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| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Leg Swap with Barbell, Dumbbell, Kettlebell, or Plate | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2 | 30-45" per leg | 60" | 7 | N/A |
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Single leg swaps (aka single leg switch) are one of the most effective drills for improving foot and ankle mechanics. Here is what I believe to be one of the most effective and without a doubt the most difficult single leg swap variation there is. There are several components that make this barbell swap (AKA helicopter swap) variation so effective.
First, there’s a significant degree of torque and rotational forces the body must resist as the bar rotates and twists from side to side. To effectively resist these forces and avoid being pulled out of position the lifter will be required to fire the daylights out of their feet and ankles as well as their core and hips to lock the movement into position. It also requires perfect postural alignment and shoulder positioning to resist these rotational forces making this an effective full body stabilization drill.
In addition, this swap variation also requires intense hand, forearm, and grip activation to keep the bar under control. As a result this produces increased neural drive and full body tension up the kinetic chain including to the lower extremities due to concurrent activation potentiation and irradiation. In other words it helps create full body tension and structural rigidity from head to toe which is a critical component of stabilization and motor control.
Lastly, the time under tension is much greater during these as it takes a minimum of 5-10 seconds to perform just a single swap. With that said, the level of burn and fatigue this produces particularly in the feet, ankles and hips is significant. Just be prepared to focus your mind and body like a Jedi as these requires unprecedented levels of concentration and mental engagement. I recommend performing several sets of 4-6 swaps per leg (2-3 swaps on each side of each leg) during your next lower body workout. To learn more about swaps check out my full-length article HERE.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat on Foam Roller | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2 | 4 per side | 60" | 5-6 | 2-3" |
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While this may look like a bilateral movement it’s actually more of a unilateral or single leg movement as nearly all of the weight is being supported on one leg (the one that’s not on the foam roller). Besides providing a unique squat variation there are 10 reasons why the anti-rolling squat on the foam roller is effective not only for crushing your lower body but for cleaning up your squat pattern.
As previously mentioned although this visually resembles a standard bilateral squat, it’s actually as close to a single leg squat as you can get without it technically being a unilateral exercise. In essence it represents another single leg squat variation to add to your repertoire although there are unique benefits to this one that can’t be replicated with other single leg variations which I’ll list below (# 2-10). Once you perform the movement, you’ll see exactly what I mean. In fact, nearly all of your weight has to load onto the working leg (the leg on the ground). If you place even slightly too much tension on the foam roller leg, the foam roller will slide or roll out and you’ll lose control of your body. Essentially the foam roller provides “false support” as it punishes you for not placing ample tension on the working leg.
The ability to work the bilateral squat pattern yet emphasize one leg is a great way to both clean up the bilateral squat pattern and reap the benefits of single leg training simultaneously. Many individuals can actually perform a solid single leg squat as the difficult balance component essentially forces their body to use correct mechanics. The bilateral squat on the other hand has much greater degrees of freedom and much more room for error as the lifter is not immediately punished for faulty mechanics. As a result, many lifters perform bilateral squats (standard double leg squats) with aberrant mechanics for years because they can temporarily “get away with it” but eventually it catches up to them with ensuing injuries. This squat variation forces the lifter to clean up their bilateral squat form (which is not always an easy feat) while simultaneously addressing single leg strength and side-to side-symmetry. Read more about proper squat mechanics here.
This movement requires incredible motor control, core activation, and spinal rigidity. This is actually a fairly advanced exercise that both requires and builds significant levels of motor control and movement competency. Any sudden movements, excessive momentum, loss of tension, lack of proper mechanics, postural misalignment, or lapse in focus will result in immediate loss of balance. As a result the degree of constant tension from this anti-rolling squat is incredible making it a unique but effective hypertrophy stimulus for the legs.
This squat does wonders for fixing valgus collapse at the knees, ankles, and hips. In fact, that’s originally how I developed this exercise as I was thinking of a squat to literally force the lifter out of valgus collapse. With this anti-rolling squat, collapsing even slightly (with ankle pronation or valgus knee collapse) on the working leg will place more tension on the foam roller leg (as it shifts the weight medially causing the foam roller to slide out. In fact this is the most unforgiving squat I’ve seen when it comes to addressing valgus collapse. Even single leg skater squats don’t require this precise degree of hip, foot, and ankle alignment.
In contrast to the above, the anti-rolling foam roller squat also helps to eliminate excessive knee spread, which is becoming more problematic in advanced lifters from over-spreading and over-externally rotating at the hips. Although ankle pronation and valgus knee collapse (inward knee collapse) are two of the worst mistakes a lifter can make when squatting there still needs to be a balance between medial and lateral forces around the knee and hip. Essentially the knees need to be spread just enough so that the feet, ankles, knees, and hips, are more in less in-line with each other (not in or out). This squat variation helps drive that notion home as it demands the perfect amount of knee spread without overspreading. Any amount of overspreading and excessive varus forces that produce lower body misalignment will cause the foam roller to slide out laterally from the body. If you’re having trouble determining how much to spread your knees and hips on your bilateral squat, this one will inform you immediately.
This squat also helps eliminate excessive range of motion and collapsing. Using extreme depth and collapsing at the bottom by going beyond parallel results in unusual lateral forces onto both legs causing the foam roller to slip out. In essence this foam roller squat forces proper 90-degree/parallel squat form and punishes faulty mechanics including ATG technique.
When it comes to reinforcing optimal hip hinge mechanics on the squat, this anti-rolling foam roller squat is one of the most effective squat variations I’ve used. Part of this is because the hips start in an offset position thereby initiating the movement with a slight hip hinge (as one side of the pelvis is raised up and forward). In addition, unless the hips set back with ideal hip hinge technique too much force will be produced in the medial and lateral directions and there will be wasted force and energy leaks instead of force being produced perfectly vertical into the ground. As a result this produces a rolling effect on the foam roller causing the lifter to lose his or her balance and control.
This anti-rolling squat variation also cleans up external rotation in the foot and ankle complex almost immediately. A proper squat involves keeping the feet relatively straight yet most individuals squat with too much external rotation due to weak feet and ankles and other compensation patterns. Even slight external rotation of the feet during the anti-rolling foam roller squat will produce lateral and medial forces on the roller creating undesired deviations and loss of balance.
This anti-rolling squat also works unique stabilizer muscles around the hips, groin, and inner thighs. These muscles are often neglected however they’re critical for performance and lower body muscle function as well as joint health.
This squat variation literally forces the lifter to employ the most effective training protocol there is – eccentric isometrics. In fact if you don’t use eccentric isometrics on this variation it will feel almost impossible to dial in.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Arm Bent Over Cable Row | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2 | 5 per side | 60-90" | 5-6 | 2" |
Read About Exercise
The single arm bent over cable row is an outstanding lat and back exercise as the movement provides one of the largest ROM's (Range of Motion) of any lat or rowing exercise there is due to the unique angle of pull. The single arm variation also provides greater stretch at the bottom. In addition it's a fantastic core stabilization exercise as it involves a significant degree of rotary stability and anti-rotation.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Cable Chest Press | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2 | 5 per side | 2-3 minutes | 5-6 | 2" |
Option #1
Option #2
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The standing cable chest press is one of the most functional horizontal pressing exercises there is. Unfortunately, it’s oftentimes an overlooked and undervalued gem of a movement. Besides providing high levels of tension to the chest, shoulders, and triceps they also hammer the core, hips, and spinal stabilizers. Additionally, they’re quite versatile and adaptable as they can easily be modified in a number of ways. With that said there are 10 reasons why these standing and kneeling chest presses are so effective.
Due to the upright or standing posture involved, cable chest presses are arguably one if not the single most functional horizontal pressing variation there is particularly when it comes to transferability to athletic performance. Most if not all other chest presses involve a supine (laying on your back) or pushup position. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with these as in fact a majority of the chest presses I program actually fall into such categories, periodically implementing standing presses into your routine is great for transferring the strength and hypertrophy benefits of traditional chest presses into more functional standing positions. In fact, world-renowned strength coach Nick Tumminello makes it a point of consistently using standing cable presses for many of his athletes noting the functional benefits of such movements.
Standing and kneeling cable chest & band presses require greater core strength and rotary stability than most chest pressing variations simply because the lifter is unable to rely on a bench or rigid structure to help lock them into position.
Cable chest presses are surprisingly joint friendly particularly on the shoulders, elbows, and wrists as well as the pectoral tendons. If you’re looking for a way to crush your upper body pressing muscles while saving your joints these are just what the doctor ordered.
The level of constant tension involved with cable chest presses is much greater than most traditional free weight chest presses simply because the strength curve of the cable pulleys more closely matches that of the movement/muscles. Instead of having excessive levels in the stretched position with little tension in the contracted top position, the tension is fairly equal from top to bottom. Although a similar result can be produced from properly crafted variable resistance machines, the lifter would miss out on the stabilization component. Fortunately, cable chest presses provide similar if not greater instability as dumbbells and kettlebells.
Besides the greater transferability to functional tasks and athletic performance, standing and kneeling chest presses also expose and address many imbalances throughout the body. That’s because they’re essentially full body movements that require every muscle from head to toe to work in unison. If there are any energy leaks, imbalances, or weaknesses anywhere in the body, you’ll likely notice them.
Similar to the above point, standing and kneeling chest presses require high levels of full body tension and spinal rigidity. Besides the associated strength benefits this also has greater transfer to larger compound movements where the lifter must learn to stay incredibly tight and maintain full body tension.
Most traditional free weight chest presses involve the lifter laying on a bench or floor with their scapula pinned to a rigid structure. Standing and kneeling cable presses on the other hand allow the scapula to move freely through its natural scapulohumeral rhythm thereby optimizing centration and packing of the glenohumeral joint. This also has a significant impact on improving posture as well as shoulder mechanics and horizontal pressing technique.
Similar to the above point, I’ve found cable presses to be highly conducive for reinforcing the all-important elbow tuck while also ensuring the shoulders aren’t over crowded (i.e. over tucking). This is particularly true when the lifter places the handle/cable under the arm (near the arm pit) rather than over/on top of the arm. That is my recommended setup for these exercises although some individuals may find the latter method more comfortable.
Cable chest presses are very safe with little room for injury (provided sound form is employed). With this in mind they’re actually quite conducive for taking to failure as there’s really no safety ramifications unlike dumbbells or barbells where the load could fall on the lifter if he or she fails and looses control. With that said, the high degree of mechanical tension, metabolic stress (from constant tension), and ability to reach muscular fatigue/failure (which further enhances the aforementioned hypertrophy mechanisms) makes cable chest presses a legitimate choice for triggering significant strength and hypertrophy. Additionally, the lack of safety issues make them suitable for beginners and advanced lifters alike.
Few if any gyms carry dumbbells that go past 100 pounds. For seasoned lifters and larger athletes this can create difficulty when it comes to fully challenging their pressing muscles. While it’s difficult to give an exact ratio, I’ve found that a standard full cable stack is roughly equivalent to a 120-130 pound dumbbell. Thus, cable chest presses provide ample overload even for the strongest iron game warriors, allowing them to use heavier loads than what they might typically be limited to with traditional unilateral and isolateral loading modalities (i.e. dumbbells and kettlebells).
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Closed Overhead Barbell Press | #5 & #6 | 2 | 5 | 60" | 5-6 | 2-3" |
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Here's one of my athletes performing the overhead military press with eyes closed. This increases proprioception and enhances feedback from muscle spindles as a means of improving and perfecting movement mechanics and muscle function
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Closed Underhand Bodyweight Chinups | #5 & #6 | 2 | 5-7 | 2-3 minutes | 5-6 | 2-3" |
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Here's one of my bodybuilding athletes Ben performing an intense finisher set of weight pull-ups using the drop set method. The dorsiflex loading allows quick and seamless transitioning to lighter loads without having to stop the set midway through. This makes it highly conducive for drop sets and strips sets ultimately producing incredible increases in functional strength and size throughout the upper body especially the upper back, lats, and biceps.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodyweight Bulgarian Squats (foam roller optional) | #7 & #8 | 2 | 5 per side | 60-90" | 5-6 | 2" |
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Here is one of the most natural feeling and biomechanically ideal Bulgarian split squat variations you’ll ever attempt. Bulgarian squats and variations thereof are some of the most effective lower body exercises you can perform. Not only do they allow the lifter to focus more so on one leg and correct asymmetrical imbalances, but they promote increased mobility while simultaneously enhancing stability and balance. Unfortunately many lifters find traditional Bulgarian squats awkward and semi-unnatural. Oftentimes that’s because the back foot (ideally the top of the laces) rests against the top of the bench, which can feel quite uncomfortable (periodically leading to foot cramping). Performing Bulgarian squats with your back foot on a foam roller as shown in the video helps to alleviate this issue and provides additional benefits that can’t be duplicated with any other variation. Here are several reasons that make this Bulgarian squat on the foam roller so effective.
As previously mentioned, discomfort in the back foot is one of the most common problems with Bulgarian squats as the lifter can feel as though their back foot and arch is about to cramp. Although you can perform Bulgarian squats with your back foot on a smith machine or fixed bar (with a squat pad attached to the bar) or a Bulgarian squat stand (with a rotating foam pad), neither of these variations provides the additional benefits listed below.
Another common issue with Bulgarian squats is determining exactly how far the back foot should be in proximity to the front leg and making the necessary adjustments. That’s because once your foot is locked into the pad and you decide to move closer or farther to the bench you literally have to reset your entire body, which further disrupts your set and detracts from the effort you could channel into your actual repetitions. Using the foam roller completely eliminates this issue as the lifter can gradually adjust the roller as he or she performs his or her reps by simply allowing it to move naturally with each motion.
Maintaining a fixed back leg position throughout a Bulgarian squat (or even a lunge for that matter) doesn’t always feel very natural as the back leg/hip naturally wants to extend further back on the eccentric phase and drive with slight forward hip flexion on each concentric phase of the repetition. In fact, this is why the slide-board has become so popular with strength coaches as it allows individuals to perform lunges with the back leg sliding back and forth in one seamless transition during each rep. On traditional Bulgarian squats this cannot occur as the back leg is fixed. However the foam roller eliminates this issue not only making it much more natural feeling for the lifter but also promotes increased activation of the thigh and hip muscles of the back leg. That’s because there is more rhythmic movement and deliberate eccentric/concentric phases allowing cyclical stretching and shortening of the hip flexors each repetition. The slight movement (back and forth) of the back leg is somewhat subtle yet intramuscularly it’s quite significant.
Although the ability to move the back leg forward and backward on each repetition can be accomplished in a similar fashion by using suspension systems such as the TRX, the heightened instability keeps most lifters from aggressively sitting back into the movement (which represents proper positioning for the hips) for fear of losing their balance. This minimizes the overload to the hip flexors of the back leg while also diminishing the lengthening and stretching of those hip flexors. In contrast, because the foam roller slides back so naturally and predictably, the lifter can comfortably sit back into the roller thereby maximizing hip activation and eccentric elongation of the hip extensors of the front leg and hip flexors of the back leg. In addition, this allows the lifter to go surprisingly heavy on this variation enabling them to truly overload the muscles without excessive balancing issues. This is not to say that performing lunges and Bulgarian squats on suspension systems are poor exercise choices (as I periodically use this with my athletes) but if the goal is a smooth and natural variation that’s conducive for overloading the muscles with heavy weight, the foam roller Bulgarian squat is tough to beat.
I've found this Bulgarian squat variation to provide just the right level of instability for enhancing balance and motor control without being so unstable that it detracts from the actual movement. Simply put you're forced to use strict mechanics in order to avoid having the foam roller move around in an uncontrollable fashion however once your form is locked in you'll still be able to handle relatively heavy loads without losing your balance.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Leg RDL with Plates | #7 & #8 | 2 | 3-4 per side | 2 minutes | 5-6 | 2" |
Read About Exercise
The best exercise I’ve found for perfecting the single leg hip hinge is the eccentric isometric single leg RDL. In this video I’m coaching my new group of NFL combine athletes on the proper execution as we prepare their bodies for the upcoming February and March testing dates. Notice the soft knee position of the support leg and 90 degree bend of the back elevated leg. This represents optimal mechanics for the single leg RDL.
| EXERCISE | DURATION | # OF DRILLS | REST BETWEEN DRILLS | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Intensity Interval Cardio | 30 minutes | 4 | 15-30 seconds | 4-7 |
Low INTENSITY Interval CARDIO
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