-o% to .se This /esource+ 0

Beginners

o eneral Mistakes+ 3014

o rogramming and 6n the (orkout+ 14074o Mo&ement and Techni8ue+ 7402

o 9utrition+ 70

Seasoned Lifters

o rogramming and 6n the (orkout+ 5052

o 9utrition+ 52057

o Other+ 5

Coaches+ 5055

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(elcome and Thank *ou

:irst off, 6;d like to thank you for do%nloading this e"ook' 6t;s something 6;&e%anted to #ut together for a %hile no%' 6 s#end the &ast ma)ority of my time training

athletes and hel#ing #eo#le %ith their strength and fitness related goals, and 6;m

ama


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-o% To .se This /esource

6n order for you to get the most out of this "ook, 6 should #ro"a"ly ela"orate onmy train of thought and ho% the "ook %as #ut together' 6;ll also tell you ho% 6 think you

should a##roach reading the "ook de#ending on your ?skill@ le&el'

*ou;ll notice the "ook is "roken into three sections+ Beginners, Seasoned Lifters

and Coaches' 6 did this for the follo%ing reason'

6n my mind, anything in&ol&ing de&elo#ment should "e "roken do%n into

#yramidal structure as often as #ossi"le' This )ust hel#s %ith o&erall organi


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and eercise techni8ues that seasoned lifters should "e taking ad&antage

of'

Coaches

o Be sure to read the first t%o sections' *ou should ha&e anything "rought

u# in them do%n #act'

o On the material front, 6;ll go o&er common coaching mistakes 6 run into

and offer some recommended resources =aka stuff you should ha&e read

already>'

www(rebel-performance(com) Become Exceptional .


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Dames Cer"ie

Creator and -ead Coach of /e"el erformance

re"el#erformance1Egmail'com

%%%'re"el0#erformance'com

125 Of The Most Common Training Mistakes Made

By Beginners, Seasoned Lifters, and CoachesAnd the Solutions for ach

Beginnerseneral Mistakes

' Lacking Confidence

!ou"ting yourself is one of the %orst things you can do'

6Fm not telling you to go "e an arrogant ass, "ut you must ha&e confidence and you

must "elie&e in yourself'

There %ill "e days %hen things suck' *ouFll feel sore, "eat u#, tired, and 8uestion %hy

youFre #ushing yourself the %ay you are' 6tFs at times like these that your "elief in

yourself must shine through'

Gno% you are ca#a"le of achie&ing great things, and find a %ay to #erse&ere' -ere;s a

#oem and a 8uote to get you mo&ing in that direction'

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2' 9ot /eading the oem 6n&ictus At Least Once a (eek

6n&ictus

B* (6LL6AM /9ST -9L*

Out of the night that co&ers me,

Black as the #it from #ole to #ole,

6 thank %hate&er gods may "e

:or my uncon8uera"le soul'

6n the fell clutch of circumstance

6 ha&e not %inced nor cried aloud'

.nder the "ludgeonings of chance

My head is "loody, "ut un"o%ed'

Beyond this #lace of %rath and tears

Looms "ut the -orror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

:inds and shall find me unafraid'

6t matters not ho% strait the gate,-o% charged %ith #unishments the scroll,

6 am the master of my fate,

6 am the ca#tain of my soul'

7' 9ot Gno%ing This Theodore /oose&elt Huote

?6t is not the critic %ho counts$ not the man %ho #oints out ho% the strong man

stum"les, or %here the doer of deeds could ha&e done them "etter' The credit "elongs

to the man %ho is actually in the arena, %hose face is marred "y dust and s%eat and"lood$ %ho stri&es &aliantly$ %ho errs, %ho comes short again and again, "ecause there

is no effort %ithout error and shortcoming$ "ut %ho does actually stri&e to do the deeds$

%ho kno%s great enthusiasms, the great de&otions$ %ho s#ends himself in a %orthy

cause$ %ho at the "est kno%s in the end the trium#h of high achie&ement, and %ho at

the %orst, if he fails, at least fails %hile daring greatly, so that his #lace shall ne&er "e

%ith those cold and timid souls %ho neither kno% &ictory nor defeat'@

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' Being A Lone (olf

Our culture is 8uickly mo&ing a%ay from the dog eat dog mentality of #ast generations'

Sto# &ie%ing things as a


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3' Lack of atience

Contri"uted "y Chris (ren of %%%'thefitnessarchety#e'com

(ith the gro%th, e#ansion and ad&ancements in modern day technology, our culture

has fallen &ictim to the #lague of immediacy' Any and e&erything must "e done in the

"link of an eye' 6 mean god for"id it takes 2 minutes to send a tet or 6 can;t see an

email the second someone sends it'

.nfortunately, fitness and health ha&e fallen &ictim to this same #lague' &eryone is

looking for the golden ticket to #roducing results, or the net 8uick fi' (hen in reality,

#atience is the key' Anything good and %orth%hile takes time'

So stay #atient and trust the results %ill come' ranted, it;s not the seiest thing to do

"ut 6 #romise it %ill yield "etter results than )um#ing from 8uick fi to 8uick fi'

:or more on this to#ic, 6;d encourage you to check out this article'

J' Sto##ing, and Starting, and Sto##ing, and Starting

Contri"uted "y Don oodman of %%%'the#tdc'com

9o matter ho% good a %orkout is, consistency must "e a #riority'

:or this reason, #ick %orkouts that youFll do to start' The "est %orkout is the one that

youFll do after all' Once %orking out "ecomes a ha"it, then you can do that killer

%orkout from a maga


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rogramming and 6n the (orkout

4' 6gnoring the rinci#als of S#ecificity

Our "odies are incredi"le machines ca#a"le of ada#ting to hardly any stimulus it faces'

6t %ill ada#t to these stimuli, ho%e&er, in a &ery s#ecific %ay'

This #rinci#le is often referred to as the SA6! =S#ecific Ada#tation to 6m#osed

!emands> #rinci#le' 6t sim#ly states that youFre "ody %ill ada#t in a &ery s#ecific %ay to

an im#osed stimulus'

This means you must ha&e a clear goal in mind %hen designing a training routine

"ecause your decisions on eercise selection, re#s, sets etc' %ill ha&e to "e &ery s#ecific'

:or eam#le, if you %ant to "uild a"solute strength youFd ne&er do your "ig lifts for

more than 5 re#s' Sorry, "ut you ha&e to lift hea&y to get strong' !oing sets of 12 may

gi&e you a good "urn, "ut itFs not s#ecific to the de&elo#ment of a"solute strength'

' Marathon Lifting (orkouts+

Contri"uted "y at Goch of %%%'grassfedlifestyle'com

Sto# using 14 different eercises for the same muscle grou#'

&entually intensity falls to an unacce#ta"le le&el, sacrificing #otential muscle gro%th'

6nstead, cut do%n on the num"er of eercises you;re doing and really focus on u##ing

the intensity'

ssentially, you %ant to get strong in the "asics "efore adding a ton of &olume to

&arious assistance eercises'

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2' !oing Too Much

This is #retty similar to the #re&ious #oint, "ut it;s im#ortant enough to ha&e on heret%ice'

More does not e8ual "etter' *ou need to sto# trying to do J million things e&ery time

you %orkout' /ather, ha&e a clear focus %ith each training session, #ick 0 eercises

and get after it' Check out this articleif you %ant to read more a"out this'

7' 9ot :ocusing On Strength

Contri"uted "y ric Bach of %%%'"ach#erformance'com

To "uild muscle you must o&erload the "ody'

-igh0tension strength %ork im#ro&es hormone #rofile, neuromuscular efficiency, and

increases the relati&e strength of e&ery su"se8uent lift'

ick 1 eercise #er training day and focus on 705 sets of 20 re#s' Add %eight to the "ar,

monitor your #rogress, and "uild strength 6 recommend the front s8uat, deadlift, "ench

#ress, and chin0u# as the "est "uilders'

' Too Much Body"uilding

6f you fill your %orkout %ith nothing "ut higher re# sets, youFll ne&er get strong'

-y#ertro#hy %ork has its #lace, "ut you ha&e to lift hea&y to get strong' (ork more in

the 105 re# range'

5' 9ot -a&ing a lan

(inging it can only get you so far' *ou need to ha&e a #lan'

A #lan in training is also kno%n as #eriodi


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1' !oing 9othing But Bilateral Strength Mo&ements

Bilateral strength mo&ements =s8uats, deadlifts etc'> are essential to de&elo#ing "igtime strength' 6 see many #eo#le, ho%e&er, do nothing "ut "ilateral mo&ements and fail

to address unilateral strength and sta"ility issues'

:or eam#le, 6 canFt tell you ho% many times 6F&e seen someone ha&e an a"o&e a&erage

looking s8uat, "ut fall to #ieces as soon as they ha&e to do something more unilateral in

nature like a lunge'

Lunges, ste# u#s, 10leg /!LFs and a host of other single leg mo&ements "ring a"out

tremendous "enefits for the user, and should "e a sta#le in any #rogram' !o them atleast t%ice a %eek =6 usually )ust #ut in a single leg mo&ement on each lo%er "ody day>'

!onFt "e afraid to load these u# either and go for 5 or hea&y re#s #er side'

3' 9ot Starting Off Light

oing "alls to the %all day one may not "e your "est idea'

Strength gain is after all a long0term #rocess' So donFt come out of the gates too fast'

6f youF&e read anything Dim (endler has %ritten, youFll kno% he talks a"out the necessity

to start off light and "uild u# from %eek to %eek'

:or eam#le, if you kno% youFre hitting deadlifts for the net %eeks, start of on the

IlighterI ="y lighter 6 mean J4 or so> side of things and then increase it from %eek to

%eek' *ouFd rather feel good going into %eek 2 ready to "eat %hat you did last %eek,

than feeling crushed "ecause you tried to #ull 144 out of the gates'

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J' 9ot .sing a Tem#late

Tem#lates are a great %ay to stay organi


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24' Choosing Style O&er Su"stance

Contri"uted "y Tim eromini

6 see a lot of athletes or folks in general %ho %ant to "e faster, 8uicker, more #o%erful'

And, %hile that is great =no"ody can "lame them>, they make the mistake of training for

all those things %ithout training for strength first' -a&ing a day of )ust agility ladder drills

%ill not make you 8uicker' 6t may look cool, "ut there are "etter %ays'

*ou cannot "e 8uicker, faster, or more #o%erful unless you ha&e a "ase of strength first'

Strength is the foundation from %hich s#eed and #o%er can gro%' 6nstead of using

those agility ladder drills or #lyometrics =%hich %ithout strength %ill not "e much of a

#lyometric sho%> "uild u# your strength first'

6f you strength train 7 days #er %eek$ train for strength on Monday, Thursday, and

Saturday'

*ou can use Tuesday as a #o%er circuit ty#e day and include stuff like the follo%ing+

Agility ladders as an etension of your %armu#'

o%er %ork can come from med "all thro%s and s#rints'

et u# close and #ersonal %ith a sled andor #ro%ler'

Dust remem"er$ %hile s#eed and #o%er are necessary for s#orts, you need to ha&e

strength first'

2 ' Thinking That Soreness 6s An 6ndicator of rogress


6f you are routinely sore to the #oint that you ha&e difficulty doing e&eryday tasks, then

your training is counter#roducti&e'

ssentially, you should "e focusing on im#ro&ing your #erformance and not chasing

soreness le&els'

?To me, the sign of a really ecellent routine is one %hich #laces great demands on the

athlete, yet #roduces #rogressi&e long0term im#ro&ement %ithout soreness, in)ury or

the athlete e&er feeling thoroughly de#leted' Any fool can create a #rogram that is so

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demanding that it %ould &irtually kill the toughest Marine or hardiest of elite athletes,

"ut not any fool can create a tough #rogram that #roduces #rogress %ithout

unnecessary #ain'@N !r' Mel C' Siff

22' 9eglecting the (arm .#

The %arm u# is a crucial com#onent of any good %orkout, so don;t half ass it'

The %arm u# is crucial for t%o reasons+ it allo%s you to %ork on #ro"lem areas and

#re#ares the "ody for the demands itFs a"out to face'

6f youFre skim#ing out on your %arm u#, 6 can #romise you youFre not getting the most

out of your %orkout' Be sure to hit your soft tissue %ork first, then #roceed to any

necessary mo"ilitycorrecti&es, and then finish u# %ith something a little more dynamic'

All in all, the %arm u# should last a"out 15 min'

-ere;s a #ost %orthchecking out if you;d like to learn more a"out ho% to structure a

%arm u# and get a free sam#le %arm u#'

27' The .nnecessary !eload

!onFt get me %rong, deloads ha&e their #lace' 6Fm not one of those #eo#le %hoFs going

to sit here and say o&ertraining doesnFt eist "ecause it does' (ith that "eing said, 6 see

many #eo#le hit unnecessary deloads, in #articular, "eginners and #eo#le %ho lift less

than three times a %eek are the most common cul#rits'

6f youFre a "eginner, you;re not going to "e neurally efficient enough to im#ose serious

amounts of fatigue' Like%ise, "eginners %ant to train at a higher &olume "ecause )ust

a"out anything you do %ill garner you a #ositi&e ada#tation' Thus, donFt %aste your

time dro##ing &olume e&ery 7 %eeks %hen &olume is more than likely eactly %hat youneed'

:or #eo#le %ho only train 2 times a %eek, each %eek for you is #retty much a deload

any%ays unless the t%o days you lift you train for 2 hours straight'

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All of this is to say "e smart %ith your deloads' !onFt )ust deload for the sake of

deloading' 6f youFre feeling "eat u# as hell, then thro% in a light %eek, "ut if youFre

feeling good, kee# getting after it'

2' 9ot Changing 6t .#

Contri"uted "y /yan Andre%s of %%%'#recisionnutrition'com

Although as a "eginner you can s#end more time on one %orkout or one eercise and

continue making #rogress, the day %ill come %hen you need to change it u#'

:or eam#le, s8uats are great' The same eact s8uat e&ery %eek for 25 years can "e,

%ell, not so great'

So "e sure to mi it u# from time to time' 6nstead of doing front s8uats, try "ack s8uats'

6nstead of doing "ack s8uats, try


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:or eam#le, you need to master the go"let s8uat "efore mo&ing onto a more

ad&anced &ersion like the front s8uat

6n regards to load, no&ices should use linear #eriodi


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Dust think a"out a sling shot' -o% much force can a slingshot generate if the handles

arenFt sta"leP

2K' 9ot Tracking *our Training

Contri"uted "y Marc0Dason Loc8uiao of %%%'rlconditioning'ca

Gee#ing a training )ournal is essential' -o% %ill you kno% if youF&e made #rogress if

youFre not tracking it' *ou can "e as detailed as you %ant, "ut kee#ing it "asic =%eight,

re#s, set, rest, etc> is often enough'

74' 9ot Maintaining Balance Bet%een Agonists and Antagonists

The agonist is the #rime mo&er and definitely the one that gra"s your attention, "ut

ha&ing a strong antagonist is im#ortant as %ell'

-ere;s %hy' Muscles %ork in #airs' (hen an agonist is %orking to #roduce tor8ue

around a )oint =think "ice# fleing the el"o%>, an antagonist is also %orking =think

trice#>' 6f the antagonist is %eak, it may get in the %ay and hinder mo&ement as it

contracts #rematurely to try and #rotect the )oint'

.ltimately, if you kee# a "alanced a##roach to your training, this should ne&er "e a

#ro"lem' So don;t go do 73 sets of curls and 2 sets of trice#s etensions'

Side note+ this is %hy it;s so im#ortant to track your training like mistake Q1 highlights'

7 ' 9eglecting the R-o%; for the R(hat;

Contri"uted "y Ben)amin ickard of %%%'"en)amin#ickard'com

(hat eercise you do is great, "ut ho% you do it makes all the difference' A s8uat is a

great eercise 0 assuming it is eecuted #ro#erly' A deadlift is a great eercise 0

assuming it is eecuted #ro#erly' &erything can "e great %ith great eecution, ande&erything can "e detrimental if eecuted #oorly'

:ocus on ho% you are doing the eercise, not )ust %hat it is' 6s your setu# ho% it should

"eP Are you using #ro#er formP !o you generate tensionP !o you feel the eercise

%orking %here it should "eP All of this, the Fho%F, can make the eercise %ork harder for

you, and fuel your gains do%n road'

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72' Ad)usting *our ffort to the (eight

/id yourself of the follo%ing attitude fore&er+ this %eight is hea&y so 6Fm going to ha&eto really "ring it, "ut that %eight is light so 6 donFt need to #ush it as hard'

*our goal should al%ays "e to mo&e the %eight as fast as you #ossi"ly can' The only

reason a %eight mo&es slo%ly is "ecause itFs hea&y, not "ecause youFre not trying to'

lease note, this refers to the concentric #ortion of the lift and not the eccentric #ortion'

77' 9ot Treating &ery /e# Like 6ts O%n Set

Contri"uted "y Thomas ian Ardito of %%%'musclegarden'net

6t is common for a trainee to ?checkout@ and )ust go through the motions'

But %hen its go time, and hea&y %eight needs to "e slung, you must gi&e e&ery re# the

res#ect it deser&es' !onFt insult the "ar "y handling it like a fool'

Set u# your lifts the same %ay e&ery time' 6f it is a front s8uat, make a ritual and stick

%ith it'

-ook the "ar, #unch your el"o%s under, take a "reath and un0rack' Take 7 ste#s

maimum, one as you un0rack, another as you #lace your other foot and a final

ad)ustment' Only think of crushing this re#' Take a nice fat si# of air, and unlock the legs

into descent and kee# the el"o%s high' ush the floor a%ay from you as you let some

air out' Si# another "reath then re#eat for #rescri"ed re#s =you do ha&e an indi&idual

#rogram, rightP Q5K>'

The #oint is to try and "reak the lift do%n and think of it each ste# of the %ay' This %ill

ensure H.AL6T* rather than 8uantity' The "ody remem"ers "ad re#s as %ell as the

good, so make e&eryone one count

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21/55

7' :orgetting A"out R/am# .#; Sets


*ou finished the %arm u#' 9o% itFs time to lift, and the first eercise is deadlift and you

%ant to do 75 at 75' So you %arm u# %ith 17514, 22514 and then 715J "efore you

start your %orking sets' *ouF&e done 2J re#s "efore you e&en started the %orking sets,

and your #erformance %ill suffer "ecause of it

Treat the %arm u# sets as Fram# u#F sets' *ou ram# u# to the %orking sets "y doing

more sets of less re#s to make sure you donFt fatigue, "ut also to #re#are your ner&ous

system to set #ersonal records' Try 1755, 2257, 2352, 7151, 751, then mo&e to the

%orking sets' *ou only did 12 re#s, and "y doing less re#s #er set you ensure that eachre# is #erfect, you donFt fatigue "efore you start, and your "ody is "etter #re#ared to

handle and thro% around "ig %eights' Try it and see

75' Missing Lifts

This is a huge #et #ee&e of mine, so )ust go ahead and sto# missing lifts during training'

A"solutely nothing #ositi&e comes a"out "ecause of it'

6f it;s com#etition time then that;s a different story, "ut you should ne&er miss a lift

during a training session' 6t has incredi"ly detrimental effects on your #sychy and your

a"ility to reco&er'

Once again, don;t e&er miss a lift during a training session' 6f you;re su##osed to get 5

re#s of a mo&ement and you kno% the fourth re# %as all you had, )ust rack it and li&e to

lift another day'

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71' *ou !on;t /eco&er

Many #eo#le fail to allot enough reco&ery time "et%een intense "outs of eercise'

enerally s#eaking, you %ant to gi&e yourself 32 hours "et%een intense efforts' :or

eam#le, if you s8uat hea&y on Monday, your net intense lo%er "ody effort should

come on Thursday' This can look different for different #eo#le, "ut 32 hours is a good

#lace to start' This ensures your "ody =most im#ortantly central ner&ous system> has

reco&ered and %ill allo% you to #ush it'

-ere;s an easy %ay to "reakdo%n your %eek follo%ing this #rinci#le+

Monday+ Lo%erTuesday+ /est or %ork

(ednesday+ .##er

Thursday+ Lo%er

:riday+ /est or %ork

Saturday+ .##er

Sunday+ /est or %ork

73' Sticking To the lan Too Much

Contri"uted "y Matt Ash"olt of %%%'re&olutionarylifestyles'com

-ere;s the deal, it;s Monday and you;re scheduled to lift K4kg for 55, "ut you feel

terri"le' 6t;s )ust one of those days %here the "ar feels like it %eighs 44kg'

(hat you should you doP *ou should listen to your "ody 6f you need to reduce the

load or &olume for one session so "e it' Think a"out long0term #rogress rather than

risking in)ury during one session as you try to %ork "eyond your ca#acity on that day'

7J' 9eglecting Conditioning


etting strong re8uires your "ody to "e in o#timal condition to #rogress and mo&e

increasingly hea&ier loads' This means your entire "ody, and includes your energy

systems'

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23/55

Making sure you ha&e at least a "ase le&el of conditioning is going to hel# you get

stronger, and might actually "e holding you "ack' Thro%ing in some short conditioning

102%eek =think inter&al training, sled #ulls etc'> can hel# you reco&er "et%een sets,reco&er "et%een %orkouts and im#ro&e your total %ork ca#acity' More %ork %ith "etter

reco&ery means "igger gains'

7K' 9ot Matching *our Conditioning (ith *our Strength oals

Aero"ic %ork has its #lace, "ut %hen youFre %orking to "uild strength you need to kee#

in mind com#eting demands'

Lo% intensity, long duration acti&ity %ill not hel# you in your effort to gain strength' 6nfact, itFs #ro"a"ly contraindicated'

Thus, s#end more time #erforming s#rints, strongman %ork, or other higher intensity

ty#e conditioning o#tions' These %ill hel# you get in sha#e, "ut also do more to "oost

strength gains'

4' erforming ercises 6n the (rong Order

icking the right mo&ements is only #art of the "attle' *ou also need to do them in the

correct order' So sto# doing accessory %ork "efore your ma)or lift'

6f youFre goal is to get strong, then make sure youFre fresh and ready to crush "ig %eight

in %hate&er ma)or lift you ha&e #lanned that day =s8uat, deadlift, #ress etc'>' :or this

reason, al%ays start off %ith it' !onFt %aste your time doing other mo&ements )ust to tire

yourself out for the main sho%'

' 9ot /es#ecting Tem#o


Huit ignoring the tem#o of your lifts' 6n #articular, 8uit rushing through the eccentric

#ortion of the lift' 6f your #rogram says to take seconds, then slo% it do%n and take

seconds'

As a general rule of thum", al%ays go slo% and controlled during the eccentric #ortion

of the lift =think 207 seconds>'

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This ensures you;re ade8uately controlling the mo&ement, increasing time under

tension, and "uilding more muscle'

2' 9ot /esting nough Bet%een Sets


!on;t get me %rong' 6 lo&e that you;re ecited to hit your net set, ho%e&er, 6;m not so

ecited a"out you skim#ing out on that all im#ortant rest time' enerally s#eaking,

%hen you;re lifting hea&y loads you;ll %ant to rest at least 207 minutes "et%een sets'

7' 9ot Taking Ad&antage of /est Time

6t;s hea&y deadlift day' *ou ste# u# to the "ar, take your "reath, get tight, gra" ahold

and ri# it for 7 re#s' 9o% it;s time to rest for 205 minutes and reco&er "efore your net

set'

As o##osed to %alking around and doing nothing, %hy not fill it %ith some mo"ility

%ork =knee "reaks are a #ersonal fa&orite of mine "ecause my ankles suck> or some

shoulder accessory %ork =things like sca# %all slides, #rone eternal rotations or #rone

tra# raises are good choices>'

This )ust hel#s you make the most of your time and get etra %ork in on some #ro"lem

s#ots'

' 9ot S8uatting and !eadlifting At Least Once a (eek

The s8uat and deadlift are %ithout a dou"t the t%o greatest mo&ements on the #lanet'

*ou need to "e doing each one at least once a %eek' That doesnFt mean you ha&e to go

cra


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5' 9ot !oing nough o"let S8uats

o"let s8uats are one of the "est %ays to groo&e a s8uat #attern' 6 can;t tell you ho%

many times 6;&e seen someone;s s8uat clean u# dramatically after one cycle of go"let

s8uats'

-ere;s my general recommendation+ get in at least one set of go"let s8uats e&eryday'

Also, don;t "e afraid to load these u#' See if you can do 14 re#s at half your

"ody%eight'

Check out this &ideoto learn more a"out them'

1' 9ot !oing nough -i# andor lute Bridges

*our glutes =in #articular glute ma> are intended to "e one your #rimary hi# etensors'

.nfortunately, #eo#le sit today more than e&er "efore and tend to ha&e &ery %eak

glutes' 9ot only does this make you more susce#ti"le to in)ury, "ut it ro"s you of

#erformance'

A great time to %ork on this is %hen youFre in the gym, "ut many #eo#le fail to de&ote

enough attention to "ringing u# this critical %eak #oint "y doing hi# andor glute

"ridge &ariations'

6Fd recommend most #eo#le try and do hi# andor glute "ridges at least once a %eak'

*ou can use a "ar"ell and load them u# for hea&ier re#s, or you can do single leg

&ariations for higher re#s %ith less load' ither %ay, try and find a %ay to get these into

your #rogram'

3' 9ot Building a Strong Back

-ereFs an easy %ay to think a"out this' Muscles on the front of your "ody tend to "e

Isho%I muscles, %hile muscles on the "ack of your "ody tend to "e Iget strong as all

get outI muscles'

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Thus, #eo#le commit this mistake %hen they donFt s#end nearly enough time

de&elo#ing a rock solid u##er "ack' 9ot only %ill it get you strong, itFll also hel# kee#

your shoulders healthy'

:or starters, do a lot of ro%ing &ariations' At least t%o on u##er "ody days and #ro"a"ly

one on lo%er "ody days'

6n fact, 6Fd recommend making sure your &olume of u##er "ack %ork is at least t%ice as

much as your #ressing &olume'

6n addition to the thousands of different ro%ing &ariations out there, you can also do

#ull u#s, chin u#s, "and #ull a#arts, farmers %alks, and rounded "ack good mornings'.ltimately, anything thatFll de&elo# musculature in your u##er "ack %ill do the trick'

J' 9ot Bo S8uatting

Many #eo#le don;t "o s8uat sim#ly "ecause they don;t kno% ho%, ha&e ne&er heard of

them, or don;t understand ho% "eneficial they can "e'

6n short, "o s8uats are great "ecause they teach someone ho% to sit "ack and get the

most out of their #osterior chain %hile they s8uat' 9ot only that, theyFre a nice reminder

to make sure you hit de#th each time'

(hat you need to do is find a "o and start s8uatting' Dust kidding, itFs not that sim#le,

"ut itFll get you mo&ing in the right direction' (hen "o s8uatting, you ideally can hit a

"o set u# )ust "elo% #arallel' 6f you canFt, then stack things u# on the "o' As you get

more comforta"le #erforming the mo&ement, then slo%ly remo&e items from the "o

until you can hit )ust "elo% #arallel' (hen s8uatting to the "o, youFll %ant to think

a"out #ulling yourself do%n and "ack, and attem#ting to kee# a more &ertical shin

#osition' .#on sitting on the "o, kee# your core tight and rela your hi# fleors for a

s#lit second' Then s#read the ground a#art %ith your feet and s8uee


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K' Too Many Crunches

6nstead of doing crunches, you need to s#end time training the core to do %hat itFsmeant to do+ sta"ili'

This means doing more #lank &ariations, re&erse crunches, "ar rollouts, #allof #resses,

suitcase carries, landmine rotations and things along those lines'

Start off %ith sim#le sta"ili'

54' Being Huad !ominant

Huads are great and all, "ut many #eo#le train their 8uads to the #oint of "eing 8uad

dominant' *ou see this %hen #eo#le tend to shoot their knees for%ard and rely on their

8uads' This isn;t o#timal for a num"er of reasons' :irst, this #uts more #ressure on your

knees' Second, your hamstrings and glutes are incredi"ly #o%erful hi# etensors and

should #lay a ma)or role in almost any functional mo&ement =es#ecially the s8uat and

deadlift>'

6n order to address this issue, de&ote a lot of time to de&elo#ing your #osterior chain "y

doing things like /!L;s, good mornings, glute ham raises and different glutehi# "ridge

&ariations' Additionally, you should focus more on sending your hi#s "ack %hile you

s8uat and deadlift' This ensures you;ll get more out of your hamstrings and glutes'

.ltimately, you can;t "e strong if you don;t de&elo# your #osterior chain, so %orry less

a"out your 8uads and more a"out your hamstrings and glutes'

5 ' (eak Trice#s

Curls are fun and all, "ut if you %ant to #ress a lot of %eight you ha&e to ha&e "ig time

trice# strength'

Be sure to de&ote some time to your trice#s' Things like close gri# "ench, diamond

#ush u#s, crush gri# "ench, "oard #resses and 10arm "and or chain trice# etensions

are great o#tions'

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52' 9ot 6ncluding Body%eight Training


Belie&e it or not, you can gain ade8uate amounts of strength from "ody%eight training'

:or eam#le, look at gymnasts' They routinely #erform im#ressi&e feats of strength,

and much, if not all, is due to using "ody%eight for training'

They do it "y #erforming ad&anced eercises like #lanches, front le&ers, L0sits, and

human flags, to name a fe%' Once you;&e mastered the "asic "ody%eight eercises,

start trying the ad&anced &ersions'

57' Ski##ing Leg !ay

Contri"uted "y Lauren Bradley of htt#s+%%%'face"ook'comthefueled#hysi8ue

uys+ Dust donFt' *ou donFt %ant to "e the guy in the gym %ith the "uilt u##er "ody and

little chicken legs' Ladies+ SH.AT =among other things> to fill out those )eans

Dust as you %ould train chest, "ack, shoulders, etc, you M.ST train your legs' Create a

"alance #hysi8ue "y training e&ery "ody #art' 9ot )ust those youFre strongest in or

those you can see in the mirror'

5' .nnecessary .sage of a Belt

Dust "ecause you o%n a lifting "elt doesn;t mean you ha&e to %ear it'

A "elt should only "e used %hen youFre lifting near maimal %eights' *our core and

erectors should "e doing the %ork the rest of the time'

55' /elying On Stra#s

Similar to the lifting "elt, )ust "ecause you ha&e them doesn;t mean you ha&e to use

them'

ri# is an incredi"ly im#ortant #art of strength de&elo#ment, so you should only use

stra#s %hen itFs a"solutely necessary =like in hea&y /!L;s>'

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51' .nsta"le Surface Training

Sto# standing on "osu "alls, #hysio "alls and anything in that family'

Outside of a reha" setting, unsta"le surface training ser&es little to no &alue' 6t merely

interferes %ith the de&elo#ment of strength, #o%er and all that good stuff'

6f you %ant to read more on this to#ic, check out Dohn GieferFs article .nsta"le Surfaces

for Sta"ility Training =aka Clo%n School>and ric CresseyFs e"ook The Truth A"out

.nsta"le Surface Training'

53' 9ot -a&ing At Least One ood Training artner

(orking out "y yourself sucks' *ou ha&e no"ody there to #ush you, check your form, or

gi&e you useful ti#s'

:ind at least one #erson to %ork out %ith, "ut choose %isely' A training #artner has to

"e someone you trust, someone %ho %ill gi&e you good ad&ice, and someone %ho %ill

"e there day in and day out to #ush you )ust as hard as you #ush them' .ltimately, a

good training #artner can make all the difference in the %orld, so "e sure to "e

selecti&e' 6f you;re at a loss for ho% to #ick a good training #artner, check this out'

5J' 9ot etting Assessed

*ou should al%ays get assessed "efore starting a strength0training #rogram' :ar too

often, #eo#le )um# into #rograms %ithout ha&ing any understanding of %hat they truly

need to %ork on'

Think of the assessment as directions for a long road tri#' *ou kno% %here you %ant to

go, "ut you need directions on ho% to get there' The assessment "asically #ro&ides

these directions'

6n short, s#end the money to get a 8uality assessment' 6t;ll ensure you get going in the

right direction' ither find a coach in your area, or check out my online assessment and

a##ly for a consultation'

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5K' 9ot -a&ing an 6ndi&iduali


31/55

1 ' Cra##y Shoes

The ty#e of shoe you %ear can ha&e a tremendous im#act on your training' et out of

those "ulky shoes %ith "ig cushiony heels, and find something "etter suited for lifting'

(hen 6 recommend a training shoe 6 almost al%ays tell #eo#le to look for something on

the minimalist side of things' :or starters, you donFt %ant to #ress into a cushiony heel'

That %astes force' Second, "ig "ulky shoes often allo% us to sli# into #oor foot

#ositioning "y #ro&iding artificial sta"ili


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1' Adding Load On To# of 6m#ro#er Mo&ement


!on;t "e im#atient' 6 understand you %ant to get as strong as #ossi"le as fast as

#ossi"le, "ut you don;t %ant to load u# an eercise "efore you;&e #ro#erly mastered

the mo&ement' Like ray Cook says, don;t e&er layer fitness on to# of dysfunction'

So, learn to mo&e %ell first' *ou can do this "y #racticing the correct mo&ement #attern

%ith a lighter load, or using a different &ariation of the lift to get you in the "est

#osition' This ensures you;ll learn ho% it feels to acti&ate the right muscles and

generate #ro#er amounts of tension throughout the lift' Once you learn those things,

you can start adding load'

15' 9ot erforming ercises Through Their :ull /ange of Motion

erforming eercises through a #artial range of motion %ill limit your strength gains

"ecause muscles only get stronger through the range at %hich they are trained'

Although #artial range training has a #lace %hen youFre trying to "ring u# sticking

#oints in a lift, the &ast ma)ority of #eo#le %ill "enefit from using the full range of

motion'

Take off %eight =using a smaller range of motion is usually associated %ith using too

much %eight> and #erform the mo&ement through its full functional range' 9ot only %ill

you get stronger, "ut you;ll increase your functional range of motion as %ell'

11' oor -ead ositioning

Although it may not seem like a "ig deal, your head #ositioning #lays a &ital role in

maintaining #ro#er #osition and #osture o&er the course of a lift' The most common

cul#rits are #ushing your head for%ard =ty#ically seen during ro%s and #ush u#s> andarching your head "ack like cra'

KJ of the time your goal should "e to maintain a neutral head #osition' *ou do this "y

attem#ting to create a dou"le chin or "y #ulling your head "ack through your chin

=think like someone has a ro#e attached to your chin and their #ulling it straight "ack

through your neck>'

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13' 9ot Monitoring /i" :lare

/i" flare is a "ig cul#rit among the athletic #o#ulation seeing as they %ere almostal%ays cued do%n and "ack, "ut it a##ears in a lot of other #o#ulations as %ell'

The name descri"es %hat ha##ens #retty %ell+ %hen you go to #erform a mo&ement,

you fail to kee# your ri" cage do%n and end u# hinging on your T0L )unction' :or

eam#le, many #eo#le fall into this #attern %hen they do ro%ing and #ressing &ariations

=es#ecially o&erhead>' Ask them to #erform the mo&ement and the first thing youFll see

is the to# of their ri" cage flare u#'

A lot of times this #ro"lem is fied once the #erson is cued =think a"out using your coreto kee# the to# of your ri" cage form ele&ating at all> or made a%are of the fact that itFs

ha##ening' Another thing that hel#s is to focus on your "reathing "ecause ehaling

naturally hel#s #ull your ri" cage do%n'

1J' 9ot aying Attention to Gnee ositioning

/egardless of the lo%er "ody mo&ement you;re #erforming, controlling knee

#ositioning is of &ital im#ortance'

6n e&erything you do, al%ays %ork to kee# your knees tracking o&er your toes =another

%ay to think a"out this is to )ust kee# your knees in line %ith your toes at all times>'

:or eam#le, %hen #erforming s8uats or lunges, your knees should ne&er colla#se into

&algus #ositioning' /ather, you should focus on trying to ?s#read the ground a#art@

and #ush your knees a%ay from each other'

1K' Letting *our -i#s et Out of (hack

/emem"er that old Shakira song -i#s !on;t LieP (ell she %as onto something' Similarto the knee issue a"o&e, #eo#le tend to get ?la


34/55

-ere;s %hat you need to do+ find ?neutral@ "efore you start the mo&ement, and then

%ork as hard as you can to not let your hi#s rotate or kick out to the side' *ou should

notice you ha&e to use your "utt and core like cra


35/55

32' 9ot S#ending nough Time On *our Anterior -i#

6;m %illing to "e you sit a lot$ therefore, 6;m %illing to "et your anterior hi# =think hi#fleors> is su#er restricted'

This can cause anterior #el&ic tilt, %hich then leads to a host of other issues'

6n short, "e sure to gi&e your anterior hi# ade8uate amounts of lo&e "y doing things like

the couch stretch or %all hi# fleor mo"ili


36/55

35' Stretching Too -ard

6f you stretch too hard you;ll ne&er make #rogress' The muscle )ust tenses u# like cra


37/55

3J' :la%ed Techni8ue


Techni8ue can "ecome ineffecti&e and unsafe if you don;t lea&e your ego at the door'

Seek out a 8ualified strength coach in your area so you can learn the "asic "ar"ell

mo&ements early on' Also, "e an acti&e #artici#ant in your o%n education' Al%ays "e

looking for ti#s, tricks or %ays to im#ro&e your techni8ue online, in "ooks or in

maga and o&erall #ositioning' This means less sta"ility, less force and

less %eight'

6nstead of doing the Macarena e&ery single time you unrack a "ar, sim#ly take 7 ste#sMA' Si# some air in, unrack, then ste# "ack %ith one foot, match it %ith the other and

MA*B one final ad)ustment' et your air again =you %ill lose some during setu#> and

#roceed to destroy your set, 1 re# at a time'

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J ' 9ot Breathing 6n Com#romising ositions


Many trainees neglect to get into an uncomforta"le #osition, cam# out there and

"reathe' Many of us %ill a&oid doing things %e suck at00%hich flies in the face of "eing a

%ell0rounded machine'

This can "e in the "ottom #osition of a s8uat, %hen you leak energy in the hole' This

can "e in the "ottom of a #ushu# %here your head %ants to di&e to%ard the floor

"efore your "ody' This can "e in the setu# #osition of a deadlift'

6f you cannot "reathe there, *O. !O 9OT O(9 6T *T' 6f you do not o%n it, you ne&er%ill ecel in that #articular #osition or mo&ement'

.se any means you can to get into a #osition and "reathe effecti&ely' This could "e as

sim#le as adding core mo&ements limited "y num"er of "reaths, like dead "ugs' *ou

can #erform these for 014 re#etitions %ith a 2 second inhale and second ehale'

This can also mean go"let s8uatting as lo% as you can, then setting the %eight do%n

and cam#ing out for 014 8uality "reaths'

*ou can #erform drills like this in your %arm0u# as %ell, for instance "y doing a "ret and can take the emergency "rake off your

training'

J2' 9ot ulling the Load*ourself !o%n

!on;t )ust go through the motions %hen you;re lo%ering the load' /ather, think of

acti&ely #ulling the load do%n'

:or eam#le, in the s8uat, "e sure to focus on using your hamstrings and glutes to #ull

you do%n into the "ottom #osition' 6n the "ench #ress, think of engaging your u##er

"ack and #ulling the load do%n to your chest =almost like a re&erse ro%>'

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39/55

J7' l"o% :laring

6;m not sure %hen this "ecame socially acce#ta"le, "ut it needs to sto#'

l"o% flaring during #ressing &ariations =think #ush u# and "ench #ress> #uts more

#ressure on the shoulder =in a "ad %ay> and makes you %eaker in the long haul "ecause

you ne&er learn to #ress %ith your trice#s'

So if in)ury and %eakness are high on your to do list then go ahead and kee# flaring

those el"o%s'

Seeing as no normal indi&idual %ould %ant these things, here;s %hat you need to do'

(hen youFre doing hori half %ay "et%een flaring them to K4 degrees or

ha&ing them #inned to your side' This ensures more shoulder friendly #ressing, and

youFll get more out of your trice#s

J' Butt !ri&e !uring the Bench ress

Sto# trying to hum# the %eight u# %hile you "ench #ress' *our "utt should stay glued

to the "ench the %hole time'

J5' 9ot Gee#ing *our Back Tight (hile *ou Bench

Many #eo#le )ust #lo# do%n on the "ench and start thro%ing %eight around %ithout

getting their shoulders set' This is "ad for a multitude of reasons, "ut more than

anything it #uts your shoulders in a less sta"le #osition and limits your a"ility to

generate large amounts of force'

This is as sim#le as 6 can kee# it+ %hen you get set u# for the "ench #ress, you should

#in your sca#ula;s do%n and "ack =retract> as hard as you can' Then hold that

throughout the entirety of the set'

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40/55

J1' 9ot .sing a Tri#od :oot


6n short, you don;t #ay attention to your foot #ositioning' *ou may o&er0#ronate, o&er0

su#inate, or carry too much %eight on the inside of your foot &s' the outside of the foot

and &ice &ersa' Although this may not seem like a "ig deal, your foot is the "ody;s

connection to the ground and e&erything tends to track u# from there'

So #oor foot #ositioning can lead directly to cra##y mo&ement, %hich can cause #oor

#erformance and e&en in)ury'

Check out this short &ideo"y Mike /o"ertson to learn more a"out creating a tri#od foot#osition'

J3' O&erhead ressing (hen *ou Can;t Lift *our -eads O&er *our -ead

O&erhead #ressing is a #henomenal shoulder de&elo#er, "ut only if you ha&e the range

to do them #ro#erly'

An easy test is to do a "ack to %all shoulder fleion'

Stand u# against a %all %ith your "ack to it' Make sure your "ack is #erfectly flat against

it, meaning 6 canFt slide my hand "ehind you and the %all any%here =you may need to

%alk your feet out a little>' Then try and raise your arms =thum"s "ack to the %all>

o&erhead to touch the %all "ehind you %hile kee#ing them straight and not ha&ing your

"ack come off the %all'

6f you cannot do this, then o&erhead #ressing #ro"a"ly isnFt the "est o#tion for you

right no%'

JJ' Olym#ic Lifting (ith -orrendous :orm

The olym#ic lifts definitely ha&e their #lace, and %ith good coaching can "ring a"out

tremendous "enefits' .nfortunately, the olym#ic lifts are -6-L* techinical and take a

lot of #ractice to figure out'



41/55

(hich is %hy 6 shake my head %hene&er 6 see someone trying to do cleans and snatches

%hen they clearly ha&e no idea %hat theyFre doing =it looks like the "ar"ell is attacking

them, or they are a%k%ardly trying to ha&e se %ith it>'

(ith good coaching and a lot of #ractice 6 say go for it' 6f you donFt ha&e a good coach

or a lot of time to de&ote to #laying %ith a do%el =%ooden stick>, then stick to sim#ler

mo&ements thatFll still get you a "ig "ang for your "uck'

:or more on this, check out this article6 %rote a %hile "ack'

JK' :ailing to Set .# the Shoulders for the Back S8uat

/ather than talk to you a"out it, 6Fll )ust refer you to this &ideo"ecause it co&ers

e&erything 6Fd say and some'

K4' Toeing Out Like a !uck

There;s a "ig de"ate going on right no% a"out #ro#er foot #ositioning for the s8uat'

Some #eo#le say to kee# your feet straight ahead, %hile others say to turn them out

slightly 14015 degrees'

6n my o#inion, "oth cro%ds make good arguments and the s#ecific anatomy of the lifter

%ill determine %hich stance they %ill use'

ither %ay, e&eryone agrees you shouldn;t turn your feet out more than 14015 degrees,

so don;t do it'

K ' 9ot -itting !e#th 6n the S8uat


Since %e;re talking a"out doing things through their full range of motion, %hy not talka"out the s8uat' *ou need to s8uat to #arallel or )ust "elo% #arallel' Thus, sto#

thro%ing #lates on the "ar and #erforming those god0a%ful 8uarter s8uat things =you

kno% %ho you are>'

oing to #arallel or )ust "ello% %ill #roduce "etter results may"e not to your ego "ut

certainly o&erall de&elo#ment' By %orking through a larger range of motion you get

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greater muscle in&ol&ement =%hat;s u# glutes > and, like 6 said "efore, it increases your

functional range'

-ere are a fe% %ays to check the de#th of your s8uat+

2( -a&e a training #artner %atch you

*( :ilm yourself =#refera"ly from the side>'

+( Start incor#orating more "o s8uats

6t;s also %orth noting that you may not "e a"le to do a full range s8uat at this #oint'

Most #eo#le %alking into the gym for the first time don;t ha&e the range or

neuromuscular ca#a"ilities yet, so don;t get discouraged' That;s %hy it;s im#erati&e to

find the right &ariation for you at this moment in time' Once %e do that, you;ll "edro##ing it like it;s hot in no time'

K2' 9ot Taking Slack Out of the !eadlift


*ou %ant to make sure you are taking the slack out of the "ar "efore you deadlift' 6f you

don;t, you %on;t "e a"le to lift as much %eight and you;ll e&entually hurt yourself'

-ere;s %hat to do+ get in #osition and gri# the "ar, lift the tension out of the "ar "efore

you start to #ull, /6 T-AT MOT-/ O:: T- :LOO/'

6f you;re still some%hat lost on %hat 6;m talking a"out, check out this &ideofrom !ean

Somerset'

K7' 9ot Bracing ro#erly

*ou donFt kno% ho% to create an ade8uate amount of intra a"dominal #ressure to

sta"ili


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9utrition

K' 9ot ating Correctly


6f you %ant to get strong, you ha&e to eat to get strong' This means making sure you;re

getting in enough 8uality calories and finding a "alance "et%een eating too much =fat

gain> and not enough =#erformance is negati&ely effected>'

.nfortunately, nutrition is incredi"ly indi&idualistic, so 6 can;t sit here and lay it all out for

you in one sentence' 6t;ll take some e#erimenting on your #art to figure out %hat

%orks "est for you'

To hel# you on that )ourney, 6;d recommend do%nloading my free "eginners nutrition

guide%here 6 "asically %alk you through ho% to eat'

K5' A&oiding Car"s


6f you;&e turned on a T or read a health maga


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/ather, take "a"y ste#s' !on;t try and change e&erything at once' Make small changes

to your diet o&er time so your "ody has the a"ility to ada#t its ne% ?surroundings'@

/emem"er, /ome %asn;t "uilt in a day, and your health, fitness and #hysi8ue goals

%on;t "e either'

K3' 9ot !rinking nough Smoothies

6f you;re like me, smoothies should "e your "est friend'

6 #ersonally struggle to cook more than three legitimate meals a day, "ut need to get inmore calories to su##ort my training' This is %hy 6 usually drink 102 smoothies a day'

There are thousands of reci#es out there, "ut here;s a good one to get you started+

1'5 cu# organic %hole milk

1 cu# "erry of choice

207 "ig handfuls of s#inach =yes handful is a legitimate measurement>

2 ta"les#oon ground fla seed

2 ta"les#oon almond "utter

1 scoo# &anilla or chocolate #rotein #o%der

6f you;re &ery acti&e, kno% you %on;t "e eating for a %hile, or )ust looking

to #ut on a little %eight add in+

o another scoo# of #rotein #o%der =the t%o scoo#s together should come

out to around 4 grams>

12 cu# rolled oats

KJ' (orrying A"out Su##lements

Su##lements aren;t a #art of the con&ersation until you ha&e a rock solid diet, so get

your diet in order and then %e can talk'

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45/55

Seasoned Lifters

rogramming and 6n the (orkout

KK' 9ot nough Lifts At K4 or A"o&e

6f youFre a "eginner this %onFt a##ly as much, "ut as you "ecome more and more

ad&anced youFll ha&e to #ay attention to ho% often you hit lifts at or a"o&e K4 of your

10re# ma' Thus, this is a mistake someone ne% to the more ad&anced lifting game

might make "y not hitting enough hea&y singles at or a"o&e K4'

6f youFre really lifting to "uild strength you ha&e to lift hea&y' eriod' Thus, youFll ha&e a

ma effort =or )ust hea&y> lo%er and u##er "ody day each %eek' On these days, itFs of

&ital im#ortance that you %ork u# to %eights at or a"o&e K4 of your 1 re# ma'

6Fd recommend starting off "y hitting 70 re#s each %eek at or a"o&e this K4 &alue'

:rom there, youFll %ant to see ho% your "ody res#onds' Some #eo#le res#ond "etter to

more &olume and less intensity, %hile others res#ond "etter to less &olume and more

intensity' ither %ay, use 70 re#s as a starting #oint and make ad)ustments as necessary'

44' 9ot Gno%ing -o% to Count Sets

As you get stronger, you;ll ha&e to get #ickier and #ickier a"out %hat sets count as %ork

and %hat sets don;t'

-ereFs an easy %ay to count sets to ensure youFre challenging yourself enough+ only

count sets that are at K4 or a"o&e your "est effort that day'

:or eam#le, you ha&e sets of re#s on the front s8uat today' :or sake of sim#licity,

letFs say your sets look like the follo%ing+ Set 1+ 54 l"s Set 2+ 35 l"s Set 7+ K4 l"s Set + K5

l"s Set 5+ 144 l"s' So 144 %as your "est effort =training ma> for that day' K4 of that is

K4 l"s' Thus, youF&e only done three sets =set 7, and 5>' !ro# do%n to K4l"s =or

anything at or a"o&e K4> and do another set of re#s to finish things off'



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4 ' 9ot ushing Accessory (ork

*ou donFt %ork at a le&el intense enough to force a #ositi&e ada#tation'

(hen #erforming accessory %ork, you al%ays %ant to %ork close to failure' 9otice 6 said

close to failure' !onFt actually fail' The easiest %ay to do this is to #ick a %eight that

lea&es 2 re#s in the tank'

:or eam#le, if youFre doing J re#s of 10arm dum""ell ro% youFll %ant to #ick a %eight

you could do only 14 times' Then, and only then, can you count the set'

42' 9ot 6ncreasing olume O&er Time

olume has a "ig im#act on your long0term strength gains' 6f youFre not increasing

&olume, youFre #ro"a"ly not getting a %hole lot stronger'

!onFt make the mistake of thinking a"out &olume #urely on a day0to0day "asis though,

as &olume %ill fluctuate "ased on your current training state' Thus, 6Fm referring more to

&olume o&er the course of a macrocycle or 1 year of training'

O&er the course of a macrocycle, or a year of training, your total &olume should ideally

"e greater than the year "efore'

47' 9eglecting /ate of :orce !e&elo#ment

Lifting hea&y is a must, "ut you should also "e doing s#eed %ork that focuses on

de&elo#ing a large amount of force 8uickly'

This #oint is often de"ated amongst some of the to# coaches in the game, "ut 6Fm on

the side for rate of force de&elo#ment' 6 think "eing a"le to generate large amounts of

force &ery 8uickly is incredi"ly im#ortant to lifting "ig %eight'

6n order to do this, youFll %ant to %ork at su"maimal loads =some%here around 5404>

of your 1 re# ma for J012 sets of 207 re#s and focus on mo&ing the %eight as fast as

humanly #ossi"le' *ou can also do different )um#ing routines, med "all thro%s, or s#rint

%ork to increase rate of force de&elo#ment'

www(rebel-performance(com) Become Exceptional .


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4' 9ot nough olume


:or those %ith some lifting e#erience, it takes a lot of re#s and sets to stimulate

gro%th' 7 sets of 14 re#s %onFt cut it'

Therefore, do less total eercises and more of the ones that you do choose to use' Try

things like+

sets of 5

14 sets of 7

45' Lack of ariety

-ereFs the deal, your "ody ada#ts &ery 8uickly =think 70 %eeks> to an a##lied stimulus'

As you "ecome more and more ad&anced, ho%e&er, that %indo% %ill shrink e&en more'

This makes logical sense seeing as the more you lift the more e#osure your "ody has

to different stimuli'

:or eam#le, lifters at (estside Bar"ell rotate their ma effort lift e&ery %eek' ranted,

you;re #ro"a"ly not any%here close to there le&el, "ut that at least gi&es you an idea of

%hat 6;m talking a"out'

:or this reason, you ha&e to "e s#ot on %ith eercise selection and ho% long you s#end

on each one' Checkout this articleto learn more'

41' 9ot .sing !ifferent Bar Ty#es

6 can;t say enough a"out rotating the ty#e of "ar you use' 6f you don;t do so already,

start doing so as soon as #ossi"le'

.se things like a safety s8uat "ar, giant cam"ered "ar, yoke "ar etc' etc'

They com#letely change a lift and hel# you get strong as hell'

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43' 9e&er Making the Load .nsta"le

-a&e you e&er taken "ands, loo#ed them around a "ar, and attached kettle"ells tothemP 6f you;re ans%er is no, then this is )ust for you'

6f youFre looking for a kick my ass and hum"le me ty#e challenge, this is for you also'

So here %e go+ Loo# some "ands around a "ar, attach kettle"ells to them and #ick a

mo&ement of your choice' 6tFs great to do %ith "ench #ress, and 6F&e seen some real

studs do it %hile #erforming a "ulgarian s#lit s8uat'

ranted, this shouldnFt ser&e as the main #ortion of your training, "ut itFs a great %ay tochallenge a mo&ement from time to time and mi things u#'

9ote+ %ay different than unsta"le surface training, %hich is a no no for healthy athletes

looking to "oost #erformance'

4J' 9ot ulling -ea&y Sleds

-ea&y sled #ulls are a great %ay to get strong, "ut unfortunately many #eo#le donFt use

them'

All you ha&e to do is get a sled, load some %eight on it, and start dragging it around'

There are hundreds of &ariations out there, "ut it;s a lo% traction mo&ement that hel#s

"uild strength and can enhance reco&ery'

9ot only that, you donFt really get sore from them "ecause the eccentric #ortion is

#ractically unloaded'

All in all, sled #ulling is a great %ay to "uild some and get strong at the same time'

6f you %ant to learn more a"out sled #ulls, check thisout'

4K' 9ot Turning the Gettle"ell .#side !o%n

6Fm %illing to "et youF&e ne&er turned a kettle"ell u#side do%n, and shame on you =)ust

kidding"ut not really>'

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Turning a kettle"ell u#side do%n com#letely changes a lift' 6n my e#erience, it actually

does a lot to Iclean u#I a lift'

-ereFs %hy, it makes all the sta"ili


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-ere;s an article%orth checking out that goes o&er the lightened method and ho% to

set it u#'

2' 9eglecting (eighted Carries

ThereFs )ust no %ay carrying hea&y stuff around can hel# that much'''(/O9'

(eighted carries are a%esome' (hen it comes to %eighted carries, !an Dohn is #retty

much the godfather, so 6Fll refer you hereto read u# on it'

7' :orgetting A"out A

A stands for #ost acti&ation #otentiation' 6tFs %hen you use one mo&ement to Iu#0

regulateI the central ner&ous system for im#ro&ed #erformance on a su"se8uent

mo&ement'

Think of it this %ay, any stimulus lea&es a trace in the central ner&ous system' This is

%here A comes in' (ith the right a##roach, you can use this after effect to your

ad&antage'

One of the easiest %ays to do so is lifting something hea&y "ecause a hea&y dynamic

action =aka s8uat> elicits a #ositi&e after effect in the central ner&ous system'

-ere are t%o eam#les of %ays you can im#lement this' :irst, #erform a hea&y set of

s8uats for 2 re#s =it needs to "e near maimal>' Then rest 20 minutes and do a hea&y

s8uat for re#s' *ou %ill "e a"le to s8uat more for those re#s than you %ould ha&e

other%ise' Second, #erform a hea&y set of s8uats for 2 re#s' Then rest roughly 2 minutes

and do a fe% "o )um#s' *ou %ill )um# higher than you %ould ha&e other%ise'

' 9ot .sing Biofeed"ack

Biofeed"ack training is a great %ay to ensure youFre using the "est lift and the correct

stance for you that day' -ereFs a &ideoto %alk you through ho% it;s done'

6n short, al%ays test and retest mo&ements to #ut yourself in the most o#timal #osition'

http://www.ericcressey.com/how-to-use-reverse-band-set-ups-in-your-strength-training-programshttp://www.ericcressey.com/how-to-use-reverse-band-set-ups-in-your-strength-training-programshttp://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_secret_of_loaded_carries&cr=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAMC_k3DAgQhttp://www.rebel-performance.com/http://www.ericcressey.com/how-to-use-reverse-band-set-ups-in-your-strength-training-programshttp://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_secret_of_loaded_carries&cr=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAMC_k3DAgQhttp://www.rebel-performance.com/


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5' 9ot !oing tra (orkouts

-itting a short, lo% intensity =light> %orkout in the afternoon after you lifted in themorning =or on an off day> can make all the difference in the %orld'

*ou;d "e ama


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3' 9ot Training *our (eakest Link


*ou are only as strong as your %eakest link'

6f you "elie&e you don;t ha&e a %eakest link then you;re %rong'

-ere;s %hat you need to do' Ask someone you trust to gi&e you a fair e&aluation of your

strengths and %eaknesses' After you;&e gone o&er the %eaknesses, #ick the %eakest of

the %eak, or the one you kno% is holding you "ack the most' Then add in accessory

mo&ements to "ring u# this %eakness and make it a strength' :or eam#le, if you;re

%eak at the lockout of your "ench, then you should "e hammering a%ay at "oard#resses'

.ltimately, the fastest %ay to make gains is to address your %eakest link, so go get after

it'

9utrition

J' ating Like A Beginner

*ou can ha&e a sound diet, "ut the %indo%s "efore and after your %orkout session are

crucial' s#ecially as you "ecome more ad&anced and #ush the en&elo#e'

This is %here 6 see some seasoned lifters miss the "oat+ they kee# eating like they;re a

"eginner lifter'

!on;t get me %rong, ha&ing a rock solid, "alanced diet throughout the day is essential

to your o&erall health and %ell "eing, "ut as you "ecome more ad&anced in the lifting

game you need a slightly different a##roach'

6n #articular, you ha&e to really #ay attention to nutrient timing and take ad&antage of

#re0%orkout, #eri0%orkout =during the lift>, and #ost0%orkout nutrition'

6n short, you;ll %ant to surround your %orkout %ith higher intakes of denser, more sugary

car"s =things like "ananas, #otatoes, oats etc'> and #rotein' !uring the %orkout, you

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may e&en %ant to si# on a car"#rotein drink de#ending on ho% your %orkouts are

going' -ere;s an eam#le of %hat 6;m talking a"out+

re0%orkout Meal =eaten 102 hours #rior to lift>

o eggs

o 2 cu#s of rolled oats =oatmeal> cooked in organic %hole milk

o 1 cu# of "lue"erries

o 15 almonds

eri0%orkout

o Cocunut %ater %ith amino acids and 5g of creatine

ost0%orkout Shake =immediately follo%ing lift>

o

2 scoo#s of Biotest Surge /eco&ery ost0%orkout Meal =eaten 1 hour after shake>

o 05 o< grilled chicken "reast

o U s%eet #otato

o 2 cu##ed handfuls of "roccoli

.ltimately, the more ad&anced your training routine "ecomes, the more ad&anced your

nutritional a##roach must "e as %ell'

K' 9ot Su##lementing (ith Creatine

Creatine has "een a hot to#ic for at least the #ast decade, and to say there;s "een some

lousy info thro%n around %ould "e an understatement' 6n reality, the research on

creatine is a"out as rock solid as you can ask for, so sto# "eing scared of it'

o get a good creatine monohydrate =don;t mess around %ith all that other cra#

monohydrate is the only one that;s "een su"stantially researched> and take 705 grams a

day for 70 months'

:or more information on su##lements, 6;d highly recommend hitting u#htt#+eamine'com' These guys are a%esome and it;s definitely my go to source for all

things su##lementation'

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Other

24' 9ot -a&ing a ood Manual Thera#ist

6f you train hard, 6 #romise you you %ill get "eat u# o&er time' -a&ing someone %ho can

really dig in and get rid of all those knots and restricted areas makes all the difference in

the %orld' 6t;s like foam rolling on steroids, "ut "etter'

(hen it comes to #icking one, 6;d recommending hitting u# your local gyms and

#hysical thera#ists' Both of these #o#ulations %ill usually ha&e a soft tissue #erson they

refer out to'

2 ' 9ot Asking :or -el#

!on;t e&er make the mistake of thinking you;&e "ecome so ad&anced that you can;t

consult %ith or ask other #eo#le for hel#'

At the end of the day, there;s al%ays someone out there %ho kno%s more than you

a"out something, so ne&er sto# asking and seeking ad&ice from those around you'

Coaches 22' O&er coaching

?Okay, so you need to fi your foot #ositioning, #ull your knees out slightly, "race "etter

to maintain a neutral core #osition, get tighter through your u##er "ack, and sto#

sli##ing into for%ard head #osture' Oh yeah, and don;t forget to #ay attention to your

"reathing "ecause that;s out of %hack also' /eadyP@

As coaches, %e should ne&er make the a"o&e mistake' (e ha&e to res#ect that #eo#lecan only concentrate on so many things at once'

6f %e "arrage our athletes andor clients %ith ti#s or things they need to fi, then they;ll

ne&er get "etter'



55/55

Sim#licity here is key' ick out on thing at a time' Try different cues until you find one

that %orks "est, and then mo&e onto the net #ro"lem'

Dust follo% this guideline and you;ll "e golden+ 102 %ord coaching cues and 1 cue at a

time'

27' Being a Stage or Stage 2 CoachTrainer

Before %e get into %hat this is, 6;d like to gi&e #ro#s to !ean Somerset "ecause 6;m

taking this directly from him'

Any%ays, there are more or less three stages of trainer de&elo#ment'

Stage 1+ 6;m a%esome, e&eryone sucks "ut me' All 6 need is some clients

and 6;ll make them into half human half machine hyr"rids' 6 don;t any more

conitniuing education cu< 6 can;t afford it' Certification %as enough'

Stage 2+ 6 need ne% clients' The ones 6 ha&e all suck' They don;t %ork

hard, they don;t do %hat 6 tell them to, they;re not s%itched on' May"e 6 should

start a %e"site to get more clients and make a million "ucks'

Stage 7+ May"e it;s something in %hat 6;m doing' 6 should change some

of my #rocesses and read more a"out ho% to get more s#ecific results for the

things my clients kee# "ringing u#' 6 should read more'

6n case you ha&en;t noticed, that;s the third item on this list that has to do %ith stayinghum"le, asking 8uestions and continuing to learn' Think it;s kind of im#ortantP

2' 9ot Assessing

Sim#ly #ut, if you;re not assessing you;re guessing'

*ou ha&e to assess you clients andor athletes "efore doing anything %ith them' eriod'

25' 9ot /eading The Books On This List

As o##osed to rattling off lots of not reading this;s =that;d )ust "e annoying>, 6;ll refer you

to this #age'
http://rebel-performance.com/recommended-resources/http://rebel-performance.com/recommended-resources/

101 strength training mistakes

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