Exercise Breakdown: Band Resisted KB Swing

The band resisted kettlebell swing is great when you:

1. Run out of heavier bells
2. Want to increase the rate of force development

The second reason is the one I'm usually interested in. By increasing the rate at which your muscles fire, you recruit greater amounts of muscle fibers and thus allows you to more efficiently grow muscle and get stronger too. Many let gravity do the work on the downswing, I say no thanks! I would put the prerequisite that your technique be spot on before increasing the speed of the kettlebell swing, which in itself is already a very dynamic movement.

How to:

1. Grab a band and choke it on the handle of the band. I like to have the band pulled so the band is on the sides and not in the middle where my hands go!
2. Set the kettlebell in front of you like a football and hike it to begin with a solid hinge and forceful hip extension. 
3. What you should watch for is as the bell hits shoulder height, the band will get taught and you will have to reverse the motion much more quickly than if it were kettlebell only.
4. Repeat for 8-12 repititions.  

Exercise Breakdown: Glute Bridge Marching

This is a great exercise I've used with runner's who have issues with keeping their hips steading during their runs. 

It's an isometric exercise with a large core stabilization component built into it. You're rock solid if you can do this and make it look as if you still have two feet on the floor. 

HOW TO:

• Lie supine with your feet hip width apart with your knees bent. 
• Bridge up squeezing your glutes.
• Now without letting your hips drop, pick one foot up off the floor. 
• Put it down and repeat in an alternating fashion for reps. 

This is also a great exercise when lightly loaded for individuals seeking more glute hypertrophy. 

Exercise Breakdown: Long Lever RKC Plank

The RKC Plank (Russian Kettlebell Certificafion)

A traditional plank does a poor job of activating the core musculature. I believe it is a great exercise when first learning how to properly engage and create tension through the body but after a solid minute, it really does little for actual core stabilization. 

The RKC plank is a fantastic exercise I learned years ago and have been using it for both core work and teaching full body tension. From a more practical standpoint it is a concept which is important for any lifter trying to improve overall strength during most multi-joint lifts.

I also know that compared to a traditional plank, extending the lever (moving your arms forward and way from the body) and getting posterior pelvic tilt  (turning the hips so your lower back is a bit rounded as opposed to arching) has significantly greater rectus and transverse abdomonis activation*. (Study via Bret Contras and Brad Schoenfield)

So why not combine the concepts!

HOW TO:

• Arms are more narrow than your shoulders and above your head.
• Posterior pelvic tilt the hips.
• Squeeze the glutes and quads.
• Without moving an inch, create tension like you're attempting to bring your arms and legs toward the middle. For those who know the term "piking" thats what you're attempting to do.
• The final detail is in the breathing. Be sure to take deep breaths in through the nose and forcefully exhale through the mouth. I like the cue: Imagine like you're blowing out a candle using a straw. 

This move is more intermediate-advanced movement so I wouldn't throw this at a beginner. 

The amount of tension you're looking for will be no more than 10-15 seconds, if that.

If can hold it longer, you need to turn the intensity dial up to 11. 

Don't You Have Any Other Interests?

I recall a conversation with a fellow trainer in our facility who said something along the lines of 

"All you talk about is training and food, don't you have any other interests?"

Of course I do.

I love sports, cats, and I'm even growing an interest in the geopolitical landscape. My biggest "outside" interest which I suppose ties into fitness and food is a burning desire to improve society on a much larger scale.

But all those things take a back seat to what I'm currently focus on. 

I live, breathe and sleep exercise, nutrition, cooking and all that my business entails. 

Here's the thing, if you're happy with the current life you have as a trainer, office worker or salesman; then don't change a thing. Keep doing what you're doing and feel free to mock me and my lack of diverse interests. 

But if you want to make big changes. Make big moves. And you're still late, wasting money or unfocused; how on earth are you ever going to get there?! Your actions don't map out your words. You my friend are, pardon my French, full of sh*t.

I can say this because I once was as well. I would talk a big game, say I'm going to make a lot of money and make a difference in this world. And how is that going to happen by waking up at 10am and barely working a few hours. Hell I watched more TV than I worked!

I've cut out Basketball (which pains me), poker, and "hanging out" because I don't have time for these things these days. This is the classic "I don't have time" excuse. Making more time often comes at the expense of the softball team or the bowling team or the book club; something you've decided to occupy your time with. It should never come at the expense of family time. This feels right to me, while it may be "unhealthy" to you. Whatever the case may be: YOU need to DO YOU.

Every moment, every minute of my life is consumed by the burning desire (you might say obsession) to be the best.

Every morning I wake up not content wanting to be the best version of myself, but to be
The Best

Exercise Breakdown: Losing Tension During Deadlifts

If you've ever set up for a deadlift, conventional or sumo, you should feel two things.

1. Tension in the hamstrings
2. Tension in the core and lats

What you get results in added stress to the lower back with a suboptimal set up.

First would be to address the initial hinge. Are you feeling it in hamstrings? If not that's the first place you would want to address. A drill I like for that is the butt tap hinge.

From there you continue down, a great cue from Dead Somerset is to squeeze behind your knee continuing to crank up the tension. All before you even grab the barbell or kettlebell. 

At this point you should be over the barbell, from the side view you should have your armpits directly over the barbell once you drop down to the bar.

The goal is always to create tension in the lats without changing the position of your arms. If you retract the shoulder blades aggressively. You want to "squeeze the orange" under your arm pit. 

From there big breath, brace the core, and continue the maintain the tension in the hamstrings and then pull to lockout.