8 Training Tips

1. The Deadlift-When you do deadlifts think about pushing away from the ground with your legs. Drive your the ground away as if you were doing a leg press. This will keep stability and not let your back round.

2. Rear foot elevated split squats-If you find yourself having issues with the low back or just the range of motion try using a lower box or step. The smaller box will help your back and keep you from losing form.

3.Improving the shoulder press-If you find yourself getting some shoulder pain when starting any shoulder press movement try starting at the top of the movement instead of the bottom. Ben Bruno talked about this tip and I have since used to with success.

4. Glute thruster variations-Instead of the classic 1 second pause at the top of the move, try holding for2-5 seconds making sure your glutes stay tight and your low back is not working. This will bring more time under tension for the glutes which will lead to better gains.

5. Pullups-If you do them constantly, try taking 1-3 weeks off to give your wrists, elbows and shoulders a break. Pullups are great and should be a part of any quality program but they do tend to be hard on the joints and taking a break will help every now and again.

6. Squeeze those glutes- When you do any plank variation always keep in mind to keep those glutes tight. My keeping the glutes tight not only will you get more glute work ( never a bad thing ) but you will also help keep your body more stable and the core turned on and not your low back.

7. Be ready- Improve your workouts by foam rolling then doing a quality dynamic warm up. The foam roller will help tissue density and "iron out the knots" of the muscle. The warm up allows you to then keep the body ready by increasing core temperature and prepping you for the workout to come.

8. Pressing variation-Instead of doing your normal dumbbell chest press give this technique a try. Lying on your back holding a pair of dumbbells, keep your arms tight to your sides and your palms facing you, As you press the weight up start to rotate the dumbbells so they finish with your palms facing forward. Make sure your arms stay tight into your body the whole press. This will not only be better on the shoulder but will also hit your triceps more as well.