7 Steps to Better Workouts
by Mike Robertson
06/07/10

Write over a thousand training programs and you'll have a good idea of what gets results and what doesn't. Compare your own program to this list to see how you stack up.

Really enjoyed this article. I haven't seen ab work broken down like that into the 4 different groups, going start making sure I hit each one at least once a week.

Great article, heaps of good info. I'm not trying to start a forum debate but what don't you agree with Bret Contreras about?

Do you have any more hip flexion with a neutral spine exercises in your tool box?

Due to an injury, I was unable to dead lift/squat for 3+ years. I continued to do a lot of dumbbell rows and hypers. After getting clearance from my surgeon to lift, I did rack pulls - 135*5, 185*5, 225*5, 275*5, 315*5, 365*5 and from the floor, 405*1. I was GREATLY surprised at this and can only assume the rows/hypers/leg lifts kept my dead lifting strength up. Sooooo - in keeping with the articles premise - not ready to dead lift? Do dumbbell rows, hypers and abs. Worked for me!

Mike, great article. I definitely think that those 7 cornerstones can increase anyone's capacity. One thing that I would add in addition to the neutral spine work is T-Spine work. Many times when people complain of lower back pain or soreness it's often that the thorasic spine isn't mobile, and is locked up. By adding in exercises that focus on creating mobility in this area will increase areas that are lagging especially posterially and unilaterally.

Mike, I really like this article!

I have been battling little nagging injuries all year and I feel it is because I started training on my own without knowing proper technique nor being ready for the big lifts as you mention. I absolutely cannot execute a proper deadlift with decent weight.

So now that school is out and I do not currently have a gym membership in the area I figured I would take part of the summer to just correct my mobility, increase my flexibility, and bodyweight train so that when I get back to lifting in two months I'll be healthy and ready for long term success.

Unfortunately I dont really know where to begin writing a program like this. Your article was helpful however! If it's not too much trouble could you direct me to a few more articles like this or if you happen to have a decent beginners/corrective program to work from would you mind posting it?

I like the idea of taking 8 weeks to work on my tight hips, posture, glutes, whole core, anterior pelvic tilt, etc

I do have some dumbbells (goblet squats) and a resistance band (pull throughs?) to work with. I'm just struggling with where to begin.

Thanks for your contribution to this site!

Hey Mike great article I have a few questions if you have the time :)

1. Regarding your old meniscus injury are any exercises now out because you deem them as too high of risk such as forward lunges or step ups or are they fine?

2. In your bulletproof your knees book (which I own and enjoyed) you chose low box heel touches for VMO work but from personal experience petersen step ups are more effective, any thoughts?

thank you

The Neanderthal No More program would be a starting point, although it's pretty old and both Eric and I have changed our thought process a bit since then.

I'm working on more of a mass appeal program that should be released in the next 1-2 months, but that may be longer than you care to wait.

Regardless, good luck!

MR

Throw in a second for more rowing. I should see if I can throw some more in my program...

Looks like I have some reading to do haha Thank you for the reference though!

Any hints on how your thought process has changed?

I look forward to the new program as well.

Wonderful article, a really good read and full of useful stuff. I like articles like this as it's very practical and easy to apply. I also loved how the core stability was laid out and

I realise that progressing is key for most things in life and today i took into consideration your word and stopped kidding myself on. I done deadlifts with areobics steps. Even although my technique is reasonable, it's not perfect and I do lack the hip / lower back mobility to maintain the spine while dead lifting off the floor. But overall it felt awesome, I was more able to shift more weight in a natural feeling and flowing movement, rather than forcing my technique. And I'm gonna start applying it too many aspects such as balance and start form scratch.

However my question to you is, How do I progress from the areobic step? - Should I stand on a plate to increase the ROM and progress futher to the floor?

And how long should I keeping doing the deflict deadlifts with the step? - I realise it all depends on how long it takes for my flexability / mobility to catch up but is there a suggested time frame?

Thanks Alot!

Hey coach Mike,
How would you implement antagonist stretching between sets, when one is using antagonistic supersets as well?

Ben

Could someone describe or post a video of jackknifes? I find different exercises when I search for it.

Thanks.
I must get me some bands.

MR,

A few questions for you..........

1) For hip flexion with a neutral spine, do you think hanging leg raises performed in a "jackknife style" are a worthy latter progression? I often see people still recommending performing these essentially as a hanging reverse crunch, but my current feeling on lumbar flexion of any sort is that we need to possess/maintain the spine's normal healthy ROM's at all times but she never actively seek them out in any sort of repetitive training.

2) In terms of progression, what do you think about starting with being able to hold a proper single leg stance with eyes closed and optimal breathing (i.e. if breathing correctly destabilizes you, this is the level you remain on for a time), Step-Downs/Eccentric Lowering from a low box (increasing box height as neuromuscular control improves), step-ups (progressing from a low to a high(er) box as strength improves, while simultaneously including split squat EQI's as part of a warm-up and/or finish to a session in order to work on improving hip mobility/lunge depth, and, again, neuromuscular control), and then using split squat/lunge progressions as the final level (i.e. Bodyweight Split Squat, then BW Reverse Lunge, then BW Forward Lunge; Repeat Process with DB's at sides; Repeat with implement in Front Squat or Goblet Squat Position; Repeat with arms overhead (depending upon how necessary you feel this level to be for the specific individual).

Do you think that step-ups in this progression order are out of place or in an inappropriate spot? My thinking was that the split squats and lunges require more hip mobility that will take time to develop if not there already (which is why I also would have the client work on Split Squat EQI's in the warm-up/cool-down phase of sessions, mobility that isn't in the same demand during step-ups. Furthermore I figure that since climbing stairs is a fundamental activity, it makes sense to include progressive ROM training with these from early on in the process.

3) For Pallof Presses and similar movements, would you prefer extended iso holds early on progressing towards the "rep" style, with a highly reactive style as one of the more demanding and dynamic latter progressions? I have generally preferred extended iso holds/one longer iso hold to reps, but I have been thinking that performing side-to-side oscillations (self or partner determined) or reps in the style demonstrated by Tony in the video (with rep cadence being as fast as possible while maintaining proper alignment) would provide a more demanding challenge due to the dynamic nature when compared to one longer iso hold.

4) In the Q and A on the following post, Charlie Weingroff seemed to indicate that reverse hypers may be okay with lighter loads, proper set-up, and strict form, but I still seemed to detect a slight air of hesitancy (hard to tell without inflection) with regard to the movement, possibly even in situations where set-up and technique are optimized.

http://charlieweingroff.com/...-lower-5-12-10/

In your opinion, as long as you set-up correctly and neither round the back under that able nor hyperextend up top, can a trainee continue to add load in this lift over his entire lifting career provided that the progression is at a reasonable rate/never rushed and form is never sacrificed for load? Or is it possible that this movement could become deleterious, regardless of set-up and form, once the loads start getting up there relative to their starting point?

I had always figured that so long as technique was respected, load could be added for however long you were able to continue to do so without putting the spine at increased risk (or at least not to any noteworthy degree that would skew the risk:reward ratio into unfavorable/"not worth it" territory.

On one final note, do you have any thoughts regarding the "tilt top" Reverse Hyper Ultra Supreme over the more "classic" models sans tilt top? Would the forward or backward tilts confer potentially novel and useful training stimuli or not add much to the picture in your estimation (or possibly even increase risk of using the machine?).

Thank you for your time and any feedback!

Orange -

They should put a limit on how many questions you can ask in one post :)

Anyway, here goes:

1 - Not a big fan of hanging leg raises - most can't do them correctly.

2 - I covered all this stuff in the Single-Leg Solution package. Single-leg stance is important, for sure.

3 - RE: pallof presses - It all depends on needs. Generally fitness enthusiasts I'll skew more towards time, performance athletes that need "bursts" of high stability will trend towards shorter bursts/reps w/higher loads.

4 - Reverse hypers are a mixed bag. I wrote about them extensively in a newsletter post a while back (you'd have to register for the NL to see the archives), but I tend to agree w/Charlie. Definite benefits, but definite drawbacks if people perform them incorrectly.

5 - I have no clue with that tilt top reverse hyper is. Sorry.

MR

Great article. 1 quick question - maybe it just semantics, but why do you call the core exercises "Anti-extension." How are they anti when you are extending when doing a rollout?

Thanks,
Jack

Jack -

You're preventing hyper-extension of the lower back.

If you are in fact hyper-extending, then you aren't doing it right ;)

Good luck!
MR