Monthly Archives: December 2015

Good Fitness Reads of the Week: 12/13/2015

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!

Tons of great fitness info this week. This edition’s got three brand new strength tips and 15 of the top articles from the past week.

Enjoy!

Strength Tips

 

 

Often I get asked why I look so calm before doing a max. It’s important to understand how your mentality will play an important role in the gym. Here are 3 reasons why I like to stay calm: 1) Staying focused. If I’m busy yelling, getting slapped in the face, or snorting ammonia, I get distracted. My focus shifts from the lift, to psyching myself up for the lift. This increases the likelihood of form breakdown and a missed lift. 2) It’s taxing. When you’re psyching yourself up for lifts, it’s wasting a energy and in turn, slowing your recovery. This will leave you feeling overly fatigued after training sessions, and will eventually slow your progress. 3) Save it for when you need it. Whether you’re outwardly emotional or not, you want be able to get your adrenaline going at times – like a competition. You’ll have time afterwards to rest up and recover; so go all out and do what you have to do to lift as much as possible. Just don’t gas on your squats. Leave enough in the tank for bench and deadlift. #powerlifting #mentality #fedor #throwback A photo posted by Adam Pine (@adam_pine) on

Recommended Reading

  1. Your Diet Isn’t The Problem – You Are: How Human Nature Causes Smart Nutrition to Fail via Amy Dix, JMax Fitness
  2. Is the thermic effect of food higher if you are lean? via Fredrik Tonstad Vårvik, Bret Contreras
  3. Soreness Isn’t a Goal via Ross Enamait
  4. Constructing the Ultimate Deadlift Workout: Your 3 Step Guide via Jordan Syatt
  5. 8 Things You Must Know About Building Muscle via Ryan Wood
  6. Tip: Make the Bulgarian Split Squat Even Tougher via Bret Contreras
  7. Never Miss The Big Lifts Again via Travis Pollen, Juggernaut Training Systems
  8. One Weird Trick: Installment 1 – Half Kneeling via Miguel Aragoncillo
  9. Technique Tuesday: How Deep Should You Squat? Part 1 via Tony Bonvechio
  10. What it Takes via Jim Wendler
  11. Bench Press: Why It’s Not Just For Dudes (And How You Can Get Better At It) via Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake, Jordan Syatt
  12. Shut Up and Get Strong via Eric Bach
  13. How to NOT Get Injured While Strength Training via Nick Smoot, Mike Samuels
  14. Should Women Take Creatine? via Cassandra Forsythe, Girls Gone Strong
  15. Tip: For Deadlifts, Put Your Armpits Over the Bar via Tony Gentilcore
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
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Good Fitness Reads of the Week: 12/6/2015

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend!

 

A photo posted by Adam Pine (@adam_pine) on

I want to start by giving a big congrats to my good friend and client, Rob.

He competed today at the USAPL American Open and absolutely crushed it. 9/9 and PR’s on all lifts. Proud of you man!

This week’s edition is packed with the latest strength tips, client highlights, and 15 of the best articles this week.

Enjoy!

Strength Tips

 

  How to stop your butt from coming off the bench. ☝ Top: Butt’s coming off the bench when I press. My glutes start in a relaxed position. When leg drive kicks in and I press, my glutes flex and pop off the bench like I’m doing a glute bridge. ? Bottom: Glutes tight the entire time — butt stays on the bench. I setup with my glutes tight and keep them flexed. This sets my hips in their highest position with little room to move. When I apply leg drive and press, my hips and glutes are already locked in place and unable to extend further up off the bench. . *Setup: flex your glutes like you’re trying to crack a walnut between your butt cheeks. Keep them tight the entire time. *Leg drive: rather than just pushing your heels straight down, try to push the floor to the wall in front of you. Drive your heels forward and down, like you’re trying to poke holes through the front of your shoes. #powerlifting #benchpress #glutes #strength   A video posted by Adam Pine (@adam_pine) on

Client Highlight

 

Recommended Reading

  1. 5 Reasons to NOT Train Like an Athlete via Tony Bonvechio
  2. Tony is Critical of CrossFit, But Should He Be? via Travis Pollen, Tony Gentilcore
  3. Variety vs. Consistency via Ross Enamait
  4. Stronger in 60 Seconds: How to keep your butt down when you bench press via Adam Pine
  5. Serratus Anterior Activation: Reach, Round, and Rotate via Eric Cressey
  6. Weekly meal prep: Mastered. [Infographic] via Precision Nutrition
  7. A Larger Muscle is a Stronger Muscle Due to Increased Strength and Leverage via Andrew Vigotsky, Bret Contreras
  8. 2 Squat Cues That Pretty Much Work For Everyone via Tony Gentilcore
  9. Why MyFitnessPal is Ruining Your Fat Loss Mike Samuels
  10. Learn To Grind via Mike Tuchscherer
  11. Common Injury Sites and Clever Workarounds: Part I – The Upper Body via Travis Pollen, Eric Bach
  12. Sometimes You Have To Do – What You Have To Do via Dave Tate
  13. Dangerous Fitness Traps That Make You Better via Bryan Krahn
  14. So Now Kale is Bad For You? via Born Fitness
  15. Tip: Do These 3 Mobility Drills for Better Squats via Martin Rooney
“Don’t complain about the things you are not willing to work hard to change.”
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Stronger in 60 Seconds: How to keep your butt down when you bench press

A video posted by Adam Pine (@adam_pine) on

One of the most common questions I get about benching is, “How do you keep your butt down when you bench press?” 

Here’s a surprisingly simple tip to keep your glutes planted while you bench.

Top Video: Butt’s coming off the bench when I press.

My glutes start in a relaxed position.

When leg drive kicks in and I press, my glutes flex and pop off the bench like I’m doing a glute bridge.

Bottom Video: Glutes tight the entire time — butt stays on the bench.

I setup with my glutes tight and keep them flexed.

This sets my hips in their highest position with little room to move.

When I apply leg drive and press, my hips and glutes are already locked in place and unable to extend further up off the bench. .

Setup: flex your glutes like you’re trying to crack a walnut between your butt cheeks. Keep them tight the entire time.

Leg drive: rather than just pushing your heels straight down, try to push the floor to the wall in front of you. Drive your heels forward and down, like you’re trying to poke holes through the front of your shoes.

For more on how to improve your leg drive, CLICK HERE.

Want a bigger bench press?

Shoot me an email at adamnpine@gmail.com with “BENCH PRESS” in the subject line.

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