Hi all, I thought I’d start a thread to give you real-world insights on some of the methodologies, experiments, and random thoughts I have daily coaching and programming for my physique athletes. As I’m sure you all know I mostly work with physique competitors, IFBB pros, particularly female competitors (Olympian, Shelace Shoemaker being one, which you’ll recognise from our recent visit to T-Nation HQ), as well as high-level transformations. For example peaking for photoshoots, movie roles etc.
I’ll share with you what their workouts look like, specialist protocols we use to take those already close to their genetic limit to the next-level, as well as things I’m experimenting with both for myself and with them.
Make sure you follow this thread to read about them first. As well as chime in with your own thoughts, experiences, and even influence what topics you’d like me to cover in T-Nation.com articles.
Extended range eccentric side-lying hip abduction with Bikini Athlete Lea.
Side-lying hip abduction is hard to load, and many don’t perform them correctly allowing the hip flexors to kick-in, overriding the intended target which should be the glutes (“upper” / glute medius). I also believe many don’t load far enough they achieve a maximal stretch/lengthening of the hip abductors (we know the “stretch” under load is a powerful growth stimulus, so we want to capitalise on that). Here I’m supporting Lea’s hip so as to not allow her to compensate. I’m then applying force downward to overload the eccentric while allowing her to return to the top.
Not only is this an effective exercise to target and build the hip abductors, but it’s also a great “showcase” exercise when clients are after a great workout (and with guaranteed soreness the next day).
Quick tip before your pressing workouts. Here demonstrating with England rugby player Marcus Smith.
Band pull-aparts and dislocates are a good option to include before your pressing/chest workouts (see my T-Nation article on dislocates with added an added wrap-around). They open out your shoulders and “activate” the muscles around your shoulders and scapula - hence why your pressing (eg bench press) should feel a little smoother afterward. However, have you considered including some light rowing work as part of your shoulders prep too? Think of it like warming up the brakes. You’re not training your back here, just using relatively light rowing loads, and encouraging your shoulders to move through a large range of motion. You don’t need to spend hours doing this stuff either. For example a good format could be:
1- Band dislocates and pull-aparts - 2 minutes
2 - Single-arm row - 2 x 10-15 light reps each arm
3 - Start warm-up sets for your meat and potatoes press.
One to experiment with. Especially if you’ve cranky shoulders.
I’ve got a couple miles under the treads and am all about ways to reduce joint irritation without extended warmups (that I’m just going to skip anyway). Anything you’ve found for whiny elbows? Mine hate getting started pressing.
Grip and forearm strengthening has been seen to help. I’m a big fan of Fat Gripz for that. Alongside wrist rollers, wrist flexion/extension/ulnar deviation using resistance.
Finishing your pressing workouts with high-rep band push downs. Eg sets of 30-50. The idea is to basically encourage lots of blood flow and nutrient delivery, rather than as a stimulation exercise. The extra metabolic stress won’t hurt your triceps gains either!
The stiff-legged deadlift (SLDL) is in my opinion a forgotten but highly valuable deadlifting movement. While many physique athletes opt for performing Romanian deadlifts (RDL’s) instead, when done correctly then SLDL’s offer some unique benefits over other deadlifting variations.
SLDL’s are essentially a high-hipped deadlift off the floor (RDL’s start from the top). The focus on bending over and keeping your hips high instead of pushing them back (as with RDL’s) results in the bar traveling further out in front. The bar path actually places you at a mechanical disadvantage resulting in less weight being lifted in comparison to RDL’s.
A 2022 study showed greater muscle activation in gluteus maximus using stiff-legged deadlifts as compared to RDL’s. Biceps femoris activation (“outer” hamstrings) was also higher although not significantly, while RDL’s showed slightly greater semitendinosus (“middle” hamstring) activation (PMID: 35162922). This is likely because SLDL’s involve less action at the knees resulting in more focus placed on pure hip extension, hence the resulting increase in gluteus maximus activation.
Higher muscle activation doesn’t necessarily indicate that it’s a better muscle-building exercise. And, the SLDL isn’t an inherently “better” deadlift than any other variation. But, it does offer a useful option for those looking to build their posterior chain strength, as well as for physique athletes who are trying to build size in their glutes and “outer” hamstrings.
I see you worked with Marcus Smith. Do you often work with Rugby players, and have you seen many adductor injuries? I know that they are quite common in both rugby and football players.
Would love to tap into some of your experience with these kinds of injuries if you have any. No worries if not!
Yes, currently working with Marcus Smith as well as Ellis Genge (England). As a young coach I actually started my career in rugby, and was at various English premiership clubs both at senior and academy level. I’ve seen plenty of adductor injuries over my time. But not the most common.
We typically just make sure abductor/adductor strength ratios are up to par, and make sure the adductors can handle loading (particularly eccentric) at long lengths.
It’s quite common for semitendinosus strain (inner hamstring) to also be mistaken for adductor. We do a lot of work on hamstrings too.
That’s awesome. I take it you have a keen interest in Rugby then? To be coaching these guys must be living the dream!
I asked the original question because around 3-4 years ago I had an injury to that area after shooting in a 5-a-side match. I followed advice online and waited to see how it felt after 48-72hrs (and with it being peak covid, I didn’t exactly want to be sitting in A&E for hours on end). Despite not being able to walk for the first 3 days, by the 4th day the pain was subsiding dramatically and I’m pretty sure I walked the dog on the 5th or 6th day. By the 10th day I was back in the gym squatting light and worked my way back up in no more than a week or two. Never thought about the injury again because it was so quickly causing no issues at all.
Fast forward to about 6 months ago I felt some discomfort and noticed I had a big hard lump at the top of my thigh. Finally a couple of months ago I get an ultrasound and turns out I have a chronic adductor tear.
I’m currently on a waiting list for physio. It seems strange that I was so quick to have no discomfort whatsoever within a week or two and for this to be there now. I can still do most movements in the gym but there’s some definite discomfort there in my day-to-day life. Kicking a ball feels like a MASSIVE no. I was curious if you’ve encountered a similar story?
I played at a very high level until I was 21. Then just realised I liked the gym more than the field haha.
Always fun working with some of the best!!
I’ve not experienced that with anyone I’ve worked with personally. However, I have heard some first-hand stories of shockwave therapy being a successful treatment. Research shows that it can regenerate injured muscle tissue from acute strains, but more chronic there’s not really data to go off. But anecdotally sounds like a promising course of treatment if you can find a practitioner.
Which version(s) of the deadlift do you recommend as being the most lower back friendly ?
I use a Smiths machine since it seems to help me “line up” most accurately and feels safer. Is this a valid line of thought ?
At age 60+ is there any value in me using lighter weight/higher volume deadlifts wiith say a kettlebell rather than a barbell.
My strength work is supplementary work for playing sports rather than BB or strength performance.
If you have access to a kettlebell heavy enough then it’s a good way to perform RDL’s as you can keep the load close into your thighs (less back torque). Dumbbell RDLs are okay too, as you can keep them a little closer in versus a barbell. Trap bar RDL’s and regular trap bar DL’s are also relatively low back friendly. If a smith machine feels good then go with it (I’m a fan!).
If loading in any deadlift becomes an issue then I’d revert to back extensions or pull-throughs and reverse hypers.
As a 37 year old rugby player I’m here just to read everything and be a fan.
I would like to know what you do for someone who’s constantly got a tight lower back, hips and hamstrings. I’m not sure what’s causing what but I’m guessing I’ve got a weakness that is making everything work extra hard.
By the sounds of it your hamstrings are placed on tension (due to either being short or tight, genetically or through your own doing). But, that doesn’t mean the solution is in stretching your hamstrings (although it wouldn’t hurt). Instead you want to think about improving pelvic positioning by: 1) Strengthen your abs, 2) mobilize your hip flexors, 3) Strengthen your glutes, 4) Strengthen your hamstrings through deeper ranges of motion (lengthened/stretched positions).
As you said it’s a fairly broad question, and I’d have to work with you closer to confirm the above. But based on what you’ve said it’s highly likely. And, even if it weren’t then the above approach wouldn’t do you any harm
Thanks for this. I will look to incorporate into my programme.
One more geeky question i wondered. When rugby players need to add mass. Do they do a specific hypertrophy programme (and if so what do they look like) and add more food or do they just do their normal rugby strength training and add more food?
A geeky question as i love all things rugby and just think they don’t talk about their training enough these days. I definitely think they’d get more interest if they showed more info and marketed it better.
We do focused hypertrophy programs in the off-season. Sometimes this is a shorter period than we’d like, so if hypertrophy is a priority then this continues late into the pre-season. For younger players hypertrophy work is more important, and transfers well to strength and power. So in an ideal world at academy level you’d do a lot of hypertrophy, coupled with strength training. Then at senior level hypertrophy in the off-season, strength/power/hypertrophy maintenance in the pre-season and throughout the playing season.
During the competitive season workload is hard to manage, so if hypertrophy is still a priority then exercise selection plays a BIG role (for example, for quads, we’d be better off using belt squats than loading with a barbell on the back). The collision/contacts a player is exposed to each week massively factors in (at international level they monitor every aspect of a players weekly workload so gives good data for strength coaches to work with).
