I haven’t done a “random” post in a while, so I figured today would be as good a time as any!

One thing that anyone knows me can attest to is that I’m always thinking about training. My training, the training of my lifting crew, and the people that I’m programming for and coaching in the gym.

So here are a bunch of random thoughts I’ve had bouncing around in my brain. Hopefully you enjoy them!

You simply can’t pull enough

The more people I train, the more people I assess, and the more people I program for, the more I feel you just can’t pull too much.

When you factor in how horrible most of our early programs were, coupled with what we do for a HUGE portion of our day (sit at a desk, sit on a couch, sit in the car, etc.) we’re constantly under-the-gun with regards to our upper body posture and alignment.

A 1:1 pressing:pulling ratio just doesn’t cut it. I’ve always skewed this ratio early on in my clients’ programs, but I think it needs to be a more ongoing and consistent part of our routine. Don’t be afraid to shift that ratio to 2:1 or even 3:1 for extended periods of time throughout the year.

Stability is often a missing link

When Eric and I first created Magnificent Mobility back in the day, I think we made a huge impact on people. So many guys that we worked with had horrible mobility, and it needed to be addressed to unlock their performance and reduce the possibility of injury.

Unfortunately, the pendulum swung a bit too far.

Stability is yin to mobility’s yang. Without adequate stability, you also reduce performance and increase the likelihood of injury.

And it’s really prevalent when you watch people lift.

When a guy can’t get his shoulder blades pinned back and down to bench, you know he’s not as strong as he could be.

When a lifter squats and their knees cave in every time they come out of the hole, again, they aren’t as strong as they could be.

A lack of stability is an energy leak. You’re not getting maximal transfer of energy to the bar, and as a result, you’re not demonstrating the kind of strength and power you’re capable of.

I think Jason Pegg and I are going to discuss this in more depth later, but if stability isn’t a primary focus of your program, it probably should be.

If you want to learn more, start with this FREE video on single-leg training.

Stop trying to fix the outer core before you’ve addressed the inner core

While I hate this kind of terminology, until I can find something better, this is what I’m going to roll with.

Trying to fix any of the “outer core” muscles (spinal erectors, external obliques, rectus abdominus, etc.) without fixing the “inner core” is an exercise in futility.

What I’m not talking about here is laying on your back and doing TVA draw-ins all day. The TVA is one muscle of the inner core, and while some folks might tell you otherwise, I feel as though the diaphragm is the key to the whole process.

(Keep in mind I hate saying one muscle is more or less important than another. That’s not the case from a stability perspective as they all play a significant role.  Rather, without the diaphragm kick-starting the process, well, the process won’t begin!)

When the diaphragm moves downward to pressurize the intra-abdominal space, it sets off a chain of events. Immediately, your spine is more stable. Immediately, you will get a better transfer of energy through your core, and therefore, a stronger squat, deadlift, more velocity on your throws, etc.

Bill always says that even bad ART is better than no ART. The diaphragm is very similar – even with poor alignment of the rib cage, pelvis, lumbar spine, etc., when the diaphragm is the one kick-starting the process, it’s definitely better than when it’s not!

While we do need to include all the various types of core training, this is further up the food chain or pyramid. Address the diaphragm and breathing FIRST, then start working on addressing pelvic alignment, enhancing core/lumbar stability, etc.

Summary

So those are just a few things I’ve been thinking about with regards to training. What about you guys?

How has your thought process changed over the past months or years?

Anything new or cool you’re doing in your programs?

Any thoughts or feedback would be welcome below!

Stay strong

MR