Intense Neuromuscular Stabilization and Activation Routine
- Full Body Emphasis -
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| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Leg Power Hold with Contralateral Knee Drive | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2-3 | 5-7" holds per side (2-3 reps per side) | 60" | 8-9 | N/A |
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OPTION #1
The single leg power hold is one of my favorite foot and ankle stabilization drills. This can be performed with a barbell on your back or holding dumbbells as MLB pro baseball player Austin Meadows shows here. Driving the elevated leg into 90 degree hip flexion while bracing your core (pulling abs and stomach in while contracting abs) helps to set the hips back posteriorly and avoid low back arch. You may even feel like you have a very slight forward lean and hip hinge if performed properly as the hips will be set so far back which helps maximize glute activation and core recruitment.
OPTION #2
The eccentric isometric sprinter hip thrusts is one of the best sport specific glute exercises that also targets the entire oblique slings systems via contralateral activation patterns.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narrow Stance Dumbbell Squat Jumps (Eyes Closed) | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2-3 | 4-6 | 60" | 7-9 | 2" |
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OPTION #1
The narrow stance dumbbell squat jump is a great way to simulate a typical jump position in terms of foot placement while providing a high amount of external loading. Besides being an excellent speed and power movement for the lower body, the traps and upper back get absolutely crushed from this due to the rapid eccentric contraction produced from having to catch and delegate the dumbbells during the landing phase. Ideally the goal is to work up to handling at least half of your bodyweight when combining the weight of both dumbbells. However start with very light loads to work on mechanics and technique before increasing the weight.
OPTION #2
Want to fix your jumping mechanics? Try these double rebound plyometric squat jumps on the slide board. The slide board is exception for fixing lower body instability as it exposes any deviation.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renegade Bird Dog Plank Row with Vertical Band Tension or Bird Dog Row with Band on Rear Elevated Leg | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 2-3 | 4-6 per side | 60" | 8-9 | 2-3" |
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Option #2
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OPTION #1
Want to torch your lats, upper back, core, abs, legs via the oblique slings? Try this bird dog renegade plank row with band resistance (band optional). While the band is optional, adding it exponentially increases activation throughout the core & hips. That’s because on any plank, renegade row, pushup, or ab rollout, we want the hip flexors & abs firing like mad NOT the GLUTES!!! That’s right the concept of squeezing your glutes during planks, renegade rows, & pushups is actually the opposite of what we want. Simply put, the hip flexors & core work together to resist hip extension & lumbar extension. Now here’s where it gets interesting.
If we move to a single leg variation we’ve now magnified the same activation pattern in the support leg since firing the contralateral hip extensor (glutes) of the elevated leg helps fire the contralateral hip flexors of the opposite leg due to equal & opposite activation patterns associated with contralateral activation of the oblique slings. In other words contralateral glute activation of the elevated leg helps reinforce hip flexor activation & core activation of the support leg.
Additionally, contralateral hip activation tends to greatly increase recruitment throughout the deep core musculature & lumbopelvic hip complex due to the intense stabilization required to resist rotational torque & twisting. This also very closely mimics oblique sling activation patterns we see during sprinting & other sporting activities (reciprocal muscle activation of contralateral hips) including single leg jumps, hitting, kicking, throwing, etc. The main thing to remember here is to extend the elevated leg as hard as possible by firing the daylights out of the glute & hamstring which in turn fires the opposite hip flexor & quad which in turn fires the core like mad!! It’s basically a huge chain reaction which starts with the contralateral glute activation of the elevated leg. A mini band can work for this movement but a thinner longer band tends to work better.
OPTION #2
Here’s a brutal oblique sling bird dog row variation I have NPC national figure competitor Leslie Petch showing.
Several years ago I introduced the quadruped bird dog row in an article on T-Nation (https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-quadruped-row). Since then the exercise has been one of the more popular movements I’ve presented & rightly so as it has phenomenal benefits. Unfortunately over the years I’ve witnessed many coaches, trainers, & athletes, run into a variety of technique issues. Several of these include, not extending the back leg, not driving the back leg up, not keeping a bent over torso (body should be close to parallel to the floor), rowing past 90 deg, poor core activation, & weak glute activation.
For instance if the elevated leg is not fully extended & the hip extensors/glutes aren’t fully engaged then the hips won’t be properly aligned. This creates a negative chain reaction throughout the kinetic chain which compromises activation throughout the core thereby reducing spinal rigidity. Simply put, poor leg positioning can impact the entire movement.
Performing these with a band on the back leg (mini band also works as I’ve posted in the past) requires the lifter to maximally engage the hip extensors of the elevated leg. Due to the contralateral hip activation effect associated with the oblique slings, the harder one leg/hip fires into extension the more this causes the other hip to fire into flexion & vice versa until incredibly high levels of full body tension are produced as these forces must be transmitted across the core & pelvis.
Additionally the harder the glute of the elevated leg fires, the greater the activation of the lat of the working arm (due to the nature of posterior oblique sling) which ultimately increases the effectiveness of this movement for targeting the upper back & lats. So yes, this can be a functional strength & hypertrophy movement provided you’re core is strong enough to handle heavy loads as Leslie shows here with a 60 lb dumbbell.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Chest Press with Mini Band or Head Off Alternating Dumbbell Chest Press with Leg Raise | #1,#2,#3,#4 | 3 | 5 | 2-3 minutes | 8-9 | 2-3" |
Main Option
No Mini Band Option
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MAIN OPTION
Want to improve your chest pressing mechanics & learn how to use eccentric induced co-contraction to achieve maximal reciprocal inhibition on the concentric phase of your presses? Try using a mini band on your dumbbell presses as shown by my awesome client Elizabeth Yates. I’ve seen various coaches post similar variations however the reasoning is often misunderstood.
During any eccentric co-contraction we don’t simply want to rely on gravity to push you into position. Instead we want to use the antagonist or reciprocal muscles which in this cases is the upper back, rear deltoids, & biceps, to pull the weight/row it into position which helps elongate the pectoral fibers & open the chest.
The mini band helps facilitate that similar to bench press suit worn by powerlifters as you literally will feel like you have to pull the weights apart & down to lock it in. Yes, there is slight assistance on the eccentric however it’s a worthy sacrifice given how effective it is for producing proper eccentric activation patterns which is critical for joint health, muscle growth, & muscle function.
Additionally, many folks have tendency to either over-flare their elbows, or excessively tuck their elbows (too close to the body) which can cause shoulder crowding. This variation teaches the optimal elbow positioning & shoulder retraction & depression.
It should also be noted that if you do this or most movements correctly you’ll inevitably hit 90 degrees. That’s because you can’t maximally co-contract past 90 degree angles in movements that occur in the sagittal plane because of active insufficiency & passive insufficiency associated with the length tension relationship of muscle fibers. Once again this illustrates 90 degree angles are ideal for humans on most movements whether its presses, squats, pulls, lunges, or hinges.
On a side note the slight head off position allows better cervical elongation thereby allowing better shoulder retraction & mechanics.
NO MINI BAND OPTION
Here's a very difficult chest press variation that combines three of my favorite chest pressing variations into one seamless movement. Here's she's incorporating the head off position for improved t-spine extension, the leg raise for improved core activation, and the alternate press from the eccentric isometric poison for improved shoulder stability.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Closed Goblet Good Morning | #5 & #6 | 2 | 5 | 60" | 8 | 2" |
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OPTION #1
If you’re looking for a good morning variation that reduces stress to the low back and spine while still pummels the entire posterior chain look no further than the front loaded variations such as this goblet version. The front loading position targets the core, abs, and spinal stabilizers quite intensely. These are also surprisingly brutal on the upper back, shoulders, and arms as you’ll be working overtime to keep the weight held tightly against the chest.
QUICK BREAKDOWN
The good morning exercise is nothing more than a traditional hip hinge movement except the weight is loaded above the center of mass typically on the upper traps and back like a barbell squat. Rather than squatting down by bending the knees and hips at the same rate, the lifter will simply hinge over at the hips while maintaining a soft knee position throughout. When it doubt it’s better to have a bit more knee bend than not enough.
Focus on finding the natural stopping position which will be at approximately 90 degrees (slightly above parallel). In reality, the movement pattern is identical to an RDL (Romanian deadlift) or any other hip hinge movement for that matter.
With that said, as long as your technique is locked in, going heavy on good mornings isn’t an issue as I'm showing here with 315 pounds. In fact you're at a greater risk for injuring your back with light weight and poor form than you are with heavy weight and strict technique. It's all about the mechanics. Lastly, focus on using the eccentric isometric protocol to optimize your body mechanics as illustrated in the video.
OPTION #2
Here's NFL athlete Will Fuller on Horizontal Band Resisted RDL with Snatch Grip: Band RNT (reactive neuromuscular training) forces the lifter to flex their lats, keep the bar close to their body & sit back into the hips. The snatch grip further reinforces a strong upper back & lat contraction which is pivotal for proper hip hinge mechanics.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos Bulgarian Squats with Bumper Plates, Dumbbells, or Kettlebells | #5 & #6 | 2 | 4 per side | 2-3 minutes | 8-9 | 2-3" |
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Here is an eccentric isometric chaos Bulgarian split squat that also hammers the grip & forearms. Just about every athlete can benefit from improved balance, stability, hip mobility, grip strength, motor control, & symmetry. This drill literally addresses each of these areas.
Not only does the bumper plate pinch blast the forearms but it actually helps improve stability & full body tension. That’s because intense grip activation has shown to produce concurrent activation potentiation (i.e. irradiation) thereby increasing neural drive to the extremities. This is a fancy way for saying it helps you stay tight & eliminate energy leaks which in turn improves balance, alignment, stability, motor control, & force production.
When performed with eccentric isometrics this does wonders for improving lower body muscle function as the eccentric isometric is the single most effective strategy I’ve used to enhance body mechanics & fine-tune movement patterns. That’s because the increased proprioception & sensory feedback from the eccentric emphasis helps the athlete fine-tune their movement & mechanics. Check out Meghan Callaway’s page for more awesome chaos lunges.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overhand Pullups or Chaos Pullups | #7 & #8 | 3 | 5 | 60" | 8-9 | 2-3" |
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If you're looking for a unique and effective way to master your pull-ups and chin-ups while also crushing your upper back and lats try these chaos pullups and chinups. As an added bonus they also blast the biceps and forearms.
While there are a number of unique methods I periodically employ to help clean up pullup form and mechanics I’ve recently found that the chaos pullup is quite effective for enhancing pullup and chin-up technique. The set up for the pull ups is similar to the chaos pushup where the athlete performs pushups off of bands anchored to the pins of a squat rack. In this video I demonstrate the pronated grip (using several bands to help support a heavier bodyweight) while my awesome client Leslie Petch performs the underhand or chin-up variation. Besides being brutally intense there are 7 reasons why chaos pullups and chin-ups are so effective.
The kipping pullup is perhaps the single worst exercise creation in the modern day fitness industry. Besides leading to a number of muscular dysfunctions and movement aberrations throughout the kinetic chain, it does little if anything to build functional strength and muscularity. Attempting to perform even the slightest kipping maneuver while doing the chaos pullup will cause the body to bounce around in an uncontrollable fashion. As a result, the chaos pullup helps eliminate the dysfunctional and aberrant kipping syndrome that’s plagued the fitness industry for the last decade.
The chaos pullup does wonders for eliminating the all-too-common over-pulling syndrome. Many lifters feel compelled get their chin over the bar when performing pullups. This produces a number of dysfunctional mechanics not to mention shoulder issues and postural misalignment. The chaos pullup teaches the lifter to terminate the top end range of motion slightly above chin level which happens to be the optimal range of motion for both pullups and chin-ups. Any amount of excessive over-pulling and trying to reach the chin over the bar will cause the lifter and the bands to bounce and shift.
Oscillating kinetic energy such as that produced from the hanging band technique as well as perturbation training is incredibly effective for improving proprioception and kinesthetic awareness. That’s because it wakes up muscle spindles ultimately providing a greater sense of feel and enhanced body positioning. The chaos pullup is one of the most effective ways to incorporate this form of oscillating kinetic energy into vertical pulling movements. However, if you do have a partner, employing the perturbation method to either the chaos band method or trap bar pullup is very effective as well.
Excessive momentum and jerky movements are both common problems lifters experience when performing pullups. Learning how to eliminate momentum and perform perfectly rigid and strict pullups is something that will do wonders not only for enhancing your vertical pulling mechanics but also for blasting your upper back and lats. In fact, the lifter will be almost required to use eccentric isometrics during their pullups to maintain control. As a result, the chaos pullup is an exceptional functional hypertrophy builder for the upper back and lats as well as the arms due to the high levels of mechanical tension and metabolic stress produced from the ultra strict form
Besides acting as a powerful stimulus for inducing functional strength and hypertrophy in the upper torso, the chaos pullup can do wonders for cleaning up shoulder issues and postural misalignment. That’s because it promotes proper shoulder packing and centration of the glenohumeral joint not to mention rock solid postural alignment.
Learning to keep the core tight and maintain a neutral pelvic position is important for any movement including pullups. If the lifter attempts to pull their pelvis into either excessive anterior or posterior pelvic tilt and moves out of neutral position, the misalignment will cause their entire body to bounce thereby providing immediate feedback. To keep the band and body locked in, the core will be required to stay aggressively activated throughout.
Whether you want to admit it or not, the muscle mind connection is real. Unfortunately many lifters struggle to feel their lats and upper back working when performing pullups typically as a result of faulty mechanics and excessive momentum. Fortunately the chaos pullup and chin-up is one of the most effective vertical pulling variations you’ll ever use to help establish a strong muscle mind connection throughout the lats and upper back.
Like any pull-ups, chaos pull-ups are highly adaptable and versatile as they can modified using a number of progressions including sprinter pull-ups, leg raise pull-ups, knee raise pull-ups, dead bug pull-ups, and more.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking Overhead Press Bottoms Up | #7 & #8 | 2 | 20-30" Walking | 2-3 minutes | 8-9 | N/A |
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OPTION #1
The ability transmit force and coordinate neuromuscular recruitment between the hips, core, and upper torso is vital for any overhead press whether it’s a push press or strict press. Because you’re literally pressing an unstable weight overhead while taking controlled and rhythmic steps, this requires the upper torso, core, and hip muscles to work together synergistically as any energy leak will result in dumping the load. Although it can be performed with any free weight apparatus, bottoms up kettlebells are the most eye-opening in terms of exposing and correcting neuromuscular deficiencies.
OPTION #2
The Lunge to Behind The Neck Thruster Push Press is a very advanced yet effective full body explosive power exercise that also works stability & balance.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Closed kneeling Dumbbell Curls | #9 & #10 | 2 | 8 | 60" | 8-9 | 2-3" |
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For most of my clients 80% of the exercises are fundamental & the other 20% are unique & advanced. Just because I post many unique variations doesn’t mean those comprise a majority of the workouts. In fact, it’s just the opposite. By hammering the basics with eccentric isometrics this helps us master our body mechanics so that when presented with advanced exercises our body is prepared.
I wanted to post an eccentric isometric biceps curl as I’ve had many questions on how eccentric isometrics can be applied to isolation drills. When performing isolation movements such as bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg curls, & leg extensions I’ve found the key for using eccentric isometrics is to not fully extend the joint & stop approximately 20 degrees short of lockout. This is different than compound or multi joint movements as there are multiple joints involved and completing the movement through full extension is ideal. For isolation movements this can place excessive tension on the joint. One factor both isolation movements & compound movements have in common is stopping at approximately 90 deg when in the flexed position.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos Tricep Extension (On Bands or Barbell) | #9 & #10 | 2 | 6 | 2-3 minutes | 9 | 2" |
Option #1
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OPTION #1
Want to take your tricep training to another level? Try these chaos band bodyweight skull crushers as shown by my awesome client and national level figure competitor Leslie Petch. Besides reinforcing sound technique and mechanics due to the instability of the bands, this chaos band skull crusher is a fantastic functional hypertrophy exercise for the arms particularly when using the eccentric isometric protocol as Leslie does here. That’s because it pulverizes the triceps with incredible high levels of intramuscular tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage all of which kickstart the muscle growth mechanism.
Additionally the bands create intense oscillating kinetic energy and unpredictable perturbations thereby enhancing proprioceptive feedback and motor unit recruitment. The end result is better shoulder centration/packing, more efficient mechanics, smoother contractions, and greater muscle mind connection with the targeted musculature.
As an added bonus these also annihilate the core as the abs and spinal stabilizers must work overtime to maintain a strong rigid position while resisting extension and instability. This further reinforces full body tension which increases motor control and muscle activation.
I recommend becoming familiar with the chaos band pushup variation first (a variation I was originally introduced from Tony Gentilcore and Jim Smith) as these are a bit more manageable. Once you can perform the pushups with perfectly executed eccentric isometric reps then you can progress to these bodyweight skull crushers. Just be prepared for one of the most intense full body tricep exercises you’ve ever attempted.
OPTION #2
The traditional skull crusher plank is a great tricep and core combination movement. Unfortunately because you're resting on the floor at the bottom, it involves little to no tension in the 90 degree stretched position which is really the sweet spot for maximal muscle activation and hypertrophy. Elevating yourself just slightly allows you to take advantage of the 90 degree eccentric isometric functional strength and hypertrophy stimulus. Just be warned these are much more challenging than they look.
| EXERCISE | DURATION | # OF DRILLS | REST BETWEEN DRILLS | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Intensity Interval Cardio (HIT) | 30 minutes | 7 | 10-20 seconds | 7-10 |
High INTENSITY INTERVAL CARDIO (HIT)
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