Join the LIFT Chicks for March Squats! - by Jen Shaw

I receive loads of requests to share my LIFT chicks’ programming. This March, I would like to invite anyone out there to join us for our new squat cycle.  Each squat cycle, our goals are the same: better form, build strength and gain more confidence under the bar. There are hundreds of cues to correct to find the best squat that each particular person can perform. These short cycles work to establish a strong foundation from the feet up for small groups working with these cues. This four-week cycle has a heavy single squat early in the week and volume squats later in the week. 

Each monday, we will find a heavy single using a 5.4.3.2.1 rep scheme. On Thursdays, we will use our number 3 squat weight to work on consistency under a clock. 

I invite you to join us for this small squat cycle! Each Monday will look very similar so change up the warm up as much as you want. Some of these warm up movements might be foreign but I am sure Google can help you out. If not, feel free to message me on IG and I can tag you in a video. 

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WEEK 1, DAY 1 SQUATS

PRE-CLASS PREP: 

• 3 min bike ride

• 2 rds:

  • 10 PVC pass thru + lunge

  • 3 standing inchworms

  • 3 bootstrap squats

• 2 rds:

  • 10 scorpion

  • 10 bird dog

  • 10 cat cow

CLASS PREP:

Warm up 1: 7 min work session

• Tabletop bear crawl 15 steps forward

• Spiderman back same distance

• Band walk down and back same distance 

Warm up 2: 15 min work session

• 10 plank shoulder taps

• 10 Birthfit Functional progression 1 breaths 

• 10 bent over flys 

• 5/5 db snatch

• 5 barbell squats (going up in weight each round) 

WEEK 1, DAY 1 SQUATS: 

Primer:

• 5.4.3.2.1 Back Squats

• 6/6 single arm ring rows between each round
  *weights are heavy but you shouldn't need a spot. Keep it conservative.  

For Real: aka Heavy

• 5.4.*3*.2.1 Back Squats

• 20 push-ups in between each round

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WEEK 1, DAY 2 SQUATS 

PRE-CLASS PREP: 

• 3 min bike ride

• 2 rds:

  • 10 scorpion

  • 10 bird dog

  • 10 cat cow

CLASS PREP:

• Warm up 1: 6 min work session

  • 10 glute bridge with adductor block squeeze 

  • Band walk

  • 3 standing inch worm

• Warm up 2: 10 min work session

  • 12 V-ups

  • 12 walking weighted lunges 

  • 10 bent over flys 

  • 3 barbell squats (going up in weight each round) 

WEEK 1, DAY 2 SQUATS: 

• Primer:

  • 5 x 3 Back Squat

    Working up to 80-100% of Day 1’s set *3* number. The goal is to pick a number as close to your actual set 3 from Monday as possible. You shouldn’t need a spotter and should feel confident but know it will be work, and you will have to stay focused. 

• THEN….

  • Every 30 seconds for 15 minutes:

    • 1 squat at that weight

Complex Of the Week #3

It's been kind of a crazy week of "road blocks" popping up randomly and preventing me from planting my ass in front of the computer to knock out some posts. However, you can rest assured that your weekly delivery of COW (Complex Of the Week) is hot'n'ready!

This week's complex has a completely different look and feel to it. Nevertheless, it's a complex that is to be done without setting the bar down or re-racking it. In other words, this must be done UNBROKEN!

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COW#3

• Complete 20 Unbroken Back Squats @ approximately 65% of 1RM
  • A mandatory 3 breaths must be taken between each of the 20 reps.

Now, before you jump up out of your chair to knock this one out, here are a couple things to think about:

If you haven't been squatting consistently - or If you can't accurately perform a high-quality squat(technically sound + full ROM) - this COW may demand that you perform your 20 at a lower percentage. That's fine. The overarching purpose of this stuff is to make you stronger - one workout at a time. It is NOT provided to you so that you can go overboard and fuck yourself up. Be smart. Work Hard. Go!

Redefine

This theme of "redefining" has presented itself on numerous occasions this week, so I thought that I would take that as a sign that others of you out there could somehow use this post. So here we go.

I think that most of you would agree that we as humans often assume that once something has a definition, that definition can not be altered. Correct? 

In some cases I would agree with that. But in the case of how we process information, events, or situations I think that being able to redefine what these things mean is an incredibly valuable tool. Let me give you an example....

And, of course, like most of my examples - this one will be workout-centric:

I have recently been in a "rebuilding" and "relearning" phase with my workouts lately. Why? Over years and years of training and weightlifting, I have taught myself to move in ways that allow for large loads to be moved quickly....BUT....the way I've been moving has stressed specific areas in my back due to poor mechanics.

Now, these issues that are just now making themselves known have been due to countless repetitions while hyper-extending my back. And, just to be clear, this is not an issue of sloppy lifting, but rather the opposite. I was working so hard to maintain a tight lower back that I overshot it and ended up overusing it and pissing it off.

Now - and this is where we get back to today's lesson - I am having to step away from the loads that I used to attack with zero hesitation and refocus on moving lighter loads with more dialed-in mechanics and better positions.

As you can imagine, forcing yourself to lift less than you're accustomed to can be super frustrating. I kept finding myself pissed off and unmotivated to do anything just because I felt unable to lift like usual.

In order to move past this road-block, I had to sit down with myself and redefine what "heavy" was for me. I told myself that training heavy just to say that I can do a 415 back squat is really not what I'm in this shit for. I do this so that I am strong and healthy and able to take on any new challenges that pop up.

Needless to say, if my back is so f*cked up that I can't stand up, I am missing my target....BIG TIME!

By redefining "heavy", I was able to accept the situation and look at it as a positive challenge to take on. Getting to the point where I can move 415 again will be a major accomplishment - especially when I can do it without sacrificing solid positions and mechanics!

Now, with this new goal and challenge, I've found my groove again and am fired up to build an even stronger version of myself. It's going to be a fun project for me, and one that I think will offer many important lessons that I will undoubtedly share with y'all. (Get excited!)

Does all of that make sense? I hope so, because I feel like it's human nature to beat ourselves down based on what we "usedacould", rather than accepting the fact that life is not a linear progression. There will be ups and downs, but if our average outcome is in an upward, positive direction......we win!

This is all to say that if you're able to use the practice of redefinition in a positive manner, you will be setting yourself up for a lot less stress and much more success.

Give it shot the next time you're faced with a difficult situation. Ask yourself how you could redefine the meaning of (blank) to better deal with the obstacle and ultimately navigate it successfully.

I hope that you find this useful. 

Knees Out...An Observation(pt.2 - video)

If didn't get the chance to read yesterday's post, I would recommend doing that before watching today's video. You may find yourself confused as to what I'm referring to as I make my comments in the video.

In any case, this video will hopefully serve the purpose of clearing up any confusion that I may have cause with my ramblings yesterday.  Sometimes I lose my way as I write and end up babbling.......kinda like I'm doing right now. Ha!

Here's the video. A special thanks to TCS Coach Aaron Arehart for demoing perfectly.

Knees Out....An Observation

TCS Athlete, Lerrion, demonstrates a strong, stable back squat.

If you've been training for some time, you've heard a coach or fellow athlete cue you to "drive your knees out" while squatting.  This critique has spread through the fitness circles like wildfire, and I am one of those that promoted and preached this until the cows came home.  But now, we must revisit this topic and reflect on when to use this cue and when to avoid it.

As I was watching a fellow TCS coach perform 5 x 5 Back Squats this morning, it dawned on me that, like most things, too much of a good thing can turn bad.  In this case --- driving knees waaaaay out to "create an active squat and produce more stability and power."

Here's the problem as I see it.  Coaches have been jamming the idea of "knees out" down their athletes throats so consistently that the athletes have begun to overdo it....even to a point of weakening their squat and/or causing injury to occur.

By driving the knees out too far, you are putting yourself in a compromised and weakened position.  This won't become evident until you hit the bottom of your squat and begin the initiation of the concentric (up) phase.  Here is where you will notice your knees collapsing inwards...no matter how hard you try to "drive them out".  Why is that?

THIS IS WHERE WE DECIDE WHAT THE TRUE CAUSE IS.

Scenario A.
The athlete is truly weak and has not developed the hip stability and strength to perform a proper loaded squat.  -- In this case, auxiliary exercises should be utilized in order to build strength and stability in the hip, low back and legs.  

Scenario B.  
The athlete is well-developed and plenty strong enough to move the weight efficiently.  -- This is the OTHER side of the story, as we've been discussing it.  If this athlete is in fact strong enough, then why are his or her knees collapsing inward?  The answer is a lack of stability due to excessive external rotation at the hip (read: Knee outage. Ha!) 

Think about it.  Going too far will only stretch the adductors and hamstrings more and more until this tension overwhelms the stability at the hip and knee.  The body then makes the necessary adjustment to correct the excessive ext. rot. by allowing the knees to come back to a strong, stable position so that the load may be successfully moved.

So, you see, not every person that steps under the bar needs to hear you yelling and screaming "KNEES OUT!"  Some of your athletes simply need to understand that they are to drive the knees out to a point of stability, and not one inch further.  Staying in this active groove will create some big squats and keep your athlete off of the injured list.

NOTE:

This concept may be flying right over your head because 1. This biomechanics lesson is too deep for you, which is perfectly OK.  Or, 2. I have done a shitty job explaining my observations, which is also very likely.  In either case, I will provide a video detailing both Scenario A and B from above tomorrow so as to hopefully clear this up and get you moving better!  Until tomorrow. 

Ice, Man

Chances are that if you squat frequently, you go through periods where your achy-ass knees hold you back a bit from going at your next workout with the same intensity.  It's just part of the game, I get it.  But there is something you can do about it.....

This is not revolutionary, but it does work IF you actually do it.  ICE!  

Achy knees are just one obvious example, but we all know that "the tightness" and "the crunchy stuff" travels throughout the body, mostly depending on what you did the day (or two) before.  Still I say ICE!

Sometimes, and I speak from experience here, the only reason you don't follow through on your icing responsibilities is the fact that it's somewhat inconvenient.  It's hard to do anything when you've got to hold a bag of frozen blueberries on your knees.  This may seem lazy, but let's be honest - icing is mandatory if you wish to continue working hard in the gym - so by all means, be "lazy".

I've got the very best "lazy man's" ice pack that makes routine icing easy while still allowing you to get shit done if needed.

Captain Multi-Purpose Jumbo Gel Pack with Pouch

Again, this is not a revolutionary idea.  It is, however, a durable, functional and high-quality wrap that will make it that much easier for you to stay on top of your aches and pains, and will keep you coming back to the gym feeling ready to take on any task that shows up on the whiteboard.