Bench Press Updates....

As always, I like to start these posts off with a little inspiration. Pictured to the left is my good friend and former Ball State University powerlifter Matt Wenning. I'm assuming this pic is from ~2002 or 2003. At the time, Matt was benching in high 400's, maybe low 500's. I got word (via the latest PLUSA) that he recently benched 815! Matt is an inspiration to a lot of people and I wish him the best going forward.

After last week's post I figured I better keep everyone in the loop with my bench press training. Don't expect anything too huge, yet; my goal is simply to get healthy and back in the groove, then start pushing my numbers from here. Last night I trained later in the evening, which generally leads to sub-par training sessions. I'd love to train in the morning all the time, but lack of training partners and other commitments sometimes get in the way.

Regardless, I kicked off the session with some serious soft-tissue work using the Starr tool. If you have soft-tissue adhesions/scar tissue, you need to get your hands on one of these things. They rock! After about 5 minutes my pec was feeling better than it had in quite some time. I warmed up using the I/O drills, and then began the benching.

Again, keep in mind that the weights are not huge. Like I said, the goals are:

- No pain

- Clean, crisp reps

- Develop connective tissue strength

Luckily my boy Justin was in last night, and I've also made another promise to myself that I am going to get a hand-off for everything 135 and over. Can I lift it off myself? Sure. But when I do, I compromise my stability and I can't get my right scapula back into place. Lack of scapular stability = shoulder/pec problems.

I started with 185 for 8, and that felt pretty good. I honestly would've been happy to stay there, but with some goading I moved up to 195. Again, nice and smooth. I went up to 205 for my last set and the final rep was a struggle, but still clean.

Honestly, the biggest difference between tonight and other training sessions was the soft-tissue work before hand and the lift-offs.

All in all, this was a good session. Now the key is to string together a couple of weeks like this, and then eventually a couple of months. Only time will tell, but this was exactly what my body and mind needed.

Have a great weekend!

Stay strong

MR

BTW, if you like my bench chronicles, let me know as I've considered doing this with my squat as well. It's more jacked up d/t surgery and the ensuing compensations, but I really have no idea if people want to hear me ramble on about my own lifting week in and week out.

The Angry Biomechanist, Part II

In our second installemnt of the Angry Biomechanist, we're going to discusss the rotator cuff and why it's so important.

We hear all the time about how so-and-so has torn their rotator cuff, or that we need more rotator cuff strengthening in our programs. My goal for you here today is to see what exactly the rotator cuff does in real-life.

When we lift our arms overhead, we get movement from both the scapulae (shoulder blade) and the gleno-humeral (shoulder) joint. As the humerus rotates upwards, the scapulae also upwardly rotates to help you achieve full flexion or abduction of the shoulder.

The problem herein is when one of three things happens:

- You lack extensbility in the thoracic spine

- You fail to have good upward rotation of the scapulae

- Your rotator cuff is weak and fails to depress the humerus

In any case (and most definitely if ALL THREE are occuring), you get impingement of the rotator cuff tendons. Now keep in mind you ALWAYS have some impingement; you always have some friction. The issue is when you go from a normal amount of friction/compression to something greater due to mechanical dysfunction.

If you lack scapular upward rotation, I'd highly recommend checking out Bill Hartman and I's "Push-ups, Face Pulls and Shrugs" article featured previously at T-Nation. This, combined with the Inside-Out warm-up, should get your scapulae moving much more efficiently. And while I didn't discuss it in-depth in this blog post, addressing your T-spine is critical as well. If you lack T-spine extension, your scapulae will never get into the appropriate positions.

If you lack 'cuff strength, you could do a lot worse than checking out Eric Cressey's first feature article at T-Nation, "Cracking the Rotator Cuff Condundrum." I'm sure there are a few things he'd remove now (like the muscle snatch, as I recall) but it will get you started with some basic 'cuff exercises. I also wrote a piece that focuses on external rotation movements titled "Shoulder the Load."

Finally, I think we all agree that those who have stiff posterior shoulders and lack internal rotation ROM would benefit from some dedicated internal rotation work that focuses on the subscap, but that's a little off topic in regards to this post.

Remember, when looking to optimize upper extremity function you have to know how all the separate components work. Once you've isolated things out, though, the goal is to bring up the deficits and re-integrate them into functional, real-world movements. Good luck!

Stay strong

MR

Q&A from Friday's Post

This was originally posted as a comment but I figured I'd throw it in here...

Hi Mike. I currently have neck soreness and tightness all the time. It definitely affects my ROM, but some days are worse than others. What would you recommend?

Do you cover how to deal with this in "Inside Out"?

Thanks, Paul

Thanks for the question Paul! While we don't cover neck pain directly in Inside-Out, we cover a lot of fundamental relationships that could be producing your neck pain.

Now keep in mind there's a lot of speculation going on here, especially since I've never seen you or evaluated you in person. But here are some issues I typically see in people who have neck pain. Some, if not all, may apply to you.

- Terrible thoracic spine posture. Generally, these people have a wicked thoracic kyphosis, which forces the head/neck forward to balance the body's alignment. Obviously, anything that deviates from the norm is probably going to put undue stress on the body. Basically, your neck is forced to keep your head level and eyes up, which is very taxing on the posterior neck musculature.

- Poor alignment throughout the day. Quite simply, your body gets very "efficient" at sitting in a slouched or hunched over position. If you sit at a desk, clean up your posture throughout the day! We actually cover this in-depth in the "Behavior Modification" section of Inside-Out. For sleeping, an orthopedic pillow could make a big difference, too.

Again, this comes back to improving your t-spine alignment and getting your neck back in a neutral alignment.

- Downwardly rotated scapulae. Assuming your neck/thoracic spine are in good alignment, I often see excessive downard rotation of the scapulae in people with neck pain. The rhomboids and the levator scapulae work synergistically to promote downward rotation, and there seems to be a definite cause/effect between a tight levator scapulae, neck pain and even headaches.

In this case, definitely check out Bill and I's article featured previously at T-nation titled "Push-ups, Face Pulls and Shrugs." This will cover the training aspect w/regards to getting those scapular upward rotators stronger and lengthening the short/stiff levator scapulae. A good soft-tissue specialist could play an integral role as well.

Again, a lot of speculation without examining you in person but I'd take a closer look and see how much of this applies to you. Good luck Paul!

Stay strong

MR

No more neck pain?

I was working with one of our new clients today, and he mentioned something that I felt the need to blog about. Let me back up for a moment, first.

The whole "joint-by-joint" approach seems to take a beating from time to time. I discussed this to some extent in my "Mobility-Stability" continuum article on T-Nation; it's not perfect, but you can take those basic concepts and build upon them to have a pretty darn good idea of how the body functions, and how to improve your training.

Back to my client. We were taking him through his warm-up, and he remarked how little his neck had bothered him since we started his training 3 weeks ago. This is no small feat, considering he sits at a desk anywhere from 8-16 hours per day, 5 or more days per week! You read that right - he works 16 hour shifts all next week!

The recipe for him was simple, though. He didn't have a neck problem as much as he had issues surrounding his shoulders and thoracic spine. He was assessed by Bill and his routine has included foam rolling, static stretching, mobility drills as we discussed in Inside-Out, and a comprehensive training program geared towards improving his upper extremity alignment.

The result? Virtually no neck pain, and his shoulder (which was also an issue) is coming around too. Not bad for three weeks work.

The bottom line in this industry is results. But, that's a blog for another day! ;)

Stay strong

MR

Q&A: Patellar Tendonitis

Hi Mike,


I've been reading your articles on T-Nation, purchased Magnificent Mobility/Inside-Out and am beginning to incorporate both into training and non-training periods.



I have recently been diagnosed with patellar tendonitis in the right knee and was wondering if you could give any recommendations as to how to treat this. Should I be looking into your "Bulletproof Knees" book, or should something like Magnificent Mobility be sufficient (over time)?



Thanks for your time.
James

Thanks for contacting me James. I'm glad you're finding the products useful, and hopefully this post will help you get that knee 100% again.

First of all, you should know that true tendonitis is pretty rare - and if it is what you have, then high-dose NSAID's for a couple of days should clear it right up. What you probably have it patellar tendinosis.

While I think Bulletproof Knees would help, it's more of a post-rehab protocol. If you do in fact have patellar tendinosis, current research seems to indicate that eccentric decline squats seem to help clear it up pretty well. I would meet with a qualified PT, or at the very least do a thorough search on Pubmed to help you figure out the best protocol.

As I recall (and it's been a while since I read through the research, so don't hold me to this!), two to three sets of 15 repetitions on at least a 15 degree decline worked quite well over the course of several weeks. You have to perform these twice a day, and it's probably going to be pretty uncomfortable in the beginning.

The bigger question is - why did this happen in the first place? In my humble opinion, people who develop patellar tendinosis tend to be in a greater degree of anterior pelvic tilt on that side when compared to the unaffected side. What does this mean from a training perspective?

- You need more rectus/external oblique work on that side.

- You probably lack glute activation/strength on that side.

- One or more of your hip flexors on that side are either short/stiff.

So once you've cleaned up the tendinosis, work to iron out the side-to-side imbalances that most likely created it initially. This is where Bulletproof Knees would be the most beneficial - to help you get back to 100% after you've dealt with the pathology.

Good luck!

MR

Testimonials

Building the Efficient Athlete:
This is a must for anyone looking to work with athletes or general fitness. Mike and Eric do a great job of addressing functional anatomy/biomechanics and various assements that can be done to help the trainer design better programs. This product should be in any serious trainers library

Magnificiant Mobility:
Great DVD outlining various dynamic flexibility exercise that could be included any client warm-ups to give them great results for improving their mobility and function. This DVD gives you a lot of great ideas to include in getting your clients ready to workout, while improving on an often neglected part of many client workouts - utilizing the warm-up.

Inside Out:
Great DVD going over various exercises to help improve upper body mobility, especially thoracic spine and scapula. This DVD outlines some great exercises that are often overlooked and not addressed in many programs. This DVD should be in any trainers toolbox - outstanding product.

Keep turning out these great products!

Thanks

Jeff Fellure, MS, CSCS, PES
Performance Enhancement Director
Results By Design, LLC

The Lower Traps

The lower traps are one of the most neglected muscle groups in the body. This is a huge mistake, whether your goal is improved performance, healthy shoulders, or a combination of the two.

Generally, the lower traps are lengthened and weak due to the excessively kyphotic upper torso position. If you have any preconceived notions about getting strong in pressing movements (benching, overhead pressing, etc.), lower trap development is crucial.

The lower traps are integral in both moving and stabilizing the scapulae. When coupled with the upper traps and serratus, they form the upward rotation force couple. Upward rotation is kind of important if you want to put your hands over your head for any reason. As well, the lower traps are key stabilizers into scapular depression. Scapular depression is imperative if you want a stable base when bench pressing.

The key with the lower traps is a multi-faceted approach:

- Learn to recruit them (activation drills)
- Strengthen them (pull-up/pull-down variations)
- Integrate them with the serratus and upper traps to produce efficient upward rotation

This topic will be a large section in my upcoming Australian seminars. If you’re in the Melbourne or Sydney areas, you won’t want to miss out. Check out my schedule on the main page for information. Bill and I also cover quite a few lower trap based drills in our Inside-Out DVD and manual.

Stay strong
MR

Q&A - Inside-Out

Mike -

I received the DVD of Inside-Out yesterday. Thank you very much. I've begun incorporating the warmups in my pre-workout mobility/warmup drills. I've got a shoulder impingement, so anything that will help reduce the odds of it flaring back up are worth doing! Thanks again for your help.

I do have one question - I've got a gym without a med ball or a foam roller. Are there any thoracic warmups that I can do that don't require either one? If not,
I'll have to go out and buy my coach a med ball!

Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you like the DVD!

Thoracic mobility is hugely important, and I understand not having the necessary equipment in your current facility. Another option would be to use the two tennis ball method that Michael Boyle uses in his Essential 8 Mobility Drills featured previously at T-Nation. It's a simple, low-cost alternative that you create and take with you to the gym.

Good luck and keep me posted on your progress!

Stay strong
MR

"75% of my clients..."

would stay fat without Magnificent Mobility, Inside-Out, and Building the Efficient Athlete. I work with fat-loss clients, and it seems that the vast majority of them come to me teetering on the edge of injury. Without having a system (that I stole from Mike & Eric) to get them doing the basic movements safely and properly, they wouldn't be able to train long enough to achieve their goals.

Josef Brandneburg
www.thebodyyouwant.com

The Push-Up Plus: Scapular Winging

Hi Mike,

I purchased Inside-Out and have been working on the push-up plus exercise, among others. I have noticed when I straighten my arm directly in front of me (as though I’m throwing a punch) the winging of the scapula goes away. Would this mean that my serratus anterior works properly and is not the source of my scapular winging OR that my serratus anterior is not correctly activated and that is why I have scapular winging?

If you have significant scapular winging, chances are you have deficiencies in either strength and/or motor control of the serratus anterior. What you describe is normal; many people have appropriate function into protraction, but they have poor eccentric control of the serratus as the scapula moves back into a retracted position. Quite often when you perform push-ups people have no issue with the concentric movement, but struggle considerably and/or get pain when lowering into the bottom.

Focus on “pulling” the shoulder blades together on the eccentric portion of push-ups, along with keeping your shoulder blades tight to the rib cage. If you can’t perform traditional push-ups properly, you may have to perform them on your knees or even in a power rack until you can achieve proper scapular control.

Good luck!

MR

Inside-Out: The Ultimate Upper Body Warm-Up

The Source of Scapular Winging

Hi Mike,

I purchased Inside-Out and have been working on the push-up plus exercise, among others. I have noticed when I straighten my arm directly in front of me (as though I’m throwing a punch) the winging of the scapula goes away. Would this mean that my serratus anterior works properly and is not the source of my scapular winging OR that my serratus anterior is not correctly activated and that is why I have scapular winging?

If you have significant scapular winging, chances are you have deficiencies in either strength and/or motor control of the serratus anterior. What you describe is normal; many people have appropriate function into protraction, but they have poor eccentric control of the serratus as the scapula moves back into a retracted position. Quite often when you perform push-ups people have no issue with the concentric movement, but struggle considerably and/or get pain when lowering into the bottom.

Focus on “pulling” the shoulder blades together on the eccentric portion of push-ups, along with keeping your shoulder blades tight to the rib cage. If you can’t perform traditional push-ups properly, you may have to perform them on your knees or even in a power rack until you can achieve proper scapular control.

Good luck!

Mike Robertson


Key #1: Improve and Maintain Thoracic Spine Mobility

The mobility of the upper back, or thoracic spine, especially in regard to achieving sufficient upright posture directly affects the ability to properly position the scapulae (the shoulder blades) during upper body training. Poor scapular positioning can actually weaken the rotator cuff muscles and limit how much weight you can lift, limit arm speed, and limit striking power. Rounded back or slouched posture of the upper back prevents the normal movement and positioning, increasing the likelihood of impingement of the rotator cuff. Repetitive “pinching” of the rotator cuff in this case will result in inflammatory or degenerative conditions or even rotator cuff tears.

Training

In light of my new article coming out at T-Nation soon, I thought I'd give you all an idea of what my training is like right now.

Needless to say, it's quite a bit different than what I'm used to: Shorter rest periods, lighter weights, and really trying to develop some work capacity. Here's what I did on Tuesday's workout:

Magnificent Mobility/Inside-Out combo warm-up

1) Squat, Worked up to 365x5
2A) Pull-ups, 7,6,6
2B) Conventional Deadlifts, 335x5, 385x5 (I suck at these :( )
3A) Green (Average) Band Resisted Push-ups, 3x6
3B) Glute-Hams (Hole #3 first set, #4 second and third), 1x6, 2x8

After the squats everything is done in alternating fashion with a strict 90 second rest period. The weights aren't huge, but the rest period doesn't really allow that right now!

As you can see in the squat clip I've included above, the depth is still dodgy - the first two reps I was "feeling" the weight, versus being aggresive and hitting the hole with confidence. The last three reps are better.

The body is getting stronger and I'm feeling good - can't ask for much more than that!

Stay strong
MR