Blog

Off The Pins

4/28/2022

It’s a little known bit of history that the power rack was originally developed, not for safety, but for isometrics, heavy partial range of motion exercises, and for lifting off the pins.

In the case of squatting, one can set the pins to the desired bottom position, with the bar left on the pins. The lifter then gets down and wedges herself under the bar, being sure to focus on a high level of tension in her body and a good weight balance in her feet. Only after all this feels correct does take a final breath before pushing her legs to stand, finishing by either racking the bar or lowering it back to the pins.

There is absolutely no momentum, stretch reflex, nor, if she racks the bar at the top, is there any eccentric part to this lift. All of which makes this extremely difficult. It’s a great way to develop strength out of the hole, prevent soreness (if she eliminates the eccentric motion), and build a calloused will.

Strengthen the legs and the mind will follow.

Buying Kettlebells

12/27/2021

Ryan, an online patron, asks: I was thinking that I should buy some kettlebells. What size would you recommend?

Answer: I have been hearing stories about fitness equipment being sold out at a lot of suppliers. Hopefully this has changed over the many months of the pandemic.

I think that a 16kg and 24kg would be the two weights that I would consider for your lower body work. A 12kg might be useful for your upper body but kettlebells are expensive and I would prioritize the heavier ones for when you are stuck inside and want to train your lungs, heart, legs and lower body explosiveness.

For a less strong person, I would look at a 12kg and 16kg for lower body work and for upper body pulls plus an 8kg for upper body pressing exercises if you want a third kettlebell.

If you go to a good supplier you might want to check to see if they have any thick bands of various sizes. They can be used for a wide range of movements and can be very useful (and much cheaper).

If your apartment will accommodate a chin-up bar then that would be a benefit.

Smile when Angry!
Al

What is left?

9/3/2021

Boil training down to its most basic essence.

Practice the essentials of base-building in endurance and strength.

Remove the entertainment factor from training.

Remove the cool internet trends.

What is left?

Endurance:

For the first two years or so of your endurance training career at least 99% of your efforts should go to slow steady training,at a conversational pace. Zone 1 and 2 for those with gadgets. Throw in some occasional strides and drills to work on range of motion and good technique. This will help develop a loose stride and appropriate range of motion. Eat to support your training, not the other way around. Pay attention and learn something about yourself.

Strength:

Do large compound movements: squat, bench, overhead press, deadlift, working up to a weight that is heavy for you but crisp and manageable. Deviate only in case of injury. Lift no more than three times each week. Do chins, pullups and rows. Do a lift or two that you enjoy. Progress slowly but steadily. For health and recovery purposes get some light cardio in several times a week or daily if you keep it reasonable. Do this at a conversational pace. Stick with one program for at least 6 months. Continue on a linear progression for as long as possible. Eat to support your training, not the other way around. Pay attention and learn something about yourself.

Q&A: Developing Grip Strength for the Deadlift

5/30/2021

Ryan, a member at my gym, sent me the following question. This is a very common inquiry.

Hi Al,
I was doing deads this weekend again and my grip strength over the double overhand grip definitely seems like a limiter. I was practicing (or at least trying to practice) hook grip, but that'll probably take a bit before it helps a lot.

Are there any grip strength exercises you recommend to help with the deadlift?
Thanks,
-Ryan

Hi Ryan,
Although there are all kinds of specialized grip implements available (there are a bunch at the gym) I think that the most useful approach to building overall grip strength would be to start using various types of thick handles.

At the gym we have a 2 inch axle barbell and a 2 inch chin-up bar plus a 2 inch vertical bar and a Rolling Thunder handle. Ask me about these next time you come in to lift and we can start working them into your training.

For when you are at other gyms you might want to think about buying a pair of Fat Gripz or wrapping a hand towel or cloth around a dumbbell handle in order to make them more challenging to hold onto. I have a pair of Fat Gripz that I can show you. They snap onto regular sized barbell or dumbbell handles.

A couple of other things:
- you can start to hold your last deadlift rep for as long as you can at the end of your final set.
-you can over-grip the bar when doing barbell and dumbbell exercises and chin-ups i.e. squeeze the bar harder than you actually need to.

Hope this helps,
Al

Q+A: Press Woes

5/14/2021

Hey Al,

I hope you're doing well, I miss seeing you and the crew.

I think back in the spring you invited me to send the odd email with training questions so here goes. I seem to be in a press plateau. Probably typical. A few months ago I got through a 5/3/1 cycle with a 100 lb training max (TM), started a new cycle with a 105 lb TM and could only get 2 reps on the last set of 5s week. So I reset back to a TM of 90. I realized after the fact I probably should have reset to 85 (go back 3 cycles from the last cycle I actually finished) but anyhow that's what I did. Now I've worked back up to a TM of 100. Just finished the 5/3/1 day and managed to get 2 reps on the last set, but damn it was heavy. I am not confident in my ability to get much farther - maybe I could get through a cycle with a TM of 105 but 110 seems impossible from here. I would have thought that with a reset I would have gotten some more reps on the AMRAP sets as I worked through these TMs a second time, but I got no more reps (sometimes fewer) and it has not felt any easier.

Switch to 2.5 lb jumps instead of 5 lb jumps? Reset again? Tread water? Something else entirely? Any suggestions welcome. I know the press takes patience but I could use a suggestion for what to do while I'm being patient.

On the cycle I am just finishing (still need to DL), my bench TM was 150, squat was 165, DL is/was 230. Other lifts seem to be OK

Hi Will,

Good to hear from you and happy to help.

First read through this and make sure your technique is dialled:

http://www.terminalcitytraining.com/blog/common-problems-in-the-overhead-press

Secondly, yes I think that 2.5 pound jumps in your TM are a good idea.

Third, have you tried the Boring But Big variation? The idea is that after your main lift you reduce the weight in the main lift a fair bit and continue with the movement by doing 5 sets of 10. This would count as your main accessory movement though you would want to get in some chins/pullups/ or rows to keep the shoulders healthy. I would keep the 5x10 very light to start. Maybe just the bar at first and then adjust upwards if it feels reasonable. Try it for the press. It can be applied to other lifts as well but just do the press this way for now. You will want to consider increasing calories and protein to compensate for the extra work.

The idea is to try and move the lift forward with volume since intensity increases aren't working so well.

Let me know how that goes. And, if you have more questions please ask.
Al

Carb Loading

4/30/2020

Tomorrow is the start of the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k. Christina prepares with gusto.

Finding Something Hard To Do During Social Isolation

4/29/2020

Terminal City Barbell Club members Christina, Heather and Al have signed up for The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k. This running and walking challenge begins on May 1st 2020 and runs through August 31st. That leaves you with four months to complete the 1000k distance. This can be done in your own community. No trip to Tennessee required. For us this all started with a text from one gym member to Christina, who passed it on to Al, who then told Heather.

None of us have the running fitness to cover 10km every day so we will be starting with a lot more walking as we ramp up our running through the spring and summer.

Stay tuned to this blog for updates on our gym members.

Brought to you by Laz Lake, the creator of the Barkley Marathons.

https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Memphis/TheGreatVirtualRaceAcrossTennessee1000K?rsus=100-200-5367cdad-6208-47f5-a02e-a1df61f9e424

If moving 1000+km isn't your bag then find something else to stretch yourself. Nobody other than extreme introverts likes social isolation and social distancing. Make yourself tougher, smarter, more skillful. Use this opportunity for good.

Terminal City Training Coronavirus Challenge Week: Home Triathlon #1

3/24/2020

Terminal City Training
Coronavirus Challenge Week: Home Triathlon #1

Thursday March 26th-Wednesday April 1st 2020
Accumulate throughout the day and week:

Time held in plank position (regular or push-up position)
Lunges per day. One point per leg. In-place rear-lunges.
Number of steps. Most phones should be able to track this.

Substitutions permitted due to injury or limitation. Talk to Al.
Report your numbers to Al via email by April 3rd. Don't train or compete if you have a respiratory illness.

We will use “reverse strongman scoring.”
Example of reverse strongman scoring: If there are 10 athletes, then it would be 1 point for 1st and 10 points for 10th. All the points are added up at the end. The person with the lowest score is the winner.

Good Luck,
Al

Q&A: Gloves and Wrist Wraps

11/6/2019

Q: Hi Al. Sorry to bug you, but I’m thinking of getting some gloves for wrist support and I noticed that people also wear them during lifting sometimes. Do you think they could be dual purpose or are lifting gloves doing something different?
-N.
A: Hi N. Lifting gloves are generally used to prevent calluses and are usually a bad idea. They make lifting harder as it becomes more difficult to hold on to the bar. And, small well-maintained calluses are important to lifting.

Sometimes when doing high rep pinch work for grip strength work gloves are worn to spare the skin from too much wear and tear.
Wrist wraps are used for wrist support, especially in benching. They do provide support but have a negative aspect as well in that they don’t really contribute to the wrists getting stronger. They are useful when used judiciously.

Common Problems in the Deadlift

10/21/2019

Overarched back
It is common knowledge amongst lifters that the back needs to be set tightly for the deadlift. But more important is that both the front and back of the torso are tight. When tightened together they will balance out tension in the upper body and protect the low back from overarching, which can lead to problems. This is especially important for those with excessive curvature in their low back. The front and back of the body work together for full torso tension and protection of the spine.

Too frequent use of alternating grip
In order to develop a strong grip the hands need to be stressed appropriately. Use double overhand grip whenever possible. When this grip starts to reach its limits then start to condition yourself to using a hook grip. This will probably hurt a lot at first. It is best to start using the hook grip in some of your warm-ups to begin the adaptation process. Some find that the pain goes away with some diligent practice. Others don’t seem to get through the discomfort. When is the time to use the alternating grip? Maybe never. Unless you are competing as a powerlifter it is questionable if the positives of using this grip to allow for a heavier deadlift outweigh the negatives of using the grip. The alternating grip, when used to lift very heavy, can cause great stress to the bicep tendon and to the shoulder. For some this is worth the risk. Even so, it is best to use it only when necessary.

Not enough attention to keeping the bar on the legs
During the deadlift the lats have a job to do: to keep the bar on the legs. During lighter sets one can get away with having the bar come off the legs. It will not work so well when the bar is heavy. We need to remember that lighter weights are practice for heavy weights. If we do not lift the weight the same way when we practice then we cannot expect to lift it well when things get heavy. Do all your reps with the same intent.

Not finishing the pull
Lifters with very tight hip flexors may not even realize that they are not completely locking out the bar at the top of the lift. Focus on abs and glutes tightening together at the top. Both of these muscles groups will help protect the low back and help prevent over-extension. It may be necessary to do a lot of supplementary hip flexor stretching and glute strengthening.

Too much use of touch and go
There are many important elements to good lifting. These include setting proper tension and good breath control. Touch and go reps do not allow proper attention to either. Ensure that the bar stops on the floor each and every repetition and that proper tension and breathe are being reset every time.