Intense Workout
- Upper Body Emphasis -
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| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Bridge the Gap Zercher Squats (Bridge the Gap Optional) | #1,#2,#3 | 3 | 4 | 60" | 5 | 2-3" |
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This will wake up the entire body and prepare you for the remainder of the workout. As for the bridge the gap protocol, this helps maximize foot & ankle activation which in turn improves neural signaling up the kinetic chain ultimately promoting improved mechanics & recruitment patterns. Proper foot & ankle mechanics are critical to performance & health. The BTG protocol helps reinforce this. Read more in full article at Read more in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/feet-ankles-bridge-the-gap
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offset Angle Decline Chest Press with Eccentric Isometrics | #1,#2,#3 | 3 | 6,5,4 per side | 60-90" | 8,9,10 | 2",3",4" |
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Here is a brutal single arm chest press using the offset angle training method on a decline bench. This has 4 unique benefits.
The degree of anti-rotation, core stabilization, & rotary stability required is through the roof as your body literally wants to twist, rotate, & shift off the bench. In order to maintain your body position & resist these rotational forces, your entire core & abdominal musculature will be required to aggressively fire particularly in the bottom stretched position of the chest press.
Not only does the offset angle position produce rotational forces on the torso & spine but it also produces a strong abduction force on the shoulder (of the side that’s lowest on the bench). As a result the lifter inevitably feels as though they’re performing a combination chest press & isometric chest fly as they’re resisting abduction forces throughout the set by aggressively contracting their chest via shoulder adduction.
The level of posterior chain recruitment & hip activation needed to maintain proper body positioning is exceptionally high. In fact, you'll notice that your core, hips, and even your feet and ankles must work together to resist rotational forces and keep your body fixed on the bench.
The level of full body tension needed to dial these in are inordinately high. Once you return to traditional presses not only will they feel exceptionally easy in comparison but you’ll most likely notice you can handle heavier loads due to your improved ability to tighten up your whole body & eliminate energy leaks.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eccentric Overload Inverted Rows | #1,#2,#3 | 3 | 4-5 | 60" | 7-9 | 3" |
Option #1
Option #2 (Foam Roller Optional)
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OPTION #1
Inverted rows are a great exercise for building strength and size in the upper back as well as improving posture and spinal alignment. Taking it one step further, the partner assisted eccentric potentiation is also incredibly effective when applied to inverted rows as I have one of my awesome figure athletes Leslie Petch demonstrating here. Besides being an exceptionally effective strength and hypertrophy exercise for the entire posterior chain including the upper back, lats, glutes, and hamstrings, these also do wonders for spinal alignment and posture.
Unfortunately many individuals perform them improperly often with subtle form mistakes. Most importantly there needs to be a significant degree of t-spine extension just like there would be on any row. As I tell my athletes and clients try to tilt the chest up to the point where it feels like your body and head are are about to lean back into the floor while simultaneously keeping the core tight and stomach. In other words focus on military style posture with an elongated and tall spine including a big chest and tall head. Technically you should be able to take a snap shot of your inverted row and tilt it up 90 degrees and it should resemble perfect standing military-like posture. In addition, the feet and ankles should be dorsiflexed throughout as this helps to create lengthening of the calves, glutes, and hamstrings thereby allowing better spinal alignment up the kinetic as it's more conducive for maintaining a neutral arch and t-spine extension. It also helps to promote irradiation and concurrent activation potentiation thereby eliminating energy leaks throughout the body.
In fact the dorsiflexed foot position is perhaps the most subtle but also the most important cue for locking in the inverted row. The range of motion should be natural without over-pulling at the top or overstitching at the bottom. When the shoulders and spine have to lose position you know you've stretched to far or pulled to high. You'll also notice I'm using a rotating or semi-rotating grip with a pronated hand position in the bottom and neutral position in the top contracted position. I've found this to be the most natural mechanics for optimizing scapulohumeral rhythm and shoulder packing as it helps to keep the scapula depressed and retracted throughout especially in the contracted position. This also allows a more natural squeeze at the top resulting in greater strength and hypertrophy development.
OPTION #2
When it comes to building upper back strength and hypertrophy and improving posture and spinal alignment, inverted rows are tough to beat. While there are numerous variations you can perform many of which I’ve highlighted in past articles and posts, one that I’ve recently found to be incredibly effective is the foam roller version. Simply place the back of your ankles/heels on the foam roller and perform inverted rows. It may look a bit unusual but allow me to explain with 4 key points why this is perhaps the single most natural feeling inverted row variation I’ve ever used.
- OPTIMIZES SHOULDER MECHANICS
When it comes to maximizing the effectiveness of any row including inverted rows, one of the keys is optimizing natural scapulohumeral rhythm and glenohumeral joint positioning. During a row, the stretched position, when the arms are fully extended, should involve a slight amount of shoulder elevation and protraction to allow full eccentric elongation of the upper back as well as natural movement of the scapula and shoulder blades. Keep in mind this is very subtle as most coaches and lifters overdo this shoulder protraction and elevation to the point that the shoulders round up and over which is never ideal.
During the concentric phase the opposite should occur, as the shoulders should move into retraction and depression. Again this represents the opposite phase of the movement for maximizing natural scapulohumeral rhythm. However, during many rows including inverted rows the arms and shoulder can have a tendency to feel stuck into position particularly if the individual does not have a solid muscle mind connection and understand how to adjust and position their body on each phase of the movement.
This is where the foam roller comes in. Placing the feet on the foam roller allows the body to roll back and forth during each phase of the row thereby optimizing scapulohumeral rhythm and glenohumeral joint positioning. That’s because as you pull into the contracted/concentric phase of the row your body will gradually roll up towards the shoulders allowing more natural and automatic retraction and shoulder depression. In contrast when the lifter returns into the eccentric phase, the body rolls down slightly towards the feet thereby promoting natural levels of shoulder elevation and protraction ultimately producing the perfect amount of stretch and elongation in the upper back without over-stretching (i.e. shoulder rounding) or losing optimal spinal alignment. All of this occurs very naturally without the lifter having to force either phase or position.
- ALLOWS MORE NATURAL BODY POSITIONING
The foam roller also provides another unique feature when performing inverted rows. It actually allows the lifter to more easily lock their elbows and shoulders into the proper position. Here’s why.
When performing standard barbell inverted rows with the feet on the ground or on the bench, the feet are very fixed into their position and won’t move significantly unless the lifter deliberately makes an adjustment. This may seem like it would make the movement more conducive for locking into the appropriate position however the opposite is true.
When the lifter performs a row or any upper body pull or pushing motion, the arms and hands need to move to a very precise position relative to the rest of their torso. Positioning the feet too far away from the bar, resulting in the hands and the bar being positioned too high (closer to the person's neck), can cause the elbows to flare and shoulders to elevate. In contrast, positioning the feet too close to the bar, resulting in the arms being positioned too low (closer to their stomach), can cause the shoulders to internally rotate as the shoulder joint will be crowded.
In essence, if the lifter is not in a perfect position he or she will have to continually adjust his or her feet until the hands and bar lock into the precise position that allows optimal and natural scapulohumeral rhythm and optimal osteokinematics of the glenohumeral joint. And yes this perfectly locked-in position is very precise for each lifter and deviating even slightly can result in greater strain to the surrounding joints and significantly less tension to the targeted musculature. So what are the implications here?
The foam roller allows the lifter’s feet to roll and move with each repetition adjusting perfectly to the precise location needed to dial in the upper body joint segments for optimal pulling mechanics. Although the foam roller does in fact make the lift more strenuous and challenging in terms of stress to the targeted musculature, core, and stabilizers, most lifters will find it significantly easier on their joints due to the continually adjusting nature of the roller that allows them to lock in their ideal body mechanics.
- PRODUCES GREATER TENSION IN THE CONTRACTED POSITION
Another unique feature of using the foam roller for the inverted row is the increased tension in the contracted position due to the significant anti-shoulder elevation forces involved. In other words, when you row and pull into the top portion of the movement, the body rolls back/up towards the shoulders. As previously mentioned this helps depress and retract the shoulders. However, as you hold this contracted position there are significant forces attempting to elevate your shoulders and roll you forward to the starting/stretched position all of which you must resist. Simply put, if you pause in the top contracted position of the row (as you should) not only are you resisting protraction and flexion forces (pulling you towards the floor and away from the bar) but there are significant forces attempting to elevate your shoulders and roll your body forward/down towards your feet. As a result this top contracted position feels very similar to both a row and a pullup/lat pulldown. In turn, the upper back and lats get absolutely pummeled.
- REINFORCES ANKLE DORSIFLEXION
Another unique feature of the roam roller is that it forces the lifter to incorporate ankle dorsiflexion during inverted rows. This may seem like a subtle and semi-unimportant component however it’s actually quite critical. In fact the dorsiflexed foot position is perhaps the most subtle but also the most important cue for locking in the inverted row. Here’s why
The ability to dorsiflex the feet and ankles during upper body movements that involve a straight leg position promotes enhanced spinal rigidity and improved shoulder mechanics. There are several reasons for this. First, aggressive dorsiflexion of the ankles and feet helps to produce greater concurrent activation potentiation and irradiation and ultimately increased neural drive up the kinetic chain. Simply put it produces greater activation to all muscles including the working extremities.
The dorsiflexed ankle position also helps place a slight stretch (while simultaneously keeping tension) on the hamstrings, glutes, and calves, thereby promoting improved spinal rigidity, which contributes to better thoracic positioning. That’s because a lengthened posterior chain is more conducive for maintaining a neutral arch and t-spine extension. Simply put it facilitates a more lengthened spinal position, improved postural alignment, and greater upper back activation. This helps to reinforce proper shoulder mechanics as the lifter will find it more natural to fire the lats and centrate the glenohumeral joint. So yes, dorsiflexing the ankles actually translates to improved shoulder function and upper body mechanics. To ensure excessive lumbar extension does not occur focus on keeping your stomach pulled in as you contract your posterior chain and extend your hips.
For athletes, dorsiflexion also does wonders for improving sprinting and running mechanics as it plays a key role not only in gait and postural control but also in sprinting speed and foot and ankle positioning/shock absorption.
TWO ADDITIONAL CUES
There are two other additional cues that are critical not only for inverted rows but for rows in general.
The range of motion should be natural without over-pulling at the top or overstretching at the bottom. When the shoulders and spine have to lose position you know you've moved too far. Over-stretching will result in excessive protraction and lateral rotation of the scapula away from the spine. Over-pulling at the top contracted position (with the humerus traveling significantly past the plan of the torso), will cause the shoulders to elevate and also fall into internal rotation resulting in faulty positioning of the glenohumeral joint. As you’ll notice in the video, my body stops 1-2 inches away from touching the barbell, which is optimal not only for this row but any row including bent over rows, cable rows, and machine rows. This is something I’ve discussed quite extensively in previous writings highlighting how important it is to use optimal range of motion not maximal or exaggerated range of motion. To move further and touch the bar to the chest would result in faulty shoulder mechanics with reduced tension to the upper back and lats not to mention pressure on the glenohumeral joint, cervical spine, and elbows. Incorporating a pause in both the bottom and top position by using an eccentric isometric protocol allows the lifter to find his or her optimal mechanics as each repetition can be precisely executed with proper technique and body alignment.
Besides producing an optimal range of motion, there needs to be a significant degree of t-spine extension just like there would be on any row. As I tell my athletes and clients try to tilt the chest up to the point where it feels like your body and head are about to lean back into the floor while simultaneously keeping the core tight and stomach in. In other words focus on military style posture with an elongated and tall spine including a big chest and tall head. Technically you should be able to take a snap shot of your inverted row and tilt it up 90 degrees and it should resemble perfect standing military-like posture.
TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS
Try performing several sets of 5-8 reps of the foam roller inverted row while super-setting it with a horizontal pressing exercise. I’ve found weighted pushup variations pair up very nicely with inverted rows. In addition, if the movement feels too easy you can add weight to your body in the form of weight plates, chains, or a weighted vest. Lastly, the closer you place the roller towards your feet the more challenging the movement is.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foam Roller Dumbbell Z Press (Foam Roller Optional) | #4 & #5 | 3 | 4-6 | 60-75" | 8 | 2-3" |
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As many of you know I’m a huge fan of the foam roller but not for the purpose of foam rolling or soft tissue work. In fact I use it exclusively to modify exercises and make them more effective or challenging. If you're looking for a suitable replacement for the overhead Z press as well as an exercise that helps master your overhead mechanics and crushes your delts look no further than this exercise. Essentially you're performing an overhead press while sitting on a foam roller. Here are several advantages of using the foam roller for overhead presses as I demonstrate in the video.
- The overhead press while seated on a foam roller is actually a more low-back friendly variation of the popular Z-press. While I’m a huge fan of the Z-press, the compact torso angle and extreme hip flexion position can periodically cause low back and hip discomfort in some populations. Sitting on the foam roller helps to resolve this due to the less extreme hip flexion angle. Here's what the traditional Z-press looks like as demonstrated by one of my NFL athletes Bryce Jones.
- One of the most common problems on overhead presses is learning how to position your center of gravity throughout while also producing optimal t-spine extension. This often creates issues where the individual is either overly upright (not enough t-spine extension) which places excessive tension on the glenohumeral joint and rotator cuff or the individual overly extends at their lumbar spine (leaning back too much) thereby placing undue stress on their low back. Performing overhead presses while seated on the foam roller helps to resolve this issue. Essentially if you’re too upright or are too extended you’ll feel like you’re going to roll off the foam roller and lose control of your body position. Simply put it teaches you to find the perfect balance of torso placement, t-spine extension, and spinal positioning. While sitting on a stability ball can produce a similar effect, the foam roller is even more sensitive to anteroposterior deviations in weight distribution and body shifting which further helps teach proper pressing mechanics. With that said I highly recommend using a spotter when performing these to ensure you don’t slip off the foam roller.
- Learning to brace your core and recruit your abdominal musculature during overhead presses is critical not only for maximizing motor control and overall load but also for minimizing stress to the low back. The overhead press while seated on a foam roller helps cue the lifter to recruit their abs as a means of stabilizing the load and their body.
- This is a surprisingly intense overhead press that requires precise levels of motor control and muscle activation from head to toe. As a result the shoulders, upper back, triceps, and core get pummeled. However the lifter will be able to use substantially lighter loads relative to other presses to produce this effect. Simply put this is a very suitable overhead pressing variation for individuals with shoulder injuries due to the intense levels of activation yet reduced loading parameters.
Read more at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/master-your-overhead-press-with-the-foam-roller
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti Rolling Barbell Pullups | #4 & #5 | 3 | 4-8 | 60-75" | 8-9 | 2" |
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This may look like a normal pull-up however it's anything but. This anti-rolling barbell pullup as performed by my NFL athlete Prince Charles Iworah is one of the most physically demanding pull-up variations you'll ever attempt. Simply place a barbell in a squat rack on top of the safety pins without the bar touching either side of the columns (this allows the bar to spin and roll). This variation provides 4 unique benefits
- Because the barbell will want to spin and roll out of the hands throughout the movement, this is one of the most effective exercises for crushing the grip, forearms, and hand muscles not to mention the upper back and lats.
- Anti-rolling barbell pull-ups and chin-ups force the lifter to use smooth and controlled technique. Any excessive momentum, kipping, cheating, shifting, and wiggling will exponentially magnify the rolling effect of the barbell causing it to spin out of your hands. In other words you’ll have to use an eccentric isometric protocol as shown here.
- These also do wonders for cleaning up pullup mechanics particularly by helping the athletes hone in on the optimal range of motion. Excessive collapsing at the bottom (allowing the shoulders to over-elevate) as well as trying to over pull at the top also magnifies the spinning effect of the barbell. To keep the bar locked in requires the athlete to use the ROM shown in this video (pulling to approximately mid face height). And yes this represents the ROM I recommend for pull-ups. Stay tuned for future writings about this.
- The anti-rolling barbell setup provides a number of grip options and widths (including extremely wide options) to suit literally any body size and shape.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes Closed Hang Clean (Proprioception Power Training) | #6 & #7 | 3 | 3-4 | 60-75" | 5-8 | 1-2" |
Option #1
Option #2
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Eyes closed training is something I frequently incorporate with all of my clients and athletes. That’s because it improves movement mechanics and muscle function. In fact I’ve seen it do wonders for my clients and athletes almost immediately. The reason for this is that closing your eyes on any exercise forces your muscle spindles and other proprioceptive mechanisms to work overtime in order to stabilize the movement and control the load. In other words it teaches the lifter to rely more on kinesthetic awareness rather than sight. Instead of watching your way through the movement, feel your way through the movement.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Curl with Eccentric Isometric Lunge | #6 & #7 | 2-3 | 5-6 per side | 60-90" | 8-9 | 2" |
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Although this is a combination lower body and arm exercise, the stimulus to the biceps is incredibly intense. While holding a dumbbell in each hand lower your body into the bottom of a lunge without touching your back knee to the ground. While holding the eccentric isometric (stretched position) of a lunge perform smooth and controlled reps of bicep curls while pausing in the top and bottom position of the curling motion. There are several benefits of this unique protocol including increased tension in the contracted position as well as the fact that it forces the lifter to eliminate momentum as swinging and cheating will cause the lifter to lose balance.
The eccentric isometric lunge position can also be used to perform shoulder raises such as front raises and lateral raises as the slight forward lean makes it very effective for targeting the delts and eliminating cheating or activation from the upper traps.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lying Cable Pullover | #8 & #9 | 2-3 | 6-8 | 60" | 7-8 | 2" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
The lying cable pullover is a great lat/back, core, tricep, and chest movement as it produces constant tension throughout the movement and really taxes the entire upper body and core. It's also an excellent movement for individuals who experience chronic low back pain. People with low back pain usually suffer from an overly flat back or lack of a natural arch due to prolonged sitting in a slouched position during the day. But some individuals fall on the opposite end of the spectrum and have an excessive low back arch as well as unusually weak core muscles.
This Supine or Lying Cable Pullover is a great exercise for correcting this. Even if you don’t fall into this category, the movement is a great core and upper body drill for thoroughly taxing the surrounding musculature. The key is to keep your core fully engaged throughout by trying to minimize the amount of arch produced in your low back and keeping the low back pushed into the floor particularly in the contracted position. Its also important to keep the shoulder packed (depressed and retracted) and not allowing them to excessively elevate or protract as this places undue stress on the shoulder joint. f you don’t have access to a cable system, this movement can also be performed with exercise bands.
OPTION #2
Offset Leverage Negative Tricep Skull Crusher with BANA 2:1: The offset leverage landmine allows the lifter to focus predominantly on one side & crush it with maximal intensity as the assisting arm can only provide very light partial assistance on the concentric rather than complete assistance. As a result both the eccentric & concentric phases end up being close to maximal effort rather than the concentric simply being wasted.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Warmup: Single Leg Overhead Medicine Ball Swap | #8 & #9 | 2-3 | 4-5 per side | 60-90" | 7 | N/A |
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Single leg swaps are my go to exercise for strengthening the feet and ankles. The overhead variation of the swap further increases the difficulty as it raises the center of mass causing greater rotational torque and destabilizing forces on the body. Using a medicine ball (which produces a similar effects as holding a bottoms up kettebell but is more conducive for swaps) is a great way to incorporate simultaneous shoulder stability, postural alignment, motor control, mental focus, and overhead mobility while learning to maintain balance throughout the body.
In addition this specific variation reinforces the idea of integrating stabilization in the feet, ankles, core, and shoulders (head to toe integration) and coordinating these components together to stabilize the body as a whole unit. This is an important capability that all individual from athletes to fitness enthusiasts should master. Here’s one of my collegiate quarterbacks I work with Drew Dinsmore improving his lower body stability, core activation and shoulder function all at once. And yes this an another drill that’s much trickier than it looks.
It’s also an excellent warm-up exercise to get the entire body functioning as a whole unit and sending blood flow to all major muscles of the body. During this specific workout I had Drew work these in with heavy eccentric isometric squats, eyes closed floor press, eyes closed inverted rows, reverse depth drops, and single arm planks.
| EXERCISE | DURATION | # OF DRILLS | REST BETWEEN DRILLS | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Intensity Intervals (HIT) Cardio | 30 minutes | 8 | 10-20 seconds | 7-9 |
HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO TRAINING (HIT)
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