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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!

February 1, 2024February 1, 2024

The Minimalist Wedge Deadlift Setup

The Minimalist Wedge Deadlift Setup – CLICK HERE

There are many ways to setup, slack pull, and wedge on the deadlift. And 1 option, albeit seemingly less common, is a more minimalist wedge approach. After having a call with Brad Couillard recently discussing deadlift technique, he taught me a new way of cueing that immediately hit home. And so I asked Brad if I could make a YouTube video on this, and he happily agreed. So in my latest YouTube video, I look at a spin-off style of deadlift setup from the 3-Step deadlift setup video I have done that promotes a more minimalist deadlift wedge style. This type of setup tends to promote more consistency with positioning and patience during the wedging process, and also decreasing the focus on an initial slack pull. In this video I touch on what we are trying to accomplish within our wedge process, in regards to the translation of the hips and shoulders. I look at the common faults we see from errors during this translation of the shoulders back and hips forward. I explain the possible errors that occur from overly slack pulling. And then from there I break down the minimalist wedge deadlift setup for both sumo and conventional step by step, and teach how to cue and create consistency rep after rep. To see the minimalist wedge deadlift setup, click the link above to view!

January 10, 2024January 10, 2024

Top Vs. Bottom Bracing In The Deadlift

Top Vs. Bottom Bracing In The Deadlift – CLICK HERE

When deadlifting, we have a choice. Bracing at the top or bracing at the bottom. And I would actually bet many lifters have not really thought about the differences between the two. I myself am guilty of not talking about this in detail until now, because when you brace has a pretty big impact on your setup as a whole. Depending on if you brace at the top vs. the bottom, it will change the constraints and steps of your setup, and could very well be why some setup styles or cueing work for some, but not others. For context, I define top bracing as bracing before grabbing the bar, and bottom bracing as bracing after grabbing the bar. And each has their own inherent pros and cons. In my latest YouTube video, I discuss all the considerations that go into choosing to brace at the top vs. the bottom. I break down my general issues I see with both techniques, and why I typically bias towards a top brace when possible. And then I show the general techniques that would be used for both top and bottom bracing between conventional and sumo deadlift, as specifically with sumo deadlift we find more options for bottom bracing to be effective typically due the differences in positioning. To get a full breakdown on top vs. bottom bracing, click the link above to view!

November 30, 2023November 30, 2023

Top 3 Reasons Why Your Peaking Block Goes Wrong

Top 3 Reasons Why Your Peaking Block Goes Wrong – CLICK HERE

There is a reason I took over 5 hours to do a 3 part series on peaking on Powerlifting Now. It is a complicated topic and there are a lot of variables that go into properly setting up peaking blocks for athletes. Within that though, even with coaches and athletes who have a great foundation for programming, there are 3 common things I see that often derails training within a peaking block. So in my latest YouTube video, I break down the 3 reasons I commonly find peaking blocks not going as planned. And to clarify, this means the actual training preceding the taper, not the peak. We often see athletes at the end of prep complaining how beat up they are, more aches and pains, and sometimes strength even being down. And while peaking is inherently going to have additional variables than a regular block, if you feel like you are dieing and fatigue is so high that top end strength isn’t progressing as planned, or even trending down, you very well could be making 1 of these 3 mistakes. What are those 3 reasons? Overly periodizing secondary days, changing rep work average intensity too much, and/or hitting heavier absolute/relative intensities earlier in the block than you normally would. To get a full breakdown on these 3 reasons why your peaking block goes wrong, click the link above to view!

Progressive Resistance Systems