One Weird Trick: Installment 8 – Improve Your Kettlebell Pressing Strength Instantly

There is a thought process that performing several different variations of a pressing, rowing, or various abdominal exercises in a half kneeling position will be beneficial for several reasons:

  1. Challenge unilateral lower body stability,
  2. Split a pelvis in order to recruit deep stabilizers in the hip, and
  3. [Re]-introduce the lunging pattern to an individual that can’t get into a this pattern – so a static version of a lunge will be helpful towards that goal!

Traditionally utilizing a pattern such as the half kneeling position will require a contralateral position of the working arm and opposite stabilizing leg.

In other words, if you are performing a half kneeling 1-arm cable row for example, and you are rowing with your right arm, you will have your right leg back in hip extension.

Half Kneeling 1-Arm Cable Row

Half Kneeling Ipsi-what?

However, this rule of “same arm that is performing the action, requires the same leg to move” is not a hard and fast rule.

One weird trick that goes against this notion that has helped involves using the same side for both the movement and the leg that is “up,” or in other words if your right hand is moving a weight, you should have your right leg up in hip flexion to help stabilize (instead of having your knee down on the ground).

The reasons this may be more efficacious towards instantaneous strength can be traced towards a sequence of developmental periods of growth as we grow from babies into functioning and developed toddlers/kids.

Photo Credit: PikeAthletics.com
Photo Credit: PikeAthletics.com

There are also other reasons why this may work, as if you are attempting to push from a position that is compromised or restrictive in nature (half kneeling, for example), you can recruit the side that is pushing by bringing that same leg up into hip flexion, which will recruit more obliques on that side.

Further, you can create more stability in your posterior chain and “push” (or perform whatever action) in a better position via recruitment of your lats as you have that same leg up.

Interestingly enough, we don’t seem to question this stability in the Turkish Get Up, where you use the same hand that is holding the kettlebell, and using the same leg that is in hip flexion…

Make sure to recruit total body tension via irradiation as you perform these movements, which merely requires tightness throughout your legs, abdominals, and opposite hand that is not holding anything (Bonus Trick: Try holding a Fat Grip or other item and squeezing if you can’t develop tension in a hand that doesn’t hold anything).

How to Program

Well you can program this in any capacity for what it is worth. I usually like having half kneeling and unilateral stability exercises as a secondary or part of a “B Series” of exercise selection.

This doesn’t mean you need to adhere to this rule either, but it can help improve further push big numbers after performing a bench press or other bilateral movement pattern.

A1. [Bilateral Upper Body Push]

B1. Half Kneeling Ipsilateral 1-Arm KB Press – 3×5/side

B2. Half Kneeling Ipsilateral 1-Arm Cable Row – 3×8/side

These movements can greatly benefit you towards improving your strength and even hypertrophy, because if you can press more weight, well then you can recruit more muscular fibers, and perhaps even improve upon your physique.

So many fun things can happen when you begin to understand how to manipulate the neuromuscular system! :)

As always,

Keep it funky.

MAsymbollogo

One Weird Trick: Installment 6 – They Say Jump, You Say, “How High?”

Whenever I am working with athletes on a new drill, there are two interesting things that can occur on the gym floor:

  • Lack of motoric control (inability to control range of motion, so movement is clunky/awkward)
  • Lack of specific mobility (lack of authentic movement pattern from appropriate musculature due to a bony, hard structure or a soft tissue problem, effectively limiting range of motion)

With respect to teaching a vertical jump, there is of course the basic mechanics of “jumping” – avoiding buckling of the knees, arm and torso angle.

However, teaching the intention of movement in a vertical jump, along with teaching the appropriate response to an external stimuli is of utmost priority from a coaching point of view, which is my main perspective.

Vertical Jump

Coaching our athletes to jump with strictly internal cues can prove to be deleterious towards the goal of higher force production. Internal cueing can also lead to introspection of self-movement quality. 

From What We Say Matters via NSCA

“In sum, an external focus compared to internal focus reduces consciousness and therefore the amount of attention needed to perform a given task. This frees up attentional resources that can be used to further the efficiency and automaticity of a movement skill.”

Essentially I don’t want my athletes second guessing if their back position is good, arm position is good, or if their ankle position is good. I just want them to move with intention of strength, power, and speed.

They shouldn’t be thinking about individual body parts, but they should rather react to an external event to help improve performance based goals.

Check out this one change to an athlete’s perspective and environment that is easy to use as a teaching tool. This coaching tool works especially well when you’re trying to get a shy or even introverted athlete out of their shell, and it also helps create context for other athlete’s if they have played baseball, basketball, volleyball, or any other overhead sport!

How Does This Work

The idea of achieving “triple extension” is a coveted and ideal technique sought after in many jumps and Olympic lifts. In the vertical jump, it is easy to “pull your punches” with respect to achieving full range shoulder flexion, extension at the hip, and knee extension, and ankle plantarflexion.

The external focus on “reaching” for the ball negates any internal focus that telling specific body parts will have on the coaching and cueing aspect.

Long story short, use whatever tool you have to your advantage to help improve performance based outcomes by providing external or analogy related cues. If you are performing broad jumps for example, have athletes jump just a little further than what they are used to – it should push them, but not be unrealistic… and on, and on you go!

As always,

Keep it funky.

MAsymbollogo

One Weird Trick: Installment 5 – Fix Your Overhead Squat

Introducing the Tall Kneeling Position, and How It Can Fix Your Overhead Squat

Watch this video to make sure you do the tall kneeling position correctly, and read below to learn how this drill can fix your overhead squat movement!

I’ve been blessed to have shared the company of several really smart physical therapists, personal trainers, and strength coaches of all types of backgrounds. I love how we can all see one specific issue, and come up with several different solutions for that same problem.

Inputs Outputs

One of the things that has puzzled many of my colleagues is the inclusion of a tall kneeling position in an exercise program. First, what is the tall kneeling position? And should I include it in my exercise program?

Essentially, the tall kneeling position involves assuming a bilateral stance on your knees.

Next, programming it in your program depends on if you need it or not from an assessment point of view.

Whenever I program a tall kneeling position into a program, more often than not that individual presented lack of control with their overhead squat.Overhead Squat

At its simplest, the overhead squat is a bilateral stance movement pattern. In the squat pattern, you are learning to change levels. And by levels, I mean starting tall, and ending up in a lowered stance.

In your beginning stance, you are theoretically in full hip extension while in an upright and standing position.

As you descend and change levels, you are eccentrically loading the posterior chain musculature, maintaining a static torso position, along with going into hip flexion.

Squat

In the tall kneeling pattern, you are simply challenging the hip extension movement pattern. There is no deep excursion into hip flexion (although, you can always go into a slight hip flexion pattern by sitting your butt to your heels).

Comparing Tall Kneeling to SquatSo while an overhead squat can be limited for many reasons – lack of hip mobility, lack of hip control, lack of ankle mobility/stability, which are mainly lower body problems – there are also other reasons that an overhead squat can exhibit a dysfunctional pattern in an individual, namely torso and upper body related problems.

I highlighted and bolded the phrase “maintaining a static torso position” above because, from my point of view, the tall kneeling pattern’s main purpose is to maintain a static torso position while moving in various manners.

When to Use the Tall Kneeling Position

Well, an easy way to see if a drill is right for you is to see if you fit a specific type of criteria. I can’t diagnose from the internet, but I can provide better ways to move about based on your movement, such as during your overhead squat.

  1. Perform an Overhead Squat.
  2. If you have issues maintaining an upright torso, or you tend to dive forward immediately in your squat, elevate your heels.
  3. Perform the overhead squat again.
  4. If the position is not improved, then the tall kneeling position may be appropriate for a few of your drills.

Here are a list of other ways you can challenge torso stability:

  1. Tall Kneeling Cable Chop
  2. Tall Kneeling Pallof Press
  3. Tall Kneeling Med Ball Chest Pass
  4. Tall Kneeling Single Arm Rope Drills
  5. Tall Kneeling DB Overhead Press

… among many, many other drills and exercises!

As always,

Keep it funky.

MAsymbollogo

P.S. In fact, when you think about it, the Glute Ham Raise is also an opportunity to challenge a “Tall Kneeling” position, albeit you are moving at the posterior chain!