Exercise of the Week – Barbell Rollouts… Plus Some Thoughts On Training the “Abs”
December 12, 2012 by danny · 2 Comments
First of all, sorry that I haven’t posted in awhile. We’ve been of the process of packing up boxes and moving into a new house. As you know, moving is not easy! I’ve moved too many times in my life, and I’m hoping this will be my last house ever!
We’re very excited to call this place home… beautiful house, and a great location! It’s only a couple blocks from where I work; only a couple blocks away from a bunch of restaurants/bars; and only a couple blocks away from the Rockton pool… the same pool my brothers, sister, and our friends used to hang out at as kids. So I’m very happy to be raising my babies here!!!
Our New House!
Moving on to the exercise of the week…
Barbell Rollouts
Barbell rollouts can be classified as an “anti-extension” exercise. When performed properly, they do a great job of working the “anterior core,” (rectus abdominis). One of the keys with this exercise (as is the case with any exercise), is knowing the progressions and regressions. In the video below, you’ll see me performing a barbell rollout with a weighted vest, to make it extra challenging. This is a tough progression and I would never start a new client off with this variation. Exercises like planks need to be mastered before moving up to this variation…
Once a trainee is able to get in proper plank position, the first variation of rollouts that I’ll teach is usually the kneeling stability ball rollout as Eric Cressey talks about in this video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Gg4o745td04
I don’t know why I can’t embed this video!?! Computers – 2,766 vs Me – ZERO… they’re undefeated against me. Anyway, just click on the above link to check out stability ball rollouts and their tougher variation, ab wheel rollouts.
Below, you’ll see another anti-extension variation, TRX Fallouts…
To make this one more difficult, just walk your feet lower and extend your arms further out.
Now, if you’ve never tried any of these rollout/fallout variations, be prepared for some extreme ab soreness the next day or two. I recommend staying away from funny people for at least 48 hours following a rollout/fallout session, as laughing will kill your abs! 
“Abs Are Made In The Kitchen”
That is a common quote you’ll hear when people talk about how to get better looking abs. While I think it’s mostly true, I don’t think it’s completely true. Mostly true in this sense: it doesn’t matter how strong you get your core, or how often you work your core, if you have a big layer of fat covering it, it will not look any better no matter how many crunches, rollouts, planks, knee raises, etc that you do. So nutrition IS a key component to getting sexy abs.
NOT completely true in this sense: IF you are lean enough, working your core with some of the previously mentioned exercises will help develop a better looking “six-pack.” But again, ONLY if you are lean enough.
Bottom Line: Core work can help strengthen the core and help build a “bullet proof” back (if done properly), which is great! But will not do much, if anything, from an appearance perspective if you don’t use NUTRITION, weight training, and cardio to drop body fat.
How often do you “directly” work your core? If you have performed rollout/fallout variations, which is your favorite?
My Fat Loss Program – Part Deux
July 20, 2012 by danny · 4 Comments
In case you missed it, yesterday I gave some of my thoughts on the importance of nutrition and how training comes into play when attempting to drop fat. Check it out HERE. My friend Jason Leitner mentioned on facebook that he enjoyed that post, but was looking forward to seeing my next post, which I said I’ll go over the program that I am using. Now, I didn’t plan on doing today’s post until sometime next week as my twins and basketball lessons and training sessions keep me extremely busy. But he then called me out on FB… he called me names, made me cry, told me “no excuses, Danny!,” and threatened to slit my achilles tendon (on my left leg), if I didn’t get this out asap!
So, rather than get abused by Jason, here we are…
Day 1
A1) Neutral Grip Pull-Ups – 1 X 2, 2 X 6 (that is 1 set of 2 reps, and 2 sets of 6 reps) – Full Recovery Between Sets
A2) Scap Push-Ups – 1 X 10-12, Ys – 1 X 10 (these are low-level exercises designed to help with scapular stability/long-term shoulder health… also known as “fillers.”)
B1) Back Squats – 1 X 15, 2 X 12 – 30 second RI (Rest Intervals between sets)
B2) 1-Arm DB Row – 1 X 15, 2 X 12 – 20 second RI
B3) Slight Incline Bench Press with Chains and a 211 tempo (one second pause at the chest) 1 X 15, 2 X 12 – 60 second RI
C1) 1-Leg Swiss Ball Leg Curls – 3 X 12/Leg – ZERO RI
C2) Dying Bug with Wall Push – 3 X 10/Leg – 30 second RI
D1) Zottman Curls – 2 X 12 – 30 second RI
D2) Band Pushdowns – 2 X 15 – 30 second RI
Notes - My left shoulder has been feeling a little cranky, so the 1 second pause on the bench press makes it a little more shoulder-friendly since you can reduce the load and still get a good training effect. Too, the use of chains reduce the load when the bar is at chest level. Win-win for my cranky shoulder.
Day 2
A1) RDLs – 4 X 8 – 30 second RI
A2 ) Feet Elevated Band Push-ups – 4 X 8 – 30 second RI
B1) Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat – 4 X 6/Leg – ZERO RI
B2) TRX Inverted Rows – 4 X 8 – 45 second RI
C1) Cheated Barbell Curls – 1 X 8, 2 X 10 – RI = ALAN – (As Long As Necessary)
C2) Dragon Flys – 2 X 9 RI – ALAN
I was able to catch this workout on tape yesterday. But, for some reason the camera shut off when I was taping my RDLs. And I was using 1250 pounds during that set! I hate it when I don’t get my world records on camera!
Notes - Yes, there is a time and place to perform sets with a little body english (i.e. the cheated BB curls). I usually use pretty strict form and don’t usually recommend this style of training. But again, it has its time and place.
Day 3
A1) Reverse Band Floor Press – 3 X 6 – RI = Full
A2) Band Pull-Aparts -1 X 10, 2-Way Hamstring Mob 1 X 6 in each position (once again, these are “fillers” that I like to place along side low-rep, heavy work)
B1) Barbell Reverse Lunges – 4 X 8/Leg – 20 second RI
B2) Chin-ups – 4 X AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) – 20 second RI
B3) Hip Thrusts – 1 X 12, 3 X 9 – 20 second RI
B4) Slight Incline Chest Press – Neutral Grip – 3 X 12 – 70 second RI
C1) Ab Wheel Rollouts – 2 X 10 RI = ALAN
C2) L-Lateral Raise – 2 X 10 RI = ALAN
Additional Notes
Notice that on each day I have a different set-up as far as how many exercises I do before finishing the circuit or before moving onto the next exercise pairing. i.e. on Day 1 I have B1-3 (3 exercises in a row before taking a “significant” rest interval), Day 2 I have only 2 exercises paired back-to-back (A1/A2 and B1/B2), and on day 3, I have a BIG 4-set circuit (B1-B4).
I like to do this because it gives me a “different look” on each day… and my extreme ADD works well with change.
I also use “cybernetic periodization” when I train. Meaning, I use the training program that is laid out but adjust on the fly depending on how I’m feeling that day. So, I may actually have done a set or two more than what you see above.
Even though getting as lean as possible is my main goal on this program, I didn’t want to do this at the expense of losing muscle mass and strength. Therefore, I included a couple low-rep, high-weight exercises.
Summary
I definitely prefer to train the more “traditional way,” … more rest intervals between sets, with lower overall rep ranges. But this was a nice challenge (it wasn’t easy at all!). If you are someone that gets lean easily, I’d definitely suggest going more the traditional route with your weight training program. And then just use nutrition and bit of extra cardio to shed that last layer of unwanted fat.
BUT, I do train many people that have fat loss as their main goal, and outside of our training sessions together, they don’t get a whole lot of exercise in. If that sounds like you, then this type of “metabolic resistance training” could be exactly what the doctor ordered.
If you have any questions about my program design above, just leave a comment and I’ll be sure to get back to you.
Happy now, Mr. Leitner?!? The things I do for you.
My Current Training Block…
February 9, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
It has been awhile since I posted my training routine. I’ve had a few people in person and on facebook recently ask me what my training looks like right now. So I thought it was a good time to share. Those that are familiar with my methods, know that I believe that there are many ways to skin a cat in regards to the best training split to use. Throughout the course of the year, I’ll use a number of different splits… upper/lower split, body part split, full body training, “hybrid” split (i.e. Monday – Full Body, Wednesday – Upper, Thursday – Lower, Saturday – hit a body part or two that I’m trying to bring up). Each split has its potential pros and cons. I don’t seem to respond best to any particular split (as I mentioned in this blogpost with Bret Contreras), so I’ll rotate them in where I see fit (what kind of time I have available due to work/family/coaching obligations; what split fires me up the most to train; what split I haven’t done in awhile, etc). If you have found one that gives you the best results, I suggest you use that split for the majority of the training year.
For the first time in months, I’m using a full body routine. The great thing about full body training, is that it allows you to hit a muscle/movement pattern often throughout the week. As I mentioned above, you could also pick apart a few things about full body training, as you could with any split. But let’s not go there today. The increased frequency in which I am stimulating each muscle group with this program will (hopefully) lead to a sexier me!
Day 1
A1) Hip Thrust 3 X 10-12
A2) Incline Chest Press – DB 3 X 8
B1) Front Squats 3 X 6-8
B2) Mixed Grip Pull-ups 3 X AMRAP (set 1 = a tempo of 211, the rest of the sets = a tempo of 201)
C1) Low Rope Hammer Curls 3 X 15
C2) Band Close-Grip Push-ups 2 X AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)
D) Seated Lateral Raise 1 Set – do 15-20 reps, take a 10 second and do AMRAP, take another 10 second break and do AMRAP
Day 2
A1) Standing Shoulder Press 3 X 10
A2) 1L (one leg) RDL 3 X 8L (per leg)
B1) TRX Row with ER (external rotation) 4 X 6 (tempo = 2011)
B2) Bulgarian Split Squat, Back Squat 2 X 7L, 1 X 15 (that is, 2 sets of bulgarians and 1 set of back squats)
C1) Hammer Curls 3 X 12
C2) Overhead Tricep Extension 3 X 12
D) Slight Incline Chest Press 1 Set - do 20-25, rest 10 seconds, perform AMRAP, rest 10 seconds and perform AMRAP
Day 3
A1) Barbell Elevated Deadlifts 2 X 3, 1 X 10
A2) Fillers
B1) Seated Cable Chest Press, Seated Cable Chest Fly 2,1 X 10,15 (2 sets of 10 presses followed by 1 set of 15 flyes)
B2) FF, RR Walking Lunges (Forward-Forward, Reverse-Reverse Walking Lunges) 3 X 5/Movement
C1) NG (neutral grip) Seated Cable Rows, Chins 2,1 X 8, AMRAP (2 sets of 8 rows and 1 set of AMRAP chins)
C2) Tricep Pushdowns 1,2 X 20,12 (1 set of 20 and 2 sets of 12)
D1) Ab Wheel Rollouts, Split-Stance Cable Lift 1,1 X 10 (1 set of each for 10 reps)
D2) Reverse Grip EZ Bar Curls 2,1 X 8,12 (sets of 8, 1 set of 12)
Program Notes
-The sets and reps you see are in accordance with week 1. I keep the volume a little lower in week 1 to try to reduce soreness. In the weeks to come I use a bit of cybernetic approach (going by feel) where I up the amount of sets if I am “feeling it.”
-I’ve been toying with hip thrusts for awhile, but haven’t really gone heavy yet because I just purchased my Hampton Thick Bar Pad. This thing makes the lift much more comfortable, as the bar does NOT hurt while digging into your pelvis. As I’m getting a better feel for this exercise, I’ll be going heavier and working in the lower rep ranges soon.
-My main goal is hypertrophy right now.
-I also train my wussy calves, but I usually do them on “off” days. Since my job is in a gym, I usually find a 10-15 minute gap between clients somewhere in the day to hit them 2-3 times per week.
Alright, there’s your sneak peak of my current training block. I definitely put thought into making sure I am balancing things out to keep myself healthy and strong. But even more important then what the “paper” tells you about a program, is the effort that goes into each session. And I always give it my all!
My Visit With Bret Contreras
January 13, 2011 by danny · Leave a Comment
My friends Marci Nevin, Jason Curtis, Anthony Truck, and I headed down to Arizona a couple days ago for a couple reasons;
1) To watch Marci’s favorite team play in the National Championship Game (Anthony is a former Duck football player himself, so he loves Oregon as well). We went to an “Oregon bar” in Scottsdale to root on the Ducks. Well, they cheered on the Ducks but I quietly (I cheered in my head) cheered on Auburn, as a Tiger victory would win me some money in an office pool. I never thought I’d say this, War Eagle! And the more important reason for the trip to Arizona…
2) To get a visit in with Bret Contreras before he makes the move to New Zealand. For those of you who don’t know the “Glute Guy,” let me introduce him;
Bret is a trainer that has taken the industry by storm over the past year. He has a very popular blog and probably knows more about the glutes than any other person in the world. But, he is definitely more than just a Glute Guy. His knowledge is deep and he gets his clients results, plain and simple. Here is a picture of Bret’s clients, Karli, Katie, and Kellie…
Marci and I had the chance to talk shop with Bret and have him coach us through a few new(er) exercises for a few hours. But when you have so much to talk about, that 3 hours goes by way too fast. With that said, we still got a lot out of our visit, and it was definitely worth the trip! Below is a summary of the “highlights” (at least in my eyes) of our time with Bret in his garage gym (aka, BCSC). I’ll paraphrase (in red) what he had to say to Marci and myself. And at times, I’ll add my 2 cents …
-Which is the best way to train? Is it full body, an upper/lower split, or a body part split? None of these necessarily. Each person responds differently to training. You have to experiment to find out which is best for you. For example, if I don’t hit a muscle group/movement often (i.e. with full body training), I get weaker. But my training partner is just the opposite. He definitely gets his best results while hitting each body part one time per week (i.e. body part split).
Danny’s note: I feel that with all the different splits I’ve tried over the years, that no particular split has gotten me considerably better results than the other. For this reason, over the course of a training year, I incorporate all three “types” (full body, upper/lower, and body part split).
-When it comes to females however, I prefer full body training for the majority. They recover quicker and most likely detrain quicker. Therefore hitting a muscle/movement frequently is probably best for the majority of females (to read Bret’s thoughts on training females in more detail, check out this blog post - http://bretcontreras.com/2010/10/training-women/).
-Simply getting people stronger (in a smart, progressive manner) is not only great for athletic performance and physique enhancement, it can be very powerful in preventing injury. Awhile back, my buddy told me that he was scheduled to have back surgery in two weeks. So I asked him, ‘why haven’t you come in to see me!?!’ He decided to give it a shot and not only were we able to avoid him having this surgery, he now has ZERO back pain!
Danny’s Note: While there are a million examples of how strengthening the entire body can help prevent injury, here are a couple common that I see: Running one mile is essentially 1500 repetitions (in the same repetitive fashion) at two to five times your body weight (depending on your speed). Do you think strengthening the muscles around the hips, knees, and ankles will provide those joints some extra support to help with all of this pounding? I sure do! Another example: people that have weak glutes will call on the syngerists to perform a task (i.e. sprinting). If the glutes are not doing their job, the hamstrings will have to work overtime which could lead to a hamstring injury (this is called synergistic dominance). Getting the glutes stronger will often spare the back, which I suspect is one reason that Bret’s friend no longer has any back pain. Ahh, the power of the glutes!
-People seem to be forgetting about muscles. I know the nervous system is important, but lets not devalue the importance of our muscles.
-Band Hip Rotations…
Danny’s note: Bret went over this exercise with Marci and I. It is great because it works the hip external rotators (including the glute max as an external rotator). Marci and I also noted how much we felt it in our core. Talk about a big-bang-for-your-buck movement!
-Quite often, we set the bar way too low. Danny, if I look at you and think, ‘hey, you look like a 225 bench presser, then that is probably all that I’m going to get out of you.’ I expect big things from my clients, which has been very helpful in getting them great results!
Danny’s note: I wasn’t sure if Bret really thought I was a 225 pound bench presser. So after he finished making his point, I quickly chimed in, “by the way, my bench is 300!” Marci and Bret thought it was funny that it was important for me to let him know that me maxing ONLY 225 pounds was NOT TRUE! 
-Let me show you two what my life is like. Come take a look in my bedroom. You see ALL OF those bodybuilding magazines on the floor by my bed? I’m always reading bodybuilding mags. We can learn a ton from this group! Too many coaches/trainers dismiss the methods of bodybuilders. I think that is a huge mistake. Believe me, I also learn from the powerlifters, olympic lifters, and athletes. But we can take a little something from each group and use it to optimize the training of our clients, and for our own training. The key is to know how and when to implement these different methods.
-Over the years, I’ve read a ton of bodybuilding magazines. When I hear over and over and over again that the pump has been very important to them in achieving unbelievable results, there HAS TO BE something to it.
Danny’s Note: In my opinion, to achieve optimal results, a lot of it comes to how you interpret information. And more importantly, how you apply this information. If I had three guys tell me their opinion on “da pump,” it may sound like this.
Person 1 – “The pump is everything. If you don’t go to the gym and achieve a BIG pump, then you’re wasting your time!”
Person 2 – “The pump doesn’t mean anything. Getting stronger is all you need to achieve size.”
Person 3 – “To achieve maximum hypertrophy (muscle size), it is important to get stronger. But it is also important to get a good pump. This combination will yield optimal results.”
Person 1 and 2 are only speaking in half-truths. While person 3 “gets it.” He/she knows how to interpret and APPLY information! I like person #3 and would like to play dodge ball with him (I don’t know, first thing that came to mind).
-Too many people in this field get so emotional with training. If you and I disagree on something, that is ok. I’ll still have no problem hanging out with you. I’ve seen people that literally hate someone because they disagree with them on something regarding training. Ridiculous!
-Trainers/coaches need to “palpate” their clients glutes. How else are we going to know if they are getting them firing the way we want? I’m not saying that we should molest them, but get in there and push into their glutes to see if they are firing during various exercises.
-Static assessments are important and can give us some indications. But watching them move is way more powerful.
Danny here again: There was more to this visit, but above are some of the things that stood out to me. I want to reiterate, the above is me paraphrasing what I took from our conversation. Bret, if I misrepresented you in any way, feel free to call my glutes soft and squishy on your website – although we all know that is NOT true.
What Else?
Bret talked to us quite a bit about crunches and sit-ups and how he believes that they are being thrown under the bus a bit. The research of Stuart McGill has made many of us stop (or greatly reduce) performing crunches/sit-ups. For the most part Bret doesn’t buy into the research but admits that a lot more research needs to be done. I played devil’s advocate with him and said something like; “since we all sit way too much (with rounded-back posture and shortened hip flexors) crunches just reinforce that poor posture. And as McGill has pointed out, it seems we have a fixed number of flexion/extension cycles on the lumbar spine before we herniate a disc (although this thought process may be flawed since this study was done on dead animals that do NOT have the recuperate abilities that us live humans have), I prefer to error on the side of caution and strengthen the rectus in other ways” (i.e. ab wheel rollouts). Bret said that he wouldn’t blame a person for thinking this way and has no problem with that. This is one thing that I really like about Bret; he is open-minded enough to listen to many different ideas and is not married to one philosophy.
Since crunches/sit-ups were one of the first topics Bret brought up, I got the impression that he is passionate about this subject. So stay tuned to get his thoughts in future blog posts on his ’site.
Bret’s client, professional baseball pitcher Steve Hammond came into train while we were there. While he was training I took a video of him doing a single-leg hip thrust. It was his first time trying it. His first comment was that he felt the “up leg” (this is supposed to be the non-working leg) working quite a bit (too much). But after getting the hang of it he started to rip off reps while fully activating the working glute (the down leg). Here is the video…
Repping out 225 on his first day of trying these is not bad. Especially considering that there are many people that can’t do one single leg body weight rep properly!
Marci and I both got a chance to try Bret’s invention – the Skorcher! It is great for putting you in proper position to really activate those glutes! Plus, with the deep stretch that it allows at the bottom of the movement, you can really feel your hammies firing. For some reason, I didn’t get tape of Marci and I using the Skorcher. But am I happy to say that I got 445 pounds for 10 reps! (or was it just single leg body weight reps that I did – can’t remember)
For those you that haven’t seen the Skorcher in action, here you go…
Well, that will just about rap it up. Thanks again Bret for letting us invade your garage. I’ve learned a ton from you and look forward to continue learning from you! In true Bret Contreras fashion, I’ll close with a picture of his favorite girl on his website. Enjoy…
This post is brought to you by Sears Fit Club.
Quickies
November 19, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
The other day I made a post in hopes that it would help you get your mind right going into the holidays. You can find it HERE. In that I post I also brought up the fact that many lazy people often say that they are too busy to workout during this crazy time. Hogwash! Even if you have to deviate from your usual routine (or if you don’t have a routine at all), below I’m going to give you two sample routines that you can get done in minimal time.
If Santa can find time, you can find time! (just make sure your eating is juuuuust a touch more strict than his)
Routine #1
A1) Bulgarian Split Squats 4 X 6-8
A2) Push-ups 4 X 10 Pick the version that is most appropriate for you that barely has you getting 10 reps with PERFECT form. Here are a bunch of options (from easiest to hardest).
B1) Chin-ups OR Reverse Grip Latpulldowns – 4 X 6-8
B2) Swiss Ball Leg Curl/Hip Extension Combo 3 X 8/8-12 (8 leg curls immediately followed by 8-12 hip extensions)
C) McLarty Rollouts or Body Saw 2-3 X 10
Routine #2
A1) Barbell Push Press 4 X 4-6
A2) RDL or Kettlebell Swing 3 X 8-10
B1) Inverted Row 4 X 8 - Use a TRX Strap or a Smith Machine (I prefer TRX if you have access).
B2) Walking Lunges 3 X 12/Leg
C) 1-Leg Side Plank 2 X ALAP (As Long As Possible) – if you can’t get @ least 15 seconds per side, go with 2-leg side planks X ALAP
Progam Notes:
-Rest ALAN (As Little As Needed) between exercises without letting performance drop too much.
-Make sure to perform a dynamic warm-up before starting the workout (leg swings, running butt kicks, body weight squats, etc.)
That’s it for the notes. Don’t over think it, just make sure you get in, get out, and give yourself enough time to prepare that turkey for your husband and kids. We’ll (guys) make sure we give ourselves enough time to get comfortable in our favorite chair in front of the tv while you serve us food. After all, I’ve been told in order to keep a relationship going strong, it is important to make your wife feel important. And if that means I HAVE TO let my wife serve me some tasty grub while I watch football, I’m going to do it for the good of the relationship… sacrifices, someone has to do it!
And now back to reality…
If you are able to get your usual full workout routines in then more power to you. But if you find yourself “crazy busy” over the next month or so, then simply get in the above workouts for a total of 2-3 times per week. Each workout will take you about 20 minutes. We ALL have time for that. I wanted to add a couple quickie cardio routines but I can’t find my USB cord. But once I get that situated, I’ll be back with some video going over the quickie holiday cardio routines that I’m sure you all will love! :) Stay tuned…
Exercise Videos
October 21, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
LEGS
BACK EXERCISES
SHOULDERS |
CHEST
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CORE/ABS
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Please email me if you have any link problems.
Exercise of the Week
June 13, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
Today’s exercise of the week is the Lateral Pallof Press. We’ve been using the “regular” Pallof Press with clients for sometime now (I believe I first learned it from Eric Cressey). The original version is a great “anti-rotation” exercise. For those of you that are not familiar with the anti-rotation version (one of the main roles of the core is to resist rotation), here is a video for you…
If this is your first time seeing this version of the Pallof Press, you get a 2 for the price of 1 as far as new exercises to add to your workouts. For those of you that have not seen the Lateral Pallof Press, let’s get to it.
Lateral Pallof Press
I just found out about this exercise about a week ago. I got if from Coach Nick Tumminello. Nick uses a much higher percentage of is brain than I. After watching him go over the Lateral Pallof Press in one of his videos, I thought to myself, “DOH, why didn’t I think of that!?!” (refer to the higher percentage of brain usage above) Anyway, the purpose of this exercise of to prevent lateral flexion (think bending sideways). Your core must fire like crazy to prevent you from bending sideways/getting thrown into the cable.
As you can see in the video, I set up so that the cable is to the side of me. I then set the handle so it is up overhead. Next, I grab it and bring it to my chest area. I then brace my core (squeeze my abs really hard) and push my arms up overhead. The longer I make my arms, the harder the movement. Pick a weight that really challenges you (trust me, if you do these right, you’ll feel your abs/obliques really working), but not a weight so heavy that you can’t keep good form. Good form means to keep your arms long, and your shoulders and hips level throughout. There are a number of different rep options, and you can hold each rep above your head as long as you wish. I usually go with about 5 reps above head, with each rep held for 3 seconds.
The majority (not all) of your “core” training needs will be covered if you incorporate McLarty Rollouts, the Pallof Press variations, and use BIG compound movements in your training. So there you have it. Give Lateral Pallof Presses a shot and you’ll have a stronger, healthier core.
Exercise of the Week
February 3, 2010 by danny · Leave a Comment
I’ll try to do my best to bring you a new exercise as much as possible. Each exercise will be one that I’m a big fan of, for one reason or another. Don’t worry I won’t leave you hanging. I’ll give you the reason(s) why I like the particular exercise. Maybe the exercise that I go over is not new to YOU. Maybe you’ve been dominating this exercise since the last time the Cubs won the World Series. (man that would make you REALLY old) I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but even if this exercise is not new to you, there are some people out there that I’m sure will get something out of this… you selfish son of a beehive! The first exercise in this series is, “McLarty Rollouts.”
I’m so important that people are naming exercises after me. No, no, I know I’m not really that special. (although, try telling my mom that, I dare you) One day a few years back I was foam rolling my shins. In the process I felt my abs working like crazy. So I thought hey, maybe I’ll just make this into a core exercise. I had my clients try it and pretty much each one of them came back to our next session will some very sore abs. One lady told me that I need to name them after myself since I “invented” this exercise. I’m sure some of the guys from the ancient Mayan culture were doing these with a log below their shins way back in the day to impress the ladies. But to my knowledge, I haven’t seen these pop up on internet or in any gyms I’ve visited. So I’m claiming them. And, my client told me I should, so there!
I know a function of the abdominals is to perform trunk flexion. But performing countless reps of crunches/sit-ups will just feed into the imbalances that we create with a little something called, life. You know, we sit in flexion (rounded shoulders) all day; in front of our computers, driving to and from work, watching tv…you get the point. There are many coaches/trainers out there that believe the main role of the abs is to resist trunk extension, and resist rotation. In other words, much of your abdominal training should be done with the purpose of improving stability. And McLarty Rollouts fits the bill nicely here. They are very similar to ab-wheel rollouts, and will provide you a little extra variety in your core training. I have many of my beginner clients starting with simple (maybe not simple for some) planks, and then progressing up to more challenging movements like McLarty Rollouts.
When doing these, make sure to keep your glutes and abs tight. Brace your core as if you are getting ready to take a punch to the stomach. Start with the roller down by your ankles and roll it up towards your knees. As the roller gets closer to your knees, the movement gets significantly harder. I either perform these for reps. Usually 10-12. Or for time. When doing them for time, I tell my clients, “make these as difficult as possible, without overloading your back, for 30 seconds. If you can get 31 seconds then you didn’t make them difficult enough. (i.e. you spent too much of your 30 seconds with the roller near your ankles, and not enough time with the roller higher up, near your knees)
So, work within your level, and give McLarty Rollouts a try. You may be extremely sore for the next day or two, but it will be well worth it! One more note; the baby-making music you hear in the video, has been shown to make this exercise 12.87% less effective. So be sure to pick a more hardcore song to train to!
