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When most people think about shoulder mobility in the low bar squat, they immediately think about shoulder external rotation. Which is for good reason, that is a major component of what allows us to get into the low bar rack position. But a very underrated aspect of shoulder mobility in the low bar squat is shoulder extension. In this YouTube video, we take a look at what is shoulder extension and the roles it plays within the low bar squat. We dive into how shoulder extension directly works hand in hand with shoulder external rotation, and how improved shoulder extension capabilities allows us greater access to relative degrees of shoulder external rotation. And lastly, I give 3 examples of each of pre workout and accessory movements you can program to be able to improve your ability to access end range shoulder extension and build strength and resiliency in that position. Click the link above to view

June 7, 2025June 7, 2025

Squat Technique: 2 Simple Changes To Adjust Your Ribcage Position

Squat Technique: 2 Simple Changes To Adjust Your Ribcage Position – CLICK HERE

Within the squat, the ribcage and pelvis play an important role in our technique and positioning. And while we can make adjustments to our setup and bracing mechanics to fix possible issues arising from ribcage and pelvis position, there are 2 other options that are very low hanging fruit that can make a notable difference. In this video, I cover these 2 simple changes we can make, how this effects your ribcage and pelvis orientation, and how we can combine both of these options to make a pretty notable change to are squat positioning. Click the link above to view!

October 2, 2024October 2, 2024

Low Interference Options For Improving Bench Depth

Low Interference Options For Improving Bench Depth – CLICK HERE

With that continued transition of lifters moving to Powerlifting America, this means a continued number of lifters having to adjust for the bench depth rule. And what we have seen popularized is a transition to a sink style of benching. And while this is very effective, it is also a larger scale change for many lifters who have biased to a more soft touch, high arch style of bench press prior. In my opinion, unless you are someone who has an extreme arch and short ROM like Sean Noriega, Meg Scanlon, and Eddie Berglund, there likely is lower hanging fruit to adjust first before making larger scale technique changes. For those who are more borderline and only need a slight adjustment to hit depth, there are 3 low interference options that I would use as the starting point before making more large scale changes. In my latest YouTube video, I break down these 3 options and use Abigail as my case study and example, as we are going through these changes with her right now. Within that, we look at the before and after with her bench depth (can be seen above as well) how we were able to make low interference adjustments to improve her bench depth without having to adopt the sink style method. For a more in depth look at bench depth and all considerations though, I would definitely recommend checking out Sean’s video on Powerlifting Now where he goes through all things bench depth. And for my video, click the link above to view!

August 16, 2024August 16, 2024

Thumb Under Vs. Thumbless In The Low Bar Squat

Thumb Under Vs. Thumbless In The Low Bar Squat – CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

I wrapped up filming a 2 part series on the low bar rack position and grip. Within that, a primary strategy I covered within that video was the option to go thumb under vs. thumbless with your grip in the low bar squat. Within the low bar rack position, every strategy we have available falls within this sliding scale of either improving our upper back self/tightness vs. improving our relative abilities for shoulder external rotation and extension. I pulled this clip from one of my recent Q&A videos, as I felt it highlighted this concept well within the strategy of grip choice in regards to the thumbs. Thumbless biases on the spectrum to give us improved abilities for the relative demands of shoulder extension and external rotation vs. thumb under helps through multiple facets to possibly help improve our upper back shelf. In the case with Nico, as I show in the video, he was struggling with his upper back position, so we biased to a thumb under grip to improve his upper back tightness and shelf, knowing he was not struggling in regards to the demands required for shoulder extension and external rotation. The net result since has been excellent, and in particular on rep work he has been able to maintain position and stability with his low bar rack position to a greater degree than when he used a thumbless grip. As always, it just depends lifter to lifter, and this will be fully covered in the upcoming video on Powerlifting Now next year.

June 26, 2024June 26, 2024

Should You Follow The Bar With Your Eyes?

Should You Follow The Bar With Your Eyes? – CLICK HERE

Around 2 years ago I got a story question on if you should follow the bar with your eyes while benching. And it kind of hit me that I had never thought about that before, and I immediately went down to my home gym to see what I did personally. It became immediately apparent that 1.) I had never once accounted for this variable and 2.) it can be a very important variable, as the decision to follow or not follow the bar can have a notable impact on your head position. In my latest YouTube video, I do a short and simple rundown of this topic and what you need to account for. I cover the benefits of following the bar with your eyes, but also the detriment of doing so if you have a lower arch and longer range of motion. To some, like myself 2 years ago, this may be something you’ve never really thought about before and could have an immediate impact on your bench technique. Click the link above to view!

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