I find that when you limit your thinking to one particular concept, creativity can explode when you try to expand WITHIN it.
What do I mean?
STEP 1. PICK A SPECIFIC CONCEPT: For example, I’ll choose a standard fitness movement. The barbell bench press with a straight bar.
STEP 2. EXPLORE IDEAS WITHIN THIS ACTION POINT ONLY: Where does your mind take you?
For me this is where I traveled. Understand you personally could have toured elsewhere. Shown in video.
Flat bench press with a straight bar
Alter your grip (Fat grip, wide, moderate, narrow, reverse etc.)
Change the angle and/or range of motion (flat, incline, decline, floor press, etc.)
Change your lower body position (feet up, feet down, bridged, etc.)
Change the tempo of certain phases of the movement (slow, fast, etc.)
Use isometrics and pauses
Change the bar path (guillotine press, JM press, lower on the chest, etc.)
Scrape the rack variations
Change the rep style (1.5 reps, increasing in ROM, etc.)
Change the way you load up the bar (plates, chains, bands, hanging etc.)
Offset weights (more on one side of the bar)
Scrape the rack
Place tension around elbows
Combine any of the methods above
When it comes to programming this lift, you can change things like the volume (sets + reps x load), intensity (what percentage of your 1rm/weight being used), frequency (how many times per week) and more depending on your current circumstances.
Change your lifting partner
Your music or lack thereof
Temperature of the room and more etc.
Do not limit yourself to the methods shown
Note: I didn’t even go into different bars, kettlebells, dumbbells, cables or other horizontal pressing or chest variations yet. This is just the straight barbell bench press.
When you start getting into other movements or ideas you actually like, your brain can really take off when you use this style of thinking.
STEP 3. PUT INTO EFFECT WHAT YOU THOUGHT UP, PRACTICED, AND/OR CREATED: For example, for step three I made this post, and also now use different movements with myself and clients because of it.
I was inspired to write this because of all the people that come to me in person stating they themselves or their physical therapist, massage therapist, or other health care provider have “tried everything”, which is never the case.
This doesn’t have to be for fitness only. I even use it with music frequently. Comment with your thoughts below and I’ll respond to you personally.
For most people, it’s not age that’s holding you back from improving your body composition or increasing your performance.
Shown are some of my adult women training and nutrition clients repeatedly getting stronger, more mobile/resilient, and leaner over time.
Find out the evidence and experienced based reasons why each woman is performing what they are below.
VIDEO CLIP ONE: Carol performing a landmine press.
Unfortunately, if you can’t raise your arms overhead without compensating somewhere else (eg. lower back), you have no business pressing any type of weight overhead unless you want to increase your risk of injury.
Carol is using this angled press to train her shoulders as a substitute for overhead pressing. In the meantime, we’re working on things that will improve her shoulder flexion (arms overhead motion).
This movement is also easy to learn, targets the torso muscles, and is extremely versatile. They can also help daily tasks seem easier. Think putting groceries and dishes away to high areas, mowing the lawn or snowblowing, putting laundry away, etc.)
VIDEO CLIP TWO: Elaine doing kettlebell swings.
We can’t ignore that the fact that power declines as we age.
The kettlebell swing (done properly) is a great movement you can use to increase power, that’s also low impact (eg. minimal stress on ankles and knees). It’s also a magnificent alternative to jumping or any other high impact lower body aerobic movements.
Studies have repeatedly shown that power exercises with lower loads and faster movement velocities, improve functional performance and may even be superior compared to traditional progressive resistance training (Gschwind et al. 2013).
Here are just a few of those studies: (Henwood TR, et al. 2008) (Latham NK, et al. 2004) (Hazell T, et al. 2007) (Latham NK, et al. 2003) (Granacher U, et al. 2011)
VIDEO CLIP THREE: Noreen performing slow eccentric, leg assisted chin-ups.
I like this variation of chin/pull-ups, because not only are unassisted chin/pull-ups way too difficult for most people to perform, but also because just about anybody can do these very comfortably. You can make them as hard or easy as you would like according to what your goal for that day is.
I especially like them on the rings as they allow your hands to rotate making them an extremely wrist and shoulder friendly movement.
I have Noreen controlling the eccentric (lowering phase of a movement where muscles contract while lengthening) for the following reasons. By slowly controlling the lowering phase of a movement you can…
Train hard while working around injuries and simultaneously provide a better environment for healing. (Lorenz D, Reiman M, 2011).
Get better at positions you’re struggling with, as they force you to spend more time at each specific joint angle throughout your entire range of motion.
Develop confidence in your lifts as you can use heavier weight, for more reps, than you could concentrically (Hollander, D.B. et al. 2007).
Heighten mental focus and boost your mind muscle connection, which can lead to a magnified understanding of your body, technique, and movement.
Reduce boredom and add variety to your training if you’ve never paid attention to the tempo you use during your training sessions.
Use this as another tool create more time under tension, training volume, and muscular development where you want or need too (Hather, BM et al. 1991).
VIDEO CLIP FOUR: Jackie performing one hand (foam roller supported) single leg deadlifts
Jackie is performing single leg romanian deadlifts to spare her spine, while simultaneously improving stability, muscle development, and strength in her glutes and hamstrings. I’m having her hold onto a foam roller so that balance is not her limiting factor, which in turn allows her to use more weight.
In this specific situation, the foam roller is also used to give Jackie a little less stability than a wall, but more stability when compared to no support or being hands free. Right now, this is her “sweet spot” in terms of still being able to perform the lift, without really worrying about falling over, or compensating with bad form.
VIDEO CLIP FIVE: Sara performing rear leg elevated split squats (with her back leg on a band).
I’ve been both using, and having clients implement split squats with their back leg elevated on a band, instead of a bench, stand, or pad, for just over nine months now. It’s an amazing split squat variation that causes your front leg to do a lot more work with less external loading.
This is always a plus when you’re looking to make an exercise harder, but with less stress on the joints.
It also seems to help many people progress into the airborne lunge and skater squat with less difficulty. If you’re interested, I made this video http://justin-rivelli.com/?p=8966 showing some things I’ve learned along the way, and also explaining how to make them easier, harder, and all of the possibilities in between.
This joint friendly movement is an exercise many people with cranky shoulders can often perform pain free. This is partly because they allow you to not only train your primary or main mover muscles, but also because they increase recruitment of things like your rotator cuff and core musculature. Additionally, without appropriate spinal and shoulder alignment, they’re just about unworkable.
Almost every time a client performs an upside down kettlebell or plate movement, they’re not only surprised with how challenging they are, but how different their strength and coordination is when comparing the dominant to the non dominant hand. This makes these an excellent exercise to help with asymmetries.
Additionally, upside down movements force you to “get tight” and activate just about every muscle in the body, without many coaching cues or mental thought. This can decrease your chances of injury when lifting, as this “irradiation” or concurrent activation potentiation, can help stabilize and support joints and connective tissue
Upside down movements heighten mental focus against your will, and bully you into maintaining/increasing that level of physiological effort and attentiveness throughout the entire set (as you fatigue physically). Otherwise, you’ll drop the weight and your set will be over.
VIDEO CLIP SEVEN: Katie performing barbell hip thrusts.
Here I have Katie performing barbell hip thrusts to improve the strength and muscular development of her glutes and hamstrings, while simultaneously putting minimal stress on her lower back.
One other reason I love barbell hip thrusts (that I don’t hear mentioned), is that when it comes to using exercises to target your glutes, they actually force you to push against resistance horizontally.
What I mean by this, is that although things like deadlifts and there variations are great for hitting the glutes and hamstrings, they don’t provide resistance horizontally or at peak contraction (in this case this is the top of the deadlift).
Side note: However, by using this technique I demonstrate here, you can make your own horizontal resistance with deadlifts that cause your glutes and hamstrings to fire harder while implementing them. http://justin-rivelli.com/?p=8605
VIDEO CLIP EIGHT: Heather performing a hanging plate bench press.
By hanging weights on a barbell, as opposed to placing plates on the end of one, you construct an environment that can serve as a great teaching and training tool for just about anyone. Especially if you want to receive less stress on the joints and more on the muscles you intend to train.
If you choose to implement this, you’ll experience unforeseeable and uncertain movements, shifts, and alterations during the exercise. Therefore, this technique heightens mental awareness, causes you to contract just about every muscle on your skeleton, and disciplines you to sustain this enormous amount of tension throughout the entire duration of the lift.
The less tightness (“irradiation” or concurrent activation potentiation) in your body, the more the barbell will wobble, and the more it will cause you to shake like crazy, involuntarily. The extra tension this type of training creates can reduce your risk of injury by almost automatically producing joint centration without extra effort of cuing.
I’ve been both using, and having clients implement split squats with their back leg elevated on a band (instead of a bench, stand, or pad) for just over a month now. It’s an amazing split squat variation that causes your front leg to do a lot more work with less external loading. It also seems to help many people progress into the airborne lunge/skater squat with less difficulty. I first saw this idea shown by Jason Spray but wanted to really expand on it because I loved it so much. This video shows some of what I’ve learned along the way regarding how to make them easier, harder, and all of the possibilities in between.
I feel like paying it forward. Therefore I’m giving away one full month of the most customized, detailed, evidence based fitness coaching you’ll ever receive. More info below…
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE:
– A comprehensive online and in-person evaluation and assessment.
– Small group training sessions 3x a week for one month (or online programming if you’re not local).
– A fully customized nutrition plan.
EXPECTATIONS:
– This is no joke to me, and you will be treated like a regular paying client.
– I understand gaining control of things like your physique, health, and performance takes practice, time, and patience.
– However, if at any time I suspect you’re not taking this seriously (show up late, etc.) I’m going to cut the coaching short.
GROUND RULES:
Now that I scared away all of the people who really don’t want help, we can get onto the fun stuff. All you need to do to be entered is…
1. Share this on Facebook here.
2. Explain your story and/or why I should pick you. Give as many details as possible and feel free to get creative.
3. You can also “like” my page to show your support, but it’s not necessary.
THE WINNER WILL BE PICKED RIGHT BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY ON FEBRUARY 12TH, 2017.
– I’m deciding who is chosen based on the most liked story/post of all participants.
– I’m also going to use my own personal judgment if necessary.
– Any goals (health, body fat reduction, muscle gain, etc.) all qualify.
If you have any questions just let me know. I’d be pumped to help.
6 out of 7 parts are completed. The last part is on the way.
I’m making the largest “exercise library” on the Internet when it comes to “cage” or “scrape the rack movements”. I even broke this down by body part.
Over 95% of the cage movements shown I have never seen performed before, so I’m sure you’ll find something new you will love to apply to your current or future training.
Try these if you’re willing and able. You won’t be disappointed.
In this less than sixty second video, I show you one technique you can apply to almost any chest exercise to make sure you’re hitting it harder than you normally would be. Any questions can be sent to rivelli.justin@gmail.com or to any of my social media platforms like Facebook here.
Two quick tips that allow you to hit your chest harder when performing most chest fly variations. Any questions or comments can go here on my Facebook page, or sent to me personally at rivelli.justin@gmail.com Thanks!
Unlike most workouts and diet advice that take place in Berkshire County, here you will learn the evidence based way to lose fat, gain muscle, and improve your performance through training and nutrition.
Everyday people from all walks of life approach me confused, stuck, and in need of guidance for many different reasons. They’ve been fed so much rubbish that they’re finally ready to sift through it, and discover the truth they desire and deserve.
Since I’ve opened up a training and nutrition coaching facility in Pittsfield Massachusetts, I wanted to invite the first 15 people who are willing and interested, to a special event.
The purpose of this “mini-event”, is to clear up the fitness myths/misconceptions that are constantly being spread throughout Berkshire County, and that are remarkably popular all over the internet (especially through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and more.
Part One: Nutrition (10 minutes)
How to lose fat and gain muscle through food.
How to increase compliance, and decide which “diet” strategy may work best for you.
Fad diet malarkey and where real body composition and performance improvements come from.
Part Two: Training (10 minutes)
How to train for “optimal” physique and strength development.
Training technique tips that often get overlooked.
Fad training hogwash and where real results come from.
Part Three: Tracking Progress (10 minutes)
There are many different reasons the scale can go up and down besides fat loss and fat gain.
If you’re measuring progress by the scale, once a week weigh in’s are unreliable.
In this lecture I’ll teach you how to measure progress by taking the average bodyweight of each week and month, and will also talk about why other methods like a tape measure and pictures matter so much.
* Bonus: Question and Answer (20 minutes) | Individual Question and Answer
Ask any questions you wish, either for you specifically or that you believe will benefit the group.
After the Q & A, if you want to stay late, I’ll try to answer any specific questions of yours, one on one with you.
I’m going to stay as long as I can, and my schedule allows for.
MORE INFORMATION
Location: 1 West Street, Suite #40 (At the Crowne Plaza)
Date: October 19th, 2016
Time: 7:00pm
THE GIVEAWAY INCLUDES
$25.00 Under Armor Gift Card
$25.00 Gift Certificate to Freddie’s Place
$25.00 “Fitness Gift Bag”
This “mini-event” may be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.
If you have any questions or concerns, just leave a comment on Facebook here, shoot me a message, or email at rivelli.justin@gmail.com. I’d be pumped if you came!
– Justin
Justin Rivelli is Berkshire County Massachusetts most in demand online and in person coach. His evidence based, customized, and passionate philosophy is easily noticed from the very first moment you start speaking with him, see him coach, or catch sight of what he’s up too.
Working with everyone from professional physique competitors, CrossFitters and division one athletes, to the average person looking to reduce body fat and get healthier, he has helped countless clients get the results that want, need, and deserve.
