Technique Breakdown: Split-Stance RDL

This is a great exercise to mix it up and get in some single leg work without actually having to be standing on only one foot. You can use a trap bar if you have access to one as well. Steps outlined are for the standard straight barbell.

1. Stand with a shoulder width or less stance. Step back with one foot about 12-18 inches and begin by hip hinging back. Focus on keeping a slight arch in the lower back, knee slightly bent and pushing your butt as far back as possible.
(I would not take too big of a step back when performing this as it only makes it harder to maintain proper position and tension on the correct muscles.)

2. Keeping the barbell as close as possible to the lead leg, I would not go past the knee on the split stance (B-Stance) RDL. 

3. The back foot should push forward slightly as the lead leg reaches full hip extension and you lock out that glute. 

4. Perform 5-8 reps per leg.

Give it some time and load wise it can be comparable to your bi-lateral RDL. 

I'm Not a Powerlifter

Once upon a time I trained with the goal of competing in a powerlifting meet.

My all time best would be (in a self conducted pseudo-meet) as I never quite had the nerve to pull the trigger to get on the platform in my Wrestlemania singlet. 

Squat: 330lbs
Bench Press: 300lbs
Deadlift: 415 lbs
Total: 1,045
At a weight of 149lbs

I no longer squat ass to grass and hardly barbell bench press or deadlift off the floor with a straight barbell. Not because I can't but because I don't need to. 

Squat

I have fantastic mobility and am able to perform a back squat that rivals most lifter's front squat yet I have no reason to squat that low and heavy on a regular basis. Aside from a brief flirtation with olympic weightlifting, there's almost no reason me to go that deep other than "just cuz, hit depth bro".

I now perform a variety of split squat/lunge variations and almost exclusively perform barbell squats to a box (about a hair below parallel, but I'll mix up box heights depending on how I feel after a run). For ME to get ready to squat ass to grass required a good amount of stretching and mobilization which I decided I no longer wished to do every other workout.*
*(Note: This isn't to say I still don't have to stretch, roll out and mobilize, it now takes a fraction of the time which is important to not waste time or energy pre-lift.)

If I do perform a free standing squat it's because the box is taken, and I'll perform front squats or an anderson squat off the pins. I will also throw in DB or double KB goblet squats during the week where I'm squatting as deep as possible to maintain mobility. 

Barbell Bench Press

This is the one lift I've taken out and noticed zero changes in performance or physique. I had finally achieved a 2x bodyweight bench press and was ecstatic, however I also had a chronic pain in my shoulder and elbow. I no longer wanted to push through the aches and pains. 

I occasionally will perform a shoulder width barbell bench press with zero arch. In terms of muscular development and joint health using dumbbells has been much better for ME. If I need to do something heavy, it'll be dips which I'm close to performing one rep with my bodyweight hanging off me. I can still press 100lbs+ dumbbells and about the only thing I can no longer do is barbell press heavy which makes sense due to the lack of specificity. 

Deadlift

One of the last times I deadlifted 400+ off the platform, of course my client only took a photo instead of a video

My FAVORITE lift. 

When I was 17 years old, I threw my back out performing a deadlift incorrectly. It no longer bothers me but there are certain movements which when performed heavy enough makes my low back tick. Heavy deadlifts do the trick. I got to 405, that's good enough for me. 

I will usually pull a conservative stance sumo now anytime I get the itch to pull off the floor, but now almost exclusively use the trap bar to do all my pulls. I can pull multiples of 405lbs off the platform without having my low back/sciatic nerve hate me the next day.

If you don't compete, you don't need to be programming with a fixed mindset of "the big 3" lifts and everything else being an after thought. 

If you train to be a better athlete, you don't program like a powerlifter. If you want to have bigger glutes or larger pecs; powerlifting MIGHT work for some while leaving much to be desired for other individuals. 

I routinely work 12-15 hrs/day, and what's often lost in the sea of social media PR's is a simple fact that if I'm tired there's a higher likelihood I might get hurt...
which then means I can't work...
If I can't work, I don't make money...
And then my cat's can't eat. Ain't nobody taking kibble out of my cats mouths!

To ME it's risk-reward, and it's simply not worth it to me any longer. You can still get at it without performing "the big 3".

I squat, deadlift, and pull to improve my running performance. And I bench to make sure I don't wind up like a typical long distance runner. That's why I lift, why do you? Just something to think about. And now some photos of my cats! 

An excuse to post photos of my cats? D'uh!

The Meathead Runner

Ran a half marathon with my super friend-client Megan who's in training to PR a marathon!

10 years ago I completed my last half marathon at a scorching time of 1:16. I also was 20 lbs lighter and made the decision to stop running and focus on "gaining muscle" and "being strong". I figured at age 20, this was the peak time for packing on lean muscle and I could always go back to running. I made a promise to myself that I would revisit distance running at 30. 

In the decade that followed I have moved my weight to a steady 147-150lbs and been able to deadlift 3x my bodyweight in every version of the lift (conventional, sumo and trap bar). Yet I still felt unfulfilled and somewhat unhealthy. As a former runner, I had the cardiovascular endurance of elderly sedentary man. 

Prior to turning 30, Megan approached me with helping her get ready for the NYC Marathon. The more research I did the more intrigued I became with the notion of maintaining strength while becoming an elite level long distance runner again. We recently completed a half marathon together and all things considered I'm content with my 1:52 finish. Still had a lot left in the tank and was happy to acknowledge the 10 years of strength training had made me more resilient* and able to push a lot harder when I needed.

*In particular my ability to maintain pace regardless of incline has been awesome!

Later during the week I also did this.

Fellow meatheads (male and female), don't be scared to perform cardio. A recent article here very eloquently laid it out, give it a read when you have an opportunity:

https://www.readpt.com/big-man-cardio-primer/

To quote said article:

"Loaded work doesn’t get the same heart response as unloaded work does. Normal cardiovascular exercise, such as running or rowing, stretches the main chamber of the heart eccentrically and allows it to hold more blood. On the flip side of this the strength trained heart gains thickness and your heart responds to training in the same way your other muscles do by becoming thicker and stronger. While a thicker, stronger heart may sound appealing this isn’t necessarily the case. A thicker heart wall can impact the internal diameter of heart. A big thick heart can actually end up with a smaller internal diameter meaning that it can actually hold less blood. That’s bad. That means that despite looking like a Mack truck on the outside you’re being powered by a Prius engine on the inside.

You can’t do intervals. HIIT isn’t your friend. By adding all that muscle you’ve already spent a massive proportion of your time on anaerobic work. You need to do some aerobic work."

Piggybacking off that excerpt from the afformentioned article are two benefits to lower intensity steady state cardio for everyone:

• Improve Recovery: What many lifters don't realize is that an efficient aerobic system can help you recovery more quickly as you won't be tapping into your sympathetic (think fight or flight) nervous system. By getting your nervous system into a parasympathetic (netflix and chill), you'll even sleep more soundly which will aide in repairing those muscles. 

• Improved Cardiac Efficiency: When performing steady state cardio (about 120-150 bpm) you'll improve cardiac output, which is a fancy way of saying your heart is better able to pump more blood all while decreasing resting heart rate.

If you're a runner and/or lifter looking for more guidance, I also offer distance coaching via exercise.com. Message me for more details about joining my group where I'll post monthly workouts along with a forum to interact with other members.

Let's make cardio a more acceptable part of strength sports again. 

Professionals Push Back

"There are plenty of people who will pander, race to the bottom and figure out how to, "give the public what it wants." But that doesn't have to be you. Professionals have standards. Professionals push back."- Seth Godin

That quote encapsulates everything I stand for, being a professional. Exercise and cooking aren't just hobbies, they're fields that I'm proud to call myself a professional in. I'm not in it for the money or the fame (clearly) but because these are two passions on my mind at every moment of the day. My goal for each day is how can I improve my cooking or coaching so that I can provide greater value to help more individuals. Not what idea will or program will make me  a quick buck. 

Looking for a fast sale or creating a business just for the sake of making money isn't in my blood. If you're not a professional, none of these principles matter. I will gladly give up the dollar up front for the pot of gold at the end if it also comes with a culture that I can proudly stand behind. 

Are you a professional or simply clocking in for a paycheck?*
 

*There's nothing wrong with clocking in and out for a paycheck, but do you take pride in what you do? Being a professional applies to everyone not just entrepreneurs in my opinion. 

So How's That Working For You?

I genuinely ask this question with zero sarcasm.

Whenever I have a client who tells me all about their magical diet that's going to really accelerate their fat loss. I listen and pick out all the things that stand out where I believe it's conducive toward long term change. We reevaluate in two weeks and if nothing has changed, I will ask them about their diet and how that's working out for them?

"Persistence isn’t using the same tactics over and over. That’s just annoying.

Persistence is having the same goal over and over." –Seth Godin

It's one thing to decide you want to accomplish "x" goal. It's a completely different story when you go down a path that doesn't work and instead of changing course you keep trying to jam that square peg in the round hole. I will have in mind the goal, a singular focus, but how I get there doesn't matter as long as I get there (assuming I'm not cheating or hurting anyone of course).