Ask a Strength Coach Anything

>volume
But that's wrong since doing 4 sets of 2 has the same volume as doing 8 reps, but will make your muscle grow much less.

Any suggested reading or tips for a starting out personal trainer and aspiring strength and conditioning coach?

get hooks

Whats your take on high frequency splits? I dont mean full body beginner workouts but things like bulgarian method for squats or smolov for bench.

Also, when you are doing programming, do you try to work around weaker muscle groups or weaker lifts? I know that usually one thing goes with the other but still find it interesting
Lastly, do you do anything special for mobility?

Doing deadlifts for the first time today
Am i supposed to pull up with my lower back, or use my hips as a sort of wedge and push my hips forward to pull the weight up?

I had tendonitus in my elbow and the only thing that worked was rest. Its such a bitch but i think youll have to suck it up. Not OP btw.

>compering 4 sets with one

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LARP

Any workouts you would recommend for combat athletes? I want to be more explosive without gaining more weight.

sprint training

Thanks, gunna go light today like I said I was giving it some rest, if it’s still fucked I’ll rest it more and maybe try the hooks to get back into swing of things

Shit, there are a lot of questions. I'm back, answering soon.

Whats your best lift and how many kgs?

I'm concerned with "what," not "why"

Different rep ranges produce different results. I have some understanding of this, but I don't like to pretend to be a scientist like personal trainers do.

You aren't right in assuming a muscle won't grow using higher reps. 20rep sets can be used for a variety of purposes, including hypertrophy. Work capacity as well. 20rep breathing squats are a good way to break squat plateaus— Super squats has been around forever, for good reason. It isn't optimal but the basic idea is on the money.

That depends. The linear progression doesn't end all at once— your individual movements will pass into higher tiers at different times, and your programming will have to adjust to reflect that. The original texas method is shit, don't do that one.

I can't design a program for you on the spot. Just make sure you're developing the five rep max, and keep in mind that an intermediate can withstand more training without "burning out" than you think.

From what I understand, low reps of high weight are limited primarily by your nervous ability to recruit all existing muscle for the movement, mid range lifts of mid range weight are limited by the damage down (which repairs as more tissue), and with higher reps like 17, the real limiting factor is your body's ability to keep that body part replenished (aka endurance). Whatever limiting factor stops you from doing your next rep is what will benefit most from that rep range.

Switched from a PPL to a PHUL to raise my lifts a bit (they are pathetic) should I expect to lose some arms gains since I'm not going to train them as much ?

Post body

yes

>Post body

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how do you get into the job of strength coach? is it a pay for course? or do you go to a university or what?

There are a lot of things you can and should try that I've seen work wonders for this type of thing, but there are no guarantees. I'd do all this before trying anything else.

Drop on squats and deadlifts as though you were about to start Bill Starr recovery or something. Go down to just the bar, even. Maybe stop doing them for a while. I don't know how severe your discomfort is but that should determine how heavily you need to back off.

Develop your dead hang. Hang each workout session with a double overhand grip until you can hang for 2.5 minutes, then add weight around your waist. You should be doing this anyway. Keep your shoulders pulled back and activated as much as possible. Making noise helps when your grip is about to fail.

Not to get too "westside" about things, but

Reverse hypers. It can be tough finding a machine for them and your milage will vary, but some people get incredible relief from this kind of decompression work

Overspeed Eccentrics. Try banded good mornings after a workout, or in the morning at home. Use a -light- band, just enough to speed up the falling aspect of the movement. Look this up if you aren't familiar with it, it's good for injury prevention and you can try it for rehab if all else fails.

Try different bar positions. Try high bar squatting most of all. It eases pressure on the back and you might be stronger with it than you think. Don't be a slave to low bar.

Good luck.

I know this but generally speaking, the hypertrophy range is 6-12 reps (see Brad Schoenfeld, Pavel Tsatsouline and others) with muscle growth dropping off after that.

Why do 6-12 reps make your muscle grow more than 1-5 or 13-infinite? There must be a scientific reason for it.

Intersting.

Seconding this, I would really like to get into strength coaching in the future. Any advice?

Once you have full blown lasting pain you can't do very much beyond waiting. It heals slowly. If something really hurts, stop doing it for a while.

I know I just mentioned them, but once you're healed completely you should start doing overspeed eccentrics for curls. They really do prevent these types of irritations. Curls irritating the forearms is unbelievably common and this is how I get past it. Hammer curling may be a good alternative for the time being.

>the hypertrophy range is 6-12 reps (see Brad Schoenfeld
That's not correct. Brad has been on record numerous times saying the difference in hypertrophy between the the "standard" rep range of 6-12 and higher reps of 20+ is statistically insignificant. The only notable difference in hypertrophy he mentions is with high weight low reps (3 or fewer)

Any tip on fixing shoulder pain?

Is SS a meme?

That depends on the severity of your condition but you will probably be fine if you are able to perform the movement with balance.

Do 3x12 Facepulls at the end of every workout. Try farmers walks while keeping your shoulders at equal heights, if you can manage. Make sure you are overhead pressing, and you might have a big interest in neck training. Even if it doesn't even out, keep your upper back strong. Look into strongman movements for the upper back, like sandbag carrying

Schoenfeld explicitely advocates the 6-12 rep range for hypertrophy. His programs are literally based on it. I've never seen a program of his based on 20+ reps.

>ask me anything and i’ll give you 1-2 word answers without any explaining or advice
What a knob

lookgreatnaked.com/blog/does-light-load-training-build-muscle-in-experienced-lifters/

>Conventional wisdom also postulates that at least moderately heavy loads are required for building muscle. General training guidelines proclaim that loads lighter than about 65% 1RM are insufficient to stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibers necessary for growth. The so-called “hypertrophy range” is generally considered to be 6-12 reps/set.
>Recent research has challenged these established tenets.

>The primary take-home points from the study are as follows:
>• Gains in muscle mass are about the same regardless of repetition range provided training is carried out to muscle failure
>• Maximal strength requires the use of heavy loading
>• Muscle endurance is best obtained from the use of light loads

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>not understanding tripcodes

>yfw those posts aren't from the tripfag

>being this retarded

Get some kind of respected certification to get your foot in the door wherever.

The biggest thing is just to dive into training. Train with people, train yourself in all kinds of ways, and look up everything about training that you can. Get a little bit obsessed.

The science behind something doesn't matter and you don't need to understand it. What works is what matters.

Be EXTREMELY wary of broscience. Even highly respected courses have some nonsense in there because it sounds right to them, or represents conventional wisdom.

PTs and coaches are insufferable so I hope you can deal with them.

Here's Schoenfeld's famous "Mechanisms of Muscular Hypertrophy".

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>nearly a decade old

See This is his latest research.

Good stuff. That kind of constant training is a sort of plateau breaker, like 20rep breathing squats. Even if it doesn't monumentally improve the lift in the immediate, it lays the foundation for continued improvement in the future. Preconditioning of muscle is highly overlooked in modern coaching.

Some athletes respond extremely well to high frequency uniquely, and they can get very strong very quickly with that approach. Clarence kennedy might be a good example.

Programming for strength should focus around the contested lifts that best represent muscle groups, but should also be reviewed to ensure you're developing the body fully. For instance, rear delts are often neglected needlessly even in highly refined programs.

I don't usually focus on mobility, but there are exceptions. Generally, I think people give it too much attention, and there is no reason to be more mobile than your movements require.

Don't you have the internet? There are plenty of tutorials.

Keep the back rigid and push the hips through.

Combat is beyond my area of understanding, but developing power and explosiveness beyond optimizing your already present potential is incredibly difficult. You may want to research Olympic methods.

Is it ok to squat with your knees being slightly past feet?

How do I lowbar squat without adductor/flexor pain in my front hip ?

405x5 bench, during which I blew my left shoulder the fuck out, forever. I now coach rather than lift. I weighed about 100kg at the time.

in your experience with athletes, how often is nutrition/diet a problem? generally, how much of a problem is their diet compared to their training?

I'm having a hard time keeping my lower back straight during heavier Squats. What cues should I have in mind?

My knees are aching/hurting after squatting. Like the ache is inside and non specific. Im not sure if its overuse or bad form . But i feel like my form was good.

Wat do. Im taking off a week or 2 so that it doesnt get worse. Then ill go slow up. Then also do pistol squats

Just make sure you really understand what you're doing. There are enough quacks out there now.

That is a very broad question. Let yourself heal. Try preventative overspeed work and Facepulls. Really, you might be doing something wrong somewhere, and I can't say for sure.

Breh

Yeah. Not bringing the knees past the toes is one of the biggest memes out there. I guess all the strongest men in history have some form to clean up.

Not op. For me it's consciously thinking of a bar attached to my hips and my upper back. it helps me move them as a single unit, and press from your hips and legs while in the hole instead of trying to lift or straighten your back.

Some people get this.

Why are you married to low bar? Try various positions until you find one that feels solid and comfortable to develop.

Warm up more extensively. Sometimes that's all it takes.

If you're a novice, just keep training.

In new athletes it's a huge problem, because they can't put the fork down and they want to lean out. People who have the discipline to deadlift 700lbs usually have the discipline to eat correctly.

Specific training methods become more important as athletes become more advanced. Nutrition can be a problem in certain circumstances for everyone, but usually if a person has it under control, it isn't worth much focus.

Generally I think you should be careful with how much of your diet is carb intake. Heavy amounts of pasta and the like can make someone feel drained, but not everyone.

Eating a huge breakfast can sedate you and that is sometimes a problem for people who wake up hungry before training.

Do you practice the valsalva maneuver? Keep pressure in your belly and keep the back rigid. SOME movement of the low back is fine at the bottom of the squat, as long as it isn't significant. I'd need to be there in person to tell you more.

Banded overspeed eccentrics, in the form of leg extensions and leg curls. Look into that.

I don't see how pistol squats will do anything good for you. Try adjusting your bar position, and trying different ones. Are you dive bombing the squat, or keeping control? Are you leaning too far forward? Video tape yourself. The bar must stay over mid-foot.

Great thread OP. I don't have a question, just wanted to say this is good shit.

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How often would you suggest an athlete do strength training per week? I'm a kick boxer looking to maybe increase the amount of times I lift per week from 3x to 4-5x, and I was wondering if I would see diminishing returns at that point.

Damn why is the texas method no good? I've been doing it the last three weeks and Ive been enjoying it

Thank you Fox man

When you first start strength training, you hit it about 3x weekly, taking extra breaks when needed until you get a little bit conditioned to the activity. Once you're intermediate, you can train much more often than most people assume. You can train 5x weekly quite easily, so long as you are not repeatedly destroying the same muscle groups without a plan or need to do so.

That said, your needs are different as an athlete in another sport. It's hard to say, but assuming your sport needs amount to cardio/endurance attempts, you might train full body 2x weekly, starting with 5rep strength movements and moving into higher rep secondaries. Train hard twice weekly, and realize that for a while you will have to get used to strength training and your regular training may need to take a backseat as you condition yourself to heavy lifting, but also understand that your athletic background will foster better lifting in the long term, just like lifting will in the long term improve your conventional athletic performance.

Thanks a ton! Another question: I'm starting to lift fairly heavy, and even though I often skip core when I lift heavy, my core is sore afterwards. This is totally normal, right?

Alright look, if you're making gains, keep at it.

Generally, his original texas method program is a way to try to extend the idea of short and simple workouts into higher tier athletes, which isn't optimal after a while. Once you stall, consider some secondary free weight movements after your 5rep primaries.

Once 3x5 stops working, the basic idea of Texas method is the way to go, but you can handle more volume atop that more complex 5rep training. The basic idea is switching to 90% 5x5 sets, which you do three times before trying a new 5 rep max.

But one thing rippetoe (who I repsect highly) doesn't add that makes a big difference is that your three 5x5 sets should be at least slightly progressive. If your 90% 5x5 day goes well, add 5lbs next time you do it. If it's too much, do the same weight again, but never accept doing the same weight over and over without trying to get a -little- heavier.

The greatest sin of advanced lifters is not always trying to make every single lift heavier.

>sports medicine
So did you actually go through the specialisation after med school or are you just another hack abusing the name?

Yes it is. Keep your trunk rigid and strong, and that might make it sore, but some people feel it more than others.

I don't think you need specific ab/core work if you are interested in strength and performance.

I advocate lying triceps extensions on a decline, just because that stresses the abs to remain rigid, but that's the extent of the focused core work I recommend

Thanks for the reply

With so much conflicting info on supplements, which would you say are a must? Obviously creatine, but I'm talking more about the grey-area ones, such as l-glutamine or BCAAs. I'm taking l-glucatime, and am considering BCAAs since I'm going on a cut, and I've heard that it helps preserve lean muscle.

Some supplements can become necessary to counteract the potential side effects of certain steroids, but for a natural athlete, none of them are critical. Drink your whole milk and eat a lot of meat.

Creatine might have some effect, but I've never been able to observe it clearly if it does. My athletes generally take fish oil, vitamin D, and a multivitamin every morning but honestly, I'm not convinced that any of it is necessary.

I don't think you need to dump your money into that. Performance enhancing drugs are the supplements that work, if you want the cold honest truth.

Post your body.

My body is medicore, injured, and beyond its prime.

I'll try that out.

Thanks. I do do the valsalva, but I have a hard time sucking in enough air to fully pressurize. I'll practice that and see if it helps.

Thanks for this thread.

how do i train for specificly strenght without gaining weight.

My hip flexors hurt when I squat. It's preventing me from lifting more and it's frustrating. They're not tight in the sense that they don't need stretching, my flexibility seems fine. I also don't think they're weak either. The pain immediately goes away after I'm done squatting and it doesn't linger at all. It only hurts once I approach parallel during the squat and the pain doesn't linger at all after I finish working out. I don't know what the hell is wrong or what I did, but they're fucked up somehow.

Do you have any experience of people with this issue? How do I fix it?

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I think i herniated by back a year ago. Best cue for me to not feel pain when squatting is "chest up". Same with deadlift. I think both ss and barbel logic has done vids on this. search for it

Is "starvation mode" a real thing or a myth?

I think I'm going through it right now. I've lost over 20lbs so far but I seem to be stuck at 200lbs. I've been eating at a 1000+ calorie deficit for almost a month now with no change in weight. I'm on a PPL 6x a week (cardio on rest day) and doing 21:3 fasting btw.

And before you ask the obvious:
>Yes, I'm doing my math right
>Yes, my TDEE is correct
>Yes, I've lowered TDEE weekly according to my new weight
>No, my sodium intake hasn't changed
>No, I don't include exercise in my TDEE
>Yes, I have my lifestyle set as "sedentary" even though I work construction

So not only am I eating at a huge deficit, but I'm not even including the fact I work hard labour and I work out 7 days a week to my TDEE. So my deficit is probably closer to being well over 1500cal. I've been eating the exact same, tested foods just in smaller amounts as I continue to lose weight and yet I've hit some kind of plataeu. I feel like I'm going crazy.

Is this "starvation mode" I hear about true? The idea that your metabolism slows significantly when your body goes under the stress of not receiving enough calories?
If it is true, should I try eating at maintenance a couple weeks to get it back to normal?

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What would be a good routine to increase my strength without adding much weight? I'd like to hit a 405 squat at 5'10" 145 ish.

does strength equal size?

hi alex

is HIIT preferable for fat loss or does it matter what kind of cardio one does? obviously diet is the most important factor but I want to be optimal

Summer is almost over newfag. Head on back to plebit please.

What do you think of Z-presses? Been doing them the past like 4 weeks or so and they feel badass, but I worry if it's too much stress on shoulder area with less lower body base.

This is common, but usually a bit more lasting than you are describing. It fades over time in novice athletes. I responded to a similar question above.

Try different bar positions, or a more extensive warmup. You might also try some weightlifting shoes, like romaleos. They're expensive, but ease this effect somewhat.

If you're past the novice phase and you can squat a decent weight, try following up your squats with 3x10 front squats. Over time, this could better condition you and lessen the pain if it persists.

It is not real. You will continue losing weight if you are eating at the proper deficit. Sometimes the effect can speed or slow, or feel like it is slowing, but you'll be back to dropping weight again soon.

I do advocate refeed days every two weeks or so, they seem to have a lot of positive effects. Take one day and eat at a bulking surplus, lots of protein.

I'm doing a 4day tm split as follows
Mon pcleans 5x3/psnatch 6x2, sq 5x5 90% of 5rm, 3x8 back ext
Tue bench/ohp 5x5 90% of 5rm, ohp/Bench 3x8 81% of 5rm, 3xf chins
Thurs 5rm sq, 5rm dl
Fri 5rm bench/ohp, 5x1ohp/bench (value would be counted as 5rm but split into 5 sets due to fatigue), 5x3 front squat

Been working out for a year and a half after being a skinny fat unathletic twink, turning 26 soon. I eat whole foods and sleep well
125kgx1 squat
82.5x3 bench
55x1 ohp
142.5x3 dl
70x3 pcleans
Just learning the power snatch atm so just the bar

1 when should I do cardio, Friday after my workout and Saturday?
2 should I alternate snatch grip dls?
3 can I add high pulls?
4 there is a oly gym/ club near me and I wanna max out oly lifts before I get too old over 30, should I leave my homegym and join there? I don't want my non oly lifts to suffer by jumping onto oly only
5 could I add more oly volume or should I continue?
Thanks

Brosplit / PPL vs. SS / Strength / Cmmpound routines for Aethstics?

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Do you think there's a point in strength training if someone has the genetics of a weakling or should they just stick to something that they've got more potential for?

On rear delts, do you think isolation exercises for that are necessary for most? I've read that back rows can work them, with a few other compound moves too, so I've always wondered if I do those enough if iso work like face pulls is really necessary?

5rep training can certainly take you to 405, but this is a question with a lot of complexity. Avoid mass gaining PEDs, train high volume under different patterns, and test your 1rm every six weeks or so. Raise your rubish deadlift for hamstrings, and train your front squat for the quads. When you plateau, try Super Squats to raise your conditioning and break it. Gaining very little size is more a matter of diet and substances. Your baseline method should be a progressive Texas method 5x5 system, wherein you train 5x5 at 90% three times, adding minor weight each pass, and attempt new 5 rep maxes. Above all, be patient.

Generally. I can guarantee that if you take a man, any man, and make his muscles bigger, he will be stronger.

It isn't preferable and it doesn't much matter. I enjoy LISS cardio on the stair stepper machine for my athletes, but a lot of that has to do with the benefits of LISS to steroid users. If HIIT is tiring you out, or sapping your gains, stop it.

On breathing techniques, what would you tell someone to do if everytime they breathed in before an intense lift, they had to yawn? Happens to me a ton and it sucks when I'm trying to keep tight. Do you think it's mental? Usually it only affects me on the first rep of a set, but it's very annoying.

Good stuff for the advanced, but unnecessary for most. Press overhead with good form, and when you fail at higher weights, break through with ROM work. Find where your Ohp stalls, and pin press right below that point. If it stalls at the bottom, learn to use the hips to lend it momentum, and train the paused OHP. Once you are at a point requiring higher exercise selection, Z press is a decent candidate

Be back later Jow Forums.

Gotta go get groceries for my lady.

my lifts have gone up in the last months and with that it also came a lot of pain in my wrists, especially with pushing exercises. I suck it up and keep lifting but 6 hours after, generally, it hurts like a mother fucker until the next day, when it comes back to just a mild discomfort.
any tips on how to improve joints health?

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Thank you so much thus far. It's clear that you have a wealth of knowledge OP.
What books would you recommend on strength training/nutrition/general health? It's clear you know your shit, and it would be nice to know all of your resources.

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