The Best Shoulders and Trap Exercises

http://www.t-nation.com/training/inside-the-muscles-best-shoulders-and-trap-exercises

by Bret Contreras 

Every guy has his own theory about which exercises are the best and which exercises suck. Whether we're analyzing the biomechanics of an exercise (not very likely), "feeling the burn" (more likely), or simply doing a ton of sets and seeing how sore we get over the next few days (ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!), we all think we know the best movements to grow our muscles.

But do we really?

Bret Contreras wants to take you inside your muscles–without the freak accident that usually precedes such gross anatomy lessons–using EMG, a tool that measures how much muscle activity is going on with every movement you do.

After testing 25 different shoulder and trap exercises, he's here to reveal the best of the best.

Before we get started, I want to say I'm not going to make any judgments regarding the safety of any exercise in this article. I realize that certain exercises pose greater risks to the joints than others, but every guy has the right to train however the hell he chooses. As lifters, we can choose to assume a lot of risk or little risk since we're the owners of our bodies. So keep that in mind before you type me nasty letters.

Now, are you ready to learn the best exercises to build boulder shoulders and monster traps?

I'll clear up a few science-y things first and then hit you with the results! (If you skip down to view the exercises first, I don't blame you. But make sure to come back up here to read how it works!)

What The Heck Is EMG Anyway?

EMG measures the electrical activity of muscles during exercise. While EMG doesn't directly measure muscular tension, the two should be very similar (although slightly off-set), as the electrical activity that EMG measures is simply a measurement of the nervous system's signal to the muscles. Increased EMG activity is indicative of the nervous system's attempt to produce more muscular force. (That's a good thing, by the way.) I used a Myotrace 400 from Noraxon to measure the EMG of every exercise.

What's MVC?

MVC stands for Maximum Voluntary Contraction. It's a measurement of how hard a muscle can contract isometrically. When you record MVC, you simply position your body in an advantageous position and squeeze your muscle as hard as possible. You can also push against an immovable object.

Each muscle has its own position that will yield the highest electrical value. The first step in measuring EMG activity is recording MVC. Following this recording, every subsequent exercise performed will be compared to MVC as a percentage.

What Are Mean And Peak Activation?

For each exercise I tested, I received data that showed both the mean activation and the peak activation.

Researchers typically use mean MVC for their data. I used to think that mean activation was more important as it measured the average activation throughout the entire repetition. However, muscles are not always active throughout the entire range of motion of an exercise, especially during compound lifts.

For example, one muscle might be very active down low in the stretched position, while another muscle becomes more active up top in the contracted position of the same exercise.

For this reason I believe that peak MVC is a more important figure. Peak activation is a measurement of the highest point of activation during the repetition.

Still, I believe that mean activation might be more important for bodybuilding purposes in providing constant tension, occlusion, and "the pump," while peak activation might be more important for sport-specific purposes in providing maximum tension at a certain moment for peak force production.

Got it so far? Good.

How Is It Possible To Exceed 100% of MVC?

I would hope that a guy like myself with 18 years of lifting experience could exceed MVC (which is an isometric contraction) through dynamic barbell, dumbbell, band, or bodyweight exercises. If we couldn't exceed MVC through lifting, then we'd build a strong case for isometric bodyweight training (a la Charles Atlas) for bodybuilding purposes.

The reality is that strength training exercises will typically cause peak activation to far exceed MVC. If the exercise is really good, mean activation can exceed MVC as well. When this happens, it simply means that the average activation throughout the repetition is higher than the average activation recorded from a maximum isometric voluntary contraction.

People Are Different, But Not That Different.

Having measured the EMG of several individuals, I've realized that everyone is different, but not that different. The two most influential factors in muscle activation differences are anthropometry and form.

For example, taller individuals tend to exhibit more glute activity during squats than shorter individuals. This makes sense when you think about it, since they have farther to travel. As another example, a powerlifting-style bench press will yield much less pec activity than a bodybuilding-style bench press since the elbows are kept tucked.

Although the length of one's body segments and the manner in which one performs an exercise can impact muscle activation, it's surprising how similar most individuals' activations are when it comes to strength training.

More Research Is Needed.

The data used in this article was obtained from one individual (me) during a week-long series of experiments. I'd hook up the electrodes to the muscle parts I wanted to measure and then perform all the exercises in one session to allow for the greatest level of accuracy.

The only exception was for the glutes, quads, adductors, and hamstrings, which required three different tests: one for strength exercises, one for explosive exercises, and one special test for the different areas of the glutes. (Shut up. I'm the Glute Guy after all!)

By no means am I trying to suggest that this article should be the definitive Bible on muscular development. Each time I embark on a new series of EMG experiments I learn a tremendous amount of information. I will continue to experiment and share my findings as I acquire new bits of knowledge.

Althought it's clear more EMG research and experimentation is needed to confirm the results of my studies, this article is (I hope) very telling in terms of exercise efficiency.

Can An Exercise Target a Specific Portion of a Muscle?

My EMG research indicates that the bodybuilders were right: various exercises can stress different parts of muscles.

For years we've known the different heads of certain muscles such as the deltoids and pectoralis major function differently from one another. However, my research indicates that muscle fibers within a muscle can function differently from one another even if they don't have separate heads. For example, during my research I noted that the upper rectus abdominis and lower rectus abdominis function differently.

I suspect that this is true of all muscles, as muscles often have varying fiber angles and attachment points, numerous motor units, and sometimes varying nerve suppliers.

This might explain why lifters tend to see better results when they incorporate variety into their routines rather than sticking to just one exercise per muscle or movement pattern.

The Second Rep

Another significant finding that I encountered is that during a heavy set, the second rep nearly always produced higher EMG readings than the first rep. Perhaps the nervous system "figures out" how to better recruit the muscles following the first repetition. This might explain why Olympic lifters and powerlifters see better results when they perform multiple (albeit low) repetitions rather than just heavy singles, or just why the I, Bodybuilder program seems to be so effective.

What You've Been Waiting For! The Exercises.

Since this is a bodybuilding experiment, I never used a weight that was too heavy to perform at least five repetitions. The mean number is on top and the peak number is on bottom. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, make sure to read "What Are Mean And Peak Activation?" above.)

Exercise	Upper Trap	Anterior Delt	Lateral Delt	Posterior Delt
45 lb Standing Military Press	60.1 117.0	65.5 145.0	8.9 23.7	4.0 8.3
135 lb Standing Military Press	56.1 99.0	120.0 266.0	23.9 68.0	7.6 16.7
155 lb Standing Military Press	47.4 82.3	131.0 315.0	25.4 86.6	7.8 18.8
175 lb Standing Military Press	53.4 81.2	150.0 281.0	34.0 87.7	9.6 21.5
155 lb Standing Behind Neck Press	66.5 94.0	146.0 318.0	45.7 88.7	13.9 23.6
70 lb DB Standing Military Press	51.6 93.0	174.0 432.0	43.3 111.0	14.5 43.1
135 lb Seated Shoulder Press	65.6 98.1	120.0 221.0	23.8 58.9	7.9 14.9
185 lb Seated Shoulder Press	67.2 91.6	190.0 311.0	48.7 94.3	13.2 19.9
165 lb Seated Behind Neck Press	72.1 110.0	274.0 471.0	69.5 106.0	17.6 27.8
80 lb Seated DB Shoulder Press	60.5 106.0	162.0 328.0	43.5 87.3	13.8 21.4
50 lb Dumbbell Upright Row	58.4 113.0	60.6 119.0	56.1 102.0	54.3 103.0
60 lb Dumbbell Upright Row	38.2 59.9	57.8 146.0	61.6 96.3	71.1 138.0
75 lb Cable Upright Row	60.7 109.0	37.4 92.6	46.5 87.6	54.0 147.0
135 lb Barbell Upright Row	53.7 67.4	96.6 204.0	68.0 102.0	80.9 155.0
95 lb Barbell Upright Row	64.3 91.9	69.9 125.0	54.7 100.0	65.6 139.0
30 lb Lateral Raise	49.2 83.2	80.8 170.0	73.4 148.0	63.5 113.0
40 lb Lateral Raise	41.7 77.3	113.0 191.0	83.1 141.0	73.3 134.0
50 lb Lateral Raise	44.9 101.0	114.0 213.0	84.3 124.0	66.3 133.0
40 lb Cable Lateral Raise	75.5 150.0	55.2 163.0	58.4 136.0	64.2 121.0
30 lb Dumbbell Front Raise	66.4 104.0	105.0 202.0	49.4 76.1	39.5 84.5
55 lb Barbell Front Raise	64.4 101.0	99.3 170.0	36.8 70.5	31.1 74.3
30 lb DB Bent Over Rear Delt Raise	31.2 79.0	13.8 42.7	46.9 103.0	94.2 182.0
50 lb DB Bent Over Rear Delt Raise	40.3 87.6	19.4 41.6	60.5 108.0	94.7 153.0
25 lb DB Prone Rear Delt Raise	43.9 91.1	18.7 53.3	64.3 126.0	88.9 152.0
30 lb Cable Scarecrow	50.9 98.8	29.1 68.7	62.8 130.0	93.8 167.0
Bodyweight Push Up	11.6 29.9	88.3 175.0	12.9 24.5	5.7 12.1
225 lb Bench Press	4.8 20.5	97.8 201.0	7.0 17.3	5.8 8.4
Bodyweight Dip	3.3 9.8	21.1 39.2	3.1 4.7	9.8 20.6
225 lb Incline Press	40.5 69.1	184.0 390.0	24.9 45.5	7.9 11.7
Bodyweight Pull Up	17.8 56.3	14.1 35.4	4.5 14.4	19.1 53.2
Bodyweight Chin Up	12.7 42.9	15.1 74.7	6.4 33.0	17.2 64.9
Bodyweight Hanging Row	12.9 24.4	12.2 33.2	35.7 79.6	87.1 182.0
100 lb Dumbbell Shrug	29.2 57.7	9.1 22.2	20.2 39.7	42.6 93.6
50 lb Dumbbell Shrug	39.5 62.9	10.3 23.3	11.9 21.6	27.2 54.1
120 lb Face Pull	69.7 101.0	16.8 29.2	55.0 92.8	87.1 159.0
Band Face Pull	60.1 77.1	21.1 37.1	90.7 152.0	144.0 252.0
225 lb Barbell Shrug	76.1 118.0	17.0 31.5	9.9 18.5	29.6 66.0
225 lb Behind Back Shrug	39.5 67.1	11.6 21.1	19.3 38.2	45.1 71.6
315 lb Barbell Shrug	81.9 145.0	18.0 32.1	24.6 46.8	48.3 72.8

The Winners

Based on this experiment, here are the top three exercises in terms of mean and peak activity for each muscle part:

Front Delt
Mean: Seated Behind Neck Press, Seated Military Press, Incline Press
Peak:  Seated Behind Neck Press, Standing Dumbbell Military Press, Incline Press

Mid Delt
Mean: Band Face Pull, Lateral Raise, Seated Behind Neck Press
Peak:  Band Face Pull, Lateral Raise, Cable Lateral Raise

Rear Delt
Mean: Band Face Pull, Bent Over Rear Delt Raise, Prone Rear Delt Raise
Peak:  Band Face Pull, Bent Over Rear Delt Raise, Hanging Row

Upper Trap
Mean: Barbell Shrug, Cable Lateral Raise, Standing Military Press
Peak:  Cable Lateral Raise, Barbell Shrug, Seated Behind Neck Press

Confirmations

It's no surprise that variations of military presses and incline presses appear to be the best front delt exercises. It's also no surprise that variations of lateral raises and presses top the charts for mean and peak mid delt exercises.

Naturally we'd expect to see variations of rear delt raises and rows topping the charts in mean and peak rear delt activity. Finally, it's not shocking to see the barbell shrug at the top of the list in mean upper trap activity.

Now let's move into the stuff that shocked the hell out of me.

Surprises

I always figured the front military press worked more anterior deltoid than the behind-the-neck press, but I was definitely wrong.

And while I knew band face pulls worked the delts, I always assumed they were targeting the rear delts. I was very surprised to find that the band face pull worked more mean and peak lateral delt than any other exercise!

(It's important to know that I perform the band face pull in a special manner, making it a mixture between a face pull and a pull-apart. I grab hold of the bands with my hands about three inches apart, and as I perform the face pull motion, I pull the band apart vigorously.)

I was also very shocked to find the band face pull worked more mean and peak rear delt muscles than any other exercise, as I assumed a rear delt raise or row variation would have outperformed them.

Finally, although I was aware the upper traps got worked through a variety of shoulder exercises, I had no idea as to the magnitude of upper trap activity that was involved in typical shoulder exercises like military presses and lateral raises. I mean, the cable lateral raise topped the charts in peak upper trap activity, beating out heavy shrugs!

What If...?

During experiments like this, one is often left with much curiosity. What if I would have performed a close-grip bench press or close-grip incline press? Would they have elicited a lot of front delt activity?

What if I would have experimented with different types of grips on dumbbell military presses or different form alterations of lateral raises? How would that have impacted mid delt activity?

What if I would have done different rowing exercises or different form alterations of rear delt raises? Would they have elicited a lot of rear delt activity?

What if I would have performed push presses with a controlled eccentric? What if I had placed the electrodes in a different spot on the upper traps? How would machine exercises faired? Just who the hell is John Galt?

Clearly more research is needed, as it's impossible to anticipate everything prior to an experiment no matter how prepared and organized you seem.

The Best Damn Shoulder and Trap Workout

Based on the results of this experiment, I bet the following would be one kick-ass workout that'd target the front, mid, and rear delts as well as the upper traps. Enjoy!

Seated Behind the Neck Press
Band Face Pull
Cable Lateral Raise
Barbell Shrug

Editor's Note: Would you like to see more articles like this? Let us know in the comments and we may just run one for every body part!

Cool Diagnostic Tests b

by Lee Boyce

Just about every arrogant bastard I see at the gym is in a woeful state of ignorance or just plain denial. Even the rare physical specimen whose training loads match their ego is often so chock full of imbalances and glaring weaknesses it's a wonder they don't fall over while texting between sets.

While much has been made about achieving and maintaining muscular balance, what really calls the shots is your structural balance.

Structural balance isn't a new concept, having been first introduced to T NATION readers nearly a decade ago by strength coach guru Charles Poliquin. The problem is, it's just not a sexy topic, not even for my fellow kinesiology nerds who fist-pump the computer at the sight of a new article by Eric Cressey or Mike Robertson.

But sexy or not, achieving structural balance can be the difference between a jacked physique on the cusp of injury, and a jacked physique that's also healthy, strong, and kicks more ass than a Steven Seagal marathon.

If you think this stuff is boring, difficult to assess, or just not worth your time and effort in the gym, you might want to reassess your way of thinking.

Lower Body

Issue 1 – Achieving Full Squat Depth – A Look at Your Construction

Some people squat to parallel, but just can't get down any further. Even if they religiously work on their hip mobility, VMO activation, and posterior chain flexibility, something still seems to block them from getting that extra range of motion that's so vital.

The fix for this can be as simple as foot position. Many 'rules' of squatting state that the lifter should place his or her feet just outside shoulder-width apart, with toes turned slightly out. The truth is, not everyone's bone construction supports this.

The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The acetabulum (the "socket" located on the pelvis) where the femur links in is not in the exact same place on every lifter. Knowing this can tremendously affect the depth achieved in your squat.

If your acetabula are located more on the anterior, or front side of the pelvis, a narrower squat width would allow a greater ROM, as the femoral head will be properly placed in the socket and not blocked by being forced into an angled position by way of too wide of a stance.

Adversely, if your acetabula happen to be more towards the lateral sides of the pelvis, then a wider stance with toes pointing outwards will probably be best as far as achieving your full depth is concerned. Having your proper stance should be step 1, then comes working on your relative flexibility and other muscle-related performance.

The Test

Here's the easiest way to figure out what foot width will work best for you in promoting the deepest squat you can get.

• After you finish stretching, find a mirror and get on your elbows and knees with the knees far apart.
• Keep a flat back and make sure your head and shoulders are closer to the floor than your hips are.
• Then, by slowly rocking backwards, push your butt towards your heels and take note of where your spine starts to curve.
• Repeat this test with a narrow knee and foot width and with a mid width. Keep playing around with different widths.

You'll notice that you'll be able to keep a flat back for longer in a certain position versus others. Take this as an indicator of what your foot position should be when you squat.

Note: I've noticed that with many taller, long legged lifters, a slightly wider stance works best, whereas shorter-legged lifters benefit from a slightly narrower stance. (See figure below.)

Issue 2 – The Pelvic Tilt

If you've ever noticed after leg day that you're more sore in certain places on one leg than the other, or that you can't seem to get both glutes to "feel it" during the workout, chances are you have a pelvic tilt or rotation. Most commonly seen is some kind of pelvic tilt, where basically one side is "higher" than the other, making the leg on that side feel "shorter."

A pelvic tilt can affect the lumbar vertebrae as a compensatory scoliosis can take place to balance out the rest of the body, including even the eyes and ears (for spatial awareness). This scoliosis results in added compression on the lumbar vertebrae, which inhibits the strength of the electrical signals the nerves can send from the spinal cord to muscles of the lower extremities.

Take a few seconds to see if your hip flexors are in proper working order. If there's a pelvic tilt, there will often be an imbalance in the activation of this group.

The Test

To activate the psoas, find a box or step that you can plant your foot on. It should be high enough to make your hip flex to 90 degrees.

• Without twisting or changing your body's upright position, pull your knee up toward your chest using your hip flexors and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. (It's not as simple as it looks.)
• Keep your foot tucked in under your knee and don't let it kick forward. Remember, we're trying to activate a couple of small muscles; this calls for a lot of focus, so focus on just the hips pulling the knee up.
• If you have to contort the body on one side, or one side is just noticeably weaker than the other and can't maintain the 10-second hold, the proof is in the pudding. (See figure below.)

In Eric Cressey's book Assess and Correct, he makes it clear that pelvic tilts also suggest external rotation deficiencies and tightness of the inner thigh musculature. Fittingly, these need to be addressed by way of proper mobilizing exercises.

The Drills

• Walking Spidermans. This exercise combines a dynamic stretch to the hip flexors with one for the adductors group. (See video below.)

• Cradle Walks. This exercise adds a dynamic stretch for the external rotators. Remember to hold the foot and ankle for proper support. (See video below.)

Lastly, during weighted split stance work, the muscles have less of a chance to compensate for one another, even more so when the load is unilateral (or even offset). Farmer's walks, step-ups, and rear leg elevated split squats with an offset load (heavier on the high-hip-side) are great choices.

Upper Body

Upper body training can either help or hurt imbalances. Proper care must be taken to avoid poor positions, and it goes beyond posture.

Issue 1 - Thoracic Curvature

The Test

Reach down with nearly straight legs and try to touch your toes. Don't worry about keeping your back too flat like you do in a stiff dead.

Take a look in a mirror beside you. Does your mid back curve like a camel's hump? Also, take note of how much curvature exists when simply standing straight. A big kyphotic curvature in the thoracic area is often seen but is just as often neglected. Even with people who train and have decent overall development, this issue can stymie their progress.

There are a couple of reasons why this happens. First, the upper back musculature needs some strengthening. Second, the deeper tissue on the front side of the body may be tight and lack the flexibility needed to keep the spine from deforming to compensate.

There's more to it than just working on keeping a flat lower back. If you transfer this issue into your heavy exercises that demand the most spinal stability (like deadlifts and front squats), this deficiency of thoracic extension comes to the forefront big time. It can lead to serious issues like rhomboid strains, even disc herniation. Not fun.

Any takers on how to get rid of the turtleback?

The Drills

First, let's focus on the tissue quality of the posterior muscles.

• Foam Roller Extensions

Take the time to foam roll the spinal erectors and lats. Focus on 5 passes in each direction. Then, with the foam roller resting just above the lumbar region (mid back) cross the hands over the shoulders and gently work to extend the thoracic region to move the shoulders towards the floor (see figure below).

The next thing to do would be to make sure the abs, intercostals, and pec minor aren't inhibiting the back's ability to not round your back.

• PNF Intercostal Stretch

Kneel on your knees facing any bench. Interlace your fingers with your hands behind your head, and point your elbows forward. Lean forward at the waist, and planting your elbows on the bench, apply downward pressure for 5 seconds. Really try to squeeze your abs and pull down with your elbows towards the floor. Breathe in, and relax.

Sinking your chest downward and inching backwards with the knees will offer slightly more range of motion. Repeat this 3 times, increasing the range of motion each time. This comes in quite handy between your sets of front squats or deadlifts. (See figure below)

• Trap-3 Raises

The traps are divided into three sections, Traps 1, 2 and 3. Trap 3 is lowest of the three and the least targeted through basic exercises. Subsequently, as far as performance goes, they often fall as far behind as the token white guy in the 100-meter finals. Remember to keep your upper body close to horizontal to ensure the deltoid doesn't take over the lift. (See video below.)

Issue 2 – What Makes a Healthy Shoulder?

Many coaches, me included, have written a billion and one pointers on training for the stability of the shoulder capsule. The normal trend is to focus on exercises that work on the strength and retraction of the scapulae, where the rotator cuff muscles originate. We also suggest other isolation exercises and modified exercises for the deltoids to increase subacromial space and add freedom of mobility.

What's forgotten here is activation of the long head of the triceps. Along with beefing up the upper arms, the long triceps head also serves to stabilize the shoulder from the rear side.

If you've noticed that during overhead movements like skull crushers and French presses your arms are shaking like a leaf, or that your shouldersalways bug you during incline bench pressing, it's a safe bet that the long head of your triceps needs work.

Remember that the farther away your elbow moves from your torso, the greater the role of the long head, so a couple key exercises to bring up these bad boys would be:

• Overhead Triceps Extensions
• Decline triceps skullcrushers

Issue 3 – Straight Up, Dude, You're Training your Core the Wrong Way!

Core malfunction is never something that just "happens." It comes as a product of either not training it at all, or training it incorrectly.

The core is responsible for many different movements, including trunk anterior and lateral flexion. It also produces rotation. Having said that, keep in mind that rather than training the core to create movement, it's more important that we train it to resist movement.

As Mike Robertson noted in "21st Century Core Training", the core is foremost a stability unit for the spine. Furthermore, spending too much time doing twisting ab exercises like side med-ball throws, twisting sit-ups, or woodchoppers may start training the lower back to dysfunction.

Collectively, all the lumbar vertebrae are responsible for only about 10 to 15 degrees of rotation. Are twisting flexions really worth the risk? Doubtful.

Recent studies have suggested that holding planks alone (or other core isometrics) aren't the greatest choice for making the abs stronger. Since there's no shortening or lengthening of the tissue, the muscles are simply being deprived of oxygen, so if you think you're still doing good for your abs of steel with your half-hour plank, you might as well stick with your BOSU one-legged deadlifts.

Here are a couple of other options to enforce the correct movement chains in the abdominals and low back.

• Side plank row – Make sure you keep the body completely straight, and don't allow the body to move at all during the lift! (See figure below.)

• Palof press. (See figure below.)

• Crossover plank. (See Video below.)

That's a Wrap

In training, it's all about the little things, and getting that "next level" body means you have to take a step back, check your ego, and have an objective look at yourself. Everyone's different, and even if your exercise selections seem correct, they could be ass backwards when you consider your individual construction.

Considering one wrong move in the weight room could sideline you from days to months, it's time to make preventive care the order of the day. You'll be glad you did.

LOSE WEIGHT FAST WITH THESE 5 WORKOUT FINISHERS

 

 Megan Griffith   

It’s the end of a grueling training session, but I know it isn’t really the end. My mind takes me back to my teenage years, playing Mortal Kombat when I hear the words, “FINISH HIM”, repeat in my mind and I know what is coming next.

Workout finishers are intense exercises, or combinations of exercises, performed at the end of your training sessions in order to take advantage of low energy stores when the potential for using fat as energy is greatest. Finishers should be performed 3-5 times a week at the end of training sessions and usually are around 5-15 minutes in length.

If you are thinking, “is that all?”, you’re not imagining the appropriate intensity. Finishers are INTENSE, nausea-producing workouts. If you feel like doing anything after you are done, you did it wrong. I do not recommend going to full-on vomit speed, however, as the time spent doing that will count as extra rest and, well, that just defeats the purpose doesn’t it.

Here are a few of my favorite fat burning workout finishers.

Fat Burning Workout Finisher #1: Earth, Wind and Fire

This little number uses the Push up, Pull up, Tire Drag. It is is performed by going to the ground for 60 seconds of push ups performed at a pace that allows you to continue moving for the entire time. Get up, head straight to the pull up bar and get some wind moving in your hair as you perform 5- 10 reps of pull ups. Don’t go to failure or it will make it difficult to complete the rest of the rounds.

Hop down from the bar, and using a harness and rope attached to a tire, sprint forward dragging the tire 20 yards, turn and sprint backward 20 yards. Now you’ve been introduced to fire as your quads, calves and hamstrings are melting. Repeat for as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Fat Burning Workout Finisher #2: Ascending/Descending Ladders

The Kettlebell Swing, Goblet Squat, Turkish Get up are the movements used for this finisher. Life has its ups and downs and so does this finisher. Start with 2 Kettlebell Swings, then do 20 Goblet Squats followed by 1 Turkish Get Up each side. Rest as little as necessary and then do 4 Kettlebell Swings, 18 Goblets Squats and 1 Turkish Get Up each side.

Continue the ascending and descending ladder counting by two’s until you reach 20 swings and 2 Goblet Squats followed by the final set of 1 Turkish Get up each side.

Fat Burning Workout Finisher #3: Clean Up on Aisle 15

The Kettlebell Clean, Kettlebell Bent Row, and HAKS make up this finisher. The 15 rep finisher is not a “low weight/high rep” workout. You will find the heaviest possible weight you can use to complete the 15 repetitions. If you can do 16 reps, go heavier.

Once you’ve determined the weight, perform 15 reps of KB Cleans then 15 reps of KB Bent Rows, then the 15 reps of HAKS, or” heavy ass kettlebell swings”. Complete 3-5 rounds.

Fat Burning Workout Finisher #4: Heavy Farmer Walk Tabatas

This one is simple. Grab a heavy weight and carry it for 20 seconds then rest for 10 seconds, pick it back up and walk around for 20 more seconds. Rest 10 seconds. Repeat for 8 rounds total. Easy, right?

This tabata is one of the toughest I’ve done. It is an equal opportunity destroyer, trashing grips, forearms, shoulders, traps, core, and lower body all in one fell swoop. I had to drop to progressively lower weights to maintain grip throughout all the rounds of 20 second walks and on the last round grabbed the heaviest bells again for the final walk.

It is important to remember that the term “tabata” not only refers to the interval of work/rest, but also implies a very high intensity, around 100% effort. This should be harder than carrying all your groceries in from the car in one trip… Much harder.

Fat Burning Workout Finisher #5: Cosgrove’s Evil 8

Complexes are my favorite finishers. There are many out there, but this has always been my favorite barbell version. The eight movements go as follows: Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Bentover Row, Power Clean, Front Squat, Push Press, Back Squat, Good Morning. To find your weight, consider your weakest movement.

If you load the bar for your deadlift then try to press that overhead, it probably isn’t going to go very well. You won’t need a lot of weight to make this work. Most sources say 95 pounds is sufficient for most men. Most of my fit female clients get worked with 45-65 pounds.

You will perform 6 reps of each movement without setting the bar down until you’ve completed all eight movements. Rest 90 seconds then complete 5 reps of each movement. Continue for 4,3,2,1 reps with 90 seconds of rest between each round. If the 90 seconds seem like “too much”, you need more weight.

5 Steps to Strict Pull-ups

https://wodplanet.com/5-steps-to-strict-pull-ups/

If you don’t have pull-ups yet, they can seem like the bane of your existence at the gym. Whenever pull-ups are part of the WOD at your local box, it can be disconcerting to have to go to the bands for assistance, especially when the person next to you seems to pump them out effortlessly.

photo credit: Aaron Guy Leroux

Although there’s certainly no shame in using the bands to complete your workout, banded pull-ups are actually one of the LEAST effective methods to getting an unassisted pull-up.

Below are 5 progressions and exercises you should use to get your first (or more) strict, unassisted pull-ups:

1.) Ditch the bands
Serious about getting those unassisted pull-ups? The first step is to ditch the bands. While it may be possible to progress to unassisted pull-ups just through band work, gradually switching them out for lesser resistance, it takes a long time and is the least effective method. The hardest part of a pull-up is at the bottom where bands give their helpful oomph to reach the top, and this means that your muscles are not being trained properly to meet your goal. Ditching the band doesn’t mean you’ll just be dangling from the bar during the next WOD. Ring rows will be your new go-to move during pull-up WODs until you’ve mastered the pull-up (we’ll get to ring rows in a moment but first there are some skill moves that help build grip and lat strength).

2.) Hang Time
Okay, this one does have you dangling from the bar …but it’s on purpose and meant for building grip strength (not as part of a WOD). Incorporate a dead hang to part of your daily routine. The dead hang, or just gripping the bar and holding your body’s weight without making a single move (other than lifting your feet off the ground) is an often overlooked tool in improving grip strength. You see, pull-ups aren’t all about your back and arms; if you don’t have sufficient grip, you’ll be at a huge disadvantage not just in pull-ups but in tons of barbell, dumbbell, or kettle bell exercises as well.

3.) Scapular Pull-ups
Scapular pull-ups are a progression to the dead hang listed above. Scapular pull-ups will strengthen your grip but will also strengthen and activate your lats. Start by hanging from the bar, keeping your arms straight throughout the movement. Pull your shoulder blades down your back (again, arms should remain straight). This is an excellent way to learn how to initiate a strict pull-up with your lats and increase overall back strength.

4.) Negative Pull-ups
The Negative Pullup is another great way to build the strength you need to perform strict unassisted pull-ups. Use a box (or chair/stool if at home) to help you get into the top position of a regular pull-up, lift your feet, and hold yourself there for as long as possible, then lower yourself down as slowly as you can. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t hold your body up long when you first start.

Eccentric work such as negative pull-ups can be very taxing on your muscles leaving you extra sore, so start this exercise slowly. Don’t combine eccentric pulling work with WODs involving similar movements. Also, experiment with different grips. Your negatives may not be pretty with your palms facing out like in a standard pull-up, but try negative chin-up (palms facing inwards) or a parallel (palms facing each other) grip as well.

5.) Ring Rows
Ring rows build strength in the back muscles and can be directly substituted for pull-ups during a WOD. While resistance can be easily varied changing your foot positioning, ring rows work your muscles through the full range of motion (unlike banded pull-ups, it’s not easier at the bottom of a ring row). Start with a foot position where you can perform 10 ring rows without stopping. Then, as you become stronger begin to move your body closer to parallel with the floor.

Once you have begun incorporating these skill movements into your routine, try to get one or more strict pull-ups at the end of each week. It may take several weeks depending on your strength level but as long as you are consistently performing the movements above you can rest assured that you are building the strength necessary to master the strict pull-up.

Hey! What about kipping??…

photo credit: Adrian Valenzuela

While there is certainly nothing wrong with kipping, it was intentionally left out of this guide for 2 reasons:

a.) The first and most obvious reason is that kipping is best taught in person by your certified coaches. There are many “moving parts” in a kipping pull-up and having someone there to critique your form is essential.

b.) Also, without first building up the strength necessary to perform at least one (but ideally five or more) strict pull-ups, kipping “can” put you at a higher risk for shoulder injury. Kipping involves momentum generated by an explosive hip extension. Strength developed by mastering the strict pull-up will not only make kipping easier, it will also make it safer by allowing you to control the motion and momentum generated by your hips.

So, let’s work on those strict pull-ups! Try the techniques above and see how many unbroken, strict pull-ups you can do after 6 weeks.