It’s all just practice folks. I talk a lot about consistency, which, in essence, is simply practicing with some regularity the thing you want to improve or maintain. That’s how I view training, or “working out” as many call it.

Lifting weights with good form takes practice. Some moves may come more naturally than others but it’s still building skills that require practice. Different ranges of motion or increases in weight will require your body to adapt and progress, but this only happens if you put in the work, aka practice.

Power, the ability to move with some quickness or some bounce is extremely important as we age. However, if you aren’t purposely cultivating this ability, it won’t happen. In fact, you’re losing it at a faster rate each passing year after roughly age 40. Jumps, hops, skips, bounds, and various medicine ball throws need to be part of your weekly movement. It’s not lost on me that the average person doesn’t engage in these activities during their typical week. But I think it’s great we have the opportunity to be better than just typical. It need only be brief, but practiced regularly.

When stretching, working on mobility or flexibility, you’re practicing getting into different positions. Like strength training exercises, some will feel more difficult than others. The important thing is to explore some of these positions that your body may not otherwise experience throughout an average day, often down on the floor. That, I find, is the hard part. You’ve had a busy day and now this “practice” requires you to get down on the ground and move around. None of this comes easy, but if you’ve ever played a sport, practice isn’t always sunshine and unicorns. It’s going to require work and intention.

Keep in mind it’s all relative. You don’t have to be the strongest, the most powerful, or the most flexible. You need only begin where you are at and take your time building. Accumulate practice over time and let it take you closer to the goal. Some days will be better than others. At times you may feel unstoppable, while other days it feels impossible to gain any momentum. This is normal, just do your best to stick to the plan and keep stacking days.

Not sure where to start? Let me help you. Or, when in doubt, just go lighter and do less than you think you should. Consistency is never a race. You can always do more tomorrow, just practice something today.

Though not a financial guru, from what I understand, diversifying your investment portfolio is one of the most basic and user-friendly ways to have long-term investing success. After coaching people of all ages for about 22 years, I recognize that the same strategy should apply to movement. If you want long-term movement success, you’ve got to make sure that your portfolio isn’t limited. Let me give you 3 examples.

Aging/Longevity

The older we get, typically the fewer reasons we have to move, especially in a variety of ways. Working long hours and/or chauffeuring the kids to their activities doesn’t require much physicality. But, if you plan to play with your future grandchildren, maintaining some of those physical skills that you earned earlier in life will pay dividends down the road. If you plan to travel a bit more upon retiring, keeping moving now will ensure that you have a better experience. What I recommend is utilizing exercises that involve getting down on the ground and ultimately back up again, as well as exercises that utilize different planes of motion, meaning moving laterally, rotating, or even backward. It could be as simple as getting down on the ground to perform a glute bridge, followed by a set of TRX Rows (back on your feet). Or, a slightly more advanced example would be to occasionally practice skipping forward, backward, laterally and with a crossover, which act as your lower body power exercise or plyometric type movement in a given workout. Not only do these things help with the ability to more smoothly get up and down, as well as build strength and power, but they will ultimately help reduce the risk of falls for older adults, which, in case you weren’t aware, can have serious consequences.

Those who already train/exercise, but have a narrow focus

One issue I frequently see involves those that are already physically active but generally limited in the grand scheme of things. For example, resistance training is fantastic for health and longevity, but not everyone who engages in it also takes the time to use a foam roller, do various ground based mobility drills or even choose exercises that are unilateral like a single leg squat or a ½ kneeling 1-arm overhead press. In no way am I suggesting that you frequently or randomly change your workouts, but I do think it is important to consider pushing and pulling vertically versus horizontally, using one limb versus two, and utilizing barbells versus dumbbells, kettlebells, and cables. All of the above have unique qualities that can aid in diversifying, potentially making you a better overall mover. Another example might be someone who is in great shape from regular biking or running but doesn’t do any plyometric work like jumping, skipping, hopping or bounding. So while they might be in great shape, they lack lower body power. In a perfect world you would want to not only have at least some ability to produce force quickly (power), but also have the ability to “put the brakes on” and absorb those forces. You don’t have to put a large amount of your time investment into this if you have specific goals, but there is definitely value in diversifying if only to be more “secure” in the future.

Athletes: All levels

Finally, I think about athletes. Athletes of all ages need a diverse array of movement skills. Whether you’re a developing young athlete that plays different sports and/or different positions, or an adult weekend warrior type, it pays to be well rounded. Coach Fred Duncan says, “The physical qualities that support performance aren’t unique to one sport.” In other words, qualities like fast, powerful, strong, and coordinated carry across all sports and in life. Most of us are aware of the unicorn outlier like a baseball pitcher that seemingly does nothing else. However, in the name of longevity it behooves that athlete to sprint, jump, lift weights, train each leg independently and get away from the same repetitive throwing pattern during certain parts of the year. It’s no different for a person who is retired and enjoys spending lots of time on the golf course. So much goes into a golf swing including strength and power as well as shoulder, hip, and ankle mobility. If you aren’t spending some time on these, and all you do is swing the club, walk the course, and indulge at the 19th hole, your game will be hindered either by your ability to perform or potential aches and pains down the road.

Summing things up:

If you don’t use it, you lose it. Cliche, but true. At one point when you were a child you were likely able to bend, reach, twist, hop, skip, jump, throw, and bounce. You can get some of it back if it went missing. Spend a few minutes a week on a few things that you can keep in your movement toolkit, whether they get used often or not. As Coach Tony Holler says, “Priority doesn’t have to mean majority”. You can still prioritize strength, flexibility, and movement skills in different positions while doing it in small doses. A base level of multiple skills goes a long way regardless of where you currently are.

The Get-Up: (Mobility)

Most can agree that the ability to get down on the floor and back up again is a valuable skill to have. This understandably becomes more challenging with age. While there are several ways that one could get up and down, the choreographed movement of the traditional Get-Up requires quite a bit of both mobility and coordinated strength throughout the entire body. Few other total body exercises are as accessible to so many people. It may be hard for some, but most people can work towards getting better. There are also slight modifications that can be used, such as without weight in the hand at all, or bringing the weight down from overhead to the rack position during the lunge. The shoulder mobility requirement in particular can be an issue for older folks first learning the Get-Up, and therefore I find it perfectly ok to implement either of those two strategies to help be successful.

Ladder Drills: (Agility/Power)

The majority of people probably think about football or youth sports when they see the ladder. I see it as a safe way to train with a bit more speed than the average person is used to in daily life. There are numerous drills that allow for an increase or decrease in difficulty. It’s also a chance to work on balance, coordination, and to get moving in various directions. The average person doesn’t spend much time moving backward, laterally, with a crossover, or jumping in their daily life. However, training for lower body power with these movements makes you better at producing force, absorbing force, changing direction, and being generally more athletic. Utilizing the ladder may enhance your skills on the pickleball court, but if you aren’t playing a sport, it’s no less important. Trips and falls via wet or uneven surfaces, as well as dog leases, just to name a few, are a real thing. It may sound crazy, but you can train to hopefully avoid those too.

Farmer Carry: (Strength)

Relatively heavy strength exercises are many, but few are accessible to virtually everyone while at the same time linking the upper and lower body. I don’t have a fancy standard such as, you should be able to carry your own bodyweight (½ in each hand), or X amount of pounds for 1 minute. What I suggest is to just get out there and practice the farmer carry with various weights at varying distances and durations. It doesn’t have to be difficult very often. It just needs to be done and over the long run you will improve the overall strength of your body, from your feet all the way to your hands.

Some people like the feeling of soreness the day after a workout. It makes them feel like they “did something”. While I understand this thought process, I am most certainly not one of those people. For me, the discomfort of soreness is far worse than the discomfort of dragging my butt to the gym when I don’t necessarily want to or finishing a hard set of squats.

In my experience, there are a few main reasons why soreness happens, and they have little to do with the effectiveness of a training session.

The single leading factor is a change in exercise. For example, the bench press and the push up train the same muscles. But if you very rarely do push ups and often bench press, there’s a high likelihood that if you choose to do 3-4 sets of push ups one day instead of bench press, it’s going to make you sore. The same could be said for swapping squats for lunges. Same muscles, but that first time you crank out some lunges you may get pretty sore. So, if you’re truly a masochist, all you need to do is never repeat the same workout and you can get sore every time! I, on the other hand, prefer to stick to the same few exercises for 6 to even 10 weeks in some cases. That way, when I make a change, I expect some soreness, but I also attempt to mitigate it in a few ways.

Another factor when it comes to getting sore is an increase in volume. Volume is essentially the total amount of work done. Meaning if you often do 3 sets of 10 but decide to one day try 3 sets of 20, that’s twice the amount of reps as usual. Twice as much of something may make you sore. To avoid this I tend to keep the volume relatively consistent with only small changes here and there. When I begin a series of new exercises I will deliberately keep the volume extra low. I may only do 2 sets rather than 3. Or, I’ll make the first set incredibly easy and still keep the second and the third relatively light in comparison to what I expect to do in the coming weeks. I always keep these words from Tony Holler in mind: “You can always do more tomorrow, but you can never do less yesterday.”

The next variable to keep in mind is intensity. If I typically do 3 sets of 8 with a moderate weight on an exercise, it’s unlikely that I’ll attempt 5 sets of 3 with a much heavier weight the next week. While I could technically do it well, that dramatic uptick in weight, aka intensity, is going have me feeling it the next day. I may make smaller steps in that direction over a few weeks, but not all at once.

Lastly, this is the most simple, but not necessarily easy, and that is, don’t be inconsistent. If you haven’t trained for a while, meaning weeks or even months, there is a much greater chance of getting sore. Almost anything could bring it on. So, my advice, first is to try and remain consistent, even if it’s a very small amount with more frequency. Secondly, if you’re like me and prefer not feeling that crippling soreness, don’t do too much that first day back. Leave the gym knowing you could have done a great deal more. Then, go back again soon and in fact, do more.

I love making use of a sled in the gym. One of my favorite things about it is that nearly anyone can do it. As long as you can walk, you can push a sled. Just adjust the weight according to your strength level. It can be used as a tool to elevate your heart rate but just as easily to build strength, which is what I most often prefer. Perhaps best of all, it won’t make you sore. Yes, you read that right. Because the muscle action is only concentric (push only) and not eccentric (think lowering of the weight), you could do a ton of sled work without risk of getting sore. This is similar to the muscle action of a stationary bike. In that regard, you can also use the sled as a recovery tool between days of training if you feel so inclined. The main drawback to the sled is the space needed, therefore making it a tool not everyone will have access to.

All of that being said, in my experience, most people merely push the sled forward and might occasionally drag it backward. Well, here are 5 more ways you can utilize it.

Crossover Drag: Use this to feel much more athletic than plodding along forward and backward Plus it gets you moving in a different plane and hitting the adductors (groin muscles) much differently than most are used to. It can be done with either a belt set up or some kind of handle.

Lateral Step/Walk: Again, here you’re putting force in the ground while moving in a different direction other than just forward or backward. Focus on pushing off with the back leg, not reaching with the lead foot, keeping your head level and feeling those abductors (outer hip muscles) go to work.

Forward March w/ Handles: A different forward walk than you’ll typically see. Just attach some handles/straps and don’t be afraid to go heavy for a great full body exercise. Lean forward and think about “power marching” by pushing hard against the ground with each step.

Bound: If you’re already doing some plyometric/jumping type exercises in your workouts, consider bounding with the sled. Most plyos/jumps are either lateral or vertical, but in this case we can get into a different direction and go more horizontal. Push off hard like you’re trying to get some hang time and keep the reps low (like 5 per side).

Sprint: Sprints aren’t for everyone but attempting to run/sprint with a sled is typically safer for those not used to running because the sled slows the body down a fair amount and reduces some of the stress the body otherwise takes on when moving fast. Keep the distance short, the weight medium and take plenty of rest in between reps.

Resistance training is steadily gaining in popularity. One of the most common questions I get from those who are getting on the training train is, “Should I lift to failure? And, what does that even mean exactly?”

The answer: Sometimes, sort of. Surely that was not helpful. Let me elaborate.

First, let’s define “failure”. Typically it’s going to mean doing as many reps as possible until you can’t lift the weight anymore. That would be the muscular failure that most people are referring to. I don’t recommend pushing every set to that point. For example, if we are going to do 3 sets of an exercise, I don’t like the idea of doing as many as you can on that first set, as performance is bound to decline due to fatigue on the following sets. It’s a recipe for a quick crash and burn. Chin ups and push ups are great examples of this. If you’ve ever done as many as you can, you’re likely familiar with the drop off in reps that comes in the following sets. It’s often dramatic. What I recommend is that if the most you can eke out is 7 reps, maybe start with 4 or 5 reps, and on the second set, try to repeat that again. This way, you’re practicing quality, repeatable reps. This will still help you get both stronger and more efficient at the given exercise. If we are talking about an exercise using dumbbells rather than your bodyweight, start with a lighter weight on the first set and do a specific number of reps, then increase the weight on set number two. That second will likely be more difficult, but still not pushed to exhaustion. On the third set, feel free to push a bit further by either adding more weight or more reps than the previous set.

Secondly, something I’ve learned from some of the best coaches in the world is that we simply don’t want to miss reps. In other words, keep the frequency of attempting a rep and ultimately missing it to an absolute minimum. Grasping this improves with experience, but I often tell people, if you think there’s a chance you won’t be able to do the next rep, or it’s going to get really ugly looking at best, don’t do that rep. The set is over. By following this way of thinking, you’re “practicing” your strength. You are literally training your body to perform these feats, but you are not “practicing” failing them. Focus on deliberate high-quality reps rather than potential unsuccessful ones. If need be, you could always come back a few minutes later and do an extra set. This is essentially a quality over quantity approach.

Let’s talk more about those ugly looking reps. Some coaches like to use the term “technical failure”. This means stopping the set at a point where technique or form starts to break down. If you’re thinking you can get one more rep if you wiggle through it or lean back a little extra, that’s altering your form and is unnecessary, if not even a bit risky. When perfect form is slipping, you’ve likely pushed the set far enough. That’s technical failure and a good barometer for where to end a set. Having an idea of how many reps you’d like to perform is a good idea, but it should not be the only guide. On occasion, you’ll do a rep or two less than expected, and other times a rep or two more because you were able to feel that the reps were going smoother than anticipated. Both circumstances are acceptable.

Speaking of risky, some circumstances do allow for pushing a bit further into failure. For example, doing a set of tricep pushdowns on a cable machine to failure doesn’t pose much risk and is probably fine if that’s what you want to do. Whereas, doing a set of dumbbell walking lunges just gets awkward as you push to failure. I’m simply not in favor of having someone do a set of lunges until they literally can no longer stand up off the ground. A better option, as is hopefully becoming clear, is to simply push to technical failure, be sure to not miss any reps, and likely save that hard effort for the final set. Other isolation exercises, like bicep curls or calf raises, can more frequently be pushed to the edge if that’s what you like, but for the larger exercises, such as a lunge, chin up, squat, or dumbbell bench press, I recommend finding the sweet spot of working hard, but stopping short of failure.

Some final thoughts:

• How quickly the reps move is also an indicator. Surely your reps will feel like they are slowing down as you accumulate them through a set. However, once you feel that they are slowing down considerably, you’re approaching technical failure.

• I often follow the protocol that I mentioned above; use a moderate weight on your first set. Use a heavier weight on your second set. Based on how that set feels, either use that same weight again or go heavier still, knowing that the third and final set will be the most difficult. That third set can be pushed to technical failure.

• Staying just short of failure, or stopping at technical failure, on most sets allows for both recovery to perform the next set, but also recover and train more often. There is no need to push so hard that you need several days to recover. You’re better off dialing it back and training with more frequency. Doing so will allow for more consistency and, again, quality. Those two things lead me to my last point.

• Keep in mind that the idea for the vast majority of us is to keep doing this for a long time, not just win today’s workout. As Coach Dan John says, we merely need to “nudge” the weight up here and there when it feels right. Each day and/or set in the gym is not meant to be a test. That’s why it’s called training. We are training to build strength, not attempting to test it with every set or every training session. That is a recipe for failure. The goal is success.

10 years ago, I admittedly didn’t know a thing about osteoporosis or how to train with it in mind. Whether that meant prevention of it or training after being diagnosed, it was something I had never learned about. What I’ve come to learn since, is that while several factors can contribute to osteoporosis, including family history and diet, when it comes to training in the gym, you don’t need anything extra special or dramatically different than anyone else. What you need is simply some good training. In a general sense, “good training” means safe progressions of exercises that meet you where you are currently, training the entire body each session, and utilizing very basic plyometrics, aka jumping activities.

Building Bones:

You must stress the bone with enough load to warrant adaptation. There are many ways to do this. Some are arguably safer than others. This could be an article in itself, but the important thing is to lift weights 2-3 days a week. This could include your bodyweight as well, depending on your strength level for certain exercises. You don’t need excessive hours in the gym to create adaptation. You don’t need a barbell on your back either, despite what some may argue and what the popular LiftMOR study showed. What you need to do is simply start where you are at, use basic progressions, and add weight whenever you can safely.

To do this, you merely need one compound exercise per movement pattern. These patterns are Upper Body Pushing, Upper Body Pulling, Lower Body Pushing, and Lower Body Pulling. This is a full body routine to be done each time you step into the gym. If anyone suggests to you a “shoulder day” or “back and biceps day”, you have my permission to stop listening at that juncture. An example of the above patterns would look like this:

Incline DB Bench Press

1-Arm DB Row

Goblet Squat

Single Leg Deadlift

All of the exercises in this example use multiple muscles and cross multiple joints, meaning they are compound movements. These will give you the most bang for your buck.

Impact Training:

It’s been my experience that impact training is the most confusing or misunderstood part of the osteoporosis puzzle. Some “experts” suggest that jumping can be dangerous. I do think safety is of the utmost importance, but that suggestion may be a little too broad. On the opposite side of the spectrum, others suggest what I feel are far too advanced plyometric variations. Different jump variations indeed offer higher forces, which is good in theory but not always good in practice. It’s best to build slow and controlled at first. Pogo Jumps and Vertical Jumps are two entry level exercises that I use often. That said, I use this thought process and these exercises with everyone I work with, regardless of age. It’s simply part of a good training model.

Balance:

In a well thought out training plan, balance will see improvement, which ultimately helps prevent falls. While there are specific exercises that you could do to focus on balance, many of the exercises in the “good training” plan will incorporate a component of balance. First and foremost is building leg strength, especially in exercises that emphasize a single leg. This includes split squats, reverse lunges, and step ups. Not only do these three exercises (among others) build strength as well as improve balance, but they also will improve joint mobility for many people. One contributor to poor balance is a lack of mobility in the hips, ankles, or feet. The less those joints move, the harder it becomes to move the whole unit, aka body, effectively and efficiently.

Muscle Mass:

The vast majority of people, especially those concerned with keeping osteoporosis at bay, aren’t interested in “bulking up”. However, if you can imagine a person with very little muscle on their frame versus someone who has some muscle tone, the person with the muscle has what Coach Dan John calls “body armour”. If nothing else, this bit of muscle mass creates a barrier between your bones and the ground. Don’t be too worried about getting bulky or about adding a ton of muscle, just worry about lifting your weights on a consistent basis and you’ll be fine.

The Round Up:

Train with safe jumping exercises that you can control. Practice quality over quantity. Train your whole body each session. Not including the jumping or impact exercises, this can be done in as few as four exercises. 8-12 reps per set for these strength exercises is perfectly acceptable. Not all sets need to be pushed to the limit, but as a general rule, if you make the last set challenging, you’re doing great. You don’t have to choose the exercises that I suggested above, as other traditional exercises like push ups, TRX rows, kettlebell deadlifts, sled pushes and farmer carries work wonders.

Earlier this week, a certain legendary radio show made a social media video of various staff members attempting to skip down the hallway. It was hilarious as some were good at it and others struggled. I watched with a close eye knowing what it’s like to ask an adult who likely hasn’t skipped in years, to give it a try. I have just about everyone I work with skip. Why is that? Is skipping a workout? Why do I think skipping is important enough to do in the gym?

Skipping is plyometric in nature. It requires absorbing force upon landing and then directing it back upward to propel the body both up and forward. Not only do athletes need to train for power, but so do adults. As we age, adults will lose the ability to move quickly, i.e. be powerful, unless it’s practiced. Think, use it or lose. Skipping is one of many simple and safe ways to practice moving more quickly than you might on a regular basis.

Exercises like skipping, which not only produce power but also require absorbing the force upon landing, are also good for building bone density. A quality osteoporosis prevention program requires exercises that involve impact. If we’re talking about older adults or those without much training experience, these impact exercises need to first be safe. It’s likely that grandma doesn’t need to try the same plyometric exercise you see NFL players perform on social media. There are levels to safely training impact that build bone strength and density. It’s important to take this into account.

Another reason I like skipping? It’s a single leg exercise. Many things in life are performed on one leg, including walking swiftly, jogging, and climbing stairs. Training power on two legs is fantastic, but equally so is training on one leg. Again, skipping is typically an entry level exercise for being on one leg. With a little coaching, most people can do it.

Lastly, skipping is great because it can be advanced to multiple directions. You can skip forward, backward, laterally, and curvilinearly, as well as many other potential variations. These challenging patterns make you at least slightly more coordinated and athletic. Being at least slightly more coordinated and athletic into our later years makes other daily tasks at least a bit easier, ultimately making you more of a capable human being. That, arguably, is the point of training. Skipping is just a part of it.

Believe me, I know it can feel goofy. I’ve both felt and seen it. But, skipping is a very fundamental and attainable way to either build or maintain some power and coordination in your muscles, as well as benefit your bones. Everyone should be practicing skipping!

Coach Tony Gentilcore has said:

“10% of your workouts = you feel like He-Man and crush it.

10% of your workouts = you feel like a dumpster fire

The remaining 80% = you go in, do the work, hit all your reps, and leave.

THAT’S where you make progress. By showing up consistently.”

I find this to be true both through experience and through many other prominent coaches expressing a similar sentiment. Staying active and building strength is incredibly important if we want to maintain our health and independence as we age, but not every day is going to be kick ass. Progress is rarely linear. Although “progressive overload” is the name of the game when it comes to resistance training, we can’t expect to improve week over week continually. As I often like to joke, if constant improvement were easy, by now I should be bench pressing at least 1,500 lbs. Ideally, we are in this for the long haul. Things are going to get in the way sometimes, and that’s ok. Some days just aren’t your day, and that’s ok. Understanding this, it’s important to learn to “pick your spots.”

For those 10% dumpster fire days, you can reduce the weight a bit, leave out one set, or complete the work as best you can, then move on and don’t stress about it. It’s normal. Just keep coming back.

For those 80% of the time, terribly average days, as unsexy as it sounds, just get it done. That in and of itself is a win. It may look a lot like last time or last week, but as long as the effort and intention are there, things will pay off over the long term.

For those 10% days when you feel like you’re crushing it, this is what I like to call “pick your spots”. What I mean is, when you’re feeling yourself (as the kids say), grab a heavier weight, add a rep or two, and push it. These days don’t happen all the time (like 10%, duh), so take advantage when you can. That’s where you can see progress and maybe even surprise yourself. Now, as Coach Tony says, you truly make progress by showing up consistently, but the longer you do this lifting thing, the more familiar you’ll become with knowing which days you’re just punching the clock (most days) and which you’re picking your spots to push it a little.

In short: don’t expect visible progress every day. All the work adds up over time. On the occasions that the weights feel extra heavy, back off if you need to. Live to fight another day. On the days they feel abnormally light, that’s your time to strike.

When coaching I look at the fundamentals. I work with people of all ages, strength, and skill levels but I try to address the basic things first. The lowest hanging fruit, if you will. One of the common issues I see is a lack of scapular movement when people do various upper body exercises. What I mean by this is a lack of movement in the shoulder blades, when in fact they should be moving. I think this is at least due in part to people thinking about their posture (a good thing) and possibly overcorrecting.

We’ve all heard, “Fix your posture. Shoulders down and back.” This is good in theory, but not always in practice. While traditional forward slumping posture obviously isn’t ideal, pinning the shoulder blades down and back isn’t either. If we’re thinking about building strong and healthy shoulders, we want the shoulder blades to move and glide at certain times while exercising.

The person I’ve learned the most from in this area is Coach Eric Cressey. He’s helped me understand how the shoulder blade upwardly rotates and wraps around the rib cage in so many upper body pulling movements (think row exercises). He gives several examples in this video.

8 Ways To Screw Up A Row

Scapular movement can apply to upper body pushing movements as well. Not so much your typical bench press variations, which possibly contribute to the issue since bench press variations are some common, but landmine presses and push ups for example. One of the biggest mistakes I see from those who can do a lot of push ups, and I see this often because I spend time in public gyms, is to keep the shoulders pinned and not fully push the floor away at the top of a push up. This form/technique may allow for a lot of reps to happen, but I would argue they aren’t good reps. Eric Cressey again explains this in the video below.

Scapular Movement During The Push Up

So, next time you’re doing some upper body training, think about when you may want your scapula moving so that you can get the most out of each exercise while also making your shoulders more robust and healthy.

Circa 2007 weight training started to gain popularity. Training with a barbell and a group of likeminded individuals started to become more normal. Almost 20 years later there is a lot of talk about women’s health, menopause, and strength training to build bone density. This too is progress. Thanks to this shift there are quite a few options available to the average gym-goer looking to fortify their body for the long haul. This is a positive, but at the same time can have its drawbacks. Yes, we need to “go heavy” whether you are looking to build muscle and bone, or compete as an athlete. But when choosing exercises to meet specific goals, the exercises should be safe, effective, and challenging. For my money, that is the order of importance.

Not all exercises are safe for all people. Not everyone is meant to bench press with a barbell or press a barbell overhead from behind the neck. In many cases people’s shoulders take a beating in those two examples. There’s no need to endure such a thing when there are viable alternatives. That same person may find it perfectly comfortable to dumbbell incline bench press instead of barbell flat bench press. Or, said person may be able to single arm press a dumbbell/kettlebell overhead far easier than using the bar behind the head. The effect and challenge remain the same but the safety on the joints is dramatically different.

There are likely thousands of extremely safe exercises available to us. The problem being that they aren’t all equally effective for a healthy person. When I say effective I mean an exercise that gives a significant bang for your buck, likely crosses more than one joint and closer to full body than isolating one muscle, and is for the average person who likely has many other priorities in their life outside of the gym. For example, the lying leg curl machine is safe. It’s effective in that the hamstring muscles will do plenty of work. For the average gym-goer with a limited amount of time to commit to strength training each week, I would always opt for an exercise that integrates more muscles and coordination such as a single leg glute bridge, sliding leg curl or even single leg deadlift. All of those exercises not only work the hamstrings in a similar fashion to the machine leg curl, but also include the glutes and to some degree the core. To give one more example, bicep curls are rather safe and easy to make challenging. It’s not that they aren’t effective but chin ups and row variations are equally effective in training the biceps while also involving the back and shoulders, hence the bang for your buck I mentioned. I will always prioritize chin ups and rows before considering if there is time to isolate the biceps.

Once we’ve got an exercise that qualifies as both safe and effective, making it challenging is relatively simple. To do that just make sure you have weight that is for you, difficult to complete anywhere from 5-12 reps. If you can’t get 5 reps, it’s probably a bit too heavy (in most instances). If you can do more than 12 reps, add a bit more weight and do as many perfect reps as you can. That’s the key. Good reps only. If you feel like you could squeak out 1 or 2 more but with a lean back or forward or some kind of other position change, simply leave those reps out to the best of your ability and you’ve the set or exercise challenging.

Consider these 3 qualifiers and your training will likely be headed in the right direction.

“It feels satisfying to do a lot.” - Tony Holler

This can often be how people operate in their weekly workouts. Getting a lot done is satisfying. I respect that. Most would agree that doing a lot is far better than sitting on the couch and eating (insert favorite junk food). But, once commitment and consistency have been established, it would behoove us to think about the next level. Movement is good. You’re getting work done. Now what? Legendary coach John Wooden used to say, “Never mistake activity for achievement”. It feels satisfying to do a lot of things, but are you doing the right things?

This is where program design comes into play. Most people don’t have much of a comprehensive plan. There isn’t much reasoning behind what they do. They may even just wing it on a regular basis.

A classic example would be only doing cardio and neglecting resistance training. You walk into the gym, and the free weight area looks crowded, so rather than lifting, you decide to do some cardio for an hour. Cardio is important, but not any more important than lifting weights. You can do a lot of it, but it may not be as productive as a well planned resistance training session. As another example, bicep curls are a lot more fun than sled pushes, but you don’t need many bicep curls in a given week. Certainly not more than one variation in a workout. That’s hard for some people to hear, but odds are if you’re doing more than one variation, it’s at the expense of something else that is as important, if not more. In this case, you might be skimping on unilateral lower body strength via the sled push. If you have extra time, that’s great, just make sure you take care of the priorities first.

When I say priorities, I mean that many important qualities and movement patterns should be trained in a given workout and/or week of training, not simply resistance training and cardio. As I often say, that may sound like a lot! That’s where planning comes in. Simply a little of each per training session can be an effective strategy. A bit of micro-dosing, if you will.

I recommend a full-body training routine each time you step into the gym. A few specific patterns and qualities (i.e. power, mobility, etc) and merely 2-3 sets of each. Note that you could perform your cardio activities on separate days if you wish. Example template:

1. Warm Up: Foam Rolling, Stretching, Mobilizing

2. Upper Body Power: ex. Med. Ball Slam

3. Lower Body Power: ex. Skipping

4. Core Stability/Strength: ex. Planks and variations

5. Upper Body Push: ex. Push Up

6. Upper Body Pull: ex. TRX Row

7. Lower Body Push: ex. Reverse Lunge

8. Lower Body Pull: ex. Single Leg Deadlift

9. Cardio Activity: ex. Bike Intervals, Hiking with Friends

Summing things up:

If you’re consistent with your workouts, take these above 9 movements and qualities into account and have a plan to get the most out of your training. Odds are you’ll feel even more satisfied by both making progress and feeling better. As I said, something is always better than nothing. This isn’t meant to dismiss anyone’s training but merely show that if you’re looking for a plan, wanting to kick things up a notch, or be more efficient with your time, there are some ways to get it done, and sometimes it can even be by doing less.

I was listening to a podcast the other day and heard something framed in a way I had never quite thought of. Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple stated, “There isn’t a lifestyle or fun equivalent activity to resistance training.” This really struck me. So much so that I immediately put it in my phone notes. Deep down, I’m just a meathead who likes lifting weights, but I try to coach with the understanding that what I enjoy isn’t necessarily what others do, nor should it be. I do my best to question my own biases. In this case, I had a lightbulb moment that she’s right, there isn’t an alternative to what resistance training offers. No matter how hard we may try to find one.

We know that staying active as we age is important for a plethora of reasons. One way to ensure that is to do activities that you enjoy. When you enjoy something, you’re much more likely to stick with it. That may be hiking, biking, dancing, yoga, or pickleball. Those are all wonderful things that I would never discourage anyone from doing if they were having a good time.

But here’s the challenging part. The best way to deal with declining muscle and to battle fragility as we age is with weights, and there are no equivalent alternatives. None of the above listed activities will build the bone density, muscle mass, and robustness that resistance training can.

As daunting as that may feel, I’ve got a few ideas to help. First, the sooner you start in life, the bigger your advantage. Think of it like an investment account. The earlier you start, the more it will pay off down the road. Even if you didn’t exactly make deposits consistently over a long period of time, it’s still an advantage over never having started at all.

Secondly, with a bit of proper strategy, you don’t need to totally change everything you’re doing and dedicate a ridiculous amount of time to resistance training. Afterall, the training should support the other activities that you truly enjoy doing. It’s intended to enhance your life, not make things harder. I believe (with no scientific evidence, just experience) that a person can build a reasonably solid foundation of bone, muscle, and general robustness with 1-2 hours per week of quality resistance training. You just need to keep accumulating those few hours, much like you don’t need a giant deposit to your account. Keeping it small but consistent works very well over time.

Finally, I realize that lifting weights isn’t everyone’s jam, but I reiterate, there is no alternative that gets the same result. Coach Mike Boyle often uses a beer and ice cream analogy. He enjoys ice cream and beer. But just because he likes those things doesn’t mean he’s recommending them to others as nutritional advice. In other words, sometimes it’s just about what we need, not so much about what we like.

Coaches love talking about staying on your heels in movements like deadlift variations, squats, and swings. I said it myself for years. After all, squatting or doing kettlebell swings while drifting onto your toes doesn’t typically end well. It’s going to get weird. What people don’t realize though is that overemphasizing the heels can be an overcorrection. The foot should act as a tripod. When someone is told to sit back on the heels, one of those points of contact is often greatly reduced, namely that at the base of the big toe. According to Dr. Richard Ulm, who by the way is one of the most intelligent strength coaches and practitioners I’ve ever seen speak, “the way in which an athlete loads their feet profoundly affects both the strategy with which they stabilize their spine and the position of the knee, hip, and pelvis.”

Simply put, if you don’t have equal weight distribution throughout your foot and it’s 3 points of contact while lifting, some muscles like your spinal erectors may be working extra hard or the knee, hip and pelvis may be in a less than optimal position. “Less than optimal” is the key phrase. You, and many others throughout history might be able to move big weights and/or get astoundingly fit without this strategy. However, that may come at a cost down the line, whether it be a postural issue or performance that never reached its full potential.

So, next time you plant your foot in the floor to deadlift, squat or swing, etc. think about the tripod and balance that weight distribution through the foot, throughout the entire set. It will likely feel different at first, but the end result should be a more sturdy foundation, as well as optimal movement and more strength potential.

I’m a firm believer in what could be considered minimalist training. To make progress, do only as much as you need to in the gym, not as much as you could. Why? Largely because we have so many other priorities competing for our time. Some of those priorities may bring you closer to your goal, such as food prep or sleep. Others are simply important things like spouses, kids, friends, and work.

Given all of these priorities, you can still be successful in your fitness goals. How? When you’re able to train, bring some focus and make it count.

The average gym goer probably trains 2-3 times a week. While that’s perfectly acceptable, it’s not a ton of time (2-3 hours total?), so you’ve got to make it count.

This doesn’t mean that you’ve got to go all out every set, always push your limits and constantly leave yourself exhausted. You can still build strength, muscle mass, and bone density with as few as two sets of an exercise. The first set can be relatively easy to get warmed up and the second you can challenge yourself a little bit. It’s only one somewhat hard set, so make it count.

When training for power with exercises like plyometrics and medicine ball throw variations, the focus is maximum force production. We are trying to jump high and throw aggressively every rep. The best way to maximize that is to keep the reps on the lower side. In other words, the focus is on moving fast, for a short burst. You’ve got to make it count because you only get so many reps.

Another thing to consider is exercise selection. A priority should be getting the most bang for our buck. The goal isn’t to work each muscle individually, but more so the body as one unit. In order to get the most out of our time, when designing the exercise program, we’ve got to choose the right exercises and really make them count. Movements like push ups, 1-arm presses in a ½ kneeling position or a sled push check a lot of boxes at the same time.

Keep it simple. Be intentional. Make it count.

Longevity and how to maximize it has grown significantly in popularity over the past several years. Honestly, it’s a great goal in and of itself when considering why you might want to spend time in the gym. Longevity training is building and/or maintaining bone health, muscle mass, and coordination/movement skills, to name only a few benefits. Ideally, these things allow for the opportunity to live independently, be helpful to others, travel, and participate in both social and physical activities. Longevity in anything is staying in the game as long as possible. So, how do we train for it? How does one physically prepare now for what they want down the line?

Spoiler Alert: Longevity training is just good training.

“Good” training consists of several different components. Only incorporating a few things may be ok in the short term, but in the grand scheme of things, all are important and need to be addressed consistently. So what are those components? What is good training?

Strength: We lose strength and muscle mass as we age, making this component of longevity arguably the most important. Strength training can be beneficial in as few as two days a week. In most instances, training the whole body each training session and with larger compound movements will give you the most bang for your buck. Using knee dominant exercises (squat and lunge variations) and hip dominant exercises (single leg deadlifts and glute bridge variations) for the lower body as well as pushing exercises (push up and pressing variations) and pulling exercises (row and pulldown variations) for the upper body each time you workout are a great place to start when talking full body strength. Do consider that unilateral movements like a reverse lunge or a single arm dumbbell row can be extremely important in building balance, coordination, and total body strength. Exercises that use both arms or both legs at the same time are great, but shouldn’t be used exclusively if we’re thinking about longevity, considering the unique benefits that single limb (unilateral) lifts offer. Strength training in different directions needs to be addressed as well. There are a variety of simple ways to get your body moving not only up and down but also forward and backward, laterally and in a rotational fashion. These are all important in trying to maintain what we’ve got for as long as we can and most often will not include the use of seated, fixed axis machines. Lastly, keep in mind that strength training itself is practice in flexibility. The practice of deep squatting, lateral squatting (great groin stretch) as well as getting up and down off of the ground to perform certain exercises will certainly help you with your mobility because you’re constantly getting in and out of a variety of positions that you likely wouldn’t be in throughout the average day.

Mobility: There are a plethora of ways to work on your mobility, even entire brands and products dedicated only to that. However, find what works best for you given the time you have. For my clients and me, that’s addressing various positions and stretches in the warm up and during the workout. Anything else outside of that is icing on the cake. Aside from my own typical 3 resistance training days a week, I get down on the floor 2 to 3 days other days a week before I do any cardiovascular work to do specific breath work, foam rolling and mobility exercises. I keep it brief but it’s a critical part of the whole longevity model. Little and often over the long haul.

Cardio: I’m no expert on the cardiovascular system but I do have an opinion! First, doing some light cardio (the term Zone 2 is awfully popular) is great for the heart and also helps promote recovery from resistance training. For me it also builds confidence that if I’m going to spend a lot of time on my feet or walk quite a few miles for any reason, I’m totally prepared to endure it. Secondly, we need some high intensity cardio that isn’t lifting weights. It’s hard and uncomfortable but necessary. The good news is you don’t have to do it all the time. Maybe only once a week? More than that can be fine in small doses but high intensity done often is not a good formula for longevity.

Power: As we age, we lose power at a greater rate than we do strength and muscle mass. You might be thinking, isn’t power just lifting weights? Well, it kind of is, but not really. Power is about moving something fast. It’s speed training but in this case, not in the traditional sense. Running or sprinting is not required. It does require moving your body at a greater speed than just walking via movements like skipping, jumping, hopping, and bounding, as well as throwing light objects like a medicine ball with force and intent. Not only will these actions train the all-important Type-2 (fast-twitch) muscle fibers, but we know through the research that the plyometric nature of the jumping, bouncing, skipping, and even agility ladder type movements is critical for building bone density. Yes, resistance training can help with that as well, but power training needs to be part of a complete longevity plan.

It’s not lost on me that all of this can feel like a lot, but generally, we need only to micro-dose over the long term. After all, long-term is the name of the game. What I mean by microdose is, just a little bit of everything, not a lot. Long, grueling workouts are not necessary to get it all done. Not every component has to be done every workout, but with good planning, it is totally possible. Consistency will always beat intensity.

Our experiences will shape how we see things. What we’ve done and learned will contribute to how we make decisions. The gym is no different. One of the biggest mistakes I see in the gym is people becoming emotionally attached to certain things. Rather than focusing on the larger goal, it’s common to become too focused on a particular lift or activity, something which should merely be a means to help reach the desired goal. We’ve all done it. Likely no one is safe from this criticism, but know that everything is replaceable. Let me give you a few examples.

The first that comes to mind is the barbell bench press. Since the dawn of time, if you spend time in the gym or have some noticeable upper body musculature, people are going to ask, “How much do you bench?”. Over time this has led to the belief that it’s one of the more important things to be doing. Maybe you’ve even had a little success in improving how much you can bench. This can often create an emotional attachment and dogmatic thought process that in order to be successful, one must bench press. The same goes for the barbell back squat. People love it and struggle to live without it. The problem is, not every exercise is for every body, forever. Things change, especially as we get older, but if we can separate our emotions from the desired outcome, we will be more successful. I personally no longer bench press with a bar or squat with a bar because I’ve found that it’s only a matter of time until either my shoulder or back gets aggravated. Now I could spend countless hours visiting specialists, working on my posture, bracing strategies, or trying to perfect my shoulder mechanics, with the hope that I can get back under the bar and build my strength back up, or I could eliminate emotion and make peace with the fact that I feel not only healthy, but equally strong, replacing those exercises with something like incline dumbbell presses and push up variations, single leg squats and reverse lunges.

I see the same pattern in runners as well. There is nothing wrong with running. If it works for you and you love it, by all means, go for it. However, there’s no question that people who run a lot will often accumulate some aches, pains and injuries. For those that aren’t racing competitively, this is an unnecessary byproduct of trying to get into better shape that can be hard to come to terms with. There are several other more joint-friendly ways to build your cardiovascular system. You may feel like you need to get back to running for whatever reason, but my recommendation is to not become emotionally attached to any specific thing and be more focused on asking, can I get the same result or better, while doing something else that’s not going to cause me pain? The answer, when you remove emotion from the equation, is often yes.

Lastly, I sometimes see this emotional attachment occur with certain “brands” of fitness and strength. The communities are often strong, the workouts challenging and fun, but if you’re becoming aware that the constant intensity is making your body feel worse, rather than better on a regular basis, you may need to re-evaluate what you’re doing, preferably without any emotional biases.

This isn’t a call to abandon the fundamentals or completely change what you’re doing for some kind of new hip exercise program that is totally revolutionary. Trust me, just about everything has already been done. What I would like you to do is be more focused on the larger outcome and adaption that you seek, rather than overly concerned about a particular exercise or strategy. Be open to the fact that there’s always more than one way to do it, and some of those ways, while maybe not familiar, will be better for you over the long haul.

I would argue that dumbbells are the most important pieces of equipment in the gym. Versatile enough to push, pull, squat, hinge and carry, as well as to be used across a broad spectrum of skill and strength levels. Years ago I heard Coach Michael Boyle talking about the benefits of incremental dumbbells on a podcast. It stuck with me ever since. This means not just 5 lbs increases like you normally see, but also pairs of dumbbells in 12.5, 17.5, 22.5, 27.5 lbs and so on. Dumbbells are obviously common, but not so common are these in between-er weights. I think they’re the most important weights in the gym and therefore worth it for all gyms to have them.

Consider this: When you’re lifting a 20 lbs dumbbell for example, or a pair of them, it’s not always easy to make the jump to 25’s. Afterall, it’s a 25% increase in weight from 20 to 25. That can feel like a lot. I tell clients this all the time and it typically helps them understand much better why making the jump up feels the way it does. In comparison, when someone lifts 100 lbs successfully, rarely is the next thought, “Ok, I’ll be sure to increase this weight to 125 lbs (+25%) as quickly as I can.” No, they’re thinking about some day moving up to maybe 110 lbs. This much more reasonable 10% increase is similar to making the jump from 20 lbs to the 22.5 lbs dumbbells.

Play the long game and chip away at it. You can’t try and rush your results, but if you keep showing up, you’ll eventually feel ready to lift some more weight. If you’ve got the option to use incremental dumbbells, do it. If not, at least keep in mind the percentage math used above when considering lifting a heavier weight, whether that’s using a barbell, kettlebell, or any other implement you use to get stronger. Progress is progress regardless of how small and what you may find is that the seemingly small progress is greater than you thought.

I recently saw a totally random post on Facebook where a person stated that “My Physical Therapist told me to avoid squats, bench and deadlifts after 40 due to the risk of injury. He said he hurt his shoulder and lower back doing them. Anyone over 40 doing these exercises and staying injury free?”

As one might expect perusing randomness on Facebook, there were answers across the board from, “Get a new PT. That guy is an idiot” to “He’s right. squats are bad for your knees. Just stick to yoga. That’s what I do.” I didn’t share my thoughts at that time. However, I will now.

First, we must establish whether the PT is recommending these exercises not be done in any capacity at all, or more specifically, not done with a barbell in hand. That’s a huge piece of information. Is he saying that both a barbell bench press and an alternating dumbbell incline bench press are equal when it comes to stress on the shoulders and a risk for injury? Bench press is found in the name of both exercises but if so, I would have to disagree. I believe that the independent movement of each dumbbell, as well as the ability to rotate the shoulders, elbows and wrists, poses much less threat to the shoulder joint than a flat bench press done with a bar. I feel the same way when comparing the dumbbell single leg deadlift to the two-legged barbell deadlift. Again, both are a deadlift but there is far less room for error and it’s much easier to load the hips versus the lower back in the single leg deadlift compared to the barbell deadlift. We need clarification people!

Next, my question would be to the original poster. What are your goals when you train? At this point in your life, what is your why? If your main goal in training is to lift the heaviest weights possible, much like a competitive powerlifter, or to actually compete in the sport of powerlifting, then you need to understand that your PT isn’t necessarily wrong. You simply need to understand the risk that comes with competing as an athlete at that age. Pushing your body’s limit to perform at its highest level does come with a cost. It may not be the same for everyone, but there will be a price. That is your decision to make. That said, if you are like 99% of people going to the gym, your goals are likely a bit different. Your goals are more likely to be based around feeling better physically, building some self confidence and making yourself healthier for the long term, rather than pushing the absolute limits. These are wonderful goals and do not require the use of a barbell to accomplish, despite what most “bros” at the gym will tell you.

After spending the last 20+ years in and around the gym I am certain that the majority of people don’t evolve too much in their thought processes. For many, despite the recent popularity of the goblet squat, it will never compare to putting a bar across their back to squat. They may also believe that the push up is for those either in the military or those who simply can’t push the big weights you’ll see with the bench press. And finally, the Single Leg Deadlift is great if you’re a female influencer trying to show how to build the perfect peach booty, but lifting the bar off the ground and setting it back down is what you should be doing.

I have two problems with this thought process, especially for those over 40 years old. All three lifts (squat, bench and deadlift) require a fair amount of full body mobility to do well. I think it’s fair to say that even prior to the age of 40, most of us (not all, but most) have lost a little bit in terms of mobility and flexibility. Maybe your hips aren’t quite what they used to be, the ankles were never great, and your shoulders have been a little cranky here and there for the past 5 years. Guess what? All of that will affect your ability to execute great technique with a barbell in your hands. Over time, this can lead to some unwanted aches and pains. In my eyes there is no good reason to take a person (over 40) that is new to training and either A - start them off with a barbell straight away, or B - progress over time from a solid set of exercises, to eventually the barbell, in an effort to really load up that weight and stress those likely less than mobile joints. Again, the average person just wants to feel good, live a more active life and maybe feel less embarrassed when taking their shirt off at the beach, not necessarily brag about how much they can bench at their 47th birthday party.

The scenario I want you to consider is the person who has been training pretty consistently for a number of years. Assuming again that competition isn’t the goal, at what point do we stop chasing the numbers on the bar and set different goals like the ability to perform a single leg squat, 20 high quality push ups, or single leg deadlifts done with ½ bodyweight split between your hands? While I do believe in repeating the fundamentals over and over again, I do think there comes a point where a strong and healthy person doesn’t need to continue loading up a bar with the same fury they did in their teenage years. There are plenty of strategies to adopt and benefits to be gained by changing exercises slightly to limit joint stress while still approaching them with the focus and intent that you’ve always had.

So what does it all mean? You can do anything you want! Don’t let me stop you. All I can offer is my experience. I’m confident that over time your joints will thank you and you can still get incredibly strong, healthy and athletic without a barbell. Tradition will scream otherwise, but as a wise man once told me, “Tradition is lazy.” Exercises such as goblet squats with a 100 lbs dumbbell, single leg squats with additional weight, push ups with a weighted vest, dumbbell bench presses, single leg deadlifts and kettlebell swings are all alternatives that are effective but often at a lower cost to your body. If your PT is still adamant that any squats or absolutely any kind of deadlift is a bad idea, it is in fact time for a new PT.

The phrase “Sport Specific” is common in the training world. It’s been around quite a while now. I used to use it all the time but I generally try to refrain from it these days. Why? I thought you’d never ask! Here’s what I’ve come to understand over the years.

Sport specific by definition is playing the sport itself, whichever that may be. You cannot get more specific than the actual sport. As a result, when we talk about time spent in the gym or weight room, what most athletes need most of the time is “General Physical Preparedness” or GPP. This is another phrase frequently used in the training world. According to legendary Soviet Coach Yuri Verkhoshansky (and with the help of ChatGPT) GPP is meant to:

• Prepare the athlete to tolerate and benefit from future specialized (SPP) training.

• “creates the foundation for future specialized work” by developing general strength, work capacity, mobility, coordination, and overall fitness.

• enhance the functional state of all major systems—muscular, cardiovascular, neuro-muscular

In other words, GPP covers many qualities, including strength, power, coordination, mobility, fitness, etc. That’s what a solid training plan should look like for athletes and the general population at large. Not just one or two things, but multiple things that enhance the entire system as a whole. This is one reason I recommend training the whole body in a given training session, not just parts. Which leads me to my next point.

While “Sport Specific Training” is playing the sport itself and training in the gym should entail improving many general athletic qualities, there are a few other things that it is NOT. For me the most obvious is bodybuilding, aka hypertrophy training, aka building large muscles, often with many exercises and many sets for one muscle group. Bodybuilding is a sport in and of itself. Despite that, people of all ages, genders, sports and various goals train with a bodybuilding style model. It is my opinion that the majority of people do this simply because they don’t know any better. That may sound harsh but unless someone truly has a desire to study various training models, I find that they default to the most common model, which is, in the very least, highly influenced by bodybuilding. This has two main issues in comparison to training for athleticism. One, it divides up the body into specific days of training, such as Monday is Chest Day, Tuesday is Back Day, Wednesday is Leg Day, Thursday is Arms and Shoulders, and on and on we go. These bodypart splits completely lack things like, power training such as plyometrics and throwing medicine balls, lifts that demand coordination like a single leg deadlift, ½ kneeling 1-arm Overhead Press or a Crossover Sled Drag, and often any emphasis on flexibility/mobility. Many exercises are done from a seated position, whether on a machine or not, further bringing us away from any kind of preparation for sport. Rather than training many muscles at the same time, the focus tends to be on one or just a few muscles. The goal of bodybuilding is to build large muscles for show, the goal of GPP is to build a wide and sturdy base full of athletic qualities that support sport performance.

I hope this gives a general overview of what training in the gym should look like for most athletes and most people in general, as the goal is often longevity for both. Regularly getting doses of jumping, throwing, full body weight training, while getting your body into various planes of motion and positions can be a lot to think about but that’s what builds the base for specific endeavors. Certainly, some sports may require extra attention to a part of the body, but for the most part, this is a small percentage of the overall training pie and doesn’t require a lot of time. “Let the sport train the sport”, Coach Tony Holler says. The weight room is for enhancing your capacity to perform in your daily life or your given sport.