Stop the resistance band insanity! The Instagram famous fitness models will show you plenty of exercises using a resistance band and tell you that it will tone your body parts. Can we check their credentials first and see if they are even educated enough to know what they are talking about?

After 16 years in the fitness industry, I have seen some crazy things that make no sense but that doesn’t mean they were useful or necessary. The problem I have now is the number of people that use these asinine bands because someone “fit” on Instagram told them to.

Do not mistake my disdain of bands at the local gym over the prescribed therapeutic practice by a trained physiotherapist or athletic trainer. My highly educated athletic trainer friend Kathey uses them for her patients in cases like shoulder rotation rehab. So, if someone exceptionally smarter than I agrees with me in their usage, that works for me.

It Matters How Bands Are Used

In my personal training practice and years of teaching yoga, I have used bands for assisted stretching both for the muscular benefits and to help with certain yoga poses. You are going to ask me about using them for assisting with pull-ups, aren’t you?

Well, bands have a use for that too, but in moderation. It’s easy to start off with them and work the form and muscles of a pull-up when you are brand new to pull-ups. But what happens when you have been doing them for months and can’t figure out why you aren’t progressing in your pull-ups. The band is keeping you from getting better.

There are other ways to build the strength for unassisted pull-ups. Try jumping pull-ups in the early stages and whenever you have high reps to do at your CrossFit box. Pull-up negatives are a fantastic way to engage the lat muscles and build crazy strength but don’t be discouraged when your negative hold is only for 0.00001 of a second. Don’t forget your supplementary weight lifting exercises to build your back strength.

Now, let’s discuss the reason why you think you need to use them besides to look like you are up to date with the latest fitness trend. Please keep in mind that you can’t spot reduce those pesky saddlebags so sidestepping with them around your thighs will only create a tightening of the gluteus medius and/or IT band.

There’s a potential injury from an excessive tight muscle waiting to happen. But wait, you could develop those muscles and make that area even bigger than you think it is now! I have never known anyone that will compliment you on how big your outer thighs are.

Some of the other moves I have seen defy logic considering that they decrease the range of motion of the muscles they are supposed to be strengthening or they are completely useless for the exercise that you are doing. Not to mention the fact that you get inconsistent tension using a band to actually build strength.

There Are Better Options

There is a reason that dumbbells, cables, and bodyweight exercises have been around for eons and are still used today—they work.

So, ditch the bands before you realize they aren’t doing what you want and that the Insta-fit culture is just out to chase followers and likes. And don’t forget to choose your fitness professional by their education, experience, and sound advice.

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First, some terminology: testing, training, and exercise—these are not the same thing, though sometimes they can look very similar.

It can be surprisingly easy to lose your way in the gym. It is especially easy if you tend to train by yourself and you don’t have a coach or a trainer. I think a very valuable question that you need to ask yourself, aside from is: “Am I getting better or am I getting sweaty?”

First, some terminology: testing, training, and exercise—these are not the same thing, though sometimes they can look very similar.

• Testing is important in that it informs training. Coaches write programming based on test results in strength (i.e. 1RM back squat), fitness (2,000m row), or both.
• Training is work that is specific, purposeful, and outcome-based (i.e. to achieve a 400# back squat, a 6:00 mile, a 4:50 Gym Jones Triathlon, a 100kg snatch, etc).
• Non-specific training is when there is no testing, no progression, and/or no deloading, but training is planned according to intensity level and energy system with a schedule in place (basic fitness, general aesthetics, or even sheer enjoyment).
• Exercising applies to you if you’re walking in the gym scrolling Instagram for inspiration, writing random workouts on the board, or just doing whatever you feel like doing on that particular day to get sweaty or satisfy some psychological need or desire.

The purpose of this article is not to pass judgment on exercise—it has a time and a place and there’s nothing wrong with it—just like there’s nothing wrong with non-specific training. In fact, quite a few of our general foundation programs are non-specific and the only desired outcomes are general fitness, increased work capacity, increased technical proficiency, and injury proofing.

I would recommend foundation programming to anyone because these outcomes are incredibly beneficial for any athlete. However, if for example, your primary goal is to row 2,000m in 6:49, then general foundation training is not the optimal way for you to achieve that goal. This is not to say that you cannot row a 6:49 2k by working hard every day that you find yourself in a gym.

What I am arguing is that that approach is suboptimal and could potentially be a big waste of your time and energy if your stated goal is actually very specific. Work smarter, not harder! Use a rowing specific program for a rowing specific goal.

Managing Training Fatigue

I think it’s important and valuable to remember to cycle your focus in the gym and keep things fresh. One simple way of avoiding training fatigue (which I think is how many of us end up walking into a gym and throwing work at ourselves for the sake of sweating) is to focus on specific energy systems cyclically.

We cannot (optimally) stay in a power endurance phase all year. Eventually, you’ll burn out or simply bury yourself under a mountain of fatigue. The same can be said of a hypertrophy phase, a strength phase, a power phase, or an endurance phase. Sooner or later you’ll reach the point of diminishing returns.

It is incredibly important to program deload weeks into your own training to avoid injury or training fatigue in general, but if you feel like you’re not putting in the kind of effort necessary to really improve in the first place, or you’re just not psyched to get into the gym and work hard, then it’s probably time to either take a week off or switch your focus.

In the case of a general physical preparation (GPP) athlete, this can be as simple as changing energy systems (strength to power, power to power endurance).

An athlete who competes in a specific sport should maintain a similarly cyclical focus (hypertrophy, strength, power, power endurance, endurance, or whichever energy system is relevant to that particular sport) to stay sharp and avoid burnout.

For example, a powerlifter who competes in the back squat, deadlift, and bench press can likely benefit greatly from an off-season hypertrophy phase with some smart exercise variation to avoid overuse injury and burnout. If competition means barbells, then throwing in some higher volume, lower intensity dumbbell work and some front squatting could be very beneficial.

Honest Self Assessment

As with most things in the gym, this comes down to being honest with yourself and/or your coach about what you want out of the gym and what you’re actually doing in the gym. Your goals, whether general or specific in nature, depend absolutely on the intent behind the work.

Make sure you understand your “why” and then be sure the work you’re doing will get you there.

The post The Truth About Training Versus Exercising appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“Do you think I can actually get there?”

I receive this line of questioning all the time when talking about goals. More specifically when discussing goals relating to posture, mobility, and overall strength.

“Do you think I can actually get there?”

I receive this line of questioning all the time when talking about goals. More specifically when discussing goals relating to posture, mobility, and overall strength.

The simple answer is that I don’t know. Your success rate or whether you succeed at all depends heavily on many variables both in your control and out of your hands. What your goals are, your age and genetics, any injuries or pre-existing conditions, your time commitment and methodology employed, not to mention your community and environment, all contribute to your success.

Like so many aspects of fitness and life, the issue is not to find an answer to “can I actually get there?” or even “how do I get there?” The real solution is found in asking a more meaningful question.

I’ll counter with another question: Does it matter?

If I told you that you that you would never be able to do a middle split, would you throw up your hands and cease to ever work on your hip mobility? Possibly, but that is up to you.

All joking aside, worrying about whether you’ll do a perfect handstand or develop perfect posture is saying nothing of the vast improvements that you are capable of. To be fair, in some skills the concepts of “closer” or “better” are difficult to determine until your cross the achievement threshold. However, the progress (increased shoulder stability, core strength, and body awareness) have broader benefit than the actual handstand.

Better to Be Better Than Perfect

Trigger Warning: you (like me) are on a slow path toward frailty and eventual death.

The best you can do is be better than you were yesterday, last week, and last year. Better has nothing to do with the past. Better is forward-looking, yet not aimed at a specific end point. Better is objective yet personal and individually-determined.

You are constantly changing, whether you consciously make efforts to affect it or not. You are the way you are from how you’ve lived each day. Your current strength, mobility, skills, and posture are not inherent aspects of you but are resultant from your life.

The trends that brought you to your current state (whether you are content with it or not) will continue unless purposely altered. This is training; examining where you came from, seeing the direction you are headed, and consciously altering course.

The meaning of training is to affect change toward the state to you want. The shift in course is the meaning. The shift is the destination. Training is about taking the reins and working to be better, not about being a certain way.

• Can you achieve a handstand?
• Will you ever do a full split?
• Can you develop perfect posture?
• Can you actually get there?

I don’t know, but can you be better?

Absolutely.

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In order to be able to execute complex movements with correct form and in a manner that delivers the best results during training, a breakdown of the movements has to occur so that the trainee can progress from basic to complex through engagement in variations of the ultimate movement. It’s like when you were a kid and started off by learning the alphabet before progressing to words, sentences, and eventually, being developed enough to read complex passages in a book or report. So, what is the true rule of progression and regression in programming workouts and training?

Ted Sloan – The Building Blocks of Athletic Development

Progressions and regressions are the building blocks of long term athletic development. It is vital for a coach to adjust the training protocol through exercise selection in order to allow the athlete to slowly and properly progress their abilities both in the strength room and on the field.

Progressions and regressions can help to develop balance, coordination, mobility and sport specific abilities. As an athlete develops their strength, in eccentric, isometric and concentric ranges of motion, balance and coordination will intrinsically be developed, especially when starting from easy to more challenging; such as progressing from a split squat, to a rear foot elevated split squat, to a dynamic lunge variation.

Once these abilities are developed, an athlete can be progressed from a more GPP (General Physical Preparedness) goal, to a more specialized SPP (Specific Physical Preparedness) goal. For younger athletes, many parents of athletes request that a coach train sport specific movements with their children, but they fail to understand that in order for sport-specific movements to benefit them, they require a base level of strength, power, mobility, and motor control.

If a coach attempts to teach and strength train movements that an athlete is unprepared for, the subsequent risk of injury increases exponentially. As a result, speed and specificity of movement should also be considered a form of progression and regression. Forms of power training should also be considered through this continuum.

Deceleration abilities in rapidly achieved positions, must be developed as well; these can include landing mechanics through depth drops, in which the athlete steps off of a high box an lands in as best of a position as possible, while teaching the athlete to land in ideal positions while developing the strength to decelerate the body from high landings.

When progressing the depth drop, the exercise can be moved to a depth jump, in which the athlete plyometrically rebounds into an explosive jump immediately following the landing. It is vital for every coach have a great tool box of exercises to alternate between in order to help their athletes incrementally progress their abilities. But, as can be seen, exercise selection is not the only variable that must be taken into consideration when it comes to progressing and regressing movement; all of these are vital to build a strong and resilient athletes.

Giulio Palau – The Flexibility to Scale the Demands of an Exercise

Proper exercise selection is key to designing an effective program. It is well known that the adaptations that occur from training are specific to the demands imposed. Therefore, exercises should be selected with careful consideration of the intended adaptation.

Progressions and regressions of exercises allow for the flexibility to scale the demands of an exercise to challenge the body without overwhelming it. We know that the demands of a program must be continually increased as the body adapts in order to continue progressing. However, we must be careful not to push past the margin of safety. The body will adapt to the stressors regardless, it is our job as coaches to ensure that the adaptation is constructive rather than destructive.

The key is to modify an exercise to create an overload with the least possible risk of injury. In theory, a proper exercise progression will continually increase work capacity and consequently increase the margin of safety. Perhaps most importantly, exercise regression will allow for proper motor patterning to efficiently execute movement. More often than not, the tissues may be capable of performing a task but the proper motor patterns haven’t been learned.

Once the proper movement patterns are understood, overload can be achieved by simply adding resistance or tweaking any other relevant variables. Proper postural positions are the most important part of learning to overcome external forces safely and efficiently. Regressions of an exercise will allow for optimal motor learning by simplifying the demands of a task. While progressions of an exercise will allow for the continual adaptation to increased stressors.

Let’s take core training as an example. It should not be controversial at this point to assert that the most effective way to train the core is isometrically. The most obvious way to progress an isometric hold is to increase the time under tension. However, static holds longer than 30 seconds have been shown to increase the likelihood of injury so it becomes more practical to change the lever length to change the difficulty.

For example, a plank can be regressed by elevating the torso or progressed by extending the arms further overhead, changing the moment arm and stabilization demand.

Core training is a good example of progressing and regressing an exercise because the relevant variable is most often how gravity is acting on the body. This is often the case with other progressions like the split squat to rear foot elevated split squat and ultimately walking lunge, where balance and dynamic stability are increasingly relevant.

Moving through space efficiently should be the ultimate goal of any progression. That applies to correcting posture, sport specific training, and everything in between. If an exercise has to be regressed to a prone or supine position to learn a proper movement pattern, that pattern should be integrated into a dynamic body weight movement, even if unloaded.

Selecting the proper progression or regression can be just as much art as science and the work capacity and tolerance of an individual can change from day to day. Each repetition is an opportunity to asses and adjust an exercise as needed.

Antonio Squillante – The Necessary Path to Acquiring Complex Motor Skills

Progression and regression are nothing but the necessary steps toward an inevitable escalation in complexity. They don’t have a positive-negative correlation like many people think, and sometimes they are both necessary in order to move from simple to complex skills. Motor skills, in our case.

Would you consider learning how to write words by straying with individual letters a regression? Well, if you already know how to spell a word, starting back from learning how to write the alphabet is “loss of time”. But the alphabet is necessary for you to put in words the sounds that you can now only pronounce with your voice. It is, in essence, a progression to a higher level of skill.

Similarities can be found between this basic example and motor learning: we all learn fundamental motor skills and as soon as we start to comprehend the magnificent world that surrounds us we want to combine them in many different ways possible to create complex movements.

However, we might not have the ability yet to put into “words” (movements) basic letters (motor patterns) that we just recently learned. Regression and progression are therefore necessary in learning new motor skills. First and foremost exercises need to move from movements to skills and vice versa. Similarly, skills need to move from simple to complex, and from discrete to serial.

The ultimate goal of any progression should be acquiring the necessary control over a new skill that allow to use what we have learned to acquire a new, totally different skills. It is a domino effect that physicologits call transfer of learning.

The starting point of every progression and regression in motor learning should aim to provide the tools (our letters, the most simple individual motor patterns) to create endless, fascinating motor performances (skills, the endless words in the alphabet of motricity)

The post Progressions and Regressions at the Heart of a Good Training Plan appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Manning’s obsessive attention to detail even before his pro career began is illustrative of the qualitative approach that is the most important factor the success of any athlete, and indeed any workout. The foremost principle my athletes learn is that it is not what you do, but how you do it.

Lay the Foundations of Proper Movement

Good programming is essential but is still secondary to an understanding of quality movement and intelligent progression. Before I free my athletes to progress themselves, they receive a long indoctrination into my philosophy on progression and the hierarchy of needs.

I begin with fundamental movement patterns and isometric hold circuits. For example, they’ll perform four rounds of the following circuit, adding 5 seconds each week:

• Counterbalance squat holds
• Push up position plank (PUPP)
• 1-leg glute bridge holds (switch leg each round: R, L, R, L)
• Lying external rotation superman squeeze
• Split squat (switch forward leg each round: L, R, L, R)
• Side plank (switch sides each round)
• Hop in place to land x5 (practice landing soft with chest over knees over toes)

From here, I progress to light weight, controlled tempo sets of fundamental movements like the kettlebell goblet squat, the kettlebell RDL, the push-up, and the inverted row. These holds and the emphasis on slow negatives create the stability that cures many movement issues that may look like mobility problems. They create deep kinesthetic awareness of where the body is in each moment, and how small shifts of emphasis can make a huge difference.

This approach also creates an understanding of how intensity can shift with a position. For example, elevating the hands for the push up makes it less intense, while elevating the feet can raise the intensity. Time under tension is also a great way to shift intensity without a change in load. Slow negatives and isometric pauses make things much harder.

The Hierarchy of Training Needs

All training is progression. This principle is the backbone of every program, every workout, every exercise, and every rep. If you are on a program, trust the developer of that program. A principled, effective plan is not that hard to find. Once you have that plan or that coach, it’s time to commit to manic, focused execution of the details. This is a greater indicator of future success than any fancy exercise or programming genius. The basic principles of training and fundamental movements are what get results. Cut the fluff and dial in the focus.

These details are best understood within my framework for progression and hierarchy of needs. This lesson precedes all autonomously guided programs for my athletes. It is the most important lesson for the success of any training program. When you understand and can execute according to this hierarchy of needs, all training results are magnified. Remember, it’s not what you do; it’s how you do it.

Priority 1: Execute the Movement Perfectly 

• If you cannot, regress the movement until you can

Priority 2: Execute the Prescribed Tempo

• Each rep has three phases: eccentric (lowering, or muscles lengthening), isometric (hold or midpoint), and concentric (raising or muscles shortening).
• If there is no tempo, assume a 2-1-* (2 second eccentric, 1 second isometric pause, max speed concentric). For pulls, assume a *-1-2 tempo.
• Concentric speed is important! If it slows down, then regress.
• If you cannot execute the tempo, then regress.

Priority 3: Increase Intensity

• When you can execute priorities 1 and 2 and do two extra reps on the final set, you can progress intensity. Poorly executed reps do not count.

General Methods of Progressing Intensity:

• Reduce stability: 1-legged push ups or BOSU ball push ups
• Change the angle: Taking hands from an elevated box down to the floor for push ups
• Add load: Adding a 10lb plate to your back for push ups, or 10lb to a barbell front squat

General Methods of Regression:

• Increase Stability: Wider feet on a push up
• Change the angle: Take hands from a 12in box to an 18in box for push ups
• Reduce load: Take a plate off your back for push ups, or reduce front squat load by 10lb

The Qualitative Approach for Training and Life

The goal in writing a workout is to find the perfect training intensity for each set. This ensures maximal benefit from the training, with minimal risk. We want that “Goldilocks intensity”—just right. While I may program three sets of five reps, my athletes know that their goal is to achieve two extra perfect reps on the final set. If the athlete executed seven perfect reps on the third set, they would move up 10lb the next week. In this way, my system works like a modified rep range system.

This system also demands far greater focus from partners. It’s an expectation that partners hold each other accountable to push for extra reps when execution is good, and to not count reps that aren’t executed properly. Each athlete is expected to understand this philosophy, coach it to others, and enforce it to support their partner. If I do my job, I’ll hear athletes repeating my axioms to their partners:

Jimmy: “You never sacrifice form for weight.”

Johnny: “Thanks… Coach Trotter” (full of sarcasm)

Without a qualitative approach and disciplined interaction between what you achieved last time and what you do this time, progress will be limited. Athletes who drag through sessions in an unfocused, uninspired manner will often ask me what else they can do. I could suggest additional exercises or mobility work, but rather than additional work, what they really need is a deeper focus and more intentional, qualitative approach to what I’ve already given them.

Understanding this qualitative approach not only amplifies the impact of training but creates mental toughness and teaches the focus necessary to succeed in any endeavor. Harnessing your attention and intention in each moment is what allows mentally strong performance. Athletes must focus on what they can control, and pick the right performance key in each moment. They should absorb feedback, but then return to this focus one play at a time, one sprint at a time, and one step at a time. When you understand this training approach, you have acquired a template to tackling challenges in the gym, and in the rest of life, as well.

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As the summer reprieve came from school and NFL workouts began, she was determined to get a glimpse of her cherished Bears. She had a plan. Mother and father would drop her off at the Lake Forest Academy tennis camp, which was less than a mile from Halas Hall, where the Bears trained. That would be her chance.

As planned, that next Monday morning, Goldilocks waved goodbye to her father as he dropped her off, but then she took a hard left. She skipped with glee as she approached the wonders of Halas Hall. She was so excited when she got there that she hardly noticed how empty the parking lot appeared. Her euphoria melted into anger upon entering the empty weight room. Not a Bear was to be found, anywhere.

The Three Squat Racks

What now? This place was cool and all, but she’d come to see some Bears. There was only one thing left to do, and that was try to salvage the day by smashing an awesome workout in this Taj Mahal of strength facilities.

Goldilocks knew her way around a weight room, having grown up with a father who was a professional strength coach. She was well-versed in the fundamental movement patterns, and deeply resented the term “girl push ups”. She knocked out a 5-minute flow and got ready to work. Front squats. Heavy. How else do you blow off steam?

She approached the squat racks and noticed three of the bars had been left with weight on them. Her anger turned disgust. “What type of athlete leaves their weight on the bar? Only an amateurish, entitled child would do such a thing. No wonder the Bears aren’t winning.”

She looked at the three racks, and decided to go with the heaviest bar. If their weight room etiquette was any indication, she’d have no trouble keeping up. She nuzzled her shoulders tight to the bar and drove through the floor. Nothing. It was as if she’d run into a wall. Humbling. “Maybe, I’m not giving these professional athletes enough credit,” she said to herself.

“I think I’ll skip to the lightest bar,” said Goldilocks. She walked over, set up, and pressed with such might that the bar nearly popped off her shoulders. Confused, she did a rep and racked the bar. “Pathetic,” she thought. “Was somebody curling in the squat rack? Must have been a kicker working out.”

Finally, she settled on the third bar, which was loaded up with 185lb. She popped out a solid set of 4 and thought to herself, “ah, just right.”

The Three Pull Up Bars

Next, it was time for pull ups. She walked over to the rig and found three pull up bars. The first one was empty, and she hopped up and strained to get three reps. She knew she’d get greater benefit from more strict, quality reps, so she moved to the next bar.

The second bar had a thick, red band for assistance. She jumped onto the band and was virtually slingshot through the ceiling. “Well that’s fun,” she thought, “but there is no way for me to realize progressive overload from such an easy rep. I get more work opening the fridge.”

Goldilocks finally settled on the third bar, which had a medium, green band for assistance. “Ah, just right!” she exclaimed. She was able to execute three sets of eight reps at a controlled (1-1-3) tempo. 

The Bears Return

About that time, the adrenaline of the day’s emotion finally started to wear off. Knowing she should listen to her body, she autoregulated and headed to a matted area to do some recovery breathing. Again, three mats were laid out. The first was far too soft, as was the second. “Who are these wimps?” she thought. She skipped the third mat altogether and settled on the floor. It was there that she fell asleep, a most necessary recovery practice. 

As Goldilocks slept, three Bears athletes returned to the weight room. One Bear was a linebacker, another was the kicker, and the third one was a safety. They had been in the middle of their workout that morning, but had to leave the weight room in a rush when their head coach called them all back to his office for some chalk talk.

Goldilocks awoke from her slumber and was thrilled to meet the three Bears. For their part, they were a bit startled to see a high school girl in their weight room, but let her stay through the end of their workout. This turned out to be a great thing for the kicker, who had been trying to do too much weight. He needed Goldilocks’ skilled eye to help him find the resistance that was just right: the one that he would be able to execute in three distinct phases, with consistent concentric rep speed.

Goldilocks returned home that day stronger than the day before, because of her mature approach to finding appropriate levels of resistance. Her focus on quality of movement, rather than feeding her ego or avoiding challenge, allowed her to get the best out of her admittedly unplanned workout. It was this approach of quality over quantity that brought her great success, and allowed her to live happily ever after. 

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It’s hard to select the perfect piece of equipment. Though, I can promise you, the person who has “found” the perfect piece of training equipment is probably going to offer you a great deal to purchase one.

Me using the parallette bars for core work

So, what are the most important factors in determining which piece of equipment is right for you? Efficacy, progression, scalability, freedom, and movement. Given that there are so many options, it makes no sense to hammer a screw into the drywall. Use the right tool for the job, first and foremost.

Efficacy

If you are trying to improve your sprint speed, the best tool is going to be your body. If your goal is to increase your deadlift, it makes sense to have a bar with some plates.

Progression and Scalability

If all other things are equal, you want something that allows you the ability to progress an exercise, or scale it back if necessary. Along with scalability comes learning curve. The ability to implement a tool and have it enhance movement with minimal instruction is extremely useful in group settings or in one-on-one situations where teaching time is limited.

“When in doubt, simpler and more scalable is better.”

This is a large part of why Apple has done so well as a company. They’ve made using their products exceptionally simple, even though there are some instances where a different operating system gives you more functionality.

When in doubt, simpler and more scalable is better. For example, a barbell can be loaded to different weights. Gymnastics rings can be adjusted and the exercises can be modified to change difficulty by altering the leverage.

Freedom

There are a lot of barriers to exercise, and more often than not, it’s important to be able to get a training session without having to always go to the gym. In fact, some of the best training you’ll ever do will be outside. For this, things like a kettlebell, bodyweight, and rings are ideal because they are so nicely portable.

Me performing a Turkish Get Up. One of the many uses of the kettlebell.

Movement

The last and most important thing to consider when you are deciding which piece of equipment you need to get the job done is how you are going to use this to enhance your movement. The most important part of the puzzle is your own body and what kind of stimulus you are trying to impose upon it so it will create a positive change.

“In order to be the best athlete possible, it’s a good idea to be competent along the full spectrum.”

For example, kettlebells are great tools for teaching someone to squat properly and how to use their posterior chain through swings. But for upper body pulling movements, such as pull ups and front levers, kettlebells are somewhat lacking in terms of improving overall movement.

Organizing Your Workout

Let’s look at these determining factors in the way you might when organizing your workout, goals, and equipment.

Look at the freedom a pull up bar and a set of gymnastics rings will give you for upper body pulling exercises. We have front levers, pull ups, skin the cats, hanging leg raises, and a multitude of other movements that can serve everyone from a total beginner at level zero to an Olympic gymnast performing a Victorian.

But those rings aren’t going to do you any favors for building leg strength.

Jumping, sprinting, and lifting heavy weights with a barbell is going to be the most efficient and effective for the legs, while also giving you the added benefit of that total body strength and coordination along a huge amount of muscles.

But that barbell isn’t going to be the best tool for improving flexibility.

When it comes to flexibility, your body, things you can hang from, and small weights or bands are much more effective.

A sandbag is an awesome tool for building serious strength and it’s probably the best piece of equipment for many different variations of carries, like Zercher and bear hug. If you get a good one, you can also throw it around, which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing with yourself or with a barbell.

“The most important part of the puzzle is your own body and what kind of stimulus you are trying to impose upon it so it will create a positive change.”

Kettlebell swings are fantastic. There are few things better for getting someone to be explosive through the hips in that middle range of the strength speed continuum. On one end, you have sprints and on the other you have deadlifts. In order to be the best athlete possible, it’s a good idea to be competent along the full spectrum.

Become the best all-around athlete.

My Favorite Pieces of Equipment

As you can see, there is a time and a place for many pieces of equipment. The only place it gets a little dodgy is when you start marrying yourself to one single thing. You miss out on so many potential benefits by closing off your mind to other tools.

Understand and respect the advantages and disadvantages of each piece of equipment and approach that evaluation with a clear and emotion-free mind.

Here are a couple of my favorites and when I use them:

Upper body work:

• Pull up bar or rings (hanging variations)
• Handstands

Lower body work:

• Barbells (deadlift)
• Kettlebells or sandbags for goblet and Zercher squats respectively
• Sled pushes

Power:

• Sprints and jumps
• Kettlebell swings

Core:

• Medicine ball or sandbag throws
• Pull up bar or rings (hanging variations)
• Sandbags (loaded carries)

Me demonstrating a front lever.

My personal go-to tools and equipment for specific goals:

Power:

• Jumps

Strength Block One:

• L-Sit to handstands
• Deadlifts

Strength Block Two:

• Front levers
• Sled push

Core:

• Sandbag carries or hanging leg raises

Endurance:

• One-arm kettlebell swing intervals

“The only place it gets a little dodgy is when you start marrying yourself to one single thing.”

Summary

The above are just examples of my favorite, biggest bang-for-your-buck tools and movements. The most important thing is to have fun and stay healthy while getting better every day. If you hate using barbells, you don’t need to use them.

My personal goal is to always find the best and easiest solution that will also deliver the most benefit. This is what allows you to be able to do basically everything, without having to practice everything. This ability to adapt and “do it all” is what I consider the cornerstone of being the Ultimate Athlete.

In short, don’t screw yourself over by always using a hammer. #toolpun

Take a look at these related articles:

• An Economic Approach to Becoming the Ultimate Athlete
• The Right Tool for the Right Job: Kettlebell, Dumbbell, or Barbell?
• Kettlebells as a Cardio Tool: Yay or Nay?
• What’s New on Breaking Muscle Today

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