12.01.04
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Q: Joe,
I clearly see the benefits of
long range pulling exercises like snatch-grip Deadlifts
or Deadlifts on platforms. How do you prepare short-armed
and/or unflexible athletes for these kinds of exercises?
I have problems performing standard bent-legged deadlifts
without losing my back arch. Being 5'6 with short
arms doesn't help, but my goal is to at least be able
to deadlift from the floor with good form.
Any advice or guidance would
be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!
Tom
A: Tom,
You weren’t blessed with a great
“deadlift body”, but that’s no excuse!
You can still deadlift safely; you just have to work
harder and smarter at it. Here’s what I do with
my clients who have problems deadlifting properly.
First, we get their core temperature up by performing
a 5 minute active warm-up of basic calisthenics (body
squats, jumping jacks, etc.) Then, I perform a specific
PNF stretch for their hamstrings and glutes. Finally,
they perform a static stretch for their hip flexors
and calves. This pre-deadlift warm-up will work wonders
for your form. It will also enable you to lift heavier
weights!
I don’t know if you have anyone
that’s qualified to perform the PNF stretches
on you. Obviously, I work with athletes on an individual
basis and this is a realistic warm-up for us. If you
have someone who’s well-versed in PNF stretching,
try this warm-up. It works…BIG TIME!
Joe D.
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Q: Dear Joe,
I am a huge NJ High school
football fan. I played at Paramus
Catholic in the late 80's. I see in your pictures
section that you
train guys from Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic, St. Joe's
and Paramus Catholic. Do they ever train at the same
time and who do you root for when they play each other?
Thanks,
Lou
A: Lou,
I am also a huge high school football
fan. And yes, we work with players from many different
high schools across the state – even the bitter
rivals! Some of the players from different schools
are friends off of the field; others prefer to train
only with their own teammates. To answer your question,
it depends on the individual athlete that we’re
training. If they don’t mind training with a
player from a different school, then we’ll pair
them up. If they want to train only with their teammates,
then we do our best to schedule opposing teams at
different times. After all, we can’t have our
gym looking like a Detroit Pistons vs. Indiana Pacers
basketball game! That wouldn’t be good for business.
Tonight at Giants Stadium, two of the
best high school football teams in the state (Bergen
Catholic & Don Bosco Prep) will battle for another
state championship. Although Bergen Catholic is my
Alma Mader and my company trains the entire team,
we also had 2 of Don Bosco’s starters train
with us all summer. These kids know that we wish them
the best of luck. As far as I’m concerned, we’re
all part of the same “fraternity”. We
train together, we sweat together and we get brutally
strong together! Regardless of the team you play for,
if you train with us, you’re part of our family.
Can’t wait to see a great game
tonight!
Joe D.
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Q: Joe,
Great response to the baseball
player training question last week. If it’s
possible, can you post an example of an upper body
workout that you have used with one of your baseball
players? Do you still do max-effort and dynamic work
with your baseball players?
Thanks a ton!
Jarred
A: Jarred,
Recently, I find myself dividing the
upper body strength sessions into a max-effort day
and an “accessory” day. I’m not
saying that I never do dynamic or repetition days,
I just seem to break it up into max-effort and accessory
days most of the time for my baseball players. This
is because most of the baseball players that I work
with practice hitting at least 1-2 times a week in
the off-season. After all, hitting is about as dynamic
as it gets, so I account for that. Most baseball players
usually have a bunch of muscular imbalances and nagging
injuries to deal with anyway. Here’s a sample
upper body split that I’ve used with a couple
of my baseball players. I usually perform 2-3 week
mini cycles and then change the workouts.
Monday – Max-Effort
Upper Body
A. Weighted chin-ups
– work up to a 3 RM (Perform at least 5 total
sets.)
B1. Flat dumbell bench press,
palms in – 4 sets of 8
B2. Bent-over dumbell rows –
4 sets of 8 each arm
C1. Lean-away cable lateral
raises – 3 sets of 10 each arm
C2. Cable external rotation, arm abducted
– 3 sets of 12 each arm
D. Standing Zottmann curls
– 3 sets of 8
E. Weighted Swiss ball crunches
– 4 sets of 10
Thursday – Accessory
Upper Body
A. Lying dumbbell external
rotation, elbow at side – 3 sets
of 15 each arm
B1. Seated cable rows, mid-pronated
grip – 4 sets of 10
B2. Standing rope pulls to neck
– 4 sets of 15
C1. Incline EZ bar triceps
extensions – 4 sets of 6-8
C2. Standing, alternate hammer curls
– 4 sets of 6-8 each arm
D1. Hanging leg raises
– 3 sets of 10
D2. Dumbell side bends –
3 sets of 15
E. Thick bar hold
– 3 sets of max time
Hopefully this sample upper body split
helps.
Joe D.
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Q: Hey Joe,
I just read your response to overhead lifting for
baseball players, a good answer! You may want to check
out Dr. Buchberger's website, he is incredible for
shoulder rehab/preventative exercise:
www.rotatorcuff.net
This information has been invaluable
in my strength and conditioning/rehab based practice.
Take care,
Ashleigh
A: Ashleigh,
Thanks for the input. I checked out
the website. It has tons of helpful information. Everyone
check it out!
Joe D.
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Q: Coach D,
Everything about your website
kicks ass! I love the pics, ask joe, articles, EVERYTHING!
I think I speak for everyone when I say that we appreciate
the time that you put into it and the FREE info you
share everyday. I have changed my entire approach
to training ever since I discovered your site.
Anyway since it’s the
holiday season, I figured I’d ask you more of
a “fun” question. What are some of your
favorite cheat snacks during this time of year? I’m
a naturally skinny bastard so I love getting new ideas
on great-tasting snacks that will help me pack on
the pounds.
Have a great holiday!!
Frankie
A: Frankie,
Unlike you, I’m NOT a naturally
skinny bastard. Eating is one of my favorite hobbies.
I can literally eat all day long without getting full.
I’ve been cursed with an uncontrollable appetite.
If I’m not careful, I can turn into a fat bastard
overnight. And yes, this is the toughest time of the
year not to overeat with all of the holiday parties.
I come from a very Italian family and EVERYONE is
an amazing cook.
Anyway, I can give you hundreds of snacks,
but I don’t have the time. Coincidentally, one
of my clients (Jay Nerys) has just turned me onto
an incredible snack. It’s not the healthiest
snack in the world, but there are a lot worse things
you can be eating also. If you’re a skinny bastard
and you’re looking for a great-tasting snack
to help you pack on some pounds, try this:
Mix 2 packets of Maple & Brown Sugar
Quaker Oatmeal with about 1 cup of skim milk into
a bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Remove the oatmeal from the microwave and stir in
a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter while the oatmeal
is still hot. The sweet oatmeal mixed with the melted
peanut butter make an incredible combination. I’m
getting hungry just thinking about it!
This “cheat snack” provides
the following:
Calories: 500
Carbohydrates: 83 grams
Sugars: 39 grams
Protein: 21 grams
Fat: 12 grams
‘Tis the season to get big, fat
and strong!
Joe D.
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