Stronger in 60 Seconds: Feel Your Whole Foot




“Feel your whole foot” is a simple, yet powerful cue I picked up from renowned strength coach, Mike Robertson. It is useful when performing squats, deadlifts, and many other movements.

Let’s use the deadlift as an example.

Feeling your heel is important to avoid getting pulled forward in the deadlift. Many lifters tend to overcorrect and shift too much of their weight back onto their heels, sometimes even lifting their toes off the floor. This results in a sub-optimal transfer of force and an overall less efficient lift.

While you want to be able to find and drive through your heels, you also want to feel your whole foot on the floor so you can stay balanced and use the proper muscles to transfer the greatest amount of force through the ground.

We want to root our feet to the ground, keeping a balanced three points of contact on the floor, aka. “tripod foot”.

You can try this out for yourself right now:

  1. Start in the bottom of a bodyweight squat or deadlift starting position. Shift your weight forward towards the balls of your feet and stand.
  2. Try again with all your weight shifted back onto your heels.
  3. Perform once more, this time finding your heels while feeling your whole foot on the floor.

You will notice the last approach feels far more balanced and powerful.

Try this out next time you perform squats, deadlifts, presses, swings, unilateral lower body movements, or anything else and let me know what you think!

If you have any comments or questions leave them below or shoot me an email me at adamnpine@gmail.com

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Stronger in 60 Seconds: Maximize Your Squat with “The Three P’s”

Maximize Your Squat with “The Three P’s”

Having a tight upper back is crucial for maintaining good posture in the squat and moving big weights. Here’s a simple, easy to remember method for setting your upper back for a tighter, more efficient squat.

“The Three P’s”

Pinch your shoulder blades together. Before getting under the bar, retract your shoulder blades and keep them tightly pinched together. Grip the bar and get under it, placing it on the shelf on your upper back.

Pull your triceps and elbows into your lats. Keep a proud chest and squeeze your lats and upper back tight like you are holding the top of a pull up. Use a grip that allows for optimal upper back tightness with no shoulder irritation. 

Push your traps, shoulders, and upper back into the bar. Don’t just let the bar rest on your back and allow it to take you where it chooses. The squat is a constant battle against gravity and the barbell. Fight to maintain your posture through the full ROM, driving your traps, shoulders, and upper back up into the bar. 

If you have any comments or questions leave them below or shoot me an email me at adamnpine@gmail.com

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Flat vs. Round Back Deadlift


flatvsoundback

The flat back deadlift is the standard technique most people use, or strive to. By pulling your lats back, taking the slack out of the bar and making a proud chest, you’re able to maintain a nice straight back position.

The lats back (flat back) position is difficult to maintain with heavy weight.

The round back deadlift is great for more advanced lifters wanting to move really heavy weight.

Start with your upper back rounded and keep a neutral low back position.

With the round back deadlift you start with your shoulders down and lats in the front pocket — a much easier position to maintain and allows you to shorten the ROM.

You’re able to get your hips closer to the bar, putting them in a stronger position with a shorter ROM. Your shins will be a little more forward for more quad involvement and a more explosive push off the floor.

It’s extremely important to breathe and brace properly when using this technique as you’re already starting in a more rounded position, and you want to prevent further rounding.

If you’re an advanced powerlifter/strongman looking to move as much weight as possible, the round back deadlift is generally the stronger option.

If you haven’t mastered the ability to breathe, brace, and develop tremendous tension through your body, or if the extra pounds aren’t that important, the flat back deadlift is generally the safer choice.

Here’s a comprehensive deadlift tutorial explaining both the flat and round back deadlift technique.

 

Want a bigger deadlift?

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

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