With Geoff Hemingway in town, we moved up to daily sessions. His blog includes this week’s work, but there are a number of things I want to discuss. First, one of my former coworkers noted, years ago, that we should “Never scrimmage with our athletes.” His point was this: don’t lift while your athletes are lifting.

Obviously, these sessions break this rule. By the way, it is a good rule. Here in Utah, one of the local strength coaches at a high school uses this period to train and the kids can do whatever they want for an hour. A local track coach used to take his runners off for a six mile run leaving the throwers, jumpers and the rest of the team to, well, “do whatever.” I’m not working with kids, I am working with adults. Well, people over 21 anyway…”adults” is a loaded term.

While in Canada, a friend told me that a very famous strength coach insists that all pictures be staged in such a way that no one stands with him…because he is “vertically challenged.” Others always have people seated, posed or propped in such a way to look wider or thinner depending on the need. I get it, the photos I see of me on Facebook after two full days make me look like a sweaty mess. The point here is this: training WITH others exposes you. My faults, my weaknesses, my physical issues all come out in these training sessions. If I plan to “do this” and we follow that plan like Lemmings into the sea, I feel the muscle soreness, the lack of movement and the tingling of early warning for injuries the next day.

By doing what I wrote on the board, I become an active member of the training analysis. In the book that I am currently working on, I discuss Deductive Logic as one of the ways we discover what is right or wrong in training. I use the example of Josh Hillis’ blog where he finds articles on the hottest new celebrity babe then breaks out the common themes of how they got there (minus photoshopping, surgery and simply being born better):
Squats and Lunges
Fruits and Veggies
Lots of Sleep…oh, and a full time staff supporting you on this journey.

So, I try to use our sessions and my group’s feedback to not only write future workouts, but discover some things that will allow everyone we train in the future to benefit.

So, let’s look at a workout that has been a standard. Please don’t ask about the specific names; you will be disappointed when you see how simple it all is in practice. Basically, you do three “loops” of each three movements…going heavier on the first movement every single time. Here is Hypertrophy B:

Press L/R
1. 10-5-10
2. Windmill Stick
3. Flying Bird Dogs

SQT
1. Hip Thrusts x 20
2. Front Squat 10-5-10
3. Swings x 15

TRX
1. T x 10-5-15
2. Stoney Stretch
3. Three Point/Bird Dog/Single Side Bird Dog

Swings
1. 30-15-30
2. TRX Biceps Curl x 15
3. Overhead Squat Stick

Suitcase Walks

After doing the workout, I do some math: how many pushes, pulls, hinges and squats? I often find that my workouts are overwhelming press heavy; this means that we do far more press reps than pull reps. The other thing we discovered by doing this workout is that Hip Thrusts (Pelvic Tilts…Supine Bridges?) need to be in the range of 25 reps. Those last five (we loaded with twin 20 Kilo Kettlebells) seem to really set up the Front Squat (which is MISERABLE after doing the Hip Thrusts).

But the big insight was this: with TRX work, because we are all so capable of cheating, has to be done in the 25 range, too. TRX Bicep Curls at 25 are miserable two days later when combing hair. That also tells you why I keep mine short.

Another workout that we analyzed and changed radically was “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.” The name comes from Stoney Beckstead’s comment: “Well, that’s a winner.” Originally, the press scheme was 2-3-5-10 and after doing the math, we had far too many presses. So, this is the current version see to the right.

As I look at it now, we are going to change those Press sets to the first 2-3-5 being Left Knee Down Half Kneeling Presses and the second 2-3-5 becoming Right Knee Down Half Kneeling Presses. It would also be “informative” to go heavier somehow through this, but this is the process of Hands On Training when we explore training programs.

The recent insights are valuable to me: with TRX moves, we need more reps. With correctives, ignore time and reps and do them as long as your partner needs to do whatever. It’s also very easy to overdo the press when a group is good at pressing. You need to be vigilant in looking at programs and workouts for the things that are dropping out.

By the way, I had a marvelous insight into the book, Never Let Go, while in Canada. In the section of my workshop on Epistemology, I outline the six basic ways in which we know what we know. It occurred to me, and probably all of you that have ever done something for decades, that your answer to “how do you know this?” is probably a mish mosh of all kinds of ways that the human mind learns things. It occurred to me that NLG is an exploration of how I learned the basics of strength and training through the lens of all these different methods. We all do, honestly, learn in multiple ways, but sometimes, especially since the internet, many of us forget some of this.

So, the issue of my assessments has been mentioned. No surprise, but I focus on the Basic Human Movements. But, the thing is this: I believe that “The best corrections are regressions.” So, if you can’t do Snatches and Clean and Jerks, try swings. Can’t do swings? Try Goat Bag Swings. Can’t do that? How about “RDLs on the wall.” Can’t do that? Pelvic Tilts. This is where I regress to first and then try to build back up the ladder, so to speak.

But, there are also three (maybe four) little assessments to get us right to “where you are” and they take about five minutes, if you go slow.

The first test is “Height to Waist” ration. See more about the “why” of this here on this link. I keep a tape measure in my traveling kit, but I forgot to bring it today. Sorry.

The next simple test is discussed here.
The test can be seen here

Click here to view the embedded video.

The third is the Plank. I know that Stu McGill tells us we need to be able to hold a two minuter plank or we have issues. I couldn’t fine that quickly on line, but I liked this little thing from Tony here.

So, one measurement, one “up and down,” and a two minute plank can give you a pretty good view of things in less than five minutes. A fourth assessment, standing on one foot, is good and I am a good test case: with my hip issues, I couldn’t pass the test on my good leg. So, stand on one foot: if you can, for ten to twenty seconds, you are fine. Beyond twenty is a circus trick, but less than ten is an issue. For me, it was a necrotic hip. Whatever it is, it is beyond my pay grade to guess why.

There four (five if you count left and right leg) tests and five minutes gone in your day, but a window open into how you are doing overall.

For Women:

Push
Game-changer = Bodyweight bench press
Pull
Game-changer = Three pullups
Hinge
Game-changer = 275-pound deadlift
Squat
Game-changer = 135 for five in the back squat
Loaded Carries
Game-changer = 85 pounds per hand
Getup
One left and right, done with a half-filled cup of water

An older photo of Kelly’s class learning the basics.

Big Silver Club (Girls)
One Arm Bench 12kg10 Right/10 left
Standing Press 70
Power Clean 95
Deadlift 205
Back Squat 135
Front Squat 95
Power Clean & Jerk 75
All done in one workout, by the way.

High School Standards, for Boys Varsity
Big Blue Club (Boys)
One Arm Bench 32kg5 Right/5 left
Standing Press 115
Power Clean 205
Deadlift 315
Back Squat 255
Front Squat 205
Power Clean & Jerk 165

Now, the issue is that I have known for a long time that this is fine and all, but, if I truly believe that “Regressions are the Best Corrections,” then I am missing a lot here. So, with the help of Paul Lysengos and Josh Hillis and others, I am working on this:
Men’s Standards
Squat Movement

1. Proper Form in the Goblet Squat
2. Goblet Squat: 24K x 10
3. Double KB Front Squat: 32K x 10
4. Bodyweight Back Squat
5. Bodyweight Front Squat
6. Bodyweight Back Squat x 15
7. Bodyweight Overhead Squat x 15

Press Movement
1. Push Ups x 10
2. One Arm KB Press: 24K x 5 per Side
3. Double KB Press: 32K x 5
4. Bench Press: Bodyweight
5. One Arm Overhead Press: ½ Bodyweight
6. Bench Press: Bodyweight x 15
7. Two Arm KB Press: Bodyweight

Hip Hinge Movement

1. Hip Hinge with Proper Form (From stand, floor and loaded)
2. Kettlebell Swing: 24K x 20 (Proper Form)
3. Double Kettlebell Clean: 32K x 10
4. Barbell Clean: Bodyweight
5. Barbell Deadlift: Double Bodyweight
6. Barbell Snatch: Bodyweight
7. Barbell Deadlift 2.5 x Bodyweight

Pull Movement
1. Batwings, thumbs in armpits, 16K x 10 seconds
2. Bodyweight Row on Rings/TRX x 20
3. Bodyweight Row, feet elevated, x 10
4. Chin Ups x 5
5. Pull Ups x 8-10
6. Pull Ups x 15
7. Weighted Pull Up with 48 K

Women’s Standards

Squat Movement
1. Proper Form in the Goblet Squat
2. Goblet Squat: 12K x 10
3. Double KB Front Squat: 16K x 10
4. Back Squat: 135 x 5
5. Bodyweight Back Squat
6. Bodyweight Front Squat
7. Bodyweight Overhead Squat

Press Movement
1. Push Ups x 1 (Excellent Pushup)
2. One Arm KB Press: 10K x 5 per Side
3. Double KB Press: 12K x 5
4. Double KB Press: 16K x 5
5. One Arm Overhead Press: 1/3 BdWt
6. Bench Press: Bodyweight
7. Two Arm KB Press: 2/3 Bodyweight
Hip Hinge Movement

1. Hip Hinge with Proper Form (From stand, floor and loaded)
2. Kettlebell Swing: 16K x 20 (Proper Form)
3. Double Kettlebell Clean: 16K x 10
4. Barbell Deadlift: 1.5 x Bodyweight (or 135×5)
5. Double KB Swings: 24K x 10
6. 5:00 Minute Snatch Test: 16K x 100
7. Barbell Deadlift 2 x Bodyweight (275lbs.)

Pull Movement
1. Batwings, thumbs in armpits, 8K x 10 seconds
2. Bodyweight Row on Rings/TRX x 20
3. Bodyweight Row, feet elevated, x 10
4. Chin Ups x 1
5. Chin Ups x 3
6. Pull Ups x 3
7. Weighted Pull Up with 24 K
Now, if you know me…it’s going to change a little. The idea is that 4 or so is where we would want like a high school, athlete, 6 is the “Game Changer” from the book…usually…and 7 is around where you discover that “strength is not your issue.”

None of it matters, save one thing: it’s the balance of the FOUR!!! (Sixth moves, like groundwork, and Loaded Carries are usually just a simple, do you do it or not?)

My good friend, Stoney Beckstead came to the rescue for you. On the EXCEL, go to “ME” and post the number you are at from each move. If you have a nice shape like a diamond…good! A flat tire? Yeeeesh, let’s fix it.

1-2-3 are where we want to explore for untrained and detrained people. Being a perfect square at twos might be better than being a 7-1-7-7…perhaps. Don’t lose your mind on this, this is a process.Strength Standards