© Copyright 2014, Josh Henkin
A Dragon Door Publications, Inc. production
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Published in the United States by: Dragon Door Publications, Inc.
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ISBN 10: 0-938045-56-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-938045-56-4
This edition first published in June, 2014
Printed in China
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excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Book design and cover by Derek Brigham • www.dbrigham.com • bigd@dbrigham.com
Photography by Don Pitlik
DISCLAIMER: The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that
may occur through following the instructions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described
herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people and the reader(s) should
consult a physician before engaging in them.
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction....................................................................................1
The DVRT Movements..............................................................29
The New Functional FItness .................................................135
Upper Body DVRT Drills ..........................................................143
Training with a Twist..............................................................187
Shoveling ...................................................................................199
Core Training ...........................................................................203
Building Muscle.......................................................................229
DVRT Programming ...............................................................243
Are You Excited Yet ................................................................269
About the Author ....................................................................273
Acknowledgements
Changing the way we view and perform fitness is anything but
easy. It would not be possible without the people in your life to
help motivate and support your ideas. My beautiful wife, Jessica,
who was my inspiration and driving force to create and push to
innovate and stay focused no matter the obstacles placed before
us, I can’t thank you enough.
To my good friend and colleague, Troy Anderson, who challenged
me to keep striving to do better and to think outside the box, I
thank you for your great friendship and professionalism. This
book would simply not be possible without John Du Cane and
Dragon Door having an open mind and a willingness to keep
evolving and pushing the fitness industry to move forward.
FOREWORD
Robert dos Remedios
t may sound a bit cliché, but as a strength and conditioning professional for over 24
years I have literally ‘seen it all’. I have had the opportunity to meet and observe
some of the best and worst fitness and conditioning professionals in the world. I
have also had the opportunity to experience just about every ‘training tool’ or piece
of equipment ever made.
Another phenomenon that I have witnessed quite recently is the evolution of the ‘internet trainer’. These creatures are characterized by a few common traits: lack of real-world
experience, a disregard for actual practitioners in the field and their experience, a disregard
for the education process, and false promises based on false experiences.
In my experiences hands-on hours in the trenches working with actual clients and athletes is where you BEGIN the journey to becoming a successful trainer. I have found that
the best coaches and trainers are the ones who continually seek continuing education in an
attempt to hone in and sharpen their knowledge base and skills. In this process, we are able
to not only find what works for us but we can also objectively analyze what and why
something doesn’t work for us. With the multitude of coaches and trainers out there you
would think there would be a very large percentage of them that fall in this category of
‘lifelong learners’, sadly this isn’t the case. Most trainers and coaches don’t really want to
learn new things; they simply want to surround themselves with information and people
that validate the things they are already doing.
In the case of tools or training equipment I have found that we very often get caught up
in the latest ‘cool’ training toy and often implement these tools for the sake of using them.
The biggest problem is that most of the time the tools themselves are just that…tools.
There isn’t any sort of educational system behind its implementation and use in a training
program; therefore it’s easy for us to treat it as a toy or gimmick that can easily be eliminated from our training.
So why am I pointing these things out?
Enter Josh Henkin and his Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT) system.
I have had the great fortune to become good friends with Josh and I cannot say enough
about how much I have benefitted from his knowledge and his Ultimate Sandbags. Josh is,
for lack of a better term, a ‘renaissance man’ when it comes to training and conditioning.
His background as a former Division I athlete along with his academic preparation, host
of other certifications and 20 plus years of experience has afforded him a great eye when
it comes to analyzing and dissecting human movement and conditioning. Josh is the perfect example of the lifelong learner I described earlier. The DVRT system he has developed
is based on sound movement and mechanics and more importantly, it is grounded in
sound progressions and regressions based on individuals. This is a one of a kind training
system that actually focuses more on movement than the tool itself. It is often hard to
grasp this concept especially when we are talking about a training tool like the Ultimate
Sandbag but in Josh’s system, the tool itself almost seems secondary to the sound message
that his education conveys. They truly go hand-in-hand with each other like no other
training I have ever experienced.
Josh is constantly observing, interacting, and consulting with coaches and trainers all
over the world, and by doing so, he has developed one of the most sound and
effective/efficient training systems I have ever seen.
Josh travels the world presenting and educating fitness professionals and has built a
very strong group of DVRT certified trainers. In fact, Josh has revolutionized the functional fitness industry in a very short period of time. His DVRT program has became a
cornerstone for elite programs like the US Army Special Forces Recruiting Battalion,
SWAT teams, and top fitness facilities from around the world. Coaches from over 80
countries are now using the DVRT system worldwide…and this population is growing at
a record pace. Why? IT WORKS.
While Josh’s Ultimate Sandbags themselves are amazing training tools, without his
DVRT system and his constant stream of updated education for its implementation, it
would simply be a bag full of sand thus making it a tool that could easily be removed from
any training program. With the combination of the tool and the education system, the
Ultimate Sandbag has become a vital piece of our training programs; I can confidently say
that they will be a part of my programming for the duration of my career.
I am very fortunate to have Josh Henkin as a mentor, resource, and friend. He is a selfless
individual who is always ready and willing to help anyone, a master at creating amazing
training methods and exercises, and he’s also one of the smartest people I know. Now you
have the great fortune to be introduced to him and his training systems…. hold on, this is
going to be an exciting journey!
Robert dos Remedios, MA, CSCS, MSCC
Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coach / Author
2006 NSCA Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Professional of the Year
CSCCa Master Strength & Conditioning Coach
INTRODUCTION
he current age of fitness is tough! It is more confusing, with more ideas, more
concepts, and even better tools being thrown at everyone. In 20 years of being in
the fitness industry, I can’t think of a time when people had so many options for
programs and training tools. It’s enough to make your head explode! In fact,
there is so much “stuff” out there that there has been almost a rebellion against new ideas
and training programs. To be honest, it is hard to blame both coaches and fitness enthusiasts for their skepticism.
That makes writing a book like this one even more difficult. Outwardly, it may appear
that I am trying to bring back yet another “old time” strength training tool. I understand.
We need a re-introduction of another “ancient” or “old school” training implement like
we need another bad remake of an ‘80’s classic movie (why did they ever redo Footloose?).
However, before you make a snap judgment let me assure you of one thing, this isn’t like
any training program you have experienced before.
If I told you I was going to teach you a system for getting people to move better within a
matter of minutes, would you be interested? How about if I offered you a system that
allows almost infinite progressional exercises to be created so not only can you have variety, but purpose in your training? Would you be intrigued? If I told you that this is unlike
anything you have done before and that the feeling is totally unique, would you be willing
to hear me out?
If your cynicism tells you no, I understand, Maybe you will want to flip through this
book another time. I must forewarn you, looking at pictures and trying to decipher our
intent without reading the “whys” will only add to your confusion. Yet, if the answer is
yes, I welcome you to come on a really exciting journey with me through a system that I
have seen time and time again transform how people see exercise, movement, and overall
fitness. Welcome to the world of Dynamic Variable Resistance Training!
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A Fancy Word for a Sandbag?
You might have just jumped on guard. You might be thinking, “Oh man, he tricked me
into reading a book about ‘sandbag training’?” Let’s address the elephant in the room.
This is NOT a book about “sandbag training”. Why? There are many reasons that this is
not a fancy way of trying to get you to read and learn about the benefits of “sandbag training”. First, an implement can never be a system. Probably the biggest mistake of many fitness professionals today is confusing a system with a training tool.
The easiest example is something we see every day at the gym. The barbell is a training
tool. I can’t remember ever hearing someone say that they were going to head off to the
gym to do some “barbell training”. This would seem odd by most accounts because the
barbell is seen as a means to an end. Bodybuilders have used barbells for decades to help
build significant amounts of muscle and impressive physiques. Powerlifters have used barbells to create high levels of force in their three competitive lifts. Weightlifters have used
barbells to gain Olympic glory, but their lifts are very different from what a bodybuilder or
powerlifter might consider. In each example, the barbell may play a prevalent role, but the
method and intent of the training is VERY different. That is why when people ask if DVRT
is just “sandbag training,” I say absolutely not!
You may still have some questions on why this is not a book on “sandbag training.” You
might have noticed that every time I mention “sandbag training,” I use quotation marks.
Simply knowing that you’re lifting a bag of sand doesn’t tell you much about the actual
training process. We should be choosing methods and implements based upon their ability
to deliver us specific results.
Sandbags have been around for a long time, I certainly didn’t invent them. Some anthropologists believe that ancient Egyptians used sandbags for some form of physical conditioning. This may make sandbags one of the earliest tools for functional training, as the
goal was probably to perform better in warfare rather than looking good for social media
pictures. In all seriousness, ancient Egyptians probably used sandbags more out of convenience than any super scientific thought process. Remember, items such as metal were
highly valuable and probably would not have been as accessible for such needs. How does
this impact the modern fitness landscape? And more importantly, how is this STILL not a
sandbag book?!
One of the most damaging sayings that has become popular in fitness is, “a tool is just a
tool.” You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in biomechanics to realize that both saws and
screwdrivers are tools. Try using the saw to screw in something and see how far you get.
Tools matter! They matter a lot! For some strange reason, fitness is one of the few industries that purposefully tries to downplay our tools.
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Absolutely, there are those that try to define their training by the tools they use. This
approach is just as faulty. However, many coaches fall into the trap of applying new training tools simply for the sake of variety or novelty. Many even try to rationalize using a different training tool by using vague goals of becoming “more powerful” or “stronger.” Isn’t
this the goal of any training tool or method?
The reason DVRT isn’t just about “sandbag training” is that “sandbag training” means
absolutely nothing! DVRT is a system of implementing variable resistance tools to achieve
specific outcomes. That may come in the form of getting you to master the squat pattern
faster, teaching you how to connect your entire body in one synergistic manner, exposing
you to true multi-planar training, increasing your inter and intra-muscular coordination,
and so much more.
That may all sound fine, but here is the even harsher truth. Sandbags stink! People often
tell me that sandbags aren’t new, and they are right! The fact, however, that they have been
around as long – or longer than – any other fitness tool and yet have never been a focal
point of fitness training tells us one of two things. The most obvious is that using variable
resistance tools doesn’t work. I don’t believe this, as we have seen too many cultures use
variable resistance tools for many reasons. I think the concept would have died if it just didn’t work. The other possibility, and the one I’m advocating, is that we have lacked both the
right vehicle to implement variable resistance training and a systematic means of using sandbags in strength training programs. I believe that people have tried to use the wrong tool for
too many years. If you don’t have the right tool, it is hard to create the right outcome!
That Dirty, Dirty Bag
Really, how important is having the right tool to do the job? I don’t know; ask surgeons,
carpenters, computer specialists, military personnel, heck, even most athletes! The answer
is that it’s VERY important! In order to really understand the difference in tools, let’s look
at two very different practical examples.
In the early days of the barbell, it wasn’t the 7-foot length that we see most often today.
The first barbells were probably more like 4-5 feet in length. Why does this matter? Early
lifters used the barbell very differently. Instead of focusing on a very small number of exercises that focused on how much weight could be placed on the barbell, athletes used all
sorts of movement patterns with the barbell. Many of these great athletes’ feats of strength
would be considered incredible by today’s standards. These great lifters wanted to add a
challenge to all movements to build a more broad ability to be “strong”. From lifting with
one to two hands to using different angles, positions, and postures, old-time lifters performed all sorts of exercises with the smaller barbell.
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The words of one of the first proponents of weightlifting in the US, Mark Berry, reinforces the idea of building the body up with a broad scope, rather than using very specific
training. Berry believed that athletes only needed to specialize after performing a more
broad scope of training. In 1925, Mark Berry was a National Weightlifting Champion,
and he coached the US teams in ‘32 and ‘36. He wrote in one of his legendary barbell
courses, “Actual lifting should be undertaken only after long and careful preparation in the
development and training of the body.”
When the barbell became larger and more focused on activities such as Olympic lifting,
everything changed. As the length of the barbell extended, the focus shifted from movement to weight. Lifters began specializing in particular exercises rather than building a
broad scope of drills. Add in the squat rack and other specialized equipment, and now the
barbell’s use to seems reduced. That doesn’t stop some from romanticizing it though!
“But Josh, it is just a bag of sand!” If that is what you think, then the kettlebell is just a
ball with handle, stability balls are giant beach balls, barbells are long stick pieces of metal
that you put weird cylinder pieces of metal upon. Dumbbells are the worst. They’re clearly
a complete rip-off, given that they’re only a quarter of a barbell . Obviously I am somewhat mocking this thought process, but more importantly, I’m trying to bring to light that
our focus first and foremost has to be upon what we are trying to accomplish. Secondly,
these tools have intended uses that make them more or less valuable depending the goal of
training.
In all honesty, a homemade sandbag isn’t the same thing as the DVRT system. Not even
close! This is because DVRT has a specific intent, with layers of progression and a purpose
to your use of the sandbag. You can’t even perform 90% of what is used in the DVRT system with that infamous duffel bag.
I want you to keep asking one question as we go through the DVRT system — “Why?”
Keeping asking “why,” and it will change how you train and the results you achieve. If I
don’t answer the “whys” for you, then I haven’t done my job!
4
Answering the First Question
If we are going to ask ourselves the “why” question, then we must start with the most
obvious: Why are we using variable resistance tools? Are barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells,
suspension units, body weight, or any of these standard fitness tools wrong? Not at all,
but this is where understanding what tools can offer to your training is very important.
At first glance, variable resistance tools could be classified under “odd objects.” For literally centuries, coaches and athletes used a host of odd objects for their fitness training.
What is an “odd object”? Just as the name suggests, these are implements that are awkward, non-conforming, and anything but balanced. Examples of odd objects include
stones, barrels, logs, and yes, sandbags.
If the idea of lifting these objects causes you to cringe and get nervous, you have every
right to be! Without going into a deep discussion of the technical benefits of these implements, you know one thing. They are darn hard to lift! In fact, one of the most legendary
modern strongmen, Steve Justa, was asked, “What is the hardest kind of weight to lift?”
He replied, “An awkward weight is the hardest.” (Dinosaur Training, p. 113)
Barbells, dumbbells, and even kettlebells are static and predictable weights. They are
perfectly balanced and tend to move in a specific groove, repetition after repetition. The
sport of kettlebell lifting is even based upon this concept. During competition, athletes will
snatch, clean, and jerk kettlebells for ten minutes straight! I guarantee you aren’t going to
see the same type of events with odd objects.
The fact that odd objects are “hard” doesn’t really justify their use though. There has to
be more benefit than just outwardly appearing “hardcore.” Fortunately, the use of odd
objects goes much deeper than this superficial first appearance. Renowned strength coach
Alan Hedrick explains some of the more relevant benefits to odd objects:
“...applying the concept of specificity, it makes sense that training with a fluid
resistance is a more sport-specific method of training as compared to lifting exclusively with a static resistance because in most situations, athletes encounter a
dynamic resistance (in the form of an opponent) as compared to the static resistance. Further, because the active fluid resistance enhances the need for stability
and control, this type of training may reduce the opportunity for injury because
of improved joint stability.” (NSCA Journal, Vol.25 Number 4)
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The benefits more modern coaches like Coach Hedrick have witnessed training groups such
as the Air Force Academy are the same benefits that the old strongmen got from these tools. In
the legendary Brooks Kubik’s book, “Dinosaur Training,” he relays the same sentiment:
“A barbell cannot approach a heavy barrel or a heavy sandbag when it comes
to developing the type of rugged power that is required in any form of physical
combat or contact sport. It is too easy to control a barbell...objects that by their
very nature never fall into any sort of lifting groove.” (Dinosaur Training, p. 112)
In both the case of serious strength training and that of athletes, both these gentlemen
identified the role of hitting the stabilizers of the body. What are stabilizers? These are the
smaller muscles of the body that help support our joints and allow the big muscles to do
their jobs. In many cases, it is the stabilizers of the body that fail far before the primary
muscles are exhausted. This is the very reason we rarely see people who can press overhead
a pair of kettlebells of the same weight they could on a barbell. It’s also the reason people
fail to bench press a pair of dumbbells the same weight as a barbell. Why? The barbell is
more stable than either implement, removing much of the instability dumbbells and kettlebells provide.
It stands to reason that objects that shift, move, and do not have a consistent movement
pattern would work the stabilizers to a higher degree. You might be thinking, though, “But
will this make me strong?” Great question! When we see lower weights on these odd
objects than we would normally see on the barbell it leads to the question of whether or
not obtaining great levels of strength is possible.
Understanding how the body produces strength becomes increasingly more important.
The nervous system, not just the muscles, is the primary means for increasing strength.
With the nervous system we have two ways the body can improve strength. One is intramuscular coordination. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, intramuscular coordination is “the ability of the neuromuscular system to allow optimal levels of
motor unit recruitment and synchronization within a muscle.” Huh? This basically means
that, the more efficient your nervous system is at recruiting muscle fiber, the stronger you’ll
be. It is estimated that untrained individuals can really only access 60% of their muscles’
capabilities, while highly trained weightlifters can reach 80% or higher. Improving intramuscular coordination is very powerful, but doesn’t really relate to our use of odd objects.
The other form of neural coordination is intermuscular coordination. With intermuscular
coordination, we teach the muscles how to more efficiently work together to produce force
and movement. Think of intermuscular coordination as riding a bike. At first we can often
be shaky when we get on a bike. But over time, we smooth out our riding as our muscles
learn how to work together more effectively and efficiently. The same process happens during exercise, and is why most programs will work, but for a limited period of time.
6
Intermuscular coordination is very relevant to the lifting of odd objects. Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and even bodyweight exercises tend to develop a specific “groove” as the
body learns how to perform the exercise better and better. The way we then must challenge
our body is often by adding more of a stimulus such as more weight or more repetitions.
However, odd objects offer a very different approach. By their very nature, odd objects
never repeat the same exact movement.
In the 1990’s, coaches were starting to pick up on the idea of improving stabilizer
strength as a primary means of improving both performance and health. While there had
been a large move toward free weights, many coaches who were promoting the new idea
of “functional fitness” weren’t satisfied with using free weights in the style of bodybuilding, powerlifting, or even weightlifting. They believed these other iron sports had a poor
carryover to everyday activities and sports. In order to address the idea of more “functional” forms of training, they used unstable surfaces r to improve stabilizer strength as
well as intermuscular coordination.
Unfortunately, science would later show that unstable surface training did very little to
improve strength and in fact did not activate areas of the body such as the “core” any more
than standing on more stable surfaces. A 2009 study by Willardson, et al in the Journal of
Applied Physiology, stated definitively, “Therefore, fitness trainers should be advised that
each of the aforementioned lifts can be performed while standing on the stable ground
without losing the potential core muscle training.”
The inability of these surfaces to produce better gains in many of the body’s stabilizers
may be attributed to the fact that the surfaces were TOO unstable. Like other training
variables, instability may need to be more progressive in nature. In a 2006 National
Strength & Conditioning paper reviewing various forms of instability, David Behm and
Kenneth Anderson discussed why too much instability can be counterproductive for
strength and performance gains:
“....found force deficits of approximately 60% when performing an isometric
chest press action with an un- stable base (Swiss ball). On the one hand, these
deficits might promote the essential point of instability training: that because
forces have been demonstrated to be lower with unstable conditions, training in
that environment is of utmost necessity to ensure action-specific strength adaptations.”
That doesn’t mean that we need to turn all exercises into stablity-based training.
Beginning in the 60s, and increasing through the 70s and 80s, machines became very popular in fitness training. Although they were initially believed to be better and safer than free
weights, we found that machines were the exact opposite! Because machines offered so
much stability and a predetermined movement pattern, we began to see our bodies become
7
dumber! They no longer had to stabilize the joints and coordinate the entire body as much.
The specialized pattern that was determined by the machine caused all sorts of overuse
injuries.
Internationally recognized corrective exercise expert, Paul Chek, calls this issue “pattern
overload.” Why can pattern overload lead to injuries and plateaus in your training? Chek
explains pattern overload as:
“...injury to soft tissues resulting from repetitive motion in one pattern of
movement, or restricted movement in one or more planes of motion. Although
pattern overload is much more common in an environment such as machine
training, which restricts freedom of motion, I’ve also treated numerous cases of
pattern overload in workers and athletes who were unrestricted in their training
movements.”
The issue of pattern overload makes free weights a far better alternative to machines.
However, the natural evolutionary trajectory of free weights leads to odd objects. We begin
to see that odd object training is not about being hardcore or underground. It is instead a
very important means for preventing injuries and improving the health of your body.
Before You Go to the Junk Yard...
There may seem to be no end to the benefits of odd objects. They can hit more muscles
than any other form of training. Odd objects teach our bodies to work more efficiently.
They burn more calories. They are just brutally effective! However, before you go out scavenging for a wide array of odd objects, there are some issues to consider.
When I began to use odd objects, I fell in love. I was using them to help rehabilitate a
low back injury that ended my collegiate athletic career. Focusing on the benefits mentioned above, I was both inspired and intrigued to see for myself the results of odd objects.
I used everything from tires, kegs, stones, and yes, homemade sandbags.
For a period of time, I saw the results that I had read so much about. However, just as
quickly as I experienced these benefits, I hit a plateau. It dawned on me, “If everyone
knows the power of odd objects, how come they never became the foundation of strength
training?” It would make sense that with all these positives, the use of odd objects would
be commonplace. As I began to ask myself these questions of “why,” I started to understand why my results had plateaued.
8
One of the biggest epiphanies for me was my discovery that what made odd objects
great was also what made them a problem. The fact that odd objects were so unstable, so
hard to manage, made it difficult to both introduce odd object to people as well as to make
proper progressions. Part of my inability to create progressions and programs was based
around two dilemmas.
The first was the fact that I treated odd objects like barbells. I created my exercises to
replicate barbell lifts and programmed them in the same manner. Odd objects obviously do
not behave like barbells. This means going up by small increments is almost impossible.
Treating odd objects like barbells also meant that the programming was all wrong. The
exercises were far more fatiguing and stressful, but I didn’t adjust training variables such as
sets and repetitions accordingly. Not appreciating these differences created overtraining
and injury.
Trying to use odd objects to introduce people to specific barbell type lifts was also a
problem. Since odd objects were so difficult to lift, most people weren’t provided the
opportunity to learn the movement within the exercise because they were so overstressed
by working with a “non-cooperative” implement. I quickly realized the instability made
using odd objects almost impossible for most general fitness clients.
Between the immense amount of stress that odd objects provided to the body and the
huge challenge of coordinating the movements, I found myself relegating odd objects to
specialized phases in training for a limited time. That is till it dawned on me!
What if odd objects were not programmed and implemented just like our more common
strength training tools? What if odd objects had to be treated differently? What if we had
to program more because there were more variables to consider? Quickly, I began my
hunt!
I went on to read as many current and old-time strength training books as possible. I
found myself quickly becoming disappointed time and time again. While I would find
mentions of odd objects, finding more than ten pages was an extreme rarity. This told me
that most coaches and athletes had probably run into the problems I experienced. Seeing
the consistent theme of a belief of odd objects, but a decision to never make them foundational made me reconsider the whole genre.
Eventually I began to understand the fault in odd objects existed in two primary issues.
We needed to make odd object training far more progressive. This meant that odd objects
had to have the capability of being stable or unstable. In order to have people learn and
become introduced to this form of training, odd objects couldn’t be brutal all the time!
How do we create this when many of the implements themselves prohibit stability?
9
The second issue proved to be a larger challenge. The tools themselves had to be changed.
Change odd objects though? Isn’t that sacrilegious? When we look at the evolution that the
barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, and even suspension units have gone through to match the
current training mindset, it made sense that odd objects might have to go through the same
process. We had to make our tools work for us and not fall victim to their limitations.
Enter the USB
Trying to change things that have been around for centuries seems like a recipe for disaster. Who am I to change how things have been done forever? My goal was simple, I believed
in odd object training, but knew unless I could make it more progressive, more accessible to
myself and my clients, they would end up sitting in the corner as they had for centuries.
Where do you even begin? I decided that I would have to focus on one odd object — the
one that I believed to have the greatest potential to change how fitness was performed.
This odd object that could offer the most diversity and benefits. It would be the sandbag
that grabbed my vision.
Why the sandbag? Even with my homemade duffel bag, sandbags seemed to offer more
versatility than any other odd object. They were unlike any other training tool I had
trained with in the past and, I thought, with a little engineering and forethought, I could
solve some of the limitations of the sandbag.
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Problems? What were problems with homemade sandbags? After all, they have been
used so long by some of the strongest athletes in the world. Why change? I realized that the
sandbag was more than just an unstable training tool. When I examined why I had problems having my clients progress with my duffel bags, I realized that I was only focused
upon two variables, yet, there were far more that had to be considered.
First and foremost I focused upon the weight of the sandbag. Isn’t that how we gauge
anything we do in the world of strength training? I obviously assumed that between the
weight and unstable nature of the sandbag, my clients just had to get stronger and more
used to the movement of the sandbag. The truth is that I had not considered the impact of
two very important training variables that would become foundational principles in my
new system.
One day I was making a new sandbag for my clients’ training when it hit me! When I
looked at the sandbags I had lined up (at this point I had made quite a few), there was
something so obvious I was almost embarrassed by the fact I hadn’t seen it earlier. They
were all VERY different sizes. Since I didn’t bother making sandbags in five pound increments, there was at least a 10 pound jump in weight in most of my sandbags. This caused
them to appear significantly different.
It hit me! Sandbags weren’t just difficult because of their weight or shifting internal load,
but also because the change in their dimensions changed stability and perceived load. In
order to test my theory, I began to fill some bags not with sand, but other filling materials
such as dry rice. Using other fillers gave me the dimension without as much weight. This
began to completely change how we trained with the sandbags. Now I had the option of
not only changing just the weight, but also the dimensions of the sandbag. This made sandbags more stable. In the past I had neglected this important aspect of sandbags because I
wasn’t able to control the dimension of a homemade sandbag, Lighter ones would actually
shift and move more than heavier sandbags. This is a big reason that lighter sandbags
seemed almost as difficult as heavier sandbags.
The idea of changing dimensions is not anything we see in most other strength training
tools. The barbell does not change its dimensions at all. This means it moves in the same
path, in the same manner, no matter what the load. This static variable makes it easier to
progress to heavier weights.
Kettlebell athletes, however, recognize the role of dimension and deliberately control it.
In kettlebell sports, all of the weights are exactly the same dimension. The purpose of keeping all the kettlebells the same size is that they are able to groove such a specific technique
that doesn’t have to change no matter the weight. Since kettlebell sport is based around
strength-endurance, it makes sense to make yourself as efficient as possible.
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Understanding the role of dimensional weight training opened up a very powerful door
for me. I didn’t want to make people efficient at lifting. I could make very subtle changes
other than just the weight they lifted to stimulate very powerful results in their training.
However, in order to use dimensional changes, we would have to begin a process of standardization. Having too little control was just as bad as not being aware of the role of
dimension.
That is why the first job was to create a sandbag with strategic sizes. Each size would
have a role. Smaller sandbags would be more compact and rigid. They would be more stable overall and easier to use when we performed more complex exercises. Larger sandbags
were obviously capable of holding more weight, yet, more important to me was the fact
they would be more unstable at similar loads. With a very simple and purposeful change,
we now had the option to make sandbags stable or unstable. This would increase the number of people we could expose to sandbag training and make it far more progressive. The
next change would absolutely rock the very foundations of sandbag training.
Getting a Grip
Odd objects like sandbags have
long been considered one of the
most powerful means for improving one’s grip. Brooks Kubik raves
about the power of lifting such
objects for grip training, emphasizing, “They give your hands a
tremendous workout just by holding them!” Using sandbags is a
great way to build what Kubik
calls “Herculean” grip strength.
Why are sandbags possibly
among the very best tools for grip
strength? As grip expert John
Brookfield explains, there are several types of grip strength. In
order to build great grip strength you must possess crushing, pinching, and wrist strength.
Most forms of strength training only develop one or two of these. Even lifting thick bars
will build crushing and some wrist strength, but completely misses pinching strength.
Sandbag training allows the development of all three.
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Understanding grip strength and its role in training will also help explain why I did the
most unthinkable thing possible. I added handles to the sandbag! What? Why? The questions came in droves. People wanted to lynch me, accusing me of ruining the very essence
of sandbags. Before the pitchforks come out and torch-wielding purists show up at my
house, let me explain why this was the most powerful and important addition to sandbags.
Although I am a fan of grip training (strong hands were a necessity for classic strongmen), I also understand its limitations. It doesn’t take an anatomy book to realize that the
hands are not the most powerful area of the body. Many points, especially the legs, are far
stronger than our hands. If we couldn’t work around the limitation of grip, we could never
train other areas of our body. Many powerlifters and old time strongmen knew this, as
they developed a mixed grip to perform very heavy barbell lifts like the deadlift. I They
realized that they would have to place their body in a position where their hands did not
limit them in order to lift the massive poundages for which these athletes are known. The
mixed grip allows a stronger grip that makes it possible to lift more weight. Weightlifters
found something similar in their use of the “hook” grip. Gymnasts use very specific hand
positions on the rings to perform their amazing strength feats.
If other strength athletes could find ways to avoid being limited by grip, why couldn’t we
do the same for the sandbag? When I ask strength coaches why the sandbag has never been
a foundational strength training tool considering so many of its unique benefits, I rarely get
a solid answer. Truth be told, in trying to stay “true” to sandbags, we also made them very
limiting. We couldn’t develop the same power and strength we aimed to achieve with the
other strength training tools.
It just made sense to me – why not give us the option of either? By placing the right handles on the sandbag, we didn’t take away the opportunity to train our grip. Instead, we
added the ability to train more strength qualities than ever before!
Placing handles on the sandbag didn’t necessarily decrease our grip strength training,
though. Handles allowed us to increase strength in two important ways. For us to really
appreciate these more subtle grip factors, I need to address an important limitation in grip
training.
When I trained for competitive strongman competitions, I was not unfamiliar with handling heavy weights in my hands. Heavy cleans, deadlifts, and chin-ups had been part of
my athletic training programs for many years. Strongman, though, challenged my grip in
whole new ways. As I began to train with other strongman athletes, I began to realize that
my grip was relatively weak. The demands of strongman placed some pretty unique
stresses upon one’s grip.
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Realizing this was a pretty significant weakness, I did what any good athletes does. I
made it a priority. EVERYTHING quickly became about grip training. Thick bars for
deadlifts and clean and presses. Farmer’s walks as far as I could travel. Sandbags, stones,
you name it, I included it into my training. But in less than a month, I felt one of the most
debilitating pains I have ever experienced. Pretty soon gripping even a jar hurt very badly!
Forget holding onto a weight bar of any sort, I was in pain! Again, like any good athlete, I
had overtrained my grip and created such a bad case of elbow tendinitis that it almost
completely prevented me from training!
The moral of my story is that grip training, like any other form of training, must be done
progressively and cyclically – and of course, wisely. If you don’t take my word for it, you
could be stuck with same horrible pain that forced me to wait months to recover from.
That’s right, our body often gives us harsh lessons about pushing too hard and too fast. It
took probably at least triple the time to recover from the injury I had incurred than it did
to cause it in the first place.
This also means that if sandbag training were only about grip, then we couldn’t use it
that often. It would appear in a cycle here and there, but again, it wouldn’t lend itself to
foundational forms of strength training.
My goal is not to scare you away from grip training or to deter you from using sandbags. However, it is smart to consider all aspects of what this form of training provides. It
also means that we need to see how grip training occurs in less obvious forms with the use
of the handles. One of the most exciting opportunities handles provided to me as a coach
was to introduce more movement-oriented training. More specifically, I got the opportunity to build rotational strength in my clients.
Rotational strength is very important and I will cover it later in this book, but it requires
very fast moments of relaxation and tension. During sandbag rotational movements, the
sandbag itself builds great amounts of speed and force. Think of a gymnast on the uneven
bars. She begins to move slowly, and as she picks up speed, she must constantly change
how much tension she applies through her body and the bar. It’s the same with the sandbag
— the hands have to work “smarter” to coordinate efficient movement, and we get a far
more dynamic form of grip training.
The addition of handles also completely changed the form of gripping for exercises like
clean and presses, snatches, and rowing. Olympic lifters and kettlebell enthusiasts can tell
you that when you perform many of these dynamic exercises you don’t clench down on the
weight and hold on for life. Instead, we see another dynamic grip, a moment where we have
high tension to almost no tension. Gripping too tightly during more dynamic exercises actually prohibits the lifter from performing the exercise optimally. Alternating between tight
and loose grips allows us to move athletically with sometimes very high loads.
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This dynamic grip doesn’t occur with exercises such as rows though, so why bother? The
change in leverage may at first seem subtle, but as we learn to appreciate leverage as a considerable training variable, we see how impactful it can become. With the barbell, the center of mass is right where we grip. By adding the handles to the sandbag, we now grip a
good distance away from the center of mass. This makes any weight feel heavier. If you
don’t believe me, try this: Grab a dumbbell and kettlebell of equivalent weights. Chances
are you are going to find the kettlebell heavier, even though the dumbbell is the same
weight. This is because the grip of the kettlebell is further from the center of mass than
we’re used to with a dumbbell. However, with sandbags, this is even more impactful
because unlike the kettlebell, there is almost no weight in the handle itself. The sandbag’s
entire weight is further from our gripping point.
During exercises such as rows and curls, this is what makes the sandbag feel more challenging, even though there is not much weight shift to the actual sandbag. That will also
begin to help explain one of the most misunderstood benefits of adding handles to the
sandbag. Many think that adding handles to the sandbag would take away from the instability aspect. The truth is the exact opposite!
When I looked at how we grabbed the duffel bags I made, I realized a few things. In general, we would grab on the outside of the sandbag, much closer to that of a barbell. We
were holding closer to the center of mass and actually increasing the stability of the sandbag. Even grabbing on top of the sandbag, we were actually holding relatively close to the
most stable point of the sandbag. What I really learned was that what made the sandbag so
challenging was NOT the shifting and moving of the sandbag, but the fact that most people were simply limited by their grip. Since the duffel bag forced people to grab directly
onto the sandbag, people were always limited by their grip strength, and never really got to
experience the instability of the sandbag.
For a better illustration of my point, let’s look at a classic sandbag exercise, the clean and
press. Watch a video on YouTube or pull out an old time book and look at the recommendation for the sandbag clean and press. During the clean, the lifter will grab the outside of
the sandbag, making the sand all move to the same point in the middle — if it is loose
enough to even move! Upon bringing the sandbag to the chest, many will either continue
to hold onto the outside of the sandbag (in the case of more loosely filled sandbags), or
shift their hands so their palms are underneath (typical of more tightly filled sandbags).
Either scenario actually increases the stability of the sandbag.
However, with the addition of specific handles, the weight during the clean is far more
free to move and shift. Upon reaching the challenging fist position for the press, the load is
rarely caught with an even amount of weight upon either arm. Now we can handle more
unstable sandbags as we press in this position, and not only have a challenging weight, but
true instability of the sandbag.
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The opportunity to re-invent the sandbag was exciting and intimidating, actually making the sandbag specific for strength and fitness was motivating. Yet, I also knew that some
would be scared of the change, we all know people can often be fearful of what they don’t
understand. However, I believed so strongly in the unique benefits the sandbag could provide. Of all the issues to resolve with the classic idea of a sandbag, I began to favor one
among all other. By attaching handles, I went from having a handful of barbell-like exercises available (never seen more than about 20 ever described) to building a progressive
training system that had well over 400 purposeful drills. That is NOT an exaggeration, I
could use my sandbags to create over 400 exercises!. I am absolutely convinced there is no
system that could replicate this type of versatility and progressive nature. None.
What I had created wasn’t just a sandbag anymore; it was the “Ultimate Sandbag”. I
wanted to call what I had created very simply what is was. The Ultimate Sandbag wasn’t
just the very best sandbag. Now that I had the right tool, I could start seeing the training
and programming of fitness goals in a whole new light.
The more I began to use the Ultimate Sandbag, the more I began to have a growing disdain for the old duffel bags. I had wasted so much time and energy in working with such
an inefficient tool. I finally realized that I never really had a plan or purpose with the training that I had been putting both my clients and myself through. The programming that was
taking shape made me want to distance what I was doing with the Ultimate Sandbag from
the same issues I knew so many other coaches and fitness enthusiasts were experiencing
with odd objects. That is why I knew we had to call this something different. This was no
longer just sandbag or odd object training; this was becoming a whole new system of fitness and performance training. It was becoming the foundation of Dynamic Variable
Resistance Training (DVRT).
The System
In creating a whole new system of training, I wanted to change how people looked at the
exercises they selected, the way they structured their programs, and how they saw the
entire landscape of strength training. Not a lofty goal at all!
The only way to accomplish such an ambitious goal is to have a system. A lot of people
get scared of systems. They believe that having this type of structure will take away creativity, versatility, and fun from training. Having a system of training doesn’t do any of this. In
fact, it allows us to build so much more in all these areas.
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Think of a system simply as a map. The goal of a map is to provide us direction and purpose. I can wander along a trail for quite some time only to learn there was a far more
direct path to my end. Most people right now are wandering in their fitness journey. They
know where they want to go, but the map is so confusing that they train in a constant
state of being lost. If we don’t have a plan, a map, then we can’t problem, we can’t definitively know we are making true progress, and we can’t continue to build toward even
larger goals.
The truth is that systems allow us to be creative. They are organic, and they allow us a
lot more freedom than we usually realize. On the other hand, not having a plan causes us
to feel like we are throwing darts against the wall, HOPING we are doing something that
will get us closer to our goals. It is the lack of a map that holds many back from ever
achieving their fitness goals. Have you ever heard of anyone of any level of success getting
there because they just did random things? You think top 500 companies don’t have a
plan? You think military generals don’t have a plan? You think that even sports coaches
don’t have a plan?
What is the DVRT map? Let’s begin the journey.
P R I N C I P L E 1:
P R O G R E S S I V E O V E R L OA D
At first glance it may not seem as though DVRT is a new form of strength training. In
some cases this is true. We see that the following concepts are based upon the traditional
concept of “progressive overload”. Many are familiar with this idea of building upon more
weight over time. We can think to the ancient tale of Milo and his bull. In order to gain the
classic strength of the ancient Greeks, Milo carried his young calf. As time went on, Milo
continued to carry his calf, but of course as the calf aged it became larger and larger.
Eventually, Milo was carrying the full adult bull, something he would have not been able
to do if he started his training by beginning with the bull. This simple tale is an easy way to
illustrate that we need to incrementally challenge our bodies over time to make them
stronger and more fit.
As helpful as the story of Milo is in conveying the message of progressive overload, it can
also be misleading. Milo’s journey was rather incomplete. With his carrying of the bull, we
only see one means of becoming stronger and more fit, and that is increasing the weight we
lift. The truth is that progressive overload should be known as progressive stress. The
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whole point of stressing the body with weight is to challenge its normal state. Author and
professor John Jesse wrote in his book, The Encyclopedia of Wrestling Conditioning:
“Gradualness and progression are the keys to the body’s physical and psychological adaptations to the stresses of greater training and loads and increased levels of competition. It should be remembered that the body or its system do not
adapt to increasing demands at a steady non-ending pace...The body reacts to the
new stress immediately, but takes a certain time to adapt to the stress. Once it
adapts to the added stress then the load can be increased.” (p. 36)
There are several things we can learn from Jesse’s point. The first is that if we focus
solely on load we will hit plateaus at a much faster pace. This is especially true in DVRT
where the weight of the actual implement cannot be changed without rather large jumps in
weight. It was not lost on old-time strength athletes that the body can only handle very
small jumps in weight. In fact, one of the biggest fears in moving from the classic globe
barbells and dumbbells to the current plate-loaded versions was that the jumps in weight
were too large. Great strongman and author Alan Calvert wrote about his dislike for the
first plate loaded weights:
“The principal defect of bells that load only with plates, is that they cannot be
increased in weight except in jumps of 5 lbs or more. In order to practice
weightlifting safely and successfully you must have a bell that can be increased
one ounce at a time if necessary—and this alone makes it unwise to use a bell
which loads only with iron plates.” (Alan Calvert) The Milo System of Heavy
Weightlifting (Philadelphia: Milo Barbell Company, n.d, 13).
The idea of such tiny loads being added may seem silly to us today, but it shows us why
these great strength athletes became great. They knew how far a little stress could go in
altering the body.
Another point in Jesse’s writing was the idea of a singular stress being applied to the
body. The reality is that the vast majority of training programs, whether deliberately or
not, apply multiple stresses to the body at once. Either applying too much stress or not
being aware of the amount of stress we are using can cause early plateauing or even overtraining of the body.
If load or weight is not the only variable for us to consider, then what other aspects of
training cause stress upon the body? Below I have listed the training variables that actually
make up the progressive overload that we THOUGHT we all knew. Once you see this
extensive list, you will quickly realize how often we only program a very small portion of
what is possible and necessary in physical training.
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PROGRESSIVE
O V E R L OA D VA R I A B L E S
• Weight
• Body Position
• Density
• Speed
• Range of Motion
• Plane of Motion
• Holding Position
• Volume
• Implement Stability
Seeing these nine variables of progressive overload can seem quite overwhelming and
cause most coaches to simply ignore them. The idea that “ignorance is bliss” is definitely
one reason so many training programs fail. If we do not appreciate what and how these
different training variables apply to our training then can truly create a great training
system.
In many of my DVRT educational programs, I joke with coaches that the great side of
DVRT is that there are a lot of options and the bad side is that there are a lot of options.
You have to want to become a better coach, whether you’re coaching yourself or training
others. My job at this point is to take you through the process of how you can simply organize these variables to create some of the best training programs you will experience.
Weight
While it may seem obvious that weight is an option, some may misconstrue this book
and think I am anti-weight. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I want to load and
progress all our movements. The key is I want you to see beyond weight ; it’s not the only
or even the most important variable. Realizing this will open a huge door to continually
successful training programs.
Because weight is generally the first variable that people focus upon, I believe it is worthwhile to address first. In our DVRT system, increasing an Ultimate Sandbag by 5 or 10
pound increments is unrealistic and, truthfully, unproductive. While microloading is definitely valuable for long and short-term gains, we can do so by using all of the progressive
overload variables together.
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Is this a shortcoming to the DVRT system? I don’t believe so. As far as I know, only one
training implement is loaded in the smallest of weights — the barbell. Kettlebells, dumbbells, and even bodyweight don’t progress in the same tiny increments that we would see in
the barbell. In fact, one of the primary reasons I was initially drawn to kettlebells was the
fact that kettlebell programs offered training beyond simply going up in weight.
You may say that dumbbells and kettlebells do go up by 5 or 10 pounds. Not quite.
Most times when you see these implements in the gym you simply see more of them. The
actual implement itself is rarely incrementally loaded like a barbell. Would this not give the
barbell a major advantage? No. In fact, this makes many coaches short-sighted in their
programming. I recall when kettlebell training regained popularity in the US. Initially the
primary weights were 16, 24, and 32 kg. The idea was that you had to learn how to more
intelligently manage the progressive overload variables learn how to make lighter weights
feel heavier and heavier weights feel lighter. I found myself becoming more creative in my
problem solving with my programs, and gained a better appreciation of how these variables can work together to make more productive workouts.
Learning how to combine all these variables at once takes time, especially if they are
somewhat new to you. That is why I am going to provide you with a host of programs for
different fitness levels that you can use as a template to help you upon your journey.
Speed
I trained quite some time before I began to appreciate the impact of speed in a program.
I recall being absolutely blown away in the late 1990’s with the innovative writing of a
strength coach name Charles Poliquin. Poliquin was a big advocate of altering tempo
within an exercise to create very specific outcomes. His recommendations made sense, but
actually applying his concepts made me even more of a believer.
In the gym, I couldn’t believe the impact of changing the speed of different portions of an
exercise. Weights that I thought were quite easy were all of a sudden incredibly challenging.
Weaknesses I never knew I had exposed. Most of all, I was breaking all sorts of strength
plateaus.
Unfortunately, the contemporary fitness scene has more and more coaches ignoring this
very valuable variable in favor of “sexier” very fast movements. I admit, it is quite amazing
to watch someone who has fantastic control of their body and weight to move seemingly
effortlessly with high weights in an athletic motion. However, this approach also creates
several issues.
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Faster speeds, especially downward, put significant force on the body. While this can
become a benefit over time, it can also cause injuries. Biomechanics and Soviet sports training expert Dr. Michael Yessis finds that high speeds produce more stress on the body than
heavier weights moved at slower speeds. “When the shift is ultimately made to explosiveness training, the forces created in these exercises reach as much as twenty times your body
weight. To withstand such forces, you must already have concentric, eccentric, and isometric strength.” (Yessis, 2008)
Does this mean you can never move fast and you shouldn’t? Not at all. In fact, I am
going to share with you when and why moving fast is most appropriate. However, as
renowned strength coach Chris Frankel says, “You have to EARN the progression.” Using
the DVRT system takes discipline, focus, and patience. This isn’t unusual in the development of any athletic ability.
Growing up, my sport was basketball. I lived and breathed it for almost 13 years of my
life, and had the wonderful privilege of playing at a relatively high level. Yet almost no
coach had a bigger impact upon me than my high school varsity coach. A devotee of the
Bobby Knight approach in many ways, he was emphasized the development of fundamentals and believed that you could beat raw talent with discipline. He was right, as we beat
quite a few teams over my high school career that were far more athletic than our own
team. One even had a future NBA player on their team, while ours had none.
I see my coach’s teachings coming out in some of the ways that I create training programs. I remember one of his rules of practice was that you could never be found shooting
three point or other trick shots right before practice. He gave us a very specific routine. If
we arrived early, we were to grab a basketball and sit about two feet from the basket. We
were to shoot at least 20 one- handed shots from only two feet away. Once we shot 20, we
were to move back about a foot and do the same. This practice would continue and would
feed into other fundamental drills.
I know some of my teammates were frustrated by this routine. They wanted to practice
the cool moves we saw NBA players doing during games. However, our coach was trying
to teach us what made the great players truly great. They wanted us to be disciplined
enough to work on our foundational skills so that we could not only be good, but great.
He often spoke about the fact we would run into an opponent that was faster, more athletic, taller, etc. At that point we had to rely on the skills that we had practiced, the fundamentals that we could perform better than anyone else. Training for fitness and performance is much the same.
You can run out there and do some of the “cool” movements that you see on television,
message boards, or YouTube, but you will never be truly rewarded with the results that you
are looking to achieve. Do not forget to EARN the progression.
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Is speed training, then, all about just making you have patience and discipline.
Absolutely NOT! I often ask coaches I teach, “When you are uncomfortable, do you move
faster or slower?” Inevitably everyone says faster! Moving fast has a time and a place. It is
a great skill to develop over time. However, there are some tremendous benefits to both
alternating your speeds and focusing specifically upon slower speeds.
The primary reason that many people choose to move fast in their training is that they
believe they are creating more of a metabolic or conditioning type of training effect. The
reality is quite different. A 2012 study by Christopher Scott, in the Journal of Applied
Physiology, looked at three different types of tempos used during exercise. Fast, moderate,
and slow tempos were used to see which caused the greatest change in post-exercise oxygen
consumption (EPO) and calories burned. Surprising probably many, the group that had the
biggest changes in these energy expenditure measures was the slow tempo group!
Why would slower tempos be more effective for burning calories and having a positive
change in EPOC? There are probably two primary reasons. Slowing down tempos
increases the time under tension (TUT). Coaches like Charles Poliquin believe that TUT is
a vital training variable for increasing strength, building functional muscle, and decreasing
body fat. While weight and other more popular variables of training are important,
Poliquin theorizes that the actual “tension” on the muscle produced by weight and training
causes the changes that we all aim for in our workouts.
The second reason that slower tempos might be related to such positive changes is the
fact that people are able to actually integrate the right muscles to a movement. Learning to
lift heavy or fast weights is a definite skill. The nervous system – and not just the muscles –
plays a key role in training. Since most people have certain dominant muscles and muscle
actions, they can easily skip over the most important muscles without the correct training
patterns! A highly skilled lifter has built the ability to turn on the right muscles at the right
time, enabling him or her to perform incredible feats of strength without having a large
body weight.
We can learn to build this type of control and strength, but we have to learn how to
move slowly before we can move fast. Using slower tempos will help us learn how to coordinate the right muscles at the right time within an exercise. Slower tempos will help us
learn proper position and alignment during our movements. Utilizing slower tempos will
help us build a solid base to tolerate heavier weights and higher forces. Adjusting the
tempo also helps us build functional muscle to help prevent injury during more challenging
programs.
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Is Slow Only for Beginners?
It’s easy to think the above recommendations only apply to new trainees, but alternating
speeds can help athletes at all experience levels. Alternating speeds is important depending
up the goal. Using specific pauses, for example, allows us to challenge areas of the body
that we may find weak. For example, using a pause at the bottom of our squatting
sequences will eliminate momentum. Coming up from a squat with our programmed pause
will give us important feedback about whether we are truly able to use our hamstrings and
glutes. Initiating the drive out of the squat with a forward lean of the trunk gives us feedback that we may have a weakness in this area of our body.
Using pauses at specific joint angles allows us to introduce some of the great benefits of
isometric training. One of the primary weaknesses of isometric training is the fact that we
only have a carryover of this type of strength for 15 degrees above and below the joint
angle we are training. In other words, we don’t necessarily get strength throughout a joints
full range of motion during isometric training. Realizing this issue with isometrics, Dr.
Yessis suggests the Soviet idea of “dynamic isometrics”. During the downward phase of a
push-up, for example, we can stop at different points in the movement and hold the position – something along the lines of one-third of the way, halfway, and two-thirds of the
way down. Then we try to create a great amount of force to accelerate our body back to
the beginning. Such training is incredibly intense and should not be used all the time. Using
varying forms of isometrics and pauses is a great example of how alteration of speed can
have very positive effects for any fitness level.
Speeding It Up
When can you go fast? The reality is you are going to introduce speed very early in your
training. One of the best and most subtle benefits to the DVRT system is that you have to
lift the weight from the ground every single time. It can be easily argued that one of the
worst inventions ever was the squat rack! Lifting weight from the ground requires us to
accelerate the USB into any one of our holding positions. Therefore, from a functional perspective, learning how to create force quickly is necessary. We don’t lift every day objects
slowly either. However, the trick will be in how this is introduced and how much we
emphasize faster forms of training.
One of the easiest and most beneficial times for introducing faster speeds is during the
lifting of a weight. Focusing on trying to accelerate even heavier weights faster has been to
shown to stimulate more of our fast-twitch muscle fibers. University of Oregon State professor of exercise and sports science, Patrick O’Shea, states “at 100 percent maximum
effort, however, the percentage of slow-twitch fibers involved is only 5%, while fast-twitch
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fatigue resistant is 15 percent, and fast-twitch fatigable is 80 percent.” This can stimulate
the muscle fibers that have a high potential for strength, power, and hypertrophy by going
slower with heavy weights.
Trying to stimulate these muscle fibers is very important for overall health as well. As we
age, our fast-twitch muscle fibers are among the first things to go. Possessing great strength
and the ability to demonstrate power may even reduce our risk of common sources of
injuries, such as falls, as we age. Coaches and fitness professionals often make the mistake
of focusing on the cardiorespiratory development of older people rather than progressive
training of power and strength. Big mistake!
Hopefully we now have a greater level of appreciation for the role of speed within an
exercise. To making managing these various tempos and other training variables easier, we
aren’t going to prescribe specific counts. Instead, I will provide you guidelines depending
upon the movement and goal. Of course, there are certain exercises for which no speed
alteration is necessary. Those more closely related to the classic Olympic lifts cannot be
safely or effectively performed at altered speeds.
Holding Position
One of the most unique aspects of the DVRT system is the emphasis on various holding
positions of the USB. Most training programs pay little attention to this very important
training variable. Overall fitness and performance training programs almost never specifically address the holding position of the weight. Too appreciate the role of holding position, let’s look at a famous sport that develops great strength with this very concept.
In gymnastics we see athletes perform amazing feats of strength, all without any external
load. Most gymnasts build their strength and body control without ever adding any external resistance to their training programs. How could this occur and how does this help us
better illustrate the role of holding position?
Gymnasts use a very simple technique time and time again. They alter the body position to
give an exercise the feel of increased load. Leverage is key and is relevant to external load
strength training as well, but outside of gymnastics, gymnastics, athletes rarely apply the concept. The placement of the USB can completely change the outcome and feel of an exercise.
As we go through the foundational DVRT exercises, you will find that load can increase or
decrease stability. The same weight can be used in a different holding position to stress different segments of the body or even planes of motion. Therefore, by simply changing how you
hold the weight in relationship to your body, you can make an exercise more or less difficult.
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A big reason that holding position has never been a big part of programming is that our
classic tools haven’t offered enough variation to make it a primary focus. For example, a
barbell typically can be held in five different positions (hips, front rack, zercher, upper back,
overhead). Dumbbells and kettlebells typically have about 5 holding positions (outside hip,
inside hip, front rack, goblet, overhead). The Ultimate Sandbag, however, offers us at least
ELEVEN different holding positions to more effectively stress this training variable.
This isn’t just about creating variety or theoretical hype. A study by Gullett et al.,
directly compared front and back squatting. The researchers concluded, “The front squat
was as effective as the back squat in terms of overall muscle recruitment, with significantly
less compressive forces and extensor moments.” The study was performed with lighter
loads used during the front squat. The moral of the story here is that we can stress the right
muscles and take pressure off sensitive structures of our body if we realize the potential of
holding position.
In the later chapters describing our DVRT exercises, you will see how holding position is
easy manipulated to make incremental changes in weight. In most cases, in lower bodydominant DVRT exercises we will change how we hold the weight before we change how
we stand with the weight. This rule takes us into our next concept — body position.
Body Position
Most coaches and fitness professionals are very careful about the load increases they recommend to their clients. It would be unusual to find people increasing weight by more than
five or ten pounds at a time. If I suggested that we should move people up by increments of
fifty pounds, many of you would think I had lost my mind. Yet, trying to progress people
with very unstable forms of body position poses the same issues that adding large amounts
of weight would provide, therefore demonstrating how some important training variables
are neglected during the development of our fitness programs.
We see it every day at gyms and training facilities around the world. We squat, deadlift,
or maybe even clean. Then, if we are believers in functional training, we add in exercises
such as lunges, step-ups, even pistols. However, moving from a squat to a lunge or a deadlift, and then to a single leg deadlift is anything BUT progressive. These are quantum leaps
in body position for people. Yet because we never see body position in this manner, we
drastically increase the level of intensity of a workout or exercise and never understand
why the program begins to fail.
As in my example with gymnasts, body position can be very progressive. We should try
to make the most minimal jumps in our lifting postures and positions. Slightly adjusting
25
how we stand when we perform an exercise begins to tax our body in new ways. Breaking
our most stable positions, we force different chains and systems in the body to work harder
to maintain correct alignment. You will find that even modest changes in body position can
quickly lead to signs of significant weaknesses in different areas.
For example, when we move from a stable overhead pressing position to our staggered
stance, the body wants to shift as we press. All of a sudden we feel our stance leg trying to
create more stability by driving into the ground. The hip begins to contract harder to avoid
any compensation, and our core braces to help build that stable foundation.
The concept of body position probably makes sense to you, as most of us have experienced some variety of the above example. But how much of a difference does it really
make? A 2012 study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research by Saeterbakken,
et al, actually compared the differences between pressing overhead from a standing or
seated position as well as the use of dumbbells compared to barbells. This study found that
the upper body was engaged differently depending upon whether a lifter was standing or
sitting. The standing position used more muscles, as did the use of dumbbells over barbells.
What does this tell us? As the researchers in the study state, “In conclusion, the exercise
with the greatest stability requirement (standing and dumbbells) demonstrated the highest
neuromuscular activity of the deltoid muscles, although this was the exercise with the lowest 1-RM strength.” Such studies validate what we see all the time in the gym — that the
use of unstable implements and progressively challenging body positions allows us to stimulate more of the body, even at lower loads!
The great part of DVRT is that I have systematically laid out both lower and upper body
drills using the concepts discussed in this book. As you get more proficient with the proper
use of body position, you will find that you will discover new ways to add small layers of
progressions to your training programs.
Range of Motion
Determining appropriate range of motion – which is by no means exclusive to the DVRT
system – is vitally important for both safety and obtaining the desired training effect.
Exercises frequently must be modified to meet individual needs. Training from a compromised position is a very advanced training technique that is only appropriate when the
lifter has spent extensive time preparing and needs to compromise his or her position to
meet training goals.
When we start changing body position and planes of motion, we often see a very large
alteration in levels of stability. Range of motion can be subtly changed to introduce more
advanced movement and training concepts and to add more layers of progression.
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A great example is during our lateral lunge deadlifts. The lateral lunge deadlift is a powerful DVRT exercise that teaches us how to perform a foundational movement pattern in a
different plane of motion. However, changing from the more stable Saggital plane to the
less stable Frontal plane requires a very large leap in both coordination and stability. To
manage the new stress we are applying to the body, we can do something as simple as taking a small lateral step. While this may seem obvious, I have often seen trainees try to perform the “ideal” motion. The result is that they create too much instability to properly perform or benefit from the exercise.
Altering range of motion makes adding progressions and variety to our training relatively easy, but keeping training purposeful. Range of motion can make an exercise feel
easier or harder. We can use this strategy to increase perceived load of an exercise and
weight.. A great example is one of our favorite foundational DVRT exercises, the Bear Hug
Squat.
Because of the loading position of the Bear Hug Squat, we often see lifters achieve much
deeper squat positions than they are typically accustomed to. When people go deeper into
the squat position, they are extending the range of motion and increasing the level of difficulty of the Bear Hug Squat. This is another way we can make the same weight feel heavier,
by progressing people to greater ranges of motion.
A very different example is using range of motion to achieve specific goals. In the world
of Olympic lifting, athletes lift from different levels to train very targeted angles and qualities. For example, non-weightlifters will use higher lifting positions in the Clean and Snatch
to improve what is known as rate of force development. This is simply the speed at which
an athlete can create force. Since most sports have forces occurring at almost milliseconds,
just being able to create a lot of force is not enough to be a great athlete. One has to be able
to generate force as quickly as possible.
In DVRT we can create a similar focus by changing the dimension of the Ultimate
Sandbag. As Ultimate Sandbags get heavier, their dimensions change. As the Ultimate
Sandbag becomes larger, the range of motion decreases in exercises like Cleans and
Snatches. This means that we don’t necessarily to go heavier to make a DVRT exercise
more challenging or to focus on developing specific qualities. Simply changing the dimension of Ultimate Sandbag can offer us a similar opportunity with some additional unique
benefits.
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Stability of Implement
One of the goals in developing the Ultimate Sandbag was to create a tool with immense
versatility. This also meant facing the challenges odd objects pose. The greatest challenge
may have been about the level of stability of the implement itself. Because all of the traditional strength training tools are static in nature, people often misuse unstable objects. The
new training apparatus is so exciting to many lifters that they don’t program or introduce
this concept appropriately. Excitement quickly fades and is replaced by frustration and
eventually abandonment of the idea of unstable implements.
People can become very excited about the concept of unstable objects and quickly find
themselves trying to employ objects such as kegs, slosh pipes, etc. These types of training
tools are ALWAYS unstable, and because of the drastic changes in stability, it’s only possible to do a very limited number of exercises. This challenge in programming also makes it
virtually impossible to create appropriate progressions to introduce and succeed with these
implements.
While most think sand is always unstable, we can actually achieve a wide variety in levels
of stability. Sand, is not as unstable as other mediums such as water. In fact sand is a far
superior means in providing a better intermediate point in progressive instability. As I discussed in the previous section, changing the dimension of the Ultimate Sandbag used is the
primary method for altering its stability.
That means that in our DVRT system, we can alter the stability of the Ultimate Sandbag
not just by adding weight, changing body position, or altering range of range of motion
and speed, but also by changing its dimension. Using the SAME weight in a different size,
the Ultimate Sandbag will alter the feel and movement of the weight. Therefore, we need to
know how to control this variable and decide what we want to emphasize with the
Ultimate Sandbag – load, stability, or a combination of both! Standardization means we
can have more control in our program.
We can periodize and plan stability in the same way we periodize and plan load and volume. When we see ourselves progressing to more unstable body positions such as lunging,
we can add stability to the implement. Combining the stability of the implement with the
right holding position makes complex movement patterns accessible to more lifters.
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THE DVRT
MOVEMENTS
ow that we have some of the principles of the DVRT system laid out, we can
discuss the progressions of the DVRT exercises. Understanding the principles of DVRT will provide a much deeper meaning for all of these valuable
drills. Throughout the descriptions, I will refer to these principles so that
you may see how they play out in real examples.
You will find that we are going to refer to exercises in the category of “movement patterns” and not necessarily exercises. One of the most important differences in the DVRT
system is the focus upon the different movements we can perform instead of getting married to any one specific exercise. Of course, there is a preferred method for progressing
people through these different movement patterns, but these are guidelines, not stone
tablets. Understanding the rules is important, but as Oliver Wendell Holmes points out,
“The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.” Begin by trying
to follow the progressions I lay out for you, but over time build the confidence to break the
rules when appropriate.
Remember, you don’t have to perform any one exercise, you have to find the “RIGHT”
exercise for your goals.
Foundational Hip Hinging
It may seem a bit unusual to begin the exercise portion of this book with a discussion of
hip hinging. The reason for this is practicality more than deep science. You see, one of the
worst inventions of the modern fitness era had to be the squat rack. In old time strongman
days, lifters had to bring the weight from the ground into various positions in order to
squat. We saw everything from the unique Steinborn lifts, to Ed Zercher’s squats, to more
accessible lifts like the modern Power Clean. Each had the similar intent of just getting the
weight into position to squat or perform a host of other exercises.
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Lifting heavy weight from the ground became one of the main qualities of a true strongman. The measure of a true strongman was often gauged by how much weight they could
lift overhead, how much they could carry, and how much they could lift off the ground! Of
course, the invention of the squat rack gave many future lifters the ability to slowly move
away from this highly valuable training concept. In fact, we now have squat racks that you
don’t even need to walk out of to get into your squatting stance. What a shame!
Learning how to perform what we call the “hip hinge pattern” is vital to properly lifting
weight off of the ground. After I herniated several discs in my low back, doctors were
adamant about not “bending over” to lift anything off of the ground. Instead, they encouraged me to squat to pick up items . While they were not wrong in telling me not to “bend
over,” the advice to squat was poor advice.
Hip hinging refers to our ability to load the hamstrings and glutes to produce what is
known as hip flexion and extension. While bending over at the back makes the low back
the main contributor to lifting, hip hinging in this manner allows these powerful muscles to
take the majority of the load and spare the low back. The reason that the back sides of
many athletes are large is because the hamstrings and glutes are your power center. Not
using them is not only inefficient, but places the low back at great risk.
Why is squatting not the better answer? It’s simple: someone who can’t hip hinge usually
has an even worse squat. While the squat does have elements of hip flexion and hip extension, the hip hinge relies less on the quadriceps and places greater demand upon those powerful hamstring and glute muscles. It is also often easier to get people into a proper hip hinge
than it is a great squat because the hip hinge requires overall less range of motion in the hip.
When I refer to hip hinging, many people may instantly believe I am referring to the deadlift and can’t understand why I don’t just talk about the deadlift already! The truth is that
the deadlift is one of many hip hinge movement patterns. As I often remind coaches at our
educational programs, a deadlift is a hip hinge, but a hip hinge doesn’t HAVE to be a deadlift. Remember, we have to perform the right exercises for our fitness goals and abilities.
Now, to become a total hypocrite, I am going to talk about the deadlift first. What?!
Before you shut this book in anger and disgust, let me explain the differences and why we
will touch on the deadlift, but not stay there.
The deadlift is a great foundational hip hinge drill because it provides us both the elements of a stable body position and load position. Having the Ultimate Sandbag in the
deadlift position allows us to handle more weight and to have the weight serve as a means
of determining correct alignment and posture. In a moment we will cover how to perform
this exercise correctly, but I must make a quick detour to explain why the deadlift is not a
long term exercise in our DVRT system.
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Take a stance
just about hip
width apart.
There should be very little
space between the forearms
and lower body, you
shouldn’t find one running
into the other.
31
If we were to only focus on load in the DVRT system, we would see that the deadlift
quickly becomes a lift of diminishing return. As the weight of the USB increases, so does its
dimension. This results in the USB becoming larger and actually decreasing the range of
motion in the deadlift. Focusing only on the weight and the deadlift would allow us to reasonably assume we have used the USB to the full extent in the hip hinge exercise progressions. The reality is much different.
Using the deadlift in the DVRT
system is simply a means of establishing correct hip hinge patterning
so that we can continue to stress our
body in its ability to perform a hip
hinge under many conditions and
stressors. The deadlift at this point in
our training is going to allow us to
identify improper movement patterns so we can establish correct
training habits early in training.
You will find the USB acts as a
great tool in seeing these compensation patterns in the hip hinge and
particularly the deadlift. There are
two common compensation patterns
we will see in the deadlift. The most
obvious is when the lifter performs
more of a squatting pattern rather
than a hip hinge. How can we see
this with the USB? If the USB or your
forearms run into your knees when
performing the deadlift, this is a
clear sign that you are squatting and
not hip hinging. While there should
be very little space between the forearms and lower body, you shouldn’t
find one running into the other. The
other simple way of determining
compensation in a squatter is right at
the beginning of the lift!
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During the set-up of the deadlift we take what we call a neutral grip position on the USB.
This is different from the grip position used with a barbell . When the lifter gets set to lift,
if the knees are going in between the handles this means he is immediately set to squat and
not to hip hinge. Many lifters will try to compensate for tight hamstrings and go wide with
their stance. Don’t fall for this trick. Take a stance just about hip width apart!
The other most common compensation happens at the upper back. It is safe to say that
our legs are stronger than our upper back and we should see the smaller muscles in our
upper body fatigue before the muscles of our lower body. Yet there is a major problem with
allowing this to occur in real life. Try this little experiment for a moment. Round your
shoulders like you are slouching. Once your shoulders are
rounded try to round your
low back, pretty easy isn’t it?
Now, let’s try the opposite.
Try to hold your shoulders
down and back like you were
trying to get into your best
posture. Now hold this position and try to round your
low back. Almost impossible!
This simple demonstration
illustrates to anyone the
importance of the upper back
dictating what happens at the
low back. Many lifters lose
their position in their upper
back and yet continue to perform heavy exercises like
deadlifts. Now their low back
goes from becoming a stabilizer to a prime mover, which
it does NOT like!
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Before you start writing
to me that this is a technique elite powerlifters or
strongmen use, I want
you to ask yourself a very
important question. Are
you an elite powerlifter or
strongman? If the answer
is no, then I will ask you
to trust me in the technique I am about to show
you.
I alluded earlier to the
fact that we grab onto the
This is
neutral grip handles on
squatting,
the USB when we deadlift
not hinging.
or perform most of our
hip hinge exercises. Why
do so when we don’t do
this on the barbell? The
neutral grip hand position
allows us to open the
shoulder joint and makes
it easier to set our shoulders “down and back”.
When you get into this
position in your upper
body, you should see that
the lat (or underarm area)
and space between the
shoulder blades become
tense. These muscles are going to help “lock us” into the correct alignment so that we
decrease the likelihood that we are lifting with our low backs.
If this is a preferred gripping method how come we don’t do the same on the barbell?
Well, hopefully it is obvious that we don’t do the same because it is not possible! That doesn’t mean that powerlifters and weightlifters don’t try to use the same concept. Coaches of
these athletes often use the idea of “trying to break the bar” before they even lift the weight
off the ground. This coaching style is used to try to simulate the same concept. However,
the barbell has more of a closed shoulder joint position, which makes it more challenging
to get into the same good lifting posture.
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My point is that this is both a safer and easier position to attain when lifting, so why not
use it? Plus, if we tried to use the concept of “breaking the bar” on the snatch grip handles,
it wouldn’t work! The handles would move and change the dynamics not just of the lift,
but the movement of the USB itself. So, don’t try to use the USB like a barbell. Realize the
nuances that make it both highly effective and versatile.
Many of the actual concepts of the deadlift stay true once the correct lifting posture is
established. We want to focus on pushing through the heels and keeping the movement of
the hips in line with the actual movement of the USB. If the hips rise up too fast and are
above our shoulder position, we are going to again end up lifting with our low back. We
want to get as “tall” as possible when we are pulling the USB off of the ground while holding the shoulders in that “down and back” position the entire time.
The way down from the deadlift pull is where again we see the difference between the
DVRT system and other methods. It is not uncommon to see great lifters simply drop the
weight from the top of the deadlift or to quickly follow the weight down. In both cases the
thought process is to avoid “wasting” unnecessary energy while lowering the weight and
to avoid injury. Since most injuries occur during the lowering or deceleration phase of a lift,
many lifters simply decide to avoid it completely.
In DVRT we think a bit differently! By adding layers to our training, we’ll have many
opportunities to safely and effectively train the deceleration phase. Since we have already
established the fact that the weight on a USB deadlift is not going to be the same as the
weight associated with elite barbell lifts, we can safely employ a deceleration phase.
This is where we are going to see tempo play an integral role in the performance of the
deadlift. Instead of just dropping the USB or quickly dropping with the weight, we are
going to do the opposite! I often start people with the deadlift by taking a 5-second count
in the lowering phase. Right off the bat, we will see people that struggle to hold their shoulders in the correct position. The isometric strength — which many people lack in the upper
back — can be problematic when we start trying to perform very dynamic lifts or holds
that require such strength.
The slow lowering phase also allows us to find compensation patterns in the hip hinge.
Can people connect the hip hinge pattern with holding tension in the lower body? Believe
it or not, this can be counterintuitive to many people, creating tension at one segment and
movement at another. However, this is very important in establishing a base for more athletic types of training.
35
Because of the tempo associated with this form of training, we have to make sure the repetitions are appropriate. Even though the actual weight may not be heavy, using high tempos
can accelerate fatigue. Repetitions of 5-6 are definitely on the high side of such training.
It may appear that the deadlift
is really only a basic teaching
exercise. Isn’t it something we
would outgrow in a matter of
just weeks? I realize most lifters
exposed to the deadlift continue
to use it as a core lift even
though the only means for progressing the exercise is to add
more weight. While that may
not seem like a bad idea, usually
this is at the expense of improving other qualities they need to
improve at the same time. What
other qualities? They might need
to work on stability, improve
muscle weaknesses, and much
more!
36
The slow lowering phase
also allows us to find
compensation patterns in
the hip hinge.
37
What are we to do if weight with the USB decreases range of motion and going heavier
doesn’t yield our ideal goals? We can start to use other DVRT principles to add layers to the
deadlift. Typically, in lower body-based drills, we will change the holding position before we
change the body position. However, the deadlift is the exact OPPOSITE! To continue to
stress the deadlift and set a great foundation to our hip hinging patterns, we will actually
alter our body position.
The key will be doing this as progressively as we would add weight or repetitions to an
exercise. This is where we first introduce our “Staggered Stance” to DVRT exercises. As
much as I would love to take credit for the Staggered Stance, we have seen this pattern in
many different sports arenas over the centuries.
Most athletes
actually use a
staggered stance
when they are in
their sport.
38
Most athletes actually use a staggered stance when they are in their sport. The staggered
stance may improve leverage, make it easier to change position and direction more quickly,
or improve the ability to react to an opponent. In the Olympic press, the staggered stance
was used for leverage. Before barbells expanded to the now-standard 7-foot length, strongmen used a staggered stance
to stress the legs without
adding more weight to their
bodies.
We are going to use it for
ALL of the above reasons,
plus a few more! Before we
delve too deeply into the
staggered stance, let me be
clear in defining the position.
Staggered stance is simply
taking our standard lifting
position and sliding one foot
back so that the toes of the
back foot line up with the
heel of the front leg. The key
is to not allow the back foot’s
heel to touch the ground.
This small detail changes the
entire dynamics of all exercises performed in staggered
stance as well as the stability
of the movement.
The staggered stance may
improve leverage, make it
easier to change position
and direction more quickly.
39
...this changes the
entire dynamics of all
exercises performed in
staggered stance as
well as the stability of
the movement.
The key is to
not allow the
back foot’s
heel to touch
the ground...
The subtle difference in stance will change how we move, how stable we feel, and how
heavy a weight seems. It also makes our compensation patterns more obvious. All of the
principles of the deadlift will hold true, but we will all of a sudden notice some significant
changes.
Whenever we feel unstable, our body will work toward creating stability. In the case of the
staggered stance deadlift, this first occurs when we move back toward a squatting position
instead of a hip hinge. Such a compensation often occurs as the body tries to leverage itself
in what it perceives to be a weak position, or tries to overcome more isolated flexibility
issues in the hamstring — issues that are often masked in the bilateral position.
40
What are the key compensations we are
going to continue to watch for?
• Lateral sway (usually to stance leg side)
• Loss in shoulder position and tension
• Rounding in low back
• Rotating the hips
Don’t sway
laterally.
Don’t round
the back.
41
Staggered stance is not a true single leg exercise. The rear leg is active and provides
around 30% of the total effort. You want to “dig” into the ground of the rear leg to create
some stability and help counteract some of the rotational and lateral forces acting upon the
body. You will be amazed how what was a relatively easy weight to lift with great form all
of a sudden becomes more challenging by working in this staggered stance position.
The theme of decreasing stability will continue as we move to the rear step deadlift. Since
it is not realistic or practical to keep moving a few inches back at a time in our deadlift, we
will eventually take a more drastic route with our body position by using the rear-step deadlift. Unlike its more advanced cousin, the single leg deadlift, the rear-step deadlift has a small
segment of true single leg stance as we step back, but then uses the back leg to create some
stability.
The rear leg is
active and provides
around 30% of the
total effort.
42
As with the staggered stance, we
look for similar compensations
when we move to the rear step
deadlift. The benefit of the rear step
deadlift is we can use the DVRT
variable of progressive range of
motion to vary the level of instability the lifter encounters. We can
introduce the movement with a relatively short stepping action and
over time increase the length of the
stride. Obviously, as we continue to
lengthen the step, the lifter’s position becomes less stable and he or
she spends more time in the single
leg stance.
The Rear Step
Deadlift.
The rear-step deadlift offers
many of the same challenges as
the staggered stance, but
because of the increased intensity of this unstable position,
we have to watch for some
additional compensations.
• The lead foot pointing
inward
• The knee of the front leg
pointing inward
• The back leg stepping
outward rather than in line
with the hip
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I have to forewarn you at this point. It is easier to take the route of just staying with what
is comfortable and easy. I ask you to think of the words of Jean Vanier, “Growth begins
when we begin to accept our own weakness.” Accept that there are things we need to
improve upon, and even embrace them! Focusing only on your strengths will allow for
results for a little while. But results eventually stall because we aren’t addressing our weaknesses and may even end up with injuries. True growth in our fitness goals will come when
we spend time on and even prioritize the drills we don’t feel as strong or confident in performing.
It’s easy to argue that these deadlift progressions are more functional than just banging
out deadlift after deadlift. Whether it is picking up your child from the ground or competing in a sport, movement while lifting real world objects is rarely perfect. The gym is really
the only place we see very sterile movements. Usually there are a multitude of actions happening at once, as we apply forces and forces are applied to our bodies. As you can see,
these types of progressions reinforce that “real world” type of training and strength!
DVRT Deadlift Checklist
• USB begins against the shins.
• Hold onto the neutral grip handles.
• As you descend to the lifting position, if the knees run into your elbows you are squatting and not hip hinging.
• Pull the shoulders down and back.
• The crease of your elbows should pointing almost straight ahead.
• Drive through the heels and stand as tall as possible. Begin lowering the USB by sliding
it down the thighs while keeping the arms locked and maintaining tension between the
shoulder blades.
• Take a 4-6 second lowering phase.
• As you move to different body positions, look for changes in posture and lateral movements.
44
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
The goal of DVRT, which I will reiterate time and again, is to provide challenges to our
movement skills that are as incremental as possible. It is easy to get caught up in novel exercises while forgetting the process of moving and feeling better and stronger! But to make
these concepts as incremental as possible, we need to understand why and how we expose
people to different stresses through these DVRT progressions.
We just covered three foundational DVRT hip hinging exercises, all focusing on progressively increasing levels of instability. Many at this point would expect us to move into the
popular single leg deadlift. However, going to true single leg is a quantum leap for many
people, especially if they want to perform this exercise well!
Do we want to get to the point where we can perform true single leg exercises?
Absolutely! However, we have room to layer better exercises to get people to the point
where they can demonstrate true control in these more advanced movement based drills.
In describing the hip hinge foundations, I touched on the concept of the upper back and
its importance in proper hip hinging. The upper back is part of the equation in maintaining
proper alignment and posture. However, the trunk muscles also play a critical role in making sure we don’t compensate during the hip hinge.
Lack of strength through the trunk muscles will cause our midsection to flex and begin
to inappropriately load the low back over the hips. The hip hinge position is similar to the
front plank, during which we try to hold our body stationary for a specific period of time.
The goal is to avoid any collapse in our body’s alignment. The hip hinge pattern is very
similar, except the stress upon the trunk is changing as the joint angle is altered.
Gravity still plays a role in the lifter’s ability to hold this stable trunk position, but now
load adds in additional stress. Therefore, we can see the hip hinge pattern not only as what
happens at the hip or the upper back, but also as a core stability exercise. Typically, heavier
loads will continue to challenge the upper back and core stability, but there is a point of
diminishing returns as you go heavier with USBs. Time to shift focus away from the USB
right? Not quite!
We used body position, range of motion, and tempo in the first three DVRT drills for the
hip hinge.. Now we can alter load position to change the dynamics of the exercise once
more. Because we are changing one variable, we need to regress one of the more intense
variables, body position. Therefore, we will begin to use load position in our more stable
bilateral base position.
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This new holding position becomes known as our Front Loaded Good Morning. The
good morning exercise is not a new drill. Weightlifters have used it for years to help
improve specific portions of the clean. However, because of the weight placement on the
upper back, many lifters notice that the exercise takes a toll on their low backs. By simply
changing the holding position to the front, we change all of the negatives of the good
morning – minimizing low back stress and reducing the shoulder mobility required to benefit from the drill.
The Front Loaded position begins by
looking very similar to a standing plank.
When the USB is held in this position, the
trunk muscles must fight the tendency to
flex forward. Many people mistakenly
assume the Front Load position is the same
as the Front Squat holding position. While
at a quick glance they could look similar,
the reality is they are significantly different!
In the barbell front squat, the barbell sits
in the crevice of the shoulders. The entire
frame of the body absorbs the weight, not
the shoulders or arms. Weightlifters can
often front squat with their arms extended
out in front of their bodies due to this specific positioning. Therefore, more weight
can be applied to the body in the front
squat position. Front Hold is closer to the
classic Zercher position.
The Front Loaded position
begins by looking very
similar to a standing plank.
When the USB is held in this
position, the trunk muscles must
fight the tendency to flex forward.
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The Zercher position comes from the 1930’s strongman Ed Zercher. He’s known for
many feats of strength that would incredible by today’s standards, most notably his very
unusual lift stance. Ed Zercher would squat so low that he would scoop his arms underneath a barbell laying on the ground. From here, he would set his body and actually squat
with the barbell in the crooks of his elbows. He didn’t perform this exercise with casual
weights. Instead, Ed Zercher was known
for performing this exercise with weights
exceeding 500 pounds!
If you look at pictures of Ed Zercher
performing his namesake exercise, you
might be a bit horrified by the positions he
would achieve in performing this exercise.
Zercher was an unusual weightlifter as he
performed many unique lifts and obviously built a very specific tolerance to such
training drills. However, understanding
why he performed this lift may be a bit
more enlightening. In the 1930’s, squat
racks or stands were still not commonplace; therefore, lifting such loads required
a bit of ingenuity and yes, risk.
Because squat racks and stands would
eventually become standard in weight
rooms, this could explain why the Zercher
squat eventually became rather obsolete.
Some hardcore lifters would still continue
to practice the Zercher squat, but it dramatically decreased in popularity. So, why
bring it back to the DVRT system and is it
truly a Zercher position?
The holding position of the USB versus
the barbell encourages a more upright
posture during the squat, making the
arms more active in the lift.
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There are a few different reasons I prefer to
call this the Front Hold position rather than
Zercher – none of which are intended to dishonor to this great strongman! The most profound and least obvious to many people is the
difference in weight distribution and dimension. In the classic Zercher barbell squat, the
weight sat at a position very close to the
umbilical of the body. Because the dimension
of the barbell is quite small compared to the
USB, the weight is very concentrated in this
region of the body. Placing the weight in this
position causes several changes in movement.
The first is that the barbell is very close to the
center of the body’s mass, allowing more
weight to be handled compared to the USB.
This position additionally creates more stress
in the upper back, and the inability of the
upper back to maintain its position – rather
than the strength of the trunk muscles –
becomes the limiting factor in the exercise.
The USB, due to its dimension, will sit
higher upon the body, placing more stress on
the anti-flexor muscles of the trunk.
Therefore, the upper back doesn’t fatigue as
quickly, allowing more stress upon the legs
and trunk muscles. This small difference in
holding position of the USB versus the barbell
also encourages a more upright posture during the squat, making the arms more active in
the lift. Again, because the barbell has such a
small dimension compared to the USB, the
upper arm has nothing to work against and
creates more stability through the body by
integrating the upper back to a higher degree.
I don’t know if Ed Zercher really ever
thought of his lift as an “anti-flexion” trunk
exercise. Maybe, maybe not. In order to convey the role of the trunk in these exercises I like
to make a direct comparison to the front plank. Changing the intent of a drill helps bring
to light some that the drill is about more than just squatting!
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Now that we understand the whys, we may have a whole new respect for the Front
Loaded Good Morning. Will this still stress the hamstrings and glutes? Absolutely!
However, the most profound impact you will feel is in the upper back and trunk. Our ideal
position is to achieve a horizontal trunk position with no rounding of the low back. We
still want to see the weight shift back upon the heels and the hinging at the hips. Lack of
strength in the upper back and trunk will be shown by early flexing of the torso as you
begin to hinge into the exercise.
Because of the placement of the USB in the Front Hold position, we must provide a means
for the body to create stability against what will feel like a heavier load. As we hinge during
the Front Loaded Good Morning, the weight will begin to feel significantly heavier.
Therefore, the action of the upper body is very important. We want to use the dimension of
the USB to our advantage and actively pull the weight into our body causing the shoulders
to stay “down and back” easier and for a longer period. During the Front Loaded Good
Morning, we see how changing body angles can have a profound impact on the perceived
weight we are lifting.
Use the dimension of the
USB to actively pull the
weight into the body causing
the shoulders to stay
“down and back” easier and
for a longer period.
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One of the most common mistakes during any of the Front Loaded exercises,
especially the Front Loaded Good
Morning, is that lifters will allow their
elbows to slowly extend. If the angle of the
elbow starts to increase, the lift won’t last
much longer as the exercise will turn from
a whole body movement into a biceps
exercise. Sorry, those biceps will be no
match for the weight in this position and
often lead to poor postural alignment. If
your biceps start doing all the work, it’s a
good sign you need to take a break and
come back to the exercise after you’ve
recovered.
If the angle of the
elbow starts to
increase, the lift
won’t last much
longer as the
exercise will turn
from a whole body
movement into a
biceps exercise.
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Once we establish proficiency in the Front Hold Good Morning in our base stance, it is
very easy to begin to use the same progressions in body position we utilized in the deadlift.
One of the great benefits of using DVRT is that once you become comfortable with the
progressions you quickly see where the next movement lies and how easy it is to create
what feels like limitless progressions for your training the training of others.
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DVRT Front Hold Good Morning Checklist
• Pull the USB into the body by actively pressing into the USB with the forearms.
Pull the shoulders down and back by pulling into the body.
• Have a slight bend in the knees.
• Begin to push the hips back while keeping the USB pulled into the body. The chest
should remain tall.
• As you become closer to horizontal to the ground, the need to increase the pull to the
USB and keep the chest tall increases.
• Only go to parallel to the ground or the point prior to the low back beginning to
round.
• Drive upwards through the heels to a tall standing posture.
Busted!
While I may have just done a dissertation on the value of the Front Hold position, there’s
a very obvious question here. How did you get the weight in this position?! Since we are
not going to borrow the very creative and risky idea of Ed Zercher, we need to use a different approach. That means we need to teach how to accelerate off the ground with the USB.
Before we delve too deeply into accelerative lifts with the USB, it’s important to note the
difference between using these lifts early in training as positional exercises and later in
training as exercise in of themselves. Because learning how to accelerate the USB into the
various holding positions is necessary, we introduce the speed component of lifting rather
early into training. We do so with the understanding that it is used first as simply a means
to getting the USB into position to perform other lifts. Such an understanding will be
reflected in the programming. For example, we may perform one Power Clean followed by
six Front Loaded Good Mornings. A ratio of 1:6 (one accelerative repetition to six stability
repetitions).
Why do we have to be so cautious about introducing accelerative lifts if they are necessary? The hip hinge progressional drills lay the foundation for accelerative drills to be used
more commonly in training. We can’t do quickly what we can’t slowly. Learning how to
maintain position and posture under varying conditions and understanding how to absorb
and decelerate force are principles critical to the proper performance of accelerative lifts.
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Ignoring them will give us some temporary satisfaction in using novel drills, but the
progress will be stalled quite quickly when injury or improper technique come around.
So, I share with you the DVRT accelerative foundational drills with the hope you will
follow my recommendations and promise yourself to always follow safe and sound training principles.
The Bear Hug Clean
I am going to get a bit off course here and
follow the DVRT principles rather than tie in
simply back to our Front Loaded Good
Mornings. I do so in order for you to continue to get more and more comfortable with
the principles of DVRT. As I mentioned earlier, in lower body dominant lifts other than
the deadlift, we will focus on changing load
position before body position. In lower body
dominant lifts, that means we begin from a
stable holding position and progress into
more challenging holding positions.
The first of our accelerative progressions is
the Bear Hug Clean. What is a Clean?
Especially a Bear Hug Clean? Some people
look at the following accelerative DVRT
drills that have the word “Clean” in them
and think they aren’t true to the name. This
is because most people think of the Olympic
Clean when they first think of the term
“Clean”. The Clean came about as a way for
old time strongmen to get the weight from
the ground to their shoulders. Clean referred
to doing so in one “clean” motion – meaning
the weight did not rest on any segment of the
body before getting to the working position.
Therefore, the Clean can be performed to
many different levels and with different
implements as long as it does not stop at any
point along the movement.
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The Bear
Hug Hold.
Bear Hug refers to our end holding position. As will be discussed in the squatting section,
the Bear Hug position is our most stable of the lower body dominant holding positions. The
Bear Hug works so well because it keeps the weight in line with our center of mass.
Consequently, we are able to handle more weight and feel more stable in this holding position.
The Bear Hug Clean is not an overly complex movement, but possesses several nuances
that often get overlooked by even more seasoned lifters. One of the most common mistakes of
lifters and coaches is not being aware of the extended range of motion that occurs in the Bear
Hug Clean. While the barbells, kettlebells, and sometimes USBs will allow lifters to start the
load at about mid-shin height, the Bear Hug Clean requires the lifter to assume a much deeper
position. To lift the USB in the Bear Hug Clean, we must “scoop” our hands underneath the
USB. This instantly creates a deeper lifting position that we must adopt to have the ability to
get in without rounding of the back.
Don’t worry if you find yourself unable to assume the Bear Hug position from the floor.
There is rather simple solution; simply elevate the USB. By using a step or another USB, you
can elevate the weight into a position you can more safely attain. What is important is being
aware of this change in the range of motion so that you can appropriately adapt the starting
position to your current mobility level.
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Once we are able to obtain
the correct lifting posture, there
are some additional subtle techniques we must explore. The
most crucial is the placement
and action of the arms. With
USB exercises such as the Bear
Hug Clean, we don’t have a
direct handle to grasp. This can
throw people off, as almost
everything in the weight room
has a handle! Instead we want
to “scoop” our hands underneath the weight.
Don’t
This position is very similar
round the
to the strongman technique of
back.
lifting Atlas Stones. I remember
this technique very specifically
from my days competing in
amateur strongman competitions. At first, lifting stones was so awkward – there was no
good place to hold the weight! Novice lifters often make the mistake of trying to compensate
for the lack of a handle by overusing the upper arm. It doesn’t take long to know you made
this mistake. I recall – and not fondly – having horrible bicep pain for almost ten days after
my first Atlas Stone session!
After the pain subsided, I decided to try again. After all, it only ALMOST killed me the
first time! This time, though, I was a bit wiser. I was fortunate enough to be training with pro
strongman Kevin Nee at the time. When you are surrounded by people stronger and more
experienced than yourself, it’s smart to pick their brains. Kevin explained to me that my error
was in trying to lift the Atlas Stones with my arms instead of my body. I didn’t understand
what he meant. He explained to me that most people try to compensate for not having a
good grip on the Atlas Stones by actually using the arms more. Instead, he went on to tell me,
you want to think of your body as a machine crane. Use the arms simply as an extension of
the body.
I was pretty ashamed of myself for not thinking of this simple, yet profound technique
myself! After all, it is the same concept that I teach in deadlifting and Olympic lifting drills.
But because I felt awkward, I had forgotten a lot of these same sound lifting concepts. Don’t
repeat my mistakes! Don’t forego sound lifting principles just because the USB is a unique
implement!
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The body, much like a crane, needs a stable foundation from which to operate.. This foundation includes important motions such as such as actively locking the arms, rotating the
shoulders “down and back,” and actively sticking the chest out. If we begin the movement by
bending the elbows, we have just destabilized our entire foundation!
The action of the Bear Hug Clean is so fast and so many things must happen at once, that
the line between a really good repetition and one that never leaves the floor is thin. One of
those key differences is how you align yourself with the USB. When you assume the lifting
position for the Bear Hug Clean, if more than half of the USB is in front of you when you are
ready to lift, the Clean will never happen!
If more than half of
the USB is in front
of you when you
are ready to lift,
the Clean will
never happen!
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Your ideal setup will place your body right over the midpoint of the USB with the broad
side facing up toward you. Assume a hip hinge position, and as you reach your end point,
begin to bend the knees. As you bend the knees, don’t allow the torso to become upright;
maintain that hip hinge. Slide the hands underneath and spread the fingers to create a
larger base and cover more surface area. Lock the elbows, rotate the shoulders, and stick
the chest out.
At this point you are ready to lift! Realize that you are actually bringing the USB a relatively short distance. Therefore, you don’t need to lift with maximal effort. Doing so causes
many to “over pull” and get out of control with the USB. The lift is quick, and if done correctly, the weight is actually released from the arms and caught in the Bear Hug position.
This means the Bear Hug Clean is a vertical pull and it is crucial that the arms simply direct
the weight up the body, not out and away. The elbows must come directly up the body and
not extend out in front.
This is where you instantly get feedback if
you are moving fast enough in the lift! If, during the performance of the Bear Hug Clean,
you can’t lift the weight into position or catch
it less than 50% above your arms, you didn’t
move fast enough! A perfect lift means that the
arms felt no tension and the hips created such
great speed that the weight “popped” up into
the arms at about 50/50 weight distribution
above and below the arms.
Practicing the Bear Hug Clean is important
because it teaches us two important skills.
First, we learn how to create speed and assume
our base holding position for squatting. . The
second, more subtle point is mastering the
manipulation of speed. Great athletes have the
innate ability to gradate force rather than just
going from 0 to 100 mph. The Bear Hug Clean
helps us learn this important skill that will help
us understand how to be efficient and purposeful with our movements.
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DVRT Bear Hug Clean Checklist
• Begin by standing over the middle of the USB.
• Scoop the hands underneath the USB. Make sure the low back is not rounded.
• Lock the arms and pull the shoulders down and back.
• Don’t squat. Instead, set the hips so that the chest is pointing closer to the ground than
it is pointing ahead. Sit the hips back where the chest is closer to pointing towards the
ground rather than pointing straight ahead.
• Explosively drive the hips, and direct the USB straight up the body.
• Create enough force from the hips to release the USB just prior to chest height, and
clasp the arms around the middle of the USB.
• Make sure you are set in, absorbing the force, and then drive the hips back and release
the USB to the ground.
The Power Clean
Why talk about the Bear Hug Clean first? Especially when we consider I was talking
about Front Loaded Good Mornings? If we are going to create and follow a system, then
we need to understand how different lifts change the variables of our system. Introducing
the Bear Hug Clean allows us to accomplish several goals at once:
• Assess mobility
• Teach foundational principles of creating a stable foundation
• Understand how to produce force
• Learn how to gradate force production
The Bear Hug Clean has a shorter distance to cover than the other accelerative USB
drills. Therefore, we are going to progressively learn how to create and absorb more force.
The Power Clean is a perfect bridge for learning these concepts.
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Most people will be familiar with the Power Clean from the world of Weightlifting. The
Power Clean is a variation of the standard Clean. In the Power Clean, the weight is caught
in a quarter squat position. In the Clean, however, the weight is caught in a front squat
position. Why is there a difference between the movements?
In the more competitive Clean, the weight is pulled and then the lifter jumps “underneath” the weight. This means that the distance the weight actually moves is shorter than
the Power Clean. This is important in the world of weightlifting because lifting heavier
weights is the goal of the sport. More weight can be lifted when the distance the weight has
to travel is reduced. In the Power Clean, the weight must travel a greater distance, so more
force needs to be created.
Learning to create more force is one thing, but learning to absorb force is quite another.
Absorbing force doesn’t just happen with the lifting of the weight, but also as the weight
comes down. Since we see the majority of sporting injuries occur during such deceleration,
we need to be aware that lifting in the Power Clean means also learning how to absorb
force from a higher positions.
Don’t get me wrong, the DVRT Power Clean is relatively easy to teach and learn. Yet
different lifters can face different obstacles. In beginners, being fearful of the “catch” can
make it difficult to fully commit to the Power Clean, resulting in a less than optimal lift.
Creating a lot of force that you can actually control is challenging for some people.
Unfortunately, for the accelerative DVRT exercises we are describing, we can’t change
speed incrementally like we would some of the other variables. Trying to go “kinda fast”
usually results in poor technique development and actually places the lifter at a greater risk
for injury. That is one of the big reasons we spend so much time on the progressive movements mentioned earlier in this section – to build some of the base qualities that will be
used in these exercises.
Probably one of the most difficult concepts to get across to people that are new to accelerative lifts is to avoid lifting with the arms. Just like in the Bear Hug Clean, the arms are
simply an extension of the hips. Because we have a very upper body-dominant culture,
developing this concept can be challenging and we may have to use another exercise to
help remove the tendency to use the arms.
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A Detour
In over 20 years in fitness, I have learned there is no
such thing as the perfect exercise. Instead, the right
exercise is one that helps you meet your individual goal. Very honestly, the Power Clean may
not be an ideal exercise for some at the beginning. Again, we are teaching it as a positional lift,
but we can use another very powerful drill to teach
many of the components of the Power Clean – the
High Pull.
Before we delve too deeply into the High Pull, let me remind
you coaches of something. If I ask you the purpose of coaching, most
might say something like, “to teach,” or “to get results,” and you would be right! However,
we are also in the experience industry. I have seen many very smart and qualified coaches
frustrate clients because they are not being flexible enough to find the right exercises for their
clients. If you or the client become frustrated, chances are good that you won’t stay on this or
any program for very long. So, I ask that you try the methods I am going to share with you
even if you feel as though you can teach the Power Clean to anyone!
Taking the time to learn such strategies allows you to problem solve when necessary.
The High Pull will be a powerful tool in your toolbox. It’s something you can go to quite
often, but on occasion you won’t need it to teach the Power Clean. Even if this is the case,
I will explain why the High Pull is a very useful exercise and can enhance your experience
and your clients’ learning.
The High Pull has many advantages, according to former US Air Force Strength Coach,
Allen Hedrick:
“The movement pattern used when performing the clean high pull is very similar to those commonly seen in many sports. The majority of the power developed in either the clean or the snatch occurs during the second pull phase (the
movement from just above the knee until the bar reaches approximately sternum
height)... As discussed, one advantage of the clean high pull over the full clean is
that the athlete doesn’t have to catch the bar. As a result, you can typically use
heavier loads. This is especially true for athletes with technique issues in the catch
phase where a lighter than optimal load must be used because of their inability to
catch the bar correctly. This heavy load, combined with the fast bar velocity seen
in this movement, is responsible for the high power outputs that occur when performing this exercise (an average of 52 watts per kilogram for male athletes).” (Tnation.com, 2012)
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Coach Hedrick also cites the lower injury potential of this exercise as the perfect lift for
those wanting to develop power.
We want to use the High Pull for all the reasons that Coach Hedrick mentioned, as well
as some others that are rather unique to the DVRT system. One of the other main advantages of the High Pull is that , because there is less emphasis on technique compared to the
Clean or Snatch, we can spend time focusing on key principles. Our primary goal in the
High Pull is to teach people how to make the weight weightless as it comes up the body. To
remove fear and enhance the technique associated with pulling weight explosively up the
body, we need to learn how to create powerful extension through the body.
Using the arms too early in these accelerative lifts often causes the body to create flexion
versus extension. Flexion in the body shows itself with the biceps flexing, the shoulder rolling
forward, the chest dropping downwards, and the trunk rolling in. When this occurs we cannot create the power and position that is required to perform these more dynamic lifts.
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One of the primary reasons athletes use
Olympic lifts in their training is to stimulate
what is known as triple extension. That is
the rapid extension of the foot, ankle, knee,
and hip. We see this type of synergistic action
when we run or jump. If you want to experience the impact of this chain, try this: Get
ready to jump as high as you can. Before you
leap, point your toes upward Now JUMP!
Chances are you are going to feel almost
glued to the ground and be unable to produce much force. This shows you how to just
altering the foot/ankle in the chain can
greatly change the amount of force you can
create.
Before you leap,
point your toes
upward.
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Don’t worry, I am not going to
have you focus on these three components. They happen as a byproduct of
applying the right amount of force in
the right places. This chain, though,
will help the weight in your High Pull
appear weightless in the arms. If you
are feeling an arm pump or as though
you did a set of upright rows after
performing the High Pull, you know
you aren’t doing it quite right!
The High Pull is rather easy to
learn partially because it’s easier to
identify common mistakes. The setup is identical to the deadlift (making
it even more important that we feel
proficient in the deadlift), and the
movement of the weight is the same .
However, the difference is in the
amount of force and speed we use in
the High Pull. Instead of just trying to
“stand tall” with the deadlift, we are
going to think of EXPLODING,
almost like a jump with the High
Pull. Upon starting the High Pull, the
USB should travel straight up the
body, reaching right about chest
height.
When the USB reaches chest height,
the elbows should be higher than the
USB and not pointing downward.
Position of the elbows will ultimately
help determine whether we get that
great full body extension we are looking to achieve, or fall into more of a
flexed posture. The elbows can tell
you a lot about the quality of the
High Pull and should be one of the
first things we key on in the movement.
When the USB reaches chest
height, the elbows should be
higher than the USB and not
pointing downward.
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What happens next is very different from what happens in many Olympic lifting circles.
After this explosive pull that occurs in the High Pull, many Olympic lifters will “dump”
the weight. Meaning they don’t try to come down with the weight, as that is often viewed
as very risky. In DVRT we actually
will teach you how to come down
with the USB. But why risk it?
Eccentric forces happen all the time
in real life situations – when we run,
jump, and even in every day activities.
I remember many years ago performing hill sprints on a rather rocky hill.
The somewhat unstable surface of
rocks seemed to create a pretty cool
training effect when I was running
upward, but was more than a bit
nerve wrecking when I was jogging
back down. All of a sudden I lost my
footing, and one of my legs started to
fly out in front of me. As soon as this
happened, my other leg INSTANTLY
caught me! I remember this so vividly
because I was shocked at how one leg
caught my body in the matter of an
instant! My hamstrings and glutes
had to contract within milliseconds to
ensure I didn’t fall.
While most coaches and programs
will talk a great deal about producing
force, the truth is we can’t be close to
complete unless we know how to
stop or decelerate efficiently. Even in
this book we have discussed the
power the hamstrings and glutes can
develop, but these muscles also spend
a great deal of time acting as decelerators and resisting forces acting upon
the body. Why is training the body
eccentrically and learning these deceleration components important?
The elbows should not be
lower than the USB and not
be pointing downward.
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Scientists have known for some time that these movements contain both concentric and
eccentric actions. Together they produce more efficient movement. A 2003 article in the
Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy:
“Muscles operate eccentrically to either dissipate energy for decelerating the
body or to store elastic recoil energy in preparation for a shortening (concentric)
contraction. The muscle forces produced during this lengthening behavior can be
extremely high, despite the requisite low energetic cost.”
As with all other forms of training, though, the eccentric training must be performed
incrementally and with great purpose.
The primary reason that these DVRT accelerative lifts are taught after a foundation of
hip hinging has been established is because of the high forces they create not only upon lifting the weight, but also while lowering the weight. The first series of hip hinge progressions is very powerful because it allow us to slowly learn how to move and absorb much
lower eccentric forces. There are three reasons that people can experience injuries during
very fast deceleration:
1. Poor Flexibility/Mobility: In quickly lowering a weight, you simply do not have time
to consciously think about how you are moving. The body relies on more pre-programmed (feedforward neural loops) training and capabilities. If you don’t move well
from a specific area of your body, another area is bound to take up the work and can
become excessively loaded. Poor flexibility and mobility can make it almost impossible for you to attain a good lifting posture that can efficiently dissipate large forces.
2. Lack of Strength: It is easy to become enamored by how “cool” a lot of these accelerative lifts look. However, because we are dealing with much higher forces, we need
not only strength in developing high levels of force, also in absorbing them. As biomechanics and strength training expert Dr. Michael Yessis, states, “When the shift is ultimately made to explosiveness training, the forces created in these exercises reach as
much as twenty times your body weight. To withstand such forces, you must have
already concentric, eccentric, and isometric strength.” (Yess, p. 149)
3. Improper Movement Patterns: If we don’t know how to get into the right postures
and positions, we can quickly overload the wrong structures of the body. This is why
we teach the slow tempo deadlift before drills like the High Pull. A common error in
decelerating the weight from the High Pull is occurs when the shoulders to round forward during the descent. Working on the slow tempo deadlifts (and their variations)
prior to such explosive lifts teaches people how to “catch” their shoulders in the right
place. By learning to maintain the tension in the underarm during the hip hinge progressions, we are starting to pattern this for use in other drills, such as the High Pull.
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That is why I need to reinforce to you that DVRT isn’t about just teaching you more
exercises, but a system of progressive movement! Being aware of what we are trying to
accomplish in these lifts allows us to not only gain the benefits we desire, but also avoid
some of the common pitfalls.
More than anything, the purpose of this
discussion is developing awareness, as the
whole point of using the High Pull prior to
the Power Clean is that it is a relatively easy
lift to learn. It’s ideal for a relative beginner.
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When you focus on what you are trying to achieve and how to do it safely, you start to
see how powerful the High Pull can become. The primary goal of the High Pull is to teach
the lifter how to make the weight feel weightless in the arms and how to remove some of
the fear of the USB coming into their body. Within a few sets of performing the High Pull,
the lifter should be able to perform the Power Clean with much more confidence and proficiency.
In fact, I love to use the simple combination of High Pulls to Power Cleans that Senior
DVRT instructor Troy Anderson created. You can use either a 2 or 3:1 ratio of High Pulls
to Power Cleans for this drill. The idea is to take advantage of the “groove” you get by
performing a few High Pulls to then hit a great Power Clean. From a coaching perspective,
this allows our clients to practice very specific concepts. However, from a client or lifter’s
perspective, we get to both train important attributes and get a workout! The only precaution here is that you must make sure the set terminates once technique in either lift appears
to be deteriorating. An ideal starting point is to perform a cycle of two High Pulls and one
Power Clean three to four successive times and then rest.
DVRT High Pull Checklist
• Begin in the same position as the deadlift.
• Explode by trying to “jump” the USB to chest height.
• Drive the elbows upward, pointing them toward the sky.
• Open the chest. Don’t collapse and flex as you pull the USB upwards.
• Quickly drive the hips back and catch the USB with the upper body, and don’t let the
shoulder round forward.
• If done properly, there should be little to no sound upon the USB returning to the
ground.
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Back to the Power Clean
With some quick work we can get people performing the Power Clean in a short amount
of time and feel accomplished in the process. I would still caution against making the
Power Clean a core exercise until some additional time is spent developing quality in the
High Pull. Especially in light of the new era of strength-metabolic training, the High Pull
would be able to be performed with more quality for a longer period during fatigue than
the Power Clean. Use the Power Clean for some time as a more technical lift until the lifter
demonstrates proper proficiency in the drill.
What makes for “proper proficiency”? Since 2005, I have had the opportunity to work
with a lot of different populations and develop some standards I look for lifters to obtain
to prove they have built the skill to use the Power Clean as a primary exercise.
Performance Keys of the Power Clean—the lifter must
perform 10 repetitions while doing the following
• Proper starting alignment on every repetition with the hips and shoulders in the correct position without any bend in the elbows.
• USB starts close to the shins.
• The USB stays close to the body on the entire lift, with the elbows never extending in
front of the body.
• Upon receiving the USB in the catch, there is no impact upon the chest. Instead,
there’s a “scooping” action of the arms underneath the USB.
• USB is lowered by simultaneously driving the hips back and unwinding the arms with
the elbow never moving forward from the body.
• The USB is received back in the start position with minimal impact on the ground.
Sound is a good gauge here. A loud “thump” is indicative of losing control of the
eccentric.
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Proper lowering of
the Power Clean.
69
Proper
performance
of the Power
Clean.
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Handles in wrong position.
Wrong handles.
Over using arms.
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But What About the Olympics?
Discussion of the Power Clean cannot be complete without distinguishing the differences between the Power Clean and Clean. While Olympic lifting has seen quite a rebirth
in recent years, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding regarding the “whys” of specific lifts and their place in various fitness programs.
The primary goal of Olympic lifting is to lift the more weight. The Clean we see in the
Olympics allows the lifter to pull more weight a shorter distance. The Power Clean is usually used by non-Olympic lifting athletes as a means of improving what is known as rate of
force development (RFD).
What is RFD? Most sporting actions occur at incredible speeds. In some of these situations, athletes can be very strong, but if it takes them too long to express their strength then
they may never be able to us their potential in the sport. RFD looks at taking that strength
and teaching the athlete how to use his or her strength faster. Below is a little example illustrating who may actually be the stronger athlete.
Athlete A can squat 500 pounds. It takes Athlete A .2 seconds to develop 200 pounds of
force. At .4 seconds Athlete A has almost 400 pounds of force, and at up to .8 seconds can
develop the full 500 pounds.
Athlete B can squat 350 pounds. It takes Athlete B .2 seconds to develop 250 pounds of
force and only .3 seconds to develop the full 350 pounds of force.
If we were looking at the speed at which most sporting and every day activities occur, we
should expect Athlete B to actually perform at a higher level. Why? Even though Athlete B
cannot develop as much total force as Athlete A, Athlete B can produce force more quickly.
A full second is actually a very long time in the world of sports, so an athlete needs to be
strong and fast. The Olympic lift variations are thought to help the development of this
type of speed.
The Olympic lifts themselves don’t usually develop actual strength. Instead, strength
comes through a host of assistance exercises that these lifters perform over their careers.
Since RFD is the primary goal, we need to only really focus on the Power Clean and not
the Clean. Performing the actual Clean provides very little or no additional benefit compared to the Power Clean. In fact, Strength Coach and Olympic lifting expert Will Fleming
states, “I teach hang power clean exclusively to my athletes. Equal RFD, and a much faster
rate of acquisition.” If we can get the same benefit and avoid unnecessary risk and frustration, it seems like a win-win.
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Shouldering
There is definitely something primal about grabbing something from the ground and
tossing it over your shoulder. We can easily envision cavemen grabbing their kill and tossing it over their shoulders to carry it back to their camp. While this action may be primal,
a lot that has changed in our ability to safely reproduce these “primal” actions .
Squatting and pull-ups are quite primal, and yet we struggle in our modern society to
perform them well. Shouldering has far more complexity because of the nature of the both
the implement and the movement. Just like the Bear Hug Clean, Shouldering requires us to
assume a very deep position if we choose to lift the USB off of the ground. The same precautions should also be taken to ensure that you – or your client – are able to maintain the
proper lifting posture.
I realize some people actually encourage a rounded back posture, which has been noted
to help athletes in combat sports. In John Jesse’s 1974 landmark book, “The Encyclopedia
of Wrestling Conditioning,” he writes, “The use of heavy sandbag and their large circumference forces the lifter to do this lifting with a round back instead of the traditional
straight back lifting with a barbell...It develops the low back and side muscles in movements that are identical to the lifting and pulling movements of wrestling.” (Jesse, p. 204)
Ironically, Jesse points to a tragic end in the same book, emphasizing that the athletes he
was seeing in his more modern era didn’t posses the same conditioning or work ethic he
once observed in previous years. “...the English speaking countries, particularly America
and Canada, were faced with cultural problems. With machines doing most of the work
the majority of young men entering athletics were not drawn from a background of labor
work in the mines, on the farms, in forests or on the docks.” (Jesse, p. 65)
While it is easy to want to implement very elite method that Jesse suggests in rounded
back lifting, we have to be even more cautious and aware of the fact that most athletes
shouldn’t be placing themselves at such risk. Over 30 years later, Western cultures have not
become more progressive in their health and fitness training. Instead, the decline has continued. Take home message? Lift with the suggested postures in this book!
The set-up to Shouldering is the same as the Bear Hug Clean, and now it should be evident why we discussed the Bear Hug Clean as a precursor to Shouldering. Because it
requires far more force to get the USB over the shoulder with the Bear Hug Clean, learning
the Bear Hug Clean prior to Shouldering establishes a great foundation. We can even use
our starting point in the performance of the Bear Hug Clean as our base for Shouldering.
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Correct
Shouldering
set-up.
Incorrect
set-up.
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The primary difference with shouldering is that the weight will be brought to one side of
the body. Shouldering is the first time we see the role of asymmetrical loading in the form
of weight versus body position. During the earlier hip hinge progressions, as soon as we
exposed the body to asymmetrical loading as soon as we began to split the legs. However,
the weight remained balanced and evenly in front of our body. Shouldering places a great
deal of emphasis and stress on the asymmetrical loading position.
Even though the weight begins in the same position as the Bear Hug Clean, as soon as
the pull begins the weight starts to be transferred to one side of the body. The motion of the
weight moving as it is being lifted has several profound effects on our training.
The primary goal in all our asymmetrical loading patterns is to challenge the body’s ability to maintain its alignment and posture while producing force. The body experiences a
great deal of complexity in movement, even though this seems like it would be a relatively
simple activity. We see asymmetrical loading all the time in every day activities such as carrying groceries or holding a child. Yet people who regularly do these activities tend to be
prone to experiencing low back issues because we rarely prepare our bodies for these
unique stresses.
What is so different about asymmetrical loading? It requires a synergistic balance of production of force from one area of the body and resisting forces from another. Leading
spinal expert, Dr. McGill, writes in his book “Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance”,
about how unique this movement is to the body. In his study of elite competitive strongmen, the body actually uses stability to help create force and balance:
“Curiously they needed more hip abduction strength to succeed in events such
as Super Yoke and the Suitcase carry than they could create in their hips. How
could they perform a feat of strength that was beyond what a joint could produce? We quantified asymmetric carries such as the suitcase carry and found that
quadratus and the abdominal wall were challenged to create this unique but
essential athleticism.” (McGill, http://www.craigliebenson.com)
The “core” seems to be greatly elevated during such asymmetrical loading positions due
to this need to create force and stability at the same time. However, this concept has largely
been relegated to carrying weight, and ignored in many of our strength lifts. Coaches and
athletes alike tend to skip asymmetrical loading during their strength training. This probably traces back more to a battle with ego than with any sound scientific principles. Upon
what do I base such a strong comment?
Most coaches and athletes are quite humbled by what asymmetrical loading does to
their ability to use weights. Unfortunately, we get caught up in a numbers game rather than
focusing on the value of these lifts. Asymmetrical drills take far more coordination,
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stability, and varying types of strength than their more stable relatives. Dr. McGill even
points out such stable drills don’t address the full needs of athletes:
“World-class strongmen (who carry heavy loads) nor professional football and
soccer players who run, plant the foot and cut are trained with the squat, as it
does not emphasize the quadratus lumborum or the abdominal obliques (which
these athletes use). Have clients spend less time doing squats, and redirect them to
asymmetric carries, such as the farmer’s walk or bottoms-up kettlebell carry
which build the needed athleticism in a much more “spine-friendly” way. In great
athletes, power is generated in the hips and transmitted through the stiffened
core.” (McGill, 281)
DVRT Shouldering
Checklist
• Assume the same starting position as
in the Bear Hug Clean.
• Get the body set before lifting and
begin with a fuller USB.
• Create more force, as the distance
required to get the USB into position
is more than required with the Bear
Hug Clean.
• Proper Shouldering should create little “hard” impact upon the shoulder.
• Hold the USB on the shoulder for a
few seconds to learn how to absorb
the asymmetrical lifting position.
• Upon descending, place the opposing
arm upon the USB to help decelerate
the weight downward.
Compensation
laterally.
• Quickly drive the hips back and keep
the USB close to the body.
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The Snatch
You may have been wondering, are we going to talk about the Snatch? You may have
already been eyeballing the workouts wondering, “Where are we going to Snatch?” As
recently as 2005, the Snatch was a nearly forgotten exercise. Fast forward a few short
years and you can find some form of the Snatch as much as you can a squat. Thanks to the
increased popularity of kettlebells and the re-birth of Olympic lifting by groups like
Crossfit, the snatch has come back full force!
Some derive a lot of mystique from the Snatch, and in some ways, they’re right to do so!
The snatch is one of the more athletic-looking lifts, and requires the entire body to
sequence just right to make the movement appear effortless, powerful, and athletic.
However, in terms of the DVRT system, the Snatch is simply another holding position.
Yes, there are some unique benefits and considerations to the movement of the Ultimate
Sandbag, but really we are just hitting a higher end point.
Believe it or not, many old time strongmen saw the original form of Snatching in a very
similar way. Where the Clean was simply getting the weight from the ground to their
shoulders in one “clean” motion, the Snatch was viewed as a means of getting the weight
overhead in a quick motion. Instead of stopping at the shoulders and then pressing the
weight overhead, the Snatch required the power of the hips. Even then, strongmen realized the hips is where power really began.
One and two-arm snatches were quite common. Dumbbell, barbell, or kettlebell, the
goal was the same. In order to get the weight quickly overhead, the entire body had to
work together to lift great loads. As the sport of Olympic weightlifting grew in popularity,
different versions of the Snatch evolved. Most of the techniques we see today are based
upon the sport of Olympic weightlifting, where the goal is to lift as much weight as possible. Therefore, we see the adoption of specific techniques centering around this goal as
well. This is perfect for those that wish to be accomplished in the sport. However, you
don’t have to be an Olympic weightlifter to benefit from the Snatch.
Understanding that the Snatch is a higher holding position, we then understand that it is
the most explosive hip hinge. In order to get the Ultimate Sandbag to the catch position,
we have to create more force considering the height of the catch.
The actual act of Snatching the Ultimate Sandbag is a combination of the barbell and
kettlebell. We don’t, and shouldn’t, swing the Ultimate Sandbag between our legs, so we
can’t get the preload that many often achieve with kettlebells. The start more closely
resembles the barbell because the Ultimate Sandbag begins right against our shins from a
dead stop. But this is where the similarities to the barbell end!
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Many lifters become confused
because the handles of the Ultimate
Sandbag in relationship to the weight
are much different than with the barbell. That is why I like Cleaning the
Ultimate Sandbag. Snatching can feel
quite unique as well. The handles can
start the weight a bit higher than the
barbell (especially in larger Ultimate
Sandbags), and by changing the start
position we change several dynamics of
the Snatch.
First, we have to move faster to get
the weight overhead. We don’t have the
range of motion in the legs to build up
the speed. Secondly, many lifters feel as
though they have to create even more
extension through the entire body
because the center of mass is further
from the handles. In other words, you
can get a very explosive movement with
an Ultimate Sandbag Snatch even
though the weights will be lower than
that of a barbell.
The rotation of the USB over our
hands is very similar to standard kettlebell movements. If you have good kettlebell technique, you should be able to
rather quickly adapt to the Ultimate
Sandbag. There are, however, some differences that can provide a very different feel. These include the fact that the
Ultimate Sandbag has no weight in the
handles, and that all the load is at the
bottom of the Ultimate Sandbag. This
means that we have more weight coming over the top of our arms and have
to be more exact with the movement.
Holding the USB
with improper
Thoracic Extension
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The biggest mistake in Snatching either a kettlebell or Ultimate Sandbag is very similar. Most people don’t feel strong, but can anticipate the need to
move fast. Consequently, they over-grip the USB
handles. The problem with over-gripping is that it
doesn’t allow the Ultimate Sandbag to rotate properly. Like the kettlebell, it can cause a rather violent
swinging of the weight and an unhealthy impact
upon the forearm.
A rather loose grip is required to allow the rotation of the Ultimate Sandbag over the arms. The
key is to think of driving the Ultimate Sandbag’s
weight straight up and not to swing the weight out
away from the body. All the components of the
DVRT accelerative drills stay true and have to
come together to get that perfect feel where the
lower body drives the Ultimate Sandbag upwards
and the arms explosively dive underneath to
receive the weight overhead. It’s a beautiful thing
to watch.
I have heard one common complaint with the
USB Sandbag Snatch. This is that the weight feels
like it sits longer on people’s heads. Is this a defect
with Snatching Ultimate Sandbags? I began to
wonder, until I watched more and more people
perform the lift. I found that it wasn’t the Ultimate
Sandbag at all; it was the fact that people didn’t
have enough mobility and flexibility in their upper
bodies to get the Ultimate Sandbag into the correct
position. The barbell’s wider grip and the fact that
the kettlebell is a singular implement make it easier
to hide compensations. However, they are exposed
with both arms in a narrow position. If you have
the right amount of movement in the upper body,
even a Burly Ultimate Sandbag caught overhead
won’t come into contact with your head. You will
feel the shoulder blades tightly contracting and
absorbing the weight. If you find yourself being a
bit tight, don’t worry. Stay tuned for some solutions I introduce in the overhead pressing series.
79
Correct holding
position and
Thoracic Extension.
The Snatch
progression.
DVRT Snatch Checklist
• Keep the Ultimate Sandbag as close to the
shins as possible, with the broad side of
the USB facing you.
• Grab onto the snatch grip handles and
lock the arms.
• Allow the Ultimate Sandbag to
rotate through the hands, and
catch the weight by squeezing the
shoulder blades together and locking the arms overhead.
• Pull the shoulders into the “down and
back” position and don’t unlock the arms.
• Coming down requires the simultaneous motions of driving the hips
quickly back and unwinding the
arms.
• With the weight of your body through
your heels, explosively pull the Ultimate
Sandbag, with the elbows driving toward
the sky.
• Do not let the elbows or the weight
swing out away from the body.
• As the Ultimate Sandbag reaches forehead
height, begin to slightly dip and drive with
the arms locked overhead.
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• Make sure to “catch” the Ultimate
Sandbag in the start position by
locking the arms and holding the
upper back in place.
The Snatch
top position.
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Squatting Progressions
A fitness book that quickly transitions from the exercise section with a discussion on
squats. How innovative, right? Most people misunderstand how squatting progressions fit
into the DVRT system. If you expect me to launch into a discussion about the squat being
“the king” of lower body exercises, you’ll be disappointed.
Is the squat pattern important in our DVRT system? Absolutely! Is it more important
than many of the drills we are going to discuss? Probably not! The squat serves as a perfect
example of a series of movements with a stable body position designed to develop foundational skills. Because we are well-balanced compared to other more dynamic lower body
exercises, the squat serves as a wonderful base to teach people some fundamental movement skills that will help them eventually progress to some of these more complex movement patterns.
Why is the squat NOT the king of all lower body exercises? There are several issues
whenever we give a singular exercise such distinction. When we make such claims, they are
often tied to the load that can be applied to an exercise. Have we ever seen someone lunging or performing step-ups, or any more unilateral exercise with the same weight as we see
in the squat? Not unless these people are hanging out with Big Foot or the Loch Ness
Monster .
It makes sense that we can load the squat more than most other lower body exercises.
We are in a stable body position and oftentimes we are using a position (i.e. on the back)
that is a very stable and strong loading position. However, does more weight equate to better results? According to one of the top researchers in spinal health and performance, Dr.
Stuart McGill, the squat may not be the dominant exercise we make it out to be in training.
“Retraining the gluteals cannot be performed with traditional squat exercises
that utilize a barbell on the back. Performing a traditional squat requires little hip
abduction. Consequently there is little gluteus medius activation and the gluteus
maximus activation is delayed during the squat until lower squat angles are
reached. It’s a quadriceps exercise. In contrast to the traditional squat, a onelegged squat activates the gluteus medius immediately to assist in the frontal plane
hip drive necessary for leaping, running, etc. together with sooner integration of
gluteus maximus high in the squat motion.” (McGill, p.224)
Learning to squat is important – very important. However, if we stop at squatting, if we
always prioritize squatting as our dominant lower body exercise, we are going to become
limited in our training. Let’s examine why squatting is so important to learn and why it
serves as a foundation for training.
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The squat does have a ton of benefits that we do want to optimize. Squatting integrates
lots of of muscles (especially using the loading patterns in our DVRT system), which is
important for functional strength, fat loss, and better performance. As performance and
rehabilitation expert Paul Chek states, squatting is one of our “primal movement patterns.” (Chek, 2001) Squats are very natural and utilize fundamental movements.
Unfortunately, our current lifestyles of sitting in chairs and such has definitely changed our
abilities to squat well.
We have lost our ability to squat well, but how does that really negatively impact our
health and performance? Physical therapists such as Gray Cook use deep squatting as an
assessment tool to measure mobility in the thoracic spine, hips, knees, and ankle. This
kinetic chain is important for both squatting and more advanced movement drills. Lack of
movement in one or more of these areas can make us more prone to injury or inhibit our
ability to develop force or strength.
More times than not, injuries begin to form before we ever actually “feel” them. Why?
When one segment of our body does not function well, the next link in the chain begins to
absorb higher than normal forces. All of a sudden a structure becomes excessively loaded
because one of its “teammates” isn’t doing its part. For example, sometimes knee pain can
be traced to problems in the ankle or foot. Low back pain can be related to lack of movement in the hips and so on. Remember the classic saying, “We are only as strong as our
weakest link!” We are probably also only as injury-resistant as our least mobile area.
Learning the foundational squatting patterns does allow us to build a great base of
strength and, as mentioned, movement skills. These principles in the squatting pattern will
serve as the basis for more complex skills.
The Bear Hug Squat
Our hip hinging patterns taught us how to bring the USB into our Bear Hug position. As
I explained in the Bear Hug Clean, this position is our most stable holding position for
lower body dominant drills. In the squatting patterns, the Bear Hug is especially important
because of the counterbalance the weight of the USB provides. There has been no shortage
of well known strength coaches that have insisted, “Learn to use bodyweight before moving to weight.”
Such statements assume that we are always using weight to make movements more challenging. The truth is that we can use weight to help provide us feedback in performing the
correct alignment and posture for our exercises.
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Bad Bodyweight
Squat.
We see this in real life training all the time. When we ask novice trainees to perform
bodyweight squats, they tend to have all sorts of compensation patterns. One of the most
common occurs when trainees lean forward as they squat. At first glance this might seem
like an issue with the hip flexors. While that might be the case, something very interesting
happens when we suggest slight changes such as placing some pressure on a post or
another stable object. By simply gaining a little stability, the squat of the individual usually
improves by leaps and bounds. Did this person just become more flexible? Probably not.
Instead, what likely happened is that we reduced their body’s own braking system. Our
body naturally tries to protect us when it perceives danger. One of the most common
means for doing so is creating flexion in the body.
Ever noticed when you try to balance on what feels to be an unstable surface, your body
tends to clench more? We see tension in the jaw, the biceps, and other standard flexors of
the body. This is part of our early infant response to danger and is an attempt to protect
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our bodies and gain stability. If we can remove fear or, in the case of squatting, the stress of
an unfamiliar movement, the body can start to use the right muscles and patterns.
The Bear Hug Squat functions in much the same way, except instead of holding onto an
object for balance, the weight of the USB will provide a counterbalance to help the lifter
stay in a better squat position. The
Bear Hug position is so powerful that
we will even see more seasoned lifters
able to obtain more upright postures
via the Bear Hug Squat.
The Bear Hug
Squat.
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Why is this upright position important? As a 1989 study by Russell et al, found, “....low
back injury risk was influenced more by trunk inclination” (University of Maryland,
Department of Education). The more we “lean forward” during a squat, the more pressure
we experience in the low back. We must ask ourselves the true goal of the squat. Is it to
load the legs or the low back? I would imagine most of you answered the legs. The upright
posture in the Bear Hug Squat will begin to become the more standard position in bodyweight squats. This means we are getting stronger, but also patterning a healthier and
important movement skill.
A more upright torso has two other benefits that are important for our health and performance. Most people will find being upright in their squat allows them to squat much
deeper. An increased depth during a squat will help create mobility in the ankles, knees,
and hips, but also, as McGill states, “...gluteus maximus activation is relatively low until
quite deep in the squat position.” (McGill, p.244)
The trouble with getting into the deep squat position is that most people do not possess
the ability to do so without rounding their low back or pelvis as they assume the deep
squat position. The idea is to be able to squat deeply without losing the position of the low
back or pelvis. Again, the counterbalance of the USB in the Bear Hug position helps people
get much closer to obtaining this deep squat position. The strategies are something that top
strength coaches like Eric Cressey have found to be very valuable to teaching their athletes
the RIGHT squat. “If you give these athletes a counterbalance out in front of their body,
though, their squat patterns ‘clean up’ very quickly,” Cressey says.
One of the most important features of the Bear Hug Squat is that it teaches us to integrate the upper and lower bodies. Just as we discussed with the hip hinge progressions, the
upper back and body can determine a lot of what happens to the low back during the
squat. In fact, Eric Cressey again hits on one of the major mistake a lot of lifters make in
performing the squat:
“Your athletes will also never transfer force correctly to the bar if it’s not solidly
positioned on the upper back. Activating the lats and pulling the bar down into
the upper back immediately tightens the entire upper body. Also, given the lats’
attachment on the thoracolumbar fascia, it increases core stability as well.”
Using the barbell in this manner is very important for safety and strength. However, it is
absolutely impossible to do with any other object in this position other than the barbell.
Holding the USB in front of the body in the Bear Hug Position allows us to create this same
type of contraction and action in a different manner. The result is the same, though, creating stability and strength.
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Holding the USB in the Bear Hug position requires us to have an “active” upper body.
We DO NOT want to casually hold the weight. Rather, we want to focus on trying to rip
the USB apart with our forearms. Trying to focus on this action, we see our elbows start to
drive towards our ribs, which creates tension in the underarm (lats) and between the shoulder blades. This position usually determines the quality of the squat and the ability to perform numerous repetitions.
In order to optimize the Bear Hug Squat’s potential, we have to understand some of the
mistakes people make when using it. The Bear Hug Squat is both an easy exercise to coach
and one for which it’s easy to identify very glaring compensations. Let me briefly cover
some of these common mistakes so that you can ensure you safely benefit from the Bear
Hug Squat.
Too light of a weight
When we start a new exercise, we often assume using a lighter weight is safer. While
using too light of a USB will not hurt you, the light weight will also not provide the counterbalance that allows you to benefit from the Bear Hug Squat. It is a classic Goldilocks
challenge – not too heavy, not too light, but just right. How can you tell the difference?
The upper body can’t support a weight that’s too heavy. A very obvious sign of the USB
being too heavy is the shoulders shrugging upwards. In essence, the body is trying to use
the dominant (although they shouldn’t be) upper traps instead of the lower lat and trap in
the upper back. The shoulders should be able to remain “down and back” if the weight of
the USB is appropriate.
How about if the weight is too light? We should be able to notice a difference between
our ability to bodyweight squat and our posture in the Bear Hug Squat. If you are finding
that you don’t balance more on your heels and you are not finding yourself in a more
upright posture, you may want to try to use a heavier USB.
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Excessively small USB
Remember, the dimension of the USB will sometimes impact the outcome of an exercise.
Why would the dimension of the USB impact the Bear Hug Squat? The answer goes back
to weight distribution. Part of the reason that the Bear Hug Squat is so effective is that the
weight below the midline of the arms that helps “pull” the body into position. If we use a
small USB then we don’t get any of the weight distribution below this midline and we don’t
receive the help in grooving that better squat.
Squatting with different dimension USBs.
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Excessively flexible USB
Very early in this book, I spoke about the problem with how many people saw odd
objects was that they were always unstable. I went on to state that my goal in developing
the DVRT program is to address the fact that this doesn’t make these tools progressive.
Let’s use the Bear Hug Squat for a great example. If I am using a very loosely filled USB, as
I assume the Bear Hug Squat position I am likely to notice one of two things. The most
profound is that the weight will fold over and the top half will be moving away from my
body. This creates a longer lever from the arm to the trunk and upper back and makes the
same weight feel MUCH heavier. A loosely
filled USB may also have the weight shift
towards the bottom as one holds it in the
Bear Hug position. This means that as we
are performing repetitions of the Bear Hug
Squat the weight is getting heavier.
Obviously we don’t want to handle the
most amount of weight as we are fatiguing.
Therefore, you will want to select a more
densely filled USB.
Folding over USB.
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Relaxing the upper body
As previously mentioned, the upper body will do a lot to determine your position
throughout the Bear Hug Squat. Tension applied into the USB is going to make the difference in being able to maintain that more upright posture as you fatigue or not.
Sitting back first
In most traditional back squatting techniques, we are taught to “sit the hips back” as an
initial cue. This is done to get the pelvis moving in the right direction and to somewhat
counteract the load upon the upper back. Because the weight distribution is different in the
Bear Hug Squat, I recommend cuing “knees out” first. This cue helps create space for the
pelvis to move, and then we can sit back into
the motion. Otherwise we can create an unnecessary lever arm on the low back.
Because the weight
distribution is different in the
Bear Hug Squat, I recommend
cuing “knees out” first.
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How the Bear Hug Squat differs from the Goblet Squat.
DVRT Bear Hug Squat Checklist
• Wrap the arms around the middle of
the USB.
• As you descend, work to maintain
greater tension in the upper back.
• Pull the shoulders down and back,
elbows pulling into the ribs.
• Descend into the lowest position possible, trying to sit back upon the
heels.
• Begin by pushing the knees outward
and slowly begin to sit the hips back
after the knees begin to bend.
• Pause for a brief moment and drive
through the feet to accelerate the
body upward.
• Try to push the knees outwards
without allowing the feet to rotate
excessively outward.
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Front Loaded Squat
A good DVRT Power Clean will set you up to succeed at the Front Loaded Squat. Just as
with all drills performed in the Front Loaded position, the squat is going to tax the trunk
as well as the lower body. Those that have a weak trunk will find the Front Loaded Squat
very humbling.
The Front Loaded Squat truly makes the squat a full body exercise. Yes, the lower body
is still very dominant, but we can see weaknesses through the trunk and upper back that
make it an overall body exercise. Unlike the Bear Hug Squat, the Front Loaded Squat
inhibits how much the weight is helping us move and starts to stress our movement skills
to a higher degree. However, with the load placement in the Front Hold position, we are
still able to maintain a more upright posture than with most other forms of squatting.
Since the many benefits of the Front Loaded position have already been covered, let’s
address how to optimize the Front Loaded Squat and how to avoid some of the more common mistakes.
Making Front Loaded Squat into a Front Squat
Whenever I am in front of fitness professionals and ask them what exercise the Front
Loaded position reminds them of, the answer is almost always “Front Squat.” The differentiation between the Front Squat and the Front Loaded position is not just a matter of
semantics. As discussed earlier, the Front Squat has the entire body support the weight.
Even though it appears as though the weight is resting upon the shoulders, the entire body
gives strength to the exercise. If we treated the Front Hold Squat like the Front Squat, we
would not be able to support much weight or for any type of duration. The fact that the
USB would have to literally be supported by the shoulders makes it impossible to appropriately stress the lower body.
The Front Loaded Squat is somewhere in between the Zercher and Front Squat. The
weight of the USB sits higher than that with a Zercher and lower than with a Front Squat.
Consequently, we don’t want to begin with the body in the wrong position. The incorrect
lifting position would appear with our elbows much higher, as is typical in the Front Squat
(the upper arm parallel to the ground). Instead, we want to see our upper arms tucked into
our ribs and our forearms more perpendicular to the ground.
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The Front Loaded Squat
should have the upper
arms tucked into the
ribs and the forearms
more perpendicular to
the ground.
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Being lazy in the upper body
I see it all the time, more so with Ultimate Sandbags than you would see in barbell
Zercher Squats. The dimension of the Ultimate Sandbag requires more activity from the
upper body to maintain proper posture and alignment. To avoid this, after you clean the
USB and tightly press into your chest, you should not see your arms extend during the exercise. If the elbow starts to extend, then you are done for in the lift, as your biceps are not
going to be able to support the weight and this will pull the upper body into a bad
“crunch” position.
Don’t flare
elbows out.
Don’t round upper
or lower back.
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An active upper body is absolutely critical for postural alignment, but it will also be
tremendously helpful to have your body over the right base of support. A lot of times, as
the weight of the USB pulls people forward, their body feels as though it is shifting more
towards the toes. We want to be more mid-foot to heels when we are squatting. As you
descend into the squat, the more you pull the USB into your body, the more you will find
yourself staying over the mid-foot/heels, rather than moving toward the toes. This simple
strategy will make you feel stronger and definitely save your knees!
The right elbows at the right time
I just stated that you should have your elbows tucked into your ribs. That is true to start
the Front Loaded Squat and a good general rule of thumb. However, the reality is that as
you squat, your elbows will come slightly upward. Your elbows should never obtain the
position you would find in the classic barbell squat, but slight elevation forward is appropriate. In fact, cuing the elbows is very important for coming out of the bottom of the position without flexing forward.
The transition from the bottom to rising upward should be done with control. No
bouncing to use momentum. Using the bottom position appropriately, we can gauge the
use and strength of our hamstrings and glutes while teaching great body control. The reason most people cheat during this section of the squat is because it is very challenging and
humbling. However, we can use strategic cuing to really help with this process. Upon
reaching the bottom of the Front Loaded Squat, pause for a brief moment, and simultaneously drive through the heels and try to drive the elbows upward. The action of the elbows
creates extension in the upper back and helps stay you tall rather than flexing forward in
this weaker position.
Not enough time under tension
If we are going to make the comparison of the Front Loaded Squat to that of the Front
Plank, then the programming needs to match. Some people use the Front Hold Squat but
choose to move very quickly through all portions of the lift. This is partially due to an
attempt to use momentum to overcome a challenging position, and it can also be due to a
lack of control. In either scenario, we can clean up a lot of these issues by slowing down
the movement, predominately the lowering phase.
In training of the Front Plank we will generally use extended timed intervals to build
trunk endurance. We can do the same thing in the Front Loaded position in two different
ways.
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1. Slow Down the lowering phase: Focus on lowering yourself from anywhere from a
four to six second count. Once at the bottom position try to accelerate to the start
without flexing forward.
2. 1 1/4s: One of the most challenging types of training 1 1/4s accomplishes a few goals
at once. We extend the time under tension of the set and we emphasize the hardest
portions of the lift. Descend slowly (about three to four seconds) into the bottom of
the squat. Pause for a one to two second count. Then rise only a quarter of the way
and pause for another one to two count. Slowly descend back into the bottom position without bouncing, and pause for another one to two seconds. Then accelerate all
the way to the start position. That is one repetition!
With these changes in tempo and
time under tension, you may quickly
find yourself adjusting the weight of the
USB you are using and the number of
repetitions you are planning for in your
training. The benefits of such training
will definitely reward your patience
and better programming.
The Front
Loaded Squat
executed with
good technique.
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DVRT Front Loaded Squat Checklist
• After cleaning the USB, pull in to the body, trying to bring the USB as closely into the
body as possible.
• Pull the shoulders down and back; keep a tall chest.
• Begin to squat by slightly pressing the knees outward.
• The elbows will slightly elevate as you descend into the squat. The elbows should not
have to rise to parallel to the ground.
• Once the bottom position is reached, “DRIVE” the elbows upwards and push
through the feet to help create extension in the torso.
Shoulder Squat
You can always tell when a training tool has a long, storied history. It doesn’t take more
than looking at the signs of many different gyms to see a variety of training silhouettes
that are integrated into a gym’s logo and the member’s consciousness. You can see images
of deadlifting with a barbell, kettlebell snatches, sprinting, etc. I would say if you had to
think of the same in the world of DVRT, many would jump and say “SHOULDER
SQUATS!” The image of Shoulder Squats is definitely a byproduct of the long history of
sandbags and other odd objects. We may be able to attribute this to the fact it is one of the
positions, like the upper back in barbell training, where we can expose the body to a great
deal of load. After all, it would be far more efficient to carry a heavy odd object on our
shoulders than on our backs.
We can imagine ancient civilizations carrying heavy objects to build their houses and
structures by heaving them upon their shoulders. Primitive cultures are often imagined
carrying their kill over their shoulder. In fact, the idea of carrying a weight upon one’s
back are a more modern result of the agricultural era. Odd objects would have been awkward to carry on the upper back. Just getting them onto the upper back would have been
a feat in and of itself, and probably very inefficient.
However, just because it was done once upon a time doesn’t mean we should do it in
more modern programs. In the DVRT system, the Shoulder Position is one of the most
important and under-appreciated holding positions. Many lifters actually misuse this
exercise and holding position because they don’t attempt it with the right intent.
Understanding why we are using the Shoulder position and Shoulder Squat will give us
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insights into what makes the exercise so important, why we see compensations, and how
we progress in the movement.
When discussing the Front Hold position we used the holding position that parallels the
principles of the Front Plank. Understanding the relationship of holding position with our
DVRT holding positions we could use a similar comparison of the Shoulder position as a
relative of Side Plank. The difference in body positions during these planking sequences
changes the emphasis from training muscles to developing kinetic chains.
What is a kinetic chain? Whenever our body produces movement, we don’t see one muscle operating alone. Rather, a specific sequencing of many muscles is producing force,
resisting force, and creating stability. In physical therapist Diane Lee’s book, The Pelvic
Girdle, she identifies four “sling systems” of the body. These different sling systems are
chains of the body that help us produce motion. Dysfunction in one area of the chain can
create an imbalance of certain muscles and/or problems with other slings.
In the performance of
Shouldering the USB, we discussed exposing the body to
asymmetrical loads. The
value became quite obvious,
but we also saw that most
coaches had relegated such
training to the end of a workout, and only to exercises
such as various carries. In
fact, McGill’s greatest concerns about the squat are that
it does not typically train the
quadratus lumborum and
obliques. These concerns can
be addressed by using the
Shoulder Squat. Combining
the benefits of both movements creates a type of
“super hero” exercise.
Don’t shift
laterally.
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Of course, like most DVRT drills,
the Shoulder Squat is more than
throwing the USB up on a shoulder
and squatting. The Shoulder Squat is
one of the most difficult exercises
because the squat already challenges
our movement in key areas of the
body. Adding the asymmetrical load
that we find in the Shoulder Squat
just amplifies the challenge of having
good movement.
How do you know if you have the
ability to perform the Shoulder Squat
with good technique? I’ll give you two
ways, one with a coach and one
assuming that you don’t have the luxury of a coach or even a training partner. We do want to be careful with the
Shoulder Squat. While it can yield
very powerful results, the unique
stress we have spoken so much about
can tax areas of the body that are
quite weak and ill- prepared to absorb
this training.
Don’t elevate
In our DVRT certifications, we
shoulders.
spend a great deal of time breaking
down the compensations of the
Shoulder Squat. Having a coach or
training partner watching your movement can be of great help. Once the
USB has been shouldered, have the
coach watch you squat from behind.
Ask them to imagine a line vertically
dissecting you into two equal halves.
The ultimate goal is that you are able
to squat with the USB upon the shoulder and have your body move relatively the same on
both sides. What we are watching for are large deviations from one side or the other. Our
general rule is that if you feel as though you need a tape measure to see the difference, then
the squat is good! We are looking for LARGE noticeable changes and you will know them
when you see them.
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If the hips look relatively even during the Shoulder Squat, you are not
home free yet. You will then want to
walk around to the side of the squat
and see how the feet appear.
Compensation through the feet is
extremely common as they move to
alter leverage and position of the
pelvis. The body is very creative in
getting around movement issues. By
altering the position of the pelvis to
compensate for tightness, the feet
shift. We can see one foot become
more externally rotated (turned outward), while one foot shifts back
from its original position, and/or
actually steps outwards from the midline.
The foot position is one of the easiest ways to self-assess your Shoulder
Don’t move
Squat movement. Upon Shouldering
feet.
the USB, use a line in the ground
(many gym floors have small lines in
the ground that you can use), or use a
dowel rod by your feet. After performing a few repetitions of the
Shoulder Squat, look at the feet prior
to lowering the USB to see if any shift
has occurred. Many lifters are quite
astounded how their movement has
changed, even though they don’t feel any active movement by their bodies. Again, we
aren’t looking for microscopic changes in one’s movement, but rather very distinct changes
in position.
Am I trying to dissuade you from using the Shoulder Squat? On the contrary, I want you
to appreciate the complexity that the Shoulder Squat provides. My sincere hope is that you
transform how you see this valuable DVRT exercise and have the patience to work
through the DVRT system in order to improve in such core movements.
Of course, such a discussion on movement begs the question, “If I see these compensations, how do I get better?” We have to appreciate the fact that complex movements such
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as the Shoulder Squat do not allow us to pinpoint a specific muscle. Rather, we look at a
chain and pattern of muscles in the system. The reason for the various compensations may
vary.
We can use my own body as a great example. My herniated low back discs actually are
pushed more to the right than straight back or the left. When I load the right shoulder during the Shoulder Squat, I have a much more challenging time avoiding compensation
because the discs have disrupted the chain on the right side of my body. Knowing someone’s health history can definitely give you insight into the compensation patterns you
might see in the Shoulder Squat. In the case of orthopedic issues, you may never actually
see a true balance between the two sides. However, we can definitely expect to see
improvement in the deviations and a decrease in the amount one side alters its movement.
The other reason that we see such compensations in the Shoulder Squat is that we have
not patterned the squat well enough. The complexity of the asymmetrical load creates too
much neural stress, and our body tries to work around the asymmetrical load and alters
the squat pattern. Therefore, it is VERY important that people work through the DVRT
progressions to make sure they pattern the squat in increasingly more demanding postures
and loads. Most just continue to load in their strongest positions and do little to challenge
their postural integrity.
Working through Bear Hug and Front Hold DVRT squats enable you to properly
develop that squat pattern. This means not just trying to perform them for a few training
sessions and then moving on. Instead, try playing with tempos, positions and angles. See if
lifters can perform the majority of repetitions, keeping all of the details of these lifts in perfect harmony Without building faulty compensation patterns. I tell coaches all the time
that there are no special awards for rushing people to more complex and demanding exercises if their clients have not earned the progression!
Outside of just focusing on the foundational squatting patterns, how else can we build
this lateral stability? In some of the upcoming DVRT progressions, we are going to see
additional strategies we can implement to progressively build these qualities. However, I
want to briefly introduce two other concepts within the DVRT model.
In the very beginning, I spoke about DVRT being a program and system. That means we
are not married to a training tool. We need to use the right tool to accomplish our training
goal. Building this lateral stability may require using tools outside of the USB. One of the
most obvious and best exercises are side plank drills. Scientists like Dr. McGill have found
that progressive Side Plank variations are a great way to isolate and provide more focused
training to the quadratus lumborum. Since the QL is often underutilized and weak , making sure that it both possesses good strength and is functioning at a high level is very
important.
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Looking outside of the USB is also
very helpful. Remember, this is a system,
not an implement-based program. One
of the reasons that the Shoulder Squat is
so challenging is because we have a combination of axial loading and asymmetrical stress. Having the load directly
upon our frame puts a lot of stress on
our nervous system to maintain posture
while also trying to move. However, we
can alter the position of the load and
actually decrease the amount of stress
we are applying to the body by moving
the weight more in front of our body. In
order to do so, we are going to have to
change implements to the kettlebell. The
kettlebell one-arm rack squat is one of
the best exercises to progress people
from bilateral loading into more asymmetrical positions. Focus on the goal
and not the implement!
The Shoulder
Squat executed
with good
technique.
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Identifying one’s weaknesses and experimenting with a few different DVRT concepts
should allow you to see progress in the asymmetrical loading positions. While it may seem
like quite the process, I can ensure you that you will be rewarded with greater levels of
functional strength, movement, and a decreased likelihood of becoming a part of the 80%
of the Western population that will experience low back pain!
DVRT Shoulder Squat Checklist
• Make sure the body is in proper alignment once the USB is received upon the shoulder.
• Watch for the feet moving to compensate, the hips shifting, or the torso leaning.
• Begin the squat like the other DVRT squats, but be aware of continual shifting or moving of the feet, torso, or upper body.
• Drive through the heels to ascend from the deep squat position.
• The opposing arm may extend out to the side to help maintain balance.
The Re-Evolution of Squatting?
Understanding our history of strength training allows us to also better understand why
things have changed. Many people believe that barbell squatting has been in our training
vocabulary ever since the beginning of fitness. The truth of the matter is that barbell squatting is a rather recent creation.
For years, squatting with a barbell was done in a great variety of ways with the weight
placed in all sorts of positions and squatting ranging from being on the ball of foot, to flat
footed, to feet completely together to knees flaring out. The modern back and front squats
would only become popular as the creation of squat racks and the sport of Olympic
weightlifting gained popularity, but this wasn’t until the 1930s. That means for quite some
time, athletes and strongmen built strong legs a variety of ways.
A wide variety of squats were key in the development of the old time strongman
physique. Somehow, we have lost many of these great lifts. Without knowing it, we made
our training more limited and created an even bigger hole in our lower body training. Our
goal in DVRT is to create the most progressive movements. When most people begin lower
body training, they start with exercises such as squats and deadlifts, and then move to drills
such as lunges, step-ups, and single leg deadlifts. As great as these exercises are, this is far
from an incremental progression.
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While most coaches would never dream of just stacking piles of weight on their client set to
set, this is exactly what most end up doing when we think in terms of their body position.
The body angles and positions of a squat to lunge are not subtly different; they are drastically
changing one’s level of stability. For many lifters, this dramatic change in body position can
be like adding huge amounts of weight to a lift. Don’t worry, there is a better way!
The idea of Staggered Squatting came to me after watching how many athletes would set
up in their sports. Wrestling is a perfect example of how athletes need to maintain a stable
foundation while still being quick on their feet. In wrestling, many athletes never take a
bilateral stance. Having your feet even with each other makes it difficult to change direction and react to an opponent. Of course, in strength training we don’t have to react to a
load like an opponent, but wouldn’t it make sense to assume positions a bit closer to what
we see in many sporting environments. Isn’t this more “athletic”?
I realize changing the way squatting is performed seems outrageous! Yet if we start
thinking of movement in the real world instead of in the weight room, we see these different types of squatting patterns. If we can get our minds out of the world of Powerlifting
and even Olympic lifting, we can see the value of squatting in a wider variety of ways. The
Staggered Squat offers some really interesting benefits that most would overlook.
Why is it that more single leg dominant movements such as lunges, step-ups, single leg
deadlifts, and pistols are almost never performed before drills such as squats, deadlifts, and
a variety of pulls? This type of programming speaks to our bias toward heavier weighted
movements. Some coaches will even suggest that many of the single leg- based movements
mentioned are all about stability and not about strength (such a topic could be a book in of
itself). The Staggered Squat actually satisfies both load and stability requirements. We have
slightly destabilized our body, but not so much that we can’t apply appreciable loading.
Even though we are speaking about Staggered Squatting as a progression to the more
common bilateral squat variations, Staggered Squatting can be more. Because the stance
assumed in the Staggered Squat opens the hips more than in the standard squat, those with
restrictions in their find the Staggered Squat much more doable. We can use the Staggered
Squat as a means of introducing the squatting pattern to those who have difficulties with
the standard squat variations.
The idea of a Staggered Squat is not necessarily unique to the DVRT system. Other
coaches have used the idea of an off-set position squat to “mix up” their squats. Some realize the more unilateral loading you get by splitting the feet, and others find that the movement feels far more natural than the typical gym squats. However, some approaches are not
ideal . For example, you will see some internet gurus speak about elevating a foot on a platform and perform at an angle. Elevating a leg tilts the pelvis while the body is loading. This
is not ideal for most lifting situations and can aggravate some low back issues.
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The Staggered
Squat.
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Other coaches will use the Staggered Squat but commit a fatal flaw in its performance —
they don’t raise the back heel! Some have called this a B-Squat where the feet are split, but
both feet remain flat. This poses two potential problems. The first is that the pelvis begins to
try to rotate. Rotation of the pelvis can be a primary cause of low back issues. The less obvious issue is that most people “get stuck” by keeping both feet flat in an odd, not quite a
lunge, not quite a squat movement. The range of motion gets decreased. Greatly diminishing
the value of the movement.
The DVRT Staggered Squat tries to resolve all these issues while increasing the value of the
movement. The Staggered Squat begins by assuming your squatting stance and then moving
one foot slightly back so that the toes of the back foot line up with the heel of the front foot.
The heel of the back foot elevates so that pressure is being applied to the ball of foot of the
rear leg. Applying pressure through the ball of foot allows us to prevent the hips from rotating and provides some stability.
Notice that at first we take a stance the width of your standard squat. This provides us a
larger base to work from, and therefore a more stable base to learn this form of squatting.
Over time, the stance can be brought inward, reducing the base of support and making the
Staggered Squat more of single leg exercise. As we work through all DVRT progressions, we
move from stable to unstable positions.
DVRT Staggered Squat Checklist
• Assume a squatting stance and move one foot back so the toes of the back foot line up
with the heel of the front leg.
• Keep the heel of the back leg off the ground for the entire movement and place force
through the ball of foot.
• Make sure to squat into the movement and do not lunge. This means allowing the hips
to sit back and keeping pressure through the flat foot of the lead leg and ball of the rear
foot.
• Over time you can slowly move the feet closer together, reducing the base of support. In
doing so, point the toes straight ahead, but still allow the hips to travel back in the
motion.
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Advancing the Movement
If you think so far we have only covered some foundational principles in hip hinging and
squatting, you are correct! However, I do hope that I have changed the way you are looking at these movement patterns and that you see how meaningful they can be in choosing
specific drills in each section. At this point, you are freed from being a prisoner to the same
exercises all the time, and should feel confident because you have far more options to
address your training goals and individualize your training.
The progressions of squatting and hip hinging could seem overwhelming, with so many
exercises and progressions to choose from. It could feel like too many options. However,
before we start speaking about progressions, let me be forthright about some obvious
questions that are probably on your mind.
“Is there ever a good time
to back squat a USB or odd object?”
No! I would love to give you an exception, but I have never found one. For the reasons
that I provided earlier in the squatting chapter, placing the USB or any odd object on the
upper back causes many issues and few solutions. There are major issues in safely getting
more significant loads in this position, as there can be significant compromise to the low
back and shoulder. The back position provides no benefit and increases the likelihood of
issues such as greater forward lean, and ultimately the positions we discussed offer a far
greater benefit than placing the load on the upper back, especially while minimizing forces
upon the lower back.
“How do I know to use the different holding positions
in squatting or body positions in hip hinging?”
You don’t need to achieve specific weights to move from one progression to another.
You need to determine what you are trying to accomplish with each variation and where it
is placed within the workout. Yes, basically, “Why are you using that exercise?” Even
more important to note is that posture and technique determine all. If you move from one
position to another but show very obvious compensations in either the performance of the
drill or the posture that can be maintained during the exercise, you have pushed yourself
too hard and too fast.
Some people will be able to progress in certain drills with specific movement patterns
faster than others. There will be those that find more stable standing positions with different holding positions much easier than those drills that challenge our body’s positional
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changes and vice versa. You will have to follow some of the programs and the progressions
outlined in this book to see what works best for you!
“Can I overhead squat in DVRT?”
You can, but like all drills we teach in the DVRT program, you should have a specific
purpose for using such drills. People who already possess great shoulder and upper back
flexibility can perform such drills, but I am not sure if it actually builds this flexibility as
there are limited progressions in this position (we can increase both shoulder and upper
back flexibility through a host of other DVRT drill progressions).
The overhead
squat with USB.
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The Most Underrated Exercise?
The mere mention of lunges makes some athletes feel less like lifters and more like
they’re in an aerobics class. The long history of lunges being a part of music pounding fitness classes and spandex laden fitness television programs makes most serious strength
athletes laugh at the thought of a lunge. But could YOU be missing out on how tremendous this exercise can be for your programs?
I personally found myself being quite biased against the idea of lunges. Heck, you couldn’t load the barbell up and see the plates falling off the side when doing lunges like you
could with squatting. Lunges were only those exercises that you performed after you
trained your serious lifts like squats and deadlifts. Very shortly, though, life would teach
me to become more respectful of the lunge.
If I reflect on my past training history in a very honest way, I would have to tell you that
most of the reasons that I didn’t use lunging as a core part of my program was only for two
rather superficial reasons. The first being I had turned into that lifter I mentioned. I felt as
though I was too good for them and that real strength was based upon the big loads, the
ones where you felt the bar almost bending as you took it out of the rack. In reality, I had
a big discrepancy between what I could perform on the more stable lifts such as squats and
deadlifts and what I could perform in drills like lunges. That led me to the second reason
that I just did not like lunges – I wasn’t very good at them at all!
At the age of 14, I was playing basketball at the local park like I had done for years.
Only this day I would land upon the crack in the ground that turned my foot almost
upside down! Tearing about every ligament in the ankle, I was told I would possibly never
play sports again. I would prove the doctors wrong and play again at even higher levels,
but I never fully recovered from the ankle injury. To this day, working my right side is far
more challenging than my left. Don’t worry though, I did what most athletes do. I did
everything in my power to hide this compensation. More ankle braces, specific shoes, taping. I used everything and anything available to avoid actually addressing the problem of
my lower leg instability.
It didn’t matter to me. I was building my lower body strength with the classic strength
lifts, so not using lunges didn’t seem to be a big deal. After all, I saw my squat and deadlift
numbers go up and up. I couldn’t be hampering my progress, could I? Seeing success in the
gym did prolong my neglect of many forms of lunging. What did it matter if I wasn’t good
at lunges? I was getting strong, wasn’t I?
Of course I thought I was getting strong, and more important to me, capable of playing
my sport at a higher level. Yet six months after returning to basketball, I herniated two
lumbar discs during a high school game. At the time I didn’t tie the ankle injury to my low
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back, herniated discs are pretty unusual in a 14-year-old. Even more interesting is the fact
that the discs ended up herniating towards the right side, same side as my ankle injury.
Interesting.
There is no way for me to prove that the ankle injury created a greater potential for
injuring my low back. However, as I began to learn more about how the body actually
functions, I began to suspect that it was a possibility.
A 1999 study in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy found that people with low back pain on one side of their body, also had excessive foot pronation on the
same side as the low back pain.
With the research there to help us better understand how the body functions, we have to
ask – why don’t the great strength athletes use the lunge more in training if it works? There
is a mistake that many of even the best fitness professionals and strength coaches make all
the time. It is differentiating what is performed in sports such as Powerlifting and Olympic
lifting and what happens outside of the gym. While these iron game sports offer benefits to
fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike, they work in very sterile environments.
In the real world and in most non-iron sports, there are components of stepping, acceleration and deceleration in different angles and directions, unpredictability of movement,
and horizontal — not just vertical — transfer of the body. For all these reasons, when we
think of functional training models, we can’t be locked into the classic iron sports. But
because the earliest strength coaches were from Powerlifting and Olympic lifting, the
training systems associated with these sports became the predominant training systems.
Most real world and sports activities are predominately performed in a single leg and/or
split stance. It is more rare to find every day activities being performed in our standard
squat or deadlift types of positions. Does this mean that these lifts serve no benefit? Quite
the contrary, and I’ll address this shortly for those that are getting nervous that I may be
suggesting we get rid of all bilateral drills. As renowned strength coach Mike Boyle says,
“I’m not anti-bilateral exercise; I’m pro unilateral exercise.”
Before you move toward closing this book and thinking this is some crazy “functional
training” nonsense, most of you are already on board with this concept and don’t even
know it! If I asked you whether a true one-arm push-up or a 315 bench press is more rare,
probably most of you would answer the one-arm push-up. Don’t like this example? Do
you love kettlebells? Even when using double kettlebells in training, the arms move independently, creating all types of unique stress on the body. Ever notice that many of the primary kettlebell lifts are one-arm in nature? Early in the book I mentioned that it is rare to
find someone who can dumbbell bench press what they can barbell bench press. Yes, even
the use of dumbbells lends itself to a predominately unilateral type of training.
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I’ll give you one more example before we get down to the nuts and bolts. We tend to
marvel and revere the strength of some of the classic strongmen like Eugene Sandow,
Arthur Saxon, George Hackenschmidt, and many others. The lift they often demonstrated
as their ultimate test of strength was the bent press. Yes, a one-arm exercise using the barbell! It wasn’t the bench press; it wasn’t the squat. Maybe these old time strongmen were
even smarter than we originally thought!
If we are confident in the use of unilateral training for the upper body, why wouldn’t it
make sense to use it for the lower body as well? We tend to see upper body unilateral exercises such as one-arm push-ups or one-arm chin-ups as relatively elite exercises. Why can’t
we view movements such as the lunge in the same manner?
In reality, it all goes back to a general bias in favor of heavier loads. We shouldn’t be able
to lunge as much as we can squat. The performance of the squat places us in a significantly
more stable body position than the lunge. Realizing this is more of a difference of physics
than it is a measure of strength can alter how we see most unilateral dominant exercises.
As with the dumbbell bench press, we have far more instability and therefore smaller muscles firing off to stabilize our body.
I understand, you are a bit nervous. Change breeds anxiety. After all, when was the last
time someone in the gym asked you, “How much can you lunge?” Probably never is my
guess, but that is ok. They are missing out – big time!
What is the big difference? Is it just a function of stability and not strength? Coach Boyle
makes a strong case for the greater focus of unilateral dominant exercises:
“When we stand on one leg, as in a one leg squat, we engage three muscles that
we don’t use in a two leg squat. I know some will say we use the adductors
because the knees move apart in the descent, but this isn’t the same. The key to
the lateral sub-system is that we engage these additional muscles in their normal
role of stabilizers, not as movers.
“In addition, in any single leg exercise, bodyweight becomes a more significant
part of the resistance. Voila, functional training: training the muscles that we’re
using in the way that we use them. Bottom line: this doesn’t happen in any version of the double leg squat.
“In a conventional double leg squat, we simply strengthen the prime movers
and neglect the stabilizers. Using the car analogy, we get a bigger engine, but
maybe bad tires.”
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Again, you must be asking yourself, “If unilateral exercises are the way to go, how come
I don’t see more people prioritizing them?” The truth is that it is changing, maybe slowly,
but we are seeing strength coaches and fitness professionals slowly changing the way they
see training. Quoting Coach Boyle once again, “Single limb training is a logical outgrowth
of what we now know about functional anatomy. It’ll promote greater muscle growth and
greater muscle strength because it works more muscles. Knowing the way the body works
allows us to develop and utilize exercises that work not just prime movers, but stabilizers
and neutralizers.”
I get it, I really do. What I am asking you to do is take a giant leap of faith toward seeing
unilateral training in a new way. Science is one thing, but what about the real world? Do I
have any real proof that what I am suggesting actually works?! Interestingly enough,
Strength Coach Ben Bruno actually put single leg training to the test! For one year, he
dropped all bilateral quad dominant exercises and performed only unilateral versions.
Initially he was also hesitant about such an experiment:
“At first I struggled with the stability aspect of the single-leg exercises. I found
it difficult to use much weight at all, and almost quit the experiment after the first
two weeks because I figured it was a lost cause. But I stuck with it, and after an
initial learning phase of about 3-4 weeks, my balance began to improve. And my
numbers on the single-leg exercises started to skyrocket. For example, in the first
eight weeks, I went from using 40-pound dumbbells for Bulgarian split squats to
using a 275-pound barbell. I also went from not being able to do one bodyweight
single-leg squat to using over 100 pounds of external load for 6-8 reps.”
Some pretty impressive numbers, but does the result mean only getting better at these
exercises?
Shockingly, no! Coach Bruno states his previous best squatting effort with 225 was 21
repetitions – not too shabby at all! After his year-long test of not performing ANY bilateral
types of squats he was able to hit a pretty remarkable 35 repetitions! His thoughts on his
experience and the impact of unilateral drills?
“If you treat the single-leg work as an accessory movement and do it at the end
of the workout and don’t push the loading, then sure, it’s not going to do much
for strength – it becomes more about building stability and evening out imbalances between legs, which is fine. If you put it first in the workout and follow the
principle of progressive overload, however, then it becomes a strength exercise.”
Ah, I can hear the “hardcore” squatters and deadlifters getting more and more wound
up. Some may be ready to shout at me, “He probably BUILT his strength on the foundation of deadlifts and squats.” This is true! That is why, in the DVRT system, we begin with
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movements such as our hip hinge and squatting progressions. Which DVRT exercises we
prioritize really begins to depend on our goals, fitness levels, and needs. Where most people STOP at squatting and deadlifting, we are just beginning our journey of movement. In
the beginning, squats and deadlifts will serve as an important foundation, but over time we
will see the priority begin to switch, and this type of training philosophy keeps you progressing and growing in your fitness goals.
Defining the Lunge
One of the issues with the lunge is that we tend to think of this movement in very limited
terms. The actual lunge is a “primal movement.” This means it is not just an exercise, but
a movement pattern like we see in the hip hinge. A primal movement is often thought of
movement skills we naturally possess, but due to our largely sedentary lifestyles, we lose
the ability to perform these foundational skills.
Lunges can be a lifter’s and coach’s best asset because of the incredible number of
options available in DVRT principles. Examining the lunge means we have to first identify
the correct body position – an oft-neglected part of lunge training! When most people
think of the classic lunge, they envision people performing walking lunges around the
entire length of the gym! While walking lunges offer one variation, they are just scratching
the surface of the many options, and don’t always provide the right starting point.
Lunging usually refers to a stepping motion in many different directions, where one leg
is positioned forward with knee bent and foot flat on the ground, while the other leg is
positioned behind. Such a broad definition allows for a lot of variation and alteration to
the exercise. For our starting point, we are going to try to assume an upright trunk position and a rather static lunge known as a split squat.
Because EVERYTHING we do in the DVRT system is designed to become progressive,
we need to make the lunge similarly progressive. Removing the stepping action from the
lunge can help assist us in gaining the fundamental skills of the lunge.
The fear factor can become a real problem with the lunge. Often we can see the lifter’s
trunk start to crunch and flex forward as the stride shortens. While this can be attributed
to lack of flexibility and mobility, we cannot underestimate the body’s desire to try to
maintain balance and stability by creating flexion in the body. Realizing there is a fear factor in the lunge for some, we need to introduce the elements of instability into the lunge as
progressively as possible.
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Don’t flex forward.
Don’t take too short of a stride.
Don’t take
too long
of a stride.
Don’t let the knee fall inward.
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Spending more time in the split squat position allows people to gain confidence and
become more familiar with the movement of the lunge. All exercises have an element of
neurological learning, so as the brain makes the body smarter, we will see the stability of
the lifter improve. This is very similar to what we see when someone rides a bike their first
time. They may seem very unsteady and then
over time become far more capable.
If we can reduce the fear aspect of any
movement, the body will likely turn off the
brakes. In the case of the lunge, this means
those nasty hip flexors. The hip flexors can
be a huge sticking point in many lifts. This
group of muscles often tightens as a result of
chronic sitting, unbalanced training, and/or
to try to protect the body from perceived
unstable situations. The hip flexors will
often inhibit our movement if they decide to
dominate, and they can pull our bodies out
of ideal postural alignment. The split squat
can often help in both dynamically stretching the hip flexors and helping tell the brain
to turn off the brakes and allow movement
in the front part of our hips.
The key in performing the split squat is to
make sure you are set up in the correct posture. Most people who feel uneasy in any
type of split lower body position will assume
too little of a step. The problem comes when
we perform the split squat. The front heel
rises off of the ground, putting a great deal
of shear through the front knee. It often
reminds me of Strength Coach Dan John’s
saying about squats, “Squats don’t hurt your
knees. The way YOU squat hurts your
knees.” We can take the same philosophy
and apply it to split squats and lunges. Many
of the knee issues people experience are a
result of poor set-up and execution of the
movement.
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Correct posture for
beginning position of
Split Squat and Lunge.
A few simple guidelines are going to save most of you from experiencing the aches and
pains some do by performing the split squat and lunge incorrectly.
DVRT Split Squat and Lunge Checklist
• Make sure the stride of the front leg is long enough to allow the heel of the front leg
to stay on the ground in the bottom position.
• The stride should not be so long that the low back starts to extend rather than moving from the hip.
• When descending into the bottom position, a slight transition of the body going forward is acceptable. However, the body should be lowered more vertically than horizontally. Think of bending both knees simultaneously, as most people get in trouble.
• Make sure to initially keep the torso
very tall, allowing a
stretch in the hip of
the rear.
Correct
posture for
finished
position of
Split Squat and
Lunge.
• Keep the dominant
amount of pressure
through the heel of
the front leg and
the ball of the foot
of back leg.
Actively use both
sides, even though
you are assuming a
more unstable
stance, making it
even more important to optimize
both sides of the
body.
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Loading Position
Once we establish the foundational movement patterns of the split squat, we can now
strategically plan how we will establish the loading positions. The split position allows us
to take advantage of more holding positions and the ability to stimulate and challenge the
body in unique ways. As per our principle of loading position, we move from stable to
unstable. However, you are going to see a more extensive list of options. Some may seem
subtle and others more dramatic. Everyone responds to the different holding positions differently, so think of the following as guidelines rather than commandments!
Unlike the squatting series, we actually do not begin with the Bear Hug position. Greater
loading in the DVRT system creates a larger USB. In the split position, we run into logistical issues. When using larger USBs we would end up running into our lead leg with the
load. Additionally, because we do not have the same movement in the pelvis in lunging and
split squats that we see in bilateral squatting, the counter balance of the USB would not be
as profound.
I am a great believer in the
Oliver Wendell Holmes saying, “The young man knows
the rules, but the old man
knows the exceptions.” In
other words, it is okay to
break the rules if you know
what the rules are and why
you are deviating from them.
In the case of loading position, it is ok not to begin our
lunge or split squat series
with the Bear Hug position
and move immediately to the
Front Hold series. The purpose and technique will
remain the same as what we
experienced in the squatting
series. The challenge will
remain resisting the forward
lean, especially now that we
are in a position of compromise with the body unstable.
The
Front
Hold Split
Squat.
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Even though we are using the more static Split Squat position to help gain balance and
confidence in the lunge progressions, we still have to step in the right direction to assume
the Split Squat. Most coaches actually start their clients with the far more aggressive forward step, which requires decelerating both body weight and the USB. By actually stepping backward, our center of mass stays over our base of support. Consequently, we are
far more balanced and have less weight to decelerate when getting into the Split Squat
position.
Starting with the Front Loaded position isn’t too innovative. However, where we go
from there will shake up our loading progressions a bit. In the squatting series, I discussed
at length the challenge of having an asymmetrical load. In the split squat and lunging
series, we begin in a body position that immediately exposes us to rather high asymmetrical loads. When we add in the USB to the equation, we see TWO asymmetrical loading
positions, and we add a great deal of complexity and intensity to our exercises.
Ipsilateral Suitcase
Split Squat.
Contralateral Suitcase
Split Squat.
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Because this combination of body and load position creates high levels of complexity
and intensity, it also requires more progressive movements. This is where the unique
design of the USB comes into play. Unlike most training implements, which require us to
conform to the tool, we have made the USB to address the specific goals in our DVRT system. The “suitcase handle” becomes crucial in our split stance progressions.
Because our center of gravity is around the bellybutton area, it’s easier to remain stable
when the weight is below the center of gravity rather than at the Shoulder position. The
direct loading upon the frame of our body creates an immediate challenge to our postural
alignment than the suitcase position.
Working the Suitcase
position allows us to
introduce the combination of asymmetrical
body and load position
in a more balanced lifting posture. However,
don’t be fooled; this is a
very challenging drill.
Like all of our DVRT
drills, the intent of the
exercise will help dictate
the performance.
Don’t
compensate.
Begin by deadlifting
the USB into the
Suitcase standing position. From here, perform the same backward step to assume the
Split Squat position.
Immediately you will
find your body resisting
the pull of the USB off
to one side.
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This “pull” you experience is a more intense form of what is known as multi-planar
training. Multi what?! Our body predominately functions in three planes, as discussed in
the principles section of this book. We have Sagittal, Frontal, and Transverse. While there
is no quiz for later, understanding these three planes helps us realize that we can create
greater intensity beyond just loading. Whereas the simple action of walking requires us to
use all three planes of motion, most of our strength training largely in the Sagittal plane.
Functional training gurus in the late 1990s believed we had to shift focus and actually
move in all three planes. While they were correct, they misunderstood how instability actually integrates multiple planes. In order to just balance in the Split Squat position, we have
to resist forces in both the Frontal and Transverse planes. By adding the USB into the
Suitcase position, we exponentially increase the body’s need to resist these other planes.
That is why even lighter loads in this exercise seem so much more stressful to the lifter. We
want to emphasize control and stability.
Just as with most new drills, altering tempo will go a long way toward teaching us such
concepts. A number of people actually try to rush through these drills, and are unpleasantly
surprised by how fast their balance is thrown off. Instead, we want to slow down, especially during the lowering phase of the Suitcase Split Squat. Slowing down the body naturally allows it to find where it needs to be in space, and groove the motion so that we can
build upon these holding patterns.
The interesting thing is that we don’t immediately proceed to the Shoulder position.
Splitting our body position and having the asymmetrical load of the Suitcase means that we
have to consider how the USB will feel differently depending upon which side is holding the
load and which leg is forward. Don’t worry if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed at this
point. I will soon outline the progressions for you, and as you get more familiar with using
these concepts, they will feel far more natural in programming your workouts and you will
see how the DVRT principles begin to transfer even to non-USB based drills.
When we are in the Suitcase Split Squat, the USB theoretically should start in what we
call “rear leg position.” In this position, USB is on the same side as the leg that is split
behind and is helping support the Split Squat. The rear leg position creates a cross pattern
that should help stabilize the body . Think of walking – the arm works in conjunction with
the opposing leg. Cross patterns happen often during everyday activities.
Of course this means that the USB on the same side – known as “front leg position” –
should be more challenging. With all the load upon one side of the body, the USB should
feel harder to control and balance. As I mentioned earlier in the lunge section, not everyone
responds the same. Some of you will feel more balanced by switching these progressions.
Just realize that everyone’s nervous system is slightly different. Use these as guidelines and
be in tune with how your body responds.
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The Shoulder position becomes our next holding position (after the suitcase). Does this
mean we don’t spend time loading the Suitcase or Front Loading hold patterns? No, but
because the USB doesn’t increase its weight by five pound increments, changing the holding position may offer a more subtle change to the perceived load than trying to add small
increments to your USB or moving from one size to another.
Contralateral Shoulder
Split Squat.
Ipsilateral Shoulder
Split Squat.
While the Shoulder position is very difficult to maintain in the Squatting pattern, the
Split Squat and lunge allow us to optimize what may have been impossible in the previous
patterns. The fact that we have to stretch the hips is a primary reason that the Shoulder
position is much more versatile and accessible in the split positions. With the higher point
on the body that we saw in the Suitcase holding position, the Shoulder position is more difficult to stabilize. The additional axial loading (weight pressing from the top of the spine
down), we instantly turn on many stabilizers of the trunk and change the dynamics of all
our movements.
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The progression of the Shoulder position is the same that we utilized in the Suitcase patterns. We want to begin by loading the shoulder of the rear leg, followed by the shoulder of
the front leg. The increase stress to the body can show itself in subtle and not so subtle
ways. For some lifters, slowly moving up and down without falling off to the side in the
Split Squat with Shoulder load is quite a feet in itself. If you find that you’re one of these
lifters, have some patience; you just need to learn how to become more comfortable and
stable in these patterns and positions.
Not Good!
Don’t let the
hips rotate.
In more subtle ways, we can see the compensation in the hips. In several cases, you will
find the hips rotated. For example, when we have the USB in the Shoulder position on the
rear leg load, we can feel that hip rotate away. If the weight is on the right shoulder with the
right leg back, it is easy for the right hip to actually turn away from the body. This is definitely a sign of instability and compensation. If you can’t really tell if you are falling victim
to this compensation pattern, follow these guidelines to help make sure you don’t!
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DVRT Asymmetrical Loading Lunge Pattern Checklist
• Keep the shoulders square.
• Drive through the ball of the foot of the back leg.
• Push through the back hip – slightly forward – to make sure the hip doesn’t rotate.
Split Squatting and lunging are not true single leg or unilateral lower body drills. Since
we have both legs in contact with the ground, we still have some stability from the back leg.
Taking advantage of the rear foot is important for progressing to more complex patterns,
handling heavier loads, and sometimes for decreasing the amount of stress that people
place on the front knee. By actively using the back foot (primarily the ball of foot, as the
heel will remain off the ground), you will activate a lot of the supporting muscles on the
rear leg side. This includes a lot of the important trunk and hip muscles that prevent rotation and collapse of the non-primary stance leg. Muscles such as the quadratus lumborum,
internal/external obliques, glute medius, and many more have to function synergistically to
prevent unwanted movements.
These five loading positions don’t exhaust our options. Instead, they form the baseline
for a solid foundation. The mistake many coaches will make in creating programs based
around the DVRT lunge progressions is rushing people through these foundational movements and onto the “cool” variations we will describe in the upcoming chapters. The reason we discuss these variations first is to provide a solid base for people to perform more
complex drills. Not following these progressions can make it very frustrating for coach and
lifter alike. Remember, this is why I keep so strongly pointing to the system, and not just
focusing on the tools that we are using in the program.
DVRT Loading Position Progressions
• Front Load
• Suitcase Rear Leg
• Suitcase Front Leg
• Shoulder Rear Leg
• Shoulder Front Leg
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Front Load
Suitcase
Rear Leg
1
2
Suitcase
Front Leg
Shoulder
Rear Leg
3
4
Shoulder
Front Leg
5
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One Giant Step
Once we have established these loading patterns in a static position, our goal is to move
to more dynamic actions. Most importantly, this means actually taking a step and creating
more acceleration and deceleration in the drills. Choosing the RIGHT stepping pattern in
lunge progressions is where a great deal of programs go wrong! The direction we step during the lunge completely changes the outcome of the exercise. I remember learning this the
hard way myself. I never really focused on systematizing the lunge patterns I programmed,
I thought to myself after an extended period of predominately using forward lunge patterns to lunge backwards, “What is the big deal after all?”
The training session went well overall. I found myself trying to gain the same groove that
I had in the forward lunge in the backward or drop step lunge. Rather quickly, I found
myself applying more challenging loads during the workout and feeling pretty good about
the choice to switch things up. I learned my lesson about two days later, when I suffered a
great deal of soreness that I hadn’t experienced with my previous lunging exercises. The
soreness was pretty intense, and even light workouts were challenging. I quickly realized
that different lunging patterns posses different coordination patterns. Just switching the
coordination needed for each lunge direction would enable progressive intensity and hit
specific qualities that I knew I needed to systematize to a much better degree.
Which way do we go first then? We can go forward, backward, to the side, crossover,
and even diagonally. The direction we choose to lunge affects the leverage of our body.
While most of us are more familiar with the forward lunge, the fact of the matter is that
this would not be the ideal progression for introducing most people to lunging. When we
lunge forward, we have more of our body weight to decelerate Remember, it is deceleration
that most people struggle with really absorbing. In the reverse step (we call drop step in
DVRT) lunge, we actually keep more of our body weight in one position, making us
stronger over our base of support.
I know, you feel more comfortable going forward and you think that I am making a lot
out of nothing. The reality is that you have probably patterned the forward lunge because
you have performed it for far more repetitions. If we break down just the biomechanics of
the movement, you would see the difference. Don’t worry though, I won’t get into a boring
discussion of joint angles and such. We see the truth of forward lunges all the time in the
gym. How many times have you seen people lunge forward and, upon trying to return to
the start position, they perform a stutter step in between? You know that point – they take
two to three steps before they can get themselves all the way back to the start. You will
almost never find the same happen when people perform a drop step lunge.
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The drop step lunge isn’t just a good position for beginners, though. Drop stepping is
another powerful form of hip extension, and utilizes the same movement pattern we used
to perform our hip hinge progressions and power movements. Now we can really see how
strong the glutes and hamstrings are in working together, because it is very difficult in this
position for the low back to cover for their weaknesses. Being in a split position also
causes the hip muscles to not just produce force, but resist the lateral instability that the
lunge offers. Ever notice how your heart rate doesn’t take very long to jump to a significant
degree even though the weights may not be very heavy? Such a change in heart rate can be
due to not just the work the muscles are performing in accomplishing the lunge, but also
the amount of energy the body must use to prevent motion.
If you can’t tell, the drop step lunge is one of my favorite positions because it represents
another “big bang for the buck” DVRT drill. We can achieve a lot of goals at once, and
have a better opportunity to expose people to many of the loading patterns that were discussed in the Split Squat series.
The drop step lunge also allows us to create some powerful exercises. If we see that the
drop step is a powerful hip extension exercise like our Power Cleans, High Pulls, and others, then we see we can also use the drop step to perform similar types of lifts. By learning
the Power Clean, High Pull, and other explosive exercises from the drop step lunge position, we are learning how to create force from a more athletic and challenging position. If
you break down activities such as running and jumping, you would want to progress to
forms of more unilateral power movements. In athletics especially, many of the power
movements are based off of more unilateral actions and training, and as such would help
us prepare the body more effectively for these demands.
However, I do have to emphasize again: don’t rush through the progressions. When we
start to perform power drills in the drop step lunge position, we need to worry about what
goes down as much as what goes up! Since gravity increases the acceleration of the USB and
we are in a more unstable position, we have to have gained a great deal of proficiency in
both the power based USB exercises and the different loading patterns in the DVRT system.
To help prepare lifters for this much greater demand, I have a series of steps to help them
process the challenge. One of them is the addition of what we call “balance step.” One of
the most common errors in the performance of Olympic lifts is that lifters don’t “finish the
hips.” What does that mean? For the lifter to produce the most power, the hips need to fully
extend. That creates that most powerful triple extension discussed earlier in this book.
The idea of fully extending the hip isn’t unique to Olympic lifts. In the performance of
other lifts such as the deadlift or many kettlebell drills, “finishing the hips” makes a big difference, by keeping the work in the hips and not in the low back. The balance step helps
us teach this concept, as even elaborate diagrams may not help people actually understand
what we are trying to accomplish.
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The balance step refers to the action of coming up from the bottom of the lunge to a single leg stance, bringing the back leg parallel with the ground. Don’t worry, this isn’t some
kind of DVRT circus trick. Bringing the leg up to this position requires the stance leg to
fully lockout, and creates full extension in the hip. Try it just standing. Pick one leg up to
this balance step position, but keep the stance leg slightly bent. Feels almost impossible to
balance doesn’t it? Now, try the same motion but try to fully lockout the leg and drive
pressure through the heel of your stance leg. Noticing a great deal of balance?
The balance step allows us to be more stable for two reasons. When you fully lock out
the leg, you should feel the glute of the same side start to tighten up. The glutes are very
important for not just extending the hip, but also for lateral stability of the hip . Without
them, we have very little resistance to lateral instability. Further, the balance step creates a
chain reaction where the muscles of the hip, upper, and lower leg all kick into a higher
degree to create tension and stability. If you feel a bit unbalanced, that is okay – totally
normal even! Don’t give up, as single leg stance strength is very important and will go a
long way in preparing you for the more demanding DVRT exercises.
Early in this book I talked about the fact that the number of variations and progressions
in the DVRT system is both a benefit and a disadvantage. The benefits is that anyone can
benefit from the system and it can be taught in a progressive manner. The drawback is that
both the coach and lifter can feel overwhelmed by all that is available to them. I’ve provided a table below to simplify the systematization. If you spend time actually trying to use
these concepts, you will find they are no different from learning a new exercise. Could be
a bit tough at first, but once you find the groove, it is actually relatively easy and highly
rewarding!
DVRT Drop Step Lunge Progressions
• Front Loaded Drop Step Lunge
• Suitcase Load Rear Leg
• Suitcase Load Front Leg
• Shoulder Load Rear Leg
• Shoulder Load Front Leg
• Front Hold to Balance Step
• Suitcase Load Rear Leg to Balance Step
• Suitcase Load Front Leg to Balance Step
• Shoulder Load Rear Leg to Balance Step
• Shoulder Load Front Leg to Balance Step
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The key concept you should notice is that once we change one variable, we progress
with another. At first we wanted to expose the drop step lunge, then we went through the
loading patterns, and when we added instability with the balance step we had to go
through the loading series once again. The goal is to avoid overly stressing the body, causing it to struggle to recover and progress through the various movements.
The Front Load.
The Suitcase.
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The Shoulder.
The Balance Step Shoulder.
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Take Off!
Once we have spent time developing the progressions listed above, we can start introducing the power movements from the drop step position. The progressions are going to
change a bit, but for good reason. Many people are surprised that lifting the USB in these
power-based movements isn’t as challenging as they expected. However, coming down is a
whole different story! The fear and inability of correctly coming down from these power
movements with the USB leads many coaches to never teach them. Big mistake!
Of course we don’t want to rush people through any type of training, but not utilizing
these lifts is often the result of coaches and lifters not realizing the small progressions they
can create to use the drills for their current ability levels.
Lift Unstable, Lower Stable
I can always tell that the role of body position in programming workouts is new to a lot
of people (even well-trained fitness professionals), because they don’t feel comfortable
optimizing this variable. What makes the drop step power movement so difficult is that
when we are trying to lower the weight, we have a combination of high speed and unstable
lifting position. The solution is quite simple. Let’s focus on only one aspect of the lift at a
time and remove the excessively challenging portion. How?
Even though I stated that lifting the USB up from these positions is not as challenging as
many would believe, it’s certainly not easy. We do want to gain proficiency with lifting
before we teach lowering. I didn’t mention that what makes performing the power movements in the drop lunge additionally challenging was the fact that the weight is not right in
front of us. The USB will actually travel to the side of our body and have to come up our
body at an angle. This is something that most people are truly unfamiliar with, but it is far
more representative of what happens in the real world scenarios.
To help learn this unique movement, we want to exclusively focus on the power coming
up on the lift. Instead of coming directly back down with the USB after we perform our
power movement, we will come down into a deadlift position. Since the deadlift is far
more stable (and should be very comfortable at this point as well), we can lower the
weight into a deadlift and reset. Setting up the power movements in such a manner allows
us to focus upon lifting from an unstable position, but lowering the USB in a much safer
stable position. It also provides us an opportunity to focus on one or two techniques rather
than four or five!
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Performing the power movements in this manner goes a long way toward decreasing the
learning curve of these DVRT drills. Remember, greater success in learning and teaching
enhances both our training results and the experience of the program! However, it is curve
ball time again.
When we teach the power movements from the
drop step lunge, we actually teach the Power Clean
prior to the High Pull. The reason for now confusing you is that the purpose of these two exercises
has changed. In our hip hinge progressions, we used
the High Pull to teach you how to make the USB
feel weightless and create force from the hip and not
the upper body. In the drop step lunge, the High
Pull isn’t necessary to teach this concept because if
we are performing drop step power movements, we
have already developed the skills of these two lifts.
The Rotational
Lunge Clean
executed with
good form.
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The High Pull becomes more challenging than the Power Clean because it creates more
speed and makes it more difficult to transition from one position to another. The Power
Clean allows us to create a definitive stopping point and set our bodies up to lower the
USB in the deadlift position, whereas the High Pull becomes almost one seamless motion.
In order to perform the High Pull drop lunge well, we have to be very comfortable with the
Power Clean version.
Working from the drop step lunge helps us to identify some common errors that may
exist in the Power Clean. Two of the most common can be quickly spotted by using the
Drop Lunge Power Clean:
Incorrect elbow movement
When people try to build or maintain stability they will gravitate toward their bad
habits. A very noticeable one occurs when the elbows only come up a portion of the way,
ending at about half of the movement. This is very problematic as it causes the USB to create a lot of torque, and because the lifter is not directing the weight, the weight ends up
smacking them in the chest. Of course we call this incorrect, and need to address it immediately.
Swinging of the USB
The second issue usually stems from people trying to rush through the progressions discussed in the lunge section and jump to DVRT drills they aren’t quite ready to perform.
That often shows itself in incorrect timing and swinging of the USB out in front of the
body. Once the weight gets too far ahead of the body, there is no way to redirect and
absorb the load correctly. The USB should travel straight up the body, as we have seen in
the earlier power drills discussed.
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Rotational Lunge
High Pull.
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Watch for collapsing
knees and
compensation.
Focusing on getting comfortable with simply accelerating the USB upward has tremendous benefits and shouldn’t be rushed. The drop lunge explosive movements are so important because they are a better representation of functional power than the standard bilateral power exercises. You will, in fact, find that the better you become at the drop lunge
power drills, the easier the more common Power Cleans, Shouldering, and other movements feel in your training.
The final challenge – and the moment you know you are ready to try the most unique
and possibly powerful DVRT exercise – is when you are able to perform the drop lunge
power series with both the ability to correctly direct the weight upwards and to absorb the
weight on the downward phase. Then you may welcome something truly unique in the
world of functional fitness and performance based training – The Rotational Lunge.
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THE NEW
FUNCTIONAL
FITNESS
’ll admit it, some of you will probably struggle to see the value in some of our
DVRT drills until they actually perform them. Squatting, hip hinging, even lunging
can seem all too familiar. What I’ve written can’t be significantly different, can it?
Hopefully I’ve explained the “whys” well enough for you to dedicate time to these
progressions, as they lay the foundation for the more truly unique DVRT drills.
For many, working through the foundational DVRT drills will be a wake-up call. We
tend to cynically evaluate contemporary fitness programs. With so much information
being shared, ideas being expressed, and theories being tested, it can be easy to reject what
looks very different as inferior to what we feel more comfortable doing. In fact, I have read
many times about coaches and lifters stating that there is nothing new in fitness and it has
all been done before.
How sad it must be to think that there are no new ideas. What would that mean for the
future of fitness? The reality is that we have been burned by the novel exercises and programs so many times. Our “hope” for new ideas and programs has been lost. Part of the
problem lies in same issues that I came across in my journey toward developing this system
and the USB.
If we choose to see exercise and fitness the same way, we will of course begin to recycle
ideas. However, if we can make the choice to take a look outside the proverbial box, a
whole new world can open to us.
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I’ll give you an example that occurs all too often. If I bring up the term “functional” to
most coaches, there is usually a big eye roll and sigh that follow. I understand, the typical
buzzwords in the industry get overused, overhyped, and then suffer a severe backlash from
the industry they were trying to help change. Functional training itself went from trying to
get people off machine training to odd “circus” type of training, to a strong focus on
Olympic lifting, powerlifting, and a bit of intense body weight training. Is that wrong,
though? Isn’t that what we should be focusing upon?
Functional training as a concept was very profound. Legendary sporting coaches like
Vern Gambetta understood that there was huge difference between the needs of an athlete
and what we saw in the average weight room. Coach Gambetta’s philosophy was based
around “involving controlled instability” and working in all three planes of motion. Even
the more progressive gyms that utilize Olympic style lifting and powerlifting were still
leaving out these very important elements of athletic development.
My hope is that what we have covered in terms of manipulating these “new” training
variables is changing the way you see all these movements, enabling you to see how they
are adding new challenges to our training and physical development. Simply looking at the
drop step power drills we discussed in the last section should change how you see even the
most familiar of exercises and movements.
Functional training really was meant to teach the body how to move, how to produce
strength in all types of postures and positions, and ultimately to deal with the unpredictability of both sport and real life. This isn’t necessarily a new U.S. idea either. The
Olympic coaches of the former Soviet Union understood the value of creating a better
bridge from the weight room to the sporting field. They coined the term “imperfection
training.” The Soviet coaches employed different strategies, such as blind folding athletes
as they lifted. They poked them slightly during a lift to force the lifter to react to an unpredictable force, for example. The trouble again was this: How do you quantify these techniques, progress them, and have a far more developed system for their use rather than randomly trying to apply these stresses?
So far you have seen my approach for doing just that. DVRT, with its emphasis on
changing holding positions, body position, direction of force, speed, and all the other
training variables becomes a system unlike any other. Unfortunately, most people don’t
fully explore the depth of these concepts and only scratch the surface of where we can go
with functional movement. A great example of this is the Rotational Lunge.
If I had to point to my ONE exercise that most expressed the concepts of DVRT, it
wouldn’t be Shouldering – as many would believe – but rather, the Rotational Lunge. All
the dynamic components that allow one to actually perform the Rotational Lunge are
unlike anything else! So, what is the Rotational Lunge?
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Don’t let the name fool you, the term “rotation” actually refers to the action of the USB
and the weight, not the body. The Rotational Lunge is a very strong anti-rotational exercise. What makes the Rotational Lunge so challenging is that we are moving in one direction while the USB pulls us in all different directions. The fact we are doing this all from an
unstable body position makes this an even more dramatic drill.
The Rotational
Lunge.
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The Rotational Lunge is performed by using our
drop step lunge. We do so because we need to create the powerful hip extension that will give projection to the USB. As we drop step into the lunge,
the USB begins to rotate to the side of our body.
Moving from right in front of us to the side means
the USB is moving through different planes of
motion as we are moving and trying to resist lateral instability forces.
The Rotational
Lunge.
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The body only rotates through the thoracic spine, which offers a great deal of rotation,
especially compared to the lumbar spine. With our hips fixed forward, we don’t want to
try to rotate through the low back. The powerful hip extension upon rising from the drop
step lunge is what gives the USB movement and challenge. In order to better understand
what is happening during the Rotational Lunge, let’s reverse-engineer the movement.
Since the Rotational Lunge appears so unique, most people miss fact that we can trace it
back to a more popular exercise, the kettlebell swing. Closer examination of the kettlebell
swing will reveal a weight passing back through the body, causing the body to absorb the
force and then create a powerful hip extension movement to re-transmit that force out in
front of the body. Yes, basically the Rotational Lunge is a much more complex kettlebell
swing. Like the kettlebell swing, we can break down the movement to make it more accessible for more fitness levels.
What makes the Rotational Lunge unique is also what can make it an incredible challenge to perform correctly. The trajectory can prove especially challenging. Unlike ALL
DVRT drills we have already discussed, the USB is being projected out in front of the body
and not “up” the body. Not only is this a different type of pattern we must learn to coordinate, but more importantly this pattern creates a long lever arm to the USB. As we project the USB out in front of the body, the weight of the USB changes. The USB can gain
great momentum that many people have a difficult time learning to control.
Due the longer lever arm of the Rotational Lunge, we can start to learn the principles of
the Rotational Lunge by first spending time on the Drop Step Power Clean and High Pull!
Ah, yes, there is a very specific reason that I chose to address these drills prior to the introduction of the Rotational Lunge. I want you to get good — no, REALLY good — at the
Drop Step Power Clean and High Pull before moving onto the Rotational Lunge. A big
reason that coaches again can’t implement the Rotational Lunge is they don’t spend time
prepping people. Instead they see a unique drill and just throw it into the training program
without much consideration. I want you to question “why” all the time. If you can answer
with more than, “Because I like it”, or “I want to be stronger or more powerful,” you can
rest assured you are on the right path for greater fitness goals.
Back to the Rotational Lunge. In many cases you will see me emphasize speed with the
Rotational Lunge. In order to get that powerful projection of weight like we see parallel in
the kettlebell swing, we need to move quickly and explosively. However, that doesn’t mean
we have to do this all the time. One of the advantages the Rotational Lunge has over the
kettlebell swing is that it can be performed at varying speeds. The progression I have used
to even get clients in their 60s to benefit from the Rotational Lunge are as follows.
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• Slow Same Side
• Slow Alternating Sides
• Slowly Increase Speed Alternating Sides
The Rotational
Lunge can be
performed at
varying speeds.
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Why do we focus on one side at a time, and why go slow when the Rotational Lunge is
suppose to be so dynamic and explosive? The same-side phase of the Rotational Lunge is
surprisingly important. Using the same-side approach allows us to introduce the unique
movement of the USB and groove a pattern. Even though no two repetitions of the
Rotational Lunge are the same, you will find the specificity principle kicking in, which will
give you more confidence . There is also a different coordination pattern between staying
on one side as opposed to alternating. Try this: simply try to slide your hands in through
one another. You will notice that one hand is always on top and one is always on the bottom. Now try to reverse so that the other hand goes on top and the other on bottom. Odd
feeling, isn’t it? We tend to under appreciate how finely tuned our nervous system is to very
specific activities.
The hand example is a rather simple one, especially given that in a movement like the
Rotational Lunge we have far more complexity and components occurring. Moving
slowly at first will obviously remove the projection of the USB, but that is okay at first.
Our goal at this point is to teach how to deal with the USB moving in a different direction
than our body moves. If we think about it, just about all our other exercises have the
weight moving in line with our body’s actions. Trying to resist the movement of the USB is
what makes this our most pronounced multi-planar drill.
In the earlier sections of this book, I spoke at length about the different planes of movement and why they are so important to our functional fitness programs. Even though most
movements in the gym occur in line with our body, there are many sporting actions and
everyday activities that do not. Even a common task such as lifting a child requires multiplanar training. I remember first picking up my niece, and she was far from a rigid and stable weight. She would be constantly moving, which meant I was not just lifting her up and
down, but had to resist the forces she was creating in all types of different angles when she
played with me.
In sport we see such actions all the time. I remember growing up in Chicago as a big
Bears fan. It is hard to think of too many athletes that make you think of football and the
Bears like Walter Payton. I was young at the height of his career, but can vividly remember
his amazing runs – he seemed invincible. Not being an especially large athlete, Walter
Payton would run over defenders and put more punishment on the defense than it seemed
he ever received. A running back almost never has the luxury of just running straight
ahead. They are constantly changing direction, accelerating and decelerating, absorbing
hits and all angles during pretty much any motion. They are constantly in the midst of
multi-planar work. In either example, we see that real world movement is not about just
moving up and down or side to side. It is a combination of all these patterns, and demonstrates our real need to integrate this concept wisely into our functional fitness programs.
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There are few exercises in my mind that do this as well as the Rotational Lunge. Don’t
take my word for it. NSCA Strength Coach of the Year, Robert Dos Remedios, has the
Rotational Lunge in his top 5 movements for his athletes:
“This is an exercise that I have been saying the past few years, could be my
favorite exercise of all. I can’t emphasize how great of a move this is…sure it’s a
great knee-dominant exercise that we can really load up etc. but we can create
such great rotational force (especially when we start to swing the bag much like a
KB swing!). Having not only to drive the load back up to the standing position
but also having to deal with the deceleration of the load as it rotates around our
body creates an amazing environment for getting stronger AND preventing
future injury.”
DVRT Rotational Lunge Checklist
• Deadlift the Ultimate Sandbag and begin in a tall standing position with the arms
locked and shoulders back.
• Initiate the movement by simultaneously drop-stepping and slowly rotating the
Ultimate Sandbag to the same side as the lead leg.
• Keep pressure through the front leg’s heel and the ball of foot of rear leg.
• Slowly continue to descend, but do not rotate past the side of the front knee.
• Keep the chest tall for the entire movement while bending both knees.
• Drive through the heel of the front foot to pull the body all the way back up and
tighten the glutes at the top, while driving into the ground with both heels.
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UPPER BODY
DVRT DRILLS
t would be easy to believe that the great majority of DVRT exercises revolve
around just the lower body. Hip hinging, squatting, and lunging are all very strong
lower body movements. Is there really anything different or unique in upper bodybased drills?
Absolutely! However, I do have to preface the discussion of the upper body-dominant
DVRT exercises with the disclaimer that these drills also include the entire body. Very
shortly I will show you that the upper body, trunk, and lower body are all very closely
related.
Where do we start? There are two primary drills we will discuss, and each offers very
different training effects . The first is the overhead press. Old time strongmen believed
much of the strength of an individual was measured by their ability to lift weight overhead.
Everything from the overhead press to the legendary bent press were favorites of these
great and graceful athletes. Why was the overhead press so valued?
Why do so many people value the bench press while the old time strongmen thought the
overhead press was one of the top methods of measuring strength? One reason may not be
nearly as deep as we may like to think. As with squatting, the overhead press was greatly
impacted by the development of racks and eventually benches. The squat rack and bench
didn’t exist during the era of many of these great athletes, leading them to find all types of
ways to lift weight overhead and test their strength. Who knows if people like Eugene
Sandow would have fallen in love with the bench press or not?
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I like to think they would have always seen the incredible value that overhead pressing
offers and still would have favored the overhead press over the bench press. I realize that
will get a few people up in arms, but let me explain. Notice that I have been referring to the
drill as an overhead press and not a “shoulder press.” The overhead press requires the
entire body to create force to get a weight safely and effectively overhead. Any weakness in
the body’s chain will all of a sudden weaken the strength of our overhead press.
Understanding the differences will have a profound effect for those who have traditionally struggled with pressing overhead in their shoulders. If we look at the anatomy of the
shoulder, we see it is not nearly the size of many of the stronger and bigger muscles of our
body. In fact, the shoulder is quite small and really needs the help of the other muscles to
be safe and strong.
To illustrate how the entire body is so critical in the performance of the overhead press,
let’s look at what may appear to be a completely different exercise – the front plank. At
first glance it may seem difficult to see any relationship between these movements. Upon
closer examination, however, we can find a great deal of similarities.
How do we typically progress the front plank? We move people from the forearms up to
the hands, extending the arms and causing increased leverage. From the standard beginning of the push-up position, we can create more stress by changing leverage and moving
the arms out in front of the body. If we were to continue to move the arms farther and farther out in front of the body, we would find our arms almost extending overhead. Of
course at some point we would end up on our face, but if we move to a standing position
and use an external load instead of gravity as our primary stressor, then you can see we
continue the front plank progression.
Yes, I am suggesting that the overhead press is just as much about the trunk and lower
body as it is about the upper body. The overhead press is a great example of what functional training is really all about. Yes, that highly criticized term is not just a buzzword.
Rather, it is about teaching our body how to work smarter and to use our body’s systems
to collaborate to create more efficient and effective movement patterns.
If we can agree that the overhead press shares a great deal with the front plank then we
can take many of the concepts of the front plank and apply it to the overhead press. This
includes important principles such as creating tension by applying force in the ground
with the feet, actively locking the legs to build a stable foundation in the lower body. No,
don’t worry, you won’t magically pass out or have your knees explode if you lock out your
joints. You have plenty of muscles, tendons, and ligaments which make doing so almost
impossible on a conscious level. Instead, you will find that the hamstrings and glutes
become highly active, and we have already discussed how important these muscles are in
our overall strength and efficiency.
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The glutes especially play a big role in the overhead press. Many people actually fail in
both their glutes and trunk, creating a very weak platform for the upper body to actually
use as a base for performance. How? You can quickly see the difference for yourself without any weight. Stand up and keep a soft bend in your knees. See how much you can bend
forward and back through your low back when you have the position of soft knees. Now
try to press through your heels and stand as tall as possible. When you do so, you should
find that your knees straighten and your glutes tighten. If you try to squeeze your glutes
as tightly as possible, you should feel your pelvis tilt slightly back. Now see how much
you can move forward and backwards while maintaining this tension. Finding that is it
very difficult to do so? Good, you are setting forth a strong foundation for the rest of
your body!
Moving up the chain of the body, we come to the challenge of creating a rigid trunk.
Our body possesses a natural “weight belt” through both the deep and more superficial
abdominal muscles and fascia in the trunk. Creating proper pressure in the torso increases
what is known as intra-abdominal pressure. Basically, the pressure in the torso helps stabilize the spine and prevents motion. You should be beginning to realize that the overhead
press is less and less about the shoulders and more about learning to maximize the entire
body.
As we move up the chain to the actual upper body, we don’t look first at the actual
strength of the upper body, but rather at its mobility. Joint mobility is defined by the
American Council on Exercise as, “the degree to which an articulation (where two bones
meet) is allowed to move before being restricted by surrounding tissues (ligaments/tendons/muscles etc.)… otherwise known as the range of uninhibited movement around a
joint.” The definition of joint mobility seems rather simple, but what I have learned over
the years is finding out why a joint is limited isn’t nearly as easy as it might seem.
In Thomas Hanna’s revolutionary book about movement and pain, Somatics, he states
that one of the most common errors of practitioners is treating the site of actual pain.
This thought process has given rise to a whole new method for therapists and coaches to
treat pain and injuries. We can use the same approach in trying to understand lack of
mobility in the upper body.
Realizing that everyone may not be able to initially perform the overhead press is crucial! I have consulted with many individuals who start a training program and complain
about a specific exercise causing them injury. When I ask if anyone ever qualified them to
perform these exercises, they look at me with confusion. The issue typically doesn’t arise
from an exercise being bad or dangerous. Rather, people rarely evaluate whether an exercise is appropriate for their capabilities and/or goals. Injuries are usually the result of trying to makes someone perform an exercise they don’t have the necessary movement skills
to do well!
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What does it mean not to have the right capabilities? The overhead press is the perfect
exercise to see this point rather easily. You can perform a rather easy self-assessment by
using a mirror to watch your own movement. Make sure you can see your torso in the mirror. Place your feet together to standardize this little assessment, and use the same position
every time. Slowly move your arms straight overhead for three repetitions. Performing a few
repetitions will provide us a much more reliable
idea of your body’s movement. On the third repetition hold your arms overhead and try to see a
few key points.
Pressing both
sizes of USBs
(pressing style
depends on
size of USB).
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DVRT Overhead Press Checklist
• Are both elbows able to fully lockout, or does on remain slightly bent?
• Are both arms aligned with the ears?
• If the arms reach an even position with the ears, do you feel your low back arching
such that you feel like you are leaning back?
• Is the space between your ears and arms even from side to side, or is one side in possession of far more space than the other?
Don’t flare
elbows out.
Incorrect catch
position.
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These three rather simple self-assessments allow us to gain quite a bit of information.
Most people will find themselves with either a compensation in their movement or an
imbalance from one side to the other. This is especially true if you have ever experienced
some type of injury.
Without telling you what is causing these issues, we first want to determine if you can
safely perform the overhead press. If you are like many, you may have to go through some
of the progressions I am going to lay forth in this chapter. You will find performing the
RIGHT exercise is much more important than any one of the more advanced segment you
wills see in the latter part of this book. You will be surprised how much faster your
progress in training is if you focus on those movements that are right for you rather than
becoming enamored by the cool exercise of the week.
No
leaning
through
the low
back
Incorrect catch
position.
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As far as why we see some of these compensations, we can only talk in generalities.
Without the ability to specifically assess everyone and anyone that reads this book, I can
only give very general guidelines to enhance our movement skills.
The Hips
It may seem odd, but yes, the hips have a lot to do with what happens at the shoulders.
Because major muscles of the hip flexors actually start on the lower part of the spine and
connect to the front part of the hip, they can actually pull the body into a slouching position. Problems with the hips also manifest themselves with the abdominals getting “tight.”
If you slouch forward, you can see how problematic it can become to get your arms properly overhead. A very simple stretch for this entire area can be a good gauge to see if this is
an issue for you. If, after performing the drill, you find increased range of motion in getting
your arms overhead, you know this will become part of your pre-workout arsenal.
The Thoracic Spine
What part of the spine? The thoracic spine is the middle portion of your spine, generally
around the shoulder blade area and a bit below. The body actually has three portions to
the spine, and the thoracic is one of the most neglected when it comes to discussions of
health and performance. Because the lumbar spine (lower back) gets so much attention
because of the high rate of injury, most people never realize that movement of both the hips
and the thoracic spine can greatly alleviate many ailments.
While the body can be very complex, some simple rules do apply. One of the main rules
that impacts our health is that if an area doesn’t move well, the areas above and/or below
will try to take up the slack. This usually leads to inappropriate movement or stress to an
area, and the low back is a great example of these issues. The low back is not supposed to
have a great deal of motion. This segment of the spine is more of a point for providing stability than motion. However, both the hips and thoracic spine are supposed to possess a
great deal of movement. Issues in these two areas definitely lead both to issues in the low
back and shoulders.
A few simple drills can do wonders to see if lack of mobility in the thoracic spine. These
are slow drills that require you to really focus upon where you are trying to establish
movement rather than just rushing through to get them done. It only takes a few repetitions to get a positive result, so have patience and you will find both your body and training really improving!
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A combination
Anyone who has been in fitness and performance training for any time realizes that
issues in the body or compensations usually are the result of a few issues, not a singular
one. When the body creates compensations in one area, it sets off a domino effect. We are
trying to hit on “big bang” movements, drills that will most likely increase your movement
capabilities the fastest.
The tough part is that we could spend a great deal of time working many different areas.
The chest, the lats, the shoulders themselves, and more could all be directly worked upon
to try to improve the movement of the arms overhead. However, this more isolated version
of trying to increase movement may be somewhat futile.
Just as strength is highly related to our nervous system, so is movement and oftentimes
lack of movement as well. There are a lot of instances where people’s lack of flexibility isn’t
due to the muscle being tight as much as it is the nervous system trying to protect the body.
Because the body may feel vulnerable in one area, it will shut it down as a means to protect
it. By “waking up” some of the dormant muscles that should be working, we can all of a
sudden get so much more movement out of an area of the body. One of my go-to exercises
for this is tall kneeling around the world.
Tall Kneeling Around
the World
This drill is great for stimulating a great
deal of the core muscles (both deep and
superficial), dynamically strengthening the
lats and chest, and activating the hamstrings and glutes. For such a relatively
simple drill, the results can be quite profound.
Don’t
Compensate.
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Tall Kneeling
Around the
World
progression.
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The Warm-up
One of the mistakes I made early in my
career was spending so much time warming
up that my clients got bored and lost time.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t important. The
truth is that my warm-up was highly inefficient. I spent so much time trying to stretch
every muscle individually. I made the mistake of trying to train the body in a functional manner, but warm it up very nonfunctionally. The following warm-up series
is far more effective in the results it provides
and the time that is required. Definitely a
win-win.
Rockstar
Reach
Stretch.
• Rockstar Reach Stretch:
5 repetitions per side.
• Lunge and Thoracic Spine Stretch:
5 repetitions per side.
Lunge
and
Thoracic
Spine
Stretch.
• Tall Kneeling Around the World:
3-5 repetitions per side.
Repeat Twice
One of the major mistakes people make
during such warm-ups is that they try to
make them into a workout. We are just trying to get the body prepped for the demands
we are going to place upon it during the
main workout. Pre-fatiguing the body does
very little to enhance how we move or perform. That is why the above circuit represents a situation where more is not better; better is better. It is the quality of the movement,
not the quantity of repetitions we try to squeeze out.
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Back to the Press
It might seem like quite a detour to come back to overhead pressing. However, it is
VERY important. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can sabotage a well-intended fitness program like injury. A lot of people won’t have the patience to actually implement what I have
recommended above. Those are the same people who, in a short amount of time, will
begin to rub their shoulders and begin to think pressing overhead is just an unsafe exercise.
Big mistake!
Once you have set yourself up to perform the overhead press well, we have so many
great ways to train this movement. In the upper
body-based DVRT drills, we are going to focus on
changing body position before the holding position of the USB. This is very important in the overhead pressing series because the USB is going to
feel unstable during the holding positions.
I often chuckle when people get a bit frustrated
when pressing the USB overhead, because they say
things such as, “This is moving!” Well yes, a
major reason we are using the USB and not
another implement is that we want it to move.
Because the USB will feel a bit unstable, we want
to learn to create stability through our body first.
We can work toward decreasing the amount of
stability that the body offers as a means of making
the overhead press more challenging. Remember,
we aren’t changing the USB by small increments,
so these body positions will be very important in
your ability to progress through the series.
The first key is to make sure you clean the USB
into the right position. With all the work that we
put into teaching the Power Clean in the early
chapters, we are going to slightly tweak the movement. Instead of catching the USB in the Front
Loaded position, we are actually going to work to
catch the USB upon the fists. The difference in the
catch of the clean simply stems from having a different intent for the movement. Because our aim is
to press overhead, we can’t have the end position
be the Front Load.
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Clean the
USB into the
right
position.
You learn a lot of lessons performing the clean to fists. If you have any faults in your
clean, they will come about during this drill. While it is possible to get through some technical issues when you are learning to clean to the Front Load position, the clean to fists
needs a lot more precision to get the USB in the correct position. Some common faults that
will lead to an inability to get the USB on the fists include:
• Only allowing the elbows to bend 90 degrees. This will cause a “flip” of the USB that
will make it virtually impossible to get on the fists.
• Allowing the arms to come out in front of the body. You’ll get into a wrestling match
that the USB will always win.
Don’t catch too far
out in front.
Don’t scoop
too early.
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• Too much force: The
amount of force you create
is very important to your
success in this drill.
Insufficient force will mean
that the USB does not get
high enough to catch in the
correct position. Too much
force can cause you to over
rotate the USB so that you
catch the USB on the back
side of the wrists. THIS is
one of the most common
errors and has the highest
potential to cause injuries
in the shoulder.
People often overlook this
issue because they think resting
the USB on the back side of the
Don't scoop too
wrist is similar to using the kettlebell. There are some big difearly in the
ferences between the kettlebell
motion.
and USB that cause this to be
problematic. The kettlebell,
when cleaned correctly, rests on
the back side of the wrist. This
allows the wrist to easily maintain a straight position. When
the USB is cleaned incorrectly, it
rests on the part of the wrist closest to the thumb. Instead of the wrist being straight, it is
pulled at an awkward angle, which can cause strain to the wrist.
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Poor distance of
shoulder to hand.
Good distance of
shoulder to hand.
Even more important is the fact that, when the kettlebell rests on the backside of the
wrist, the distance from the hand to the shoulder is quite small. A short distance allows us
to focus on building stability through the lat and providing a safe base from the kettlebell
to press. However, in the case of the USB, this incorrect holding position causes the distance from the hand to the shoulder to increase, especially as the weight of the USB
increases. Now the shoulder has no help from the supporting structures of the upper body
and becomes a front shoulder press. Such pressing is extremely risky to the integrity and
health of the shoulder.
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Patiently learning the correct technique will help you improve your performance and
keep you healthy. You may have to slow yourself down a bit and think of your clean to fists
as skill work rather than as an exercise at first. Such training can be challenging. However,
I will present a few different ways you can both practice and get a terrific workout.
Pressing Considerations
Before we can consider progression, we need to ensure that we have great technique
when pressing. Here are the keys to a great press:
• Clean to fists with hands almost in line with shoulders (do not clean to fists and leave
the hands significantly narrower than the shoulders).
• Drive into the heels to activate the hamstrings and tighten the glutes. This gives a
strong base to press weight overhead.
• Brace the abdominals to create tension through the trunk and the glutes in the pelvis
to prevent leaning forward or back.
• Drive through the underarm to press the USB overhead to the crown of the head.
• Maintaining tension through the lower body and trunk, “pull” the USB down to the
chest again.
(NOTE: pressing a Core/Power USB will differ from Strength/Burly USB)
Once you have these foundations built into your routine, you can move onto programming. As mentioned earlier, some will struggle initially with the clean to fists. Patience does
have its reward, but we also want to be mindful that frustration can cause a negative training experience. If you can learn to perform a clean with such an awkward implement,
imagine how much you will improve when you go to more stable tools such as barbells,
dumbbells, or even kettlebells.
To build time for practice while improving your fitness, we will rely on programming to
help solve these issues. The overhead press requires a great deal of body tension. Due to the
high tension developed during the press, high repetitions are difficult to achieve. Using the
right programming, we can address the practice needs of the clean to fists, refine our press,
and if desired, build volume in this lift.
Very simply, we are going to use a ratio of clean to fists and overhead presses. The ratio
programming allows us to balance out the programming depending upon our goals.
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Initially we are going to keep it simple in a 1:2 ratio. That means one clean to fists to two
overhead presses. Such a ratio is great for practicing and gaining fitness. We can repeat this
within one set any number of times. For example, in a beginner series we may repeat this
series two times, giving us a total of two clean to fists and four presses overhead. For more
intermediate to advanced levels, you can extend this process up to four or five times within
one set. This results in five clean to fists and ten overhead presses – something that would
be hard to replicate if we performed five clean to fists and then ten straight presses.
Programming like this is extremely helpful, especially in a group setting.
Probably the worst way to initially program the clean and press (combination of the
clean and fists with overhead press) is by using timed sets or intervals. When people feel
rushed as they initially perform these movements, they tend to re-create their mistakes
more frequently. Therefore, intervals and speed are an advanced programming variable.
Not only does speed lead rushed performance, but with the USB there is another profound impact to training by increasing speed. When you start to lift the USB faster, the USB
itself becomes more unstable. Most people are not used to the instability of the implement
when they program, and don’t realize they are layering more complexity than they believe.
Trying to move quickly and technically well can be a great challenge, and doing so with an
unstable weight can be MUCH more difficult.
Speed can be a powerful means for adding progressions and instilling good lifting principles. The key here, however, is to go slower rather than faster. While the clean to fist always
has to be fast, the press can actually be manipulated to add another layer of incremental
progressions. When we move slower, we can easily see the compensations – what strength
coach Dan John calls, “leakage of strength.” This leakage occurs when we lose tension and
stability, inhibiting the ability to demonstrate strength
When we slow down the movement, we have to appropriately accommodate the number
of repetitions. Moving slower is very fatiguing, so moving back to a ration of 1:2 clean to
fists to presses or even 1:1 will help manage fatigue and maximize performance. Repeating
this type of slow cycle two to three times in a set is usually ideal. Even though fatigue accumulates rather quickly, we can see quick recovery as well. Therefore, we can take relatively
short rest intervals (20-30 seconds) between our sets.
What part of the press are we performing slowly? We are going to emphasize the lowering phase of the press. Remember, when the USB is all the way overhead, we have the
greatest amount of weight acting upon our trunk and lower body. People who allow “leakage of strength” or compensation during the press will often see a shaking of the body as it
tries to create stability. It is all right, though. We want to go through our checklist again
and make sure that we are adhering to all our principles of good pressing. As we are able
to integrate the body more efficiently, we should see less shaking.
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Changing Body Position
It is so important that you realize these progressions may constitute weeks or months of
training. In the later sections of this book, I will provide you some programs that satisfy
both your desire to have variation in training and your need to achieve results. However,
don’t ever feel rushed to work through these different progressions. If you spend more time
developing that strong foundation by adhering to good DVRT lifting concepts, you will be
shocked at how much faster you reach those fitness goals.
We have worked through the foundational techniques in the Clean and Press and we
have challenged your stability and strength by slowing down the speed of your press. Now
we will alter stability and strength again, but by a different means. That is changing how
we stand as we press. This is not just a strategy to compensate for the USB not being able
to micro-load. Instead, this is a superior means for developing strength.
Very few athletic activities try to micro-load like in weight training. Even body weight
training never adheres to the idea of such incremental loading. Sprinting and running athletes rarely implement the small changes in performance that are necessary in weight training. The reason that so many people focus on trying to make such small jumps in weight is
that they don’t understand how to really enhance the nervous system.
Yes, the nervous system is far more impactful to your strength gains than the size of your
muscles. We want to teach the body how to work smarter, to tap into the muscles, particularly the ones it wants to be lazy about using. I guarantee if you work one or two sets of
these different body positions prior to your standard bilateral pressing stance, you will
probably feel stronger. You didn’t get stronger in the few minutes it took us to perform
these drills. Instead, your body got smarter.
The concept of changing the body position during a pressing motion isn’t all that unique.
When you look at how the push-up is commonly challenged, we alter body position in a
host of different strategies. We know from many different push-up variations that changing
leverage and stability can greatly intensify the exercise and hit muscles we had forgotten
long about. But if using such techniques are good enough for the body weight exercises like
the push-up, how come we can’t use them during external loaded drills?
Using these progressions in body position will teach you so much about your weaknesses. In the later chapters I will show you how you can use these varying body positions
to create simple periodization models that will keep your progress moving forward for a
very long time!
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Our DVRT principles tell us that we start from stable and move to unstable. That means
we have to learn how to correctly perform what we will call the bilateral Clean and Press.
This body position will refer to what we typically see in the performance of overhead
pressing – the feet in line with each other and a stance hip width or slightly wider. Try to
think of this position as similar to that of a push-up, but starting with a wider base in the
lower body.
The first step in stressing the body position
variable is to reduce our base of support. We are
going to move our feet to what is known as the
military press position. Yes, most people think
the military press refers to just a classic shoulder
press. However, the term comes from both the
stance that soldiers assume in saluting officers as
well as the fact that in early military programs,
you can see pictures of soldiers training in the
field with smaller barbells, pressing from this very
position.
The Military
Press.
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The Military
Press.
161
As mentioned, the key in the military press is that we are changing stability by altering
your base. We can again make the exercise more difficult by moving the feet together in a
push-up. See how we our exercises and programs complement one another and are not
mutually exclusive? It is actually very important for your long-term progress that you
realize that your tools and exercises are based
upon very similar concepts, even though they
may outwardly appear very different.
The
Staggered
Stance
Press.
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With the military press position, we can see the stress of having both a relatively unstable load and body position. The military press stance places more emphasis on resisting
lateral forces, and therefore begins to transform the overhead press from a largely dominant Sagittal plane exercise into a more multi-planar movement. Watch for compensations, which can include tilting side to side and front to back. Not only can we see similarities between the overhead press and the push-up, but also to the front plank. As the USB
moves to overhead, the trunk is being heavily worked, and the principles in exercises like
the front plank become very important in resisting these forces.
When do you move to your next progression? Achieving proficiency in a certain USB
weight is not as important as establishing the ability to perform the movement without any
lean in any direction. You can definitely continue to load this position, and I highly encourage it as people move right through the military press far too fast. The military press gives
us a great combination of both working on stability and load.
Once you have seen that you can perform the military press without any compromise in
leaning or excessive movement, we can integrate the staggered stance. Just as with some of
the lower body-based DVRT movements, the staggered stance is quite valuable in the
upper body dominant drills as well. Staggered stance combines both a narrow base like in
the military press, and an off-set position. This not only introduces lateral instability, but
also rotational forces that the body must work against.
We also see in the staggered stance the great importance of utilizing the lower body and
creating force from the ground up. If the stance leg is “loose” it will be very difficult to
maintain the correct lifting posture. However, if we learn to really drive into the ground
and use the hip to create a more stable base we can greatly enhance both our core and
upper body stability.
What we haven’t discussed is how the USB will continue to add instability throughout
these progressions. In the initial Clean and Press, we might feel some mild instability from
the USB (depending on the size of the USB). As we move to less stable body positions, we
notice that the instability of the USB becomes a variable we must consider during the performance of these drills. That is why it is important to remind you that speed plays a crucial role in the success of implementing these drills. You will find that you prefer to try to
move fast when you don’t feel comfortable or strong. Not only does this reduce the effectiveness of the DVRT drills, but it also makes the USB feel even more unstable. Therefore,
when you move from one progression to another, o slow down the tempo and really focus
on proper body control. This is especially important because the next jump in body position is quite significant, and not adhering to these concepts can make it very difficult to
incorporate these drills into your training programs.
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You may notice that changes in body position for the overhead press remove joints from
the equation. In the very early forms of the overhead press we want to teach you how to
efficiently use your body and the natural support systems it provides. As we progress
though, we begin to remove some of these stability methods in order to really emphasize
some key segments of the body.
What are these “key segments”? We are referring specifically to the trunk, hips, and yes,
the upper body. Continuing to move through these progressions, we get to see if we really
are maximizing these areas of the body to their full potential. As you get stronger with the
following drills, you’ll be astounded to see that they make the previously mentioned drills
easier. This is due to training our nervous
system and awakening many of the smaller
muscle groups, which are often dormant
when the body is more stable. Why not start
with the next two drills then? The previous
progressions teach us how to systematically
The
Kneeling
Press.
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use the body. Moving directly into the following drills is, for many people, like going up 50
or 100 pounds in weight in an exercise. It is important to remember that stability needs to
be as progressive as load!
These two elusive body positions I am referring to are both kneeling and half-kneeling
lifting postures. By removing foot contact and not allowing you to generate as much force
from the lower body by unlocking the legs, we now are increasing the work being performed by the trunk, hips, and upper body. This is a fantastic way to make a lighter weight
in some of the other overhead progressions feel like work once again.
Kneeling is often taught first in our DVRT system because of the more symmetrical
alignment it allows. Even though we have reduced the contribution of the lower body, we
haven’t eliminated integrating from these drills. Most people make a very big mistake in
not being aware of proper usage of the
lower body in the kneeling and halfkneeling postures, causing them to
struggle excessively in learning how to
perform them correctly.
Maximizing these two variations
requires us to once again begin by
looking at the lower body. If we allow
our feet to lay flat, we can’t integrate
the lower body. By positioning the feet
so that the ball of the foot is in contact
with the ground (dorsiflexion), we can
still use the glutes and hamstrings, but
to a lesser degree. There of course are
doubters, so you can simply try this
concept for yourself. Assume the
kneeling posture and relax the feet.
Place your hands upon your glutes and
hamstrings. How much tension do you
feel? Probably very little. Now plant
the ball of your foot into the ground
on both sides of the body and actively
press into your feet. What happens to
the tension in your glutes and hamstrings? More than likely, you felt a
huge increase in tension in these areas.
This isn’t cheating at all. Think of your
push-ups again. When you lift one leg
Kneeling
Press
compensation.
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off the ground, you don’t rely on just
the trunk muscles. Instead, you have to
drive even HARDER into the leg still in
contact with the ground. Using such
techniques is the intelligent way to make
the body function as it was meant to.
The half kneeling position is used as a
more complex body position due to the
asymmetrical stance. Just as in all our
DVRT drills, the split stances in any sort
will increase the amount of rotational
forces our body must resist, as well as
fully expose if we have compensations
from one side to the other. Asymmetries
are among the biggest causes of injury
and obstacles in increasing performance. Improving any asymmetries that
may exist often results in improved
strength, performance, and health.
The HalfKneeling
Press.
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Don’t arch
forward
excessively.
Don’t bend
laterally.
Don’t take too
wide of a stance.
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Once again we must start with the set-up. The goal is to create an “L” with the front and
back side of the body. Slowly drop to the bottom of a split squat position (more about getting in position shortly), resting the rear knee on the ground. Ideally both hips stay in line
with the pelvis and don’t move outwards. We now have many components to the overhead
press. There is the asymmetrical position, the reduction in joints being used, and a narrow
base. In other words, don’t underestimate the value of this movement or the difficulty in
performing it well!
The front heel should be flat, and our “L” should be established in the front leg. If we
take a step that is too long, we won’t be able to apply the right amount of force into the
ground, and if our step is too short we won’t be able to use the heel of the front foot. The
rear leg should assume a position similar to the one used in our kneeling variation. Setting
the body correctly allows us to work from a proper lifting position. When we begin to
press from the half kneeling position we look for a few key elements:
• Can we keep the body from moving forward or backward during the overhead press?
• Do we lean through the low back as we press the USB overhead?
• Does our hip rotate as the exercise is being performed?
Both the kneeling and half kneeling positions obviously apply a great deal of stress to the
body beyond just the load of the USB. We need to program appropriately, and more than
five repetitions of such drills is not recommended.
It is pretty shocking to most people that we have created so many variations of basically
the same movement. By altering both speed of movement and body position, we develop a
number of ways to progress and program the overhead press beyond just the load of the
USB itself. Does it work, though? I can tell you from personal experience that the answer is
a resounding YES!
In 2011 I had a fusion to my neck, which prohibited me from lifting any significant
weights for a few months. During my recovery, I used light USB loads combined with various body positions to address other weaknesses in my body and to improve the coordination of my right arm once again. Curious to see if what I was actually doing was working,
I tried pressing a 97-pound kettlebell 6 weeks post surgery. Even though this was met with
huge opposition from my physical therapist wife, my compulsive desire to see where I
stood overruled her common sense. However, to both of our shock, I was able to press the
kettlebell five times! Prior to the surgery I was unable to press the 53-pound kettlebell once.
Did the surgery help? Of course, but my body was in recovery mode. During this time I
lifted no heavier than 50 pounds total, and yet I was able to press quite a significant
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weight. While my neurologist was less than pleased with my attempt at this goal, he was
amazed at the recovery I had made without traditional physical therapy. I am not going to
suggest you repeat my journey, but I am living proof that these methods work very well!
Get a Grip
Once we have moved through these five overhead body position progressions, we can
now work on integrating holding position. It may seem somewhat impossible to alter the
holding position. After all, isn’t this way we press weight overhead? Both arms moving up
and down in a vertical plane? That is how we press most other objects, but the USB is not
most other objects. When it comes to pressing overhead we have two very different strategies we can integrate to enhance our strength and stability.
Off-Set
When I created the USB I wanted to create a tool that could offer the most versatility possible and do things that no other implement could replicate. An example of this is utilizing
the off-set grip. We moved from stable to unstable in body position, and now we are going
to do the same by changing how we hold the USB. The off-set grip allows us to transform
the USB into a one-arm press. Just about any time I show this progression to people they
look at me with a very confused expression. How in the world is this a single arm press
when there are two hands on the implement?! Once again, it all comes down to leverage.
The Off-set grip
position.
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The off-set grip makes it virtually impossible for the outside arm to provide any force to
the overhead press. It simply acts as a means to balance the USB as it moves overhead. The
obvious question is, “Why use the USB in this manner when I can lift dumbbells or kettlebells one-arm overhead?” There are several very good reasons to add the off-set grip to
your arsenal.
The Off-set grip
position.
170
The first has to do with using the USB for any drill – the live weight element! When we
move to the off-set grip, the press arm actually absorbs more of the instability of the USB.
The increased instability created by the off-set grip forces the lifter to integrate all aspects
of the body much harder. We are able to identify the “leakages” of strength much faster
because the compensations in movement will become far more profound.
Although the off-set grip offers more instability during the actual press, it does make
cleaning the USB into the press position much easier. For those that struggle to clean the
USB in the standard pressing variations, the off-set grip may actually serve as a very useful
way to bridge this gap. Instead of getting frustrated and feeling like you cannot get better
at the clean, you can integrate the off-set grip to start building a foundation for the Clean
and Press movements.
One of the most common leakages of strength comes when people lean to the side as
they press a weight with one arm. Because the off arm tends to be lazy, we don’t create any
stability on the opposing side of the body. By actively gripping the USB while pressing, we
teach the lifter how to create stability on the opposite side, which is really the whole point
of using unilateral drills like the one-arm press.
The last reason for using the USB has to do with economics. Any smart business person
knows you always have to look at your return on investment (ROI). The USB has a HUGE
ROI! It is really the only implement that can be effectively used as a single or double arm
implement. In the barbell’s early years, it was used by famous strongmen in a similar manner. Older versions of the barbell were shorter in length, allowing lifters to perform unilateral or bilateral lifts. As the barbell grew to its current length, it became more difficult to
actually implement these one-arm drills because the leverage of the barbell created such
great levels of instability. The USB enables us to use a single implement for both purposes,
greatly expanding the versatility and problem solving abilities of the USB.
The Arc Press
To maximize the potential of the DVRT system and the USB itself, you must look at both
without the glasses of standard gym training. Doing so opens up a big world of training
options and programming possibilities. One such option is the Arc Press. Moving the USB
to the Shoulder position, we create another powerful overhead pressing variation.
Instead of the weight moving only vertically during the overhead press, we can now add
a horizontal component. Increasing the angles of force we apply to the body, we can integrate more muscles into the lift, especially those of the trunk and hips. I have tried to stay
away from using the term “core” in this book, as it either confuses people or is met with
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cynicism. Understandable, but the truth is that the core does exist and it is made up of a
combination of the trunk and hips. Notice that I did not say abdominals, but rather the
trunk. The core doesn’t just mean the abdominals, as the lats, the low back muscles, and
fascia are all crucial to the stability of the trunk. Given that we have both superficial and
deep abdominal muscles, thinking of the core as just “the abs” really undervalues what the
core can do for performance and injury prevention.
The core’s job is often to resist movement. A great example occurs with the lateral
motion that our body must resist during everyday tasks like walking and running.
Although these tasks are commonly perceived as simple, the reality is that these are complex movements that require a great deal of optimal body integration to be performed well.
That is why the DVRT program has such a heavy emphasis on lateral stability in drills such
as the Shoulder Squat, Rotational Lunge, and now the Arc Press.
The Arc Press is a different overhead press from the off-set position. Both holding positions offer single-arm training, but it different ways. The off-set grip press allows the
weight to sit in front of our body, and this is our strongest pressing position. During the
performance of the Arc Press the USB is rotated so the weight is laterally stressing the body,
even before beginning the press.
The Arc Press
with correct
gripping.
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The Arc Press
with correct
gripping.
173
As with the Shoulder Squat, we want to make sure we don’t alter our posture at any
point, including by having the USB rest upon the shoulder. The outside arm becomes the
pressing arm with an additional challenge. As if it weren’t enough to lift the USB with one
arm or at a very different position, there’s also the fact that there’s no handle to grip. That’s
right, we are gripping directly upon the USB. All of a sudden we have a great deal of input
and stress going through the hand, down the arm, and to the rest of the body. This is why so
many people struggle at first with the Arc Press. Their bodies don’t understand how to coordinate a movement without a stable handle to grab. Not very functional if you ask me!
Gripping the middle of the USB is one part of the equation. The other is to grab toward
the bottom of the middle of
the USB. Gripping too high on
the USB will place too much
weight below your pressing
arm, and will feel just about
impossible to press. Improper
USB holding techniques can
also lead to logistical issues
that I will address very
shortly.
Very similar to the off-set
press, the other arm acts as a
guide for the pressing arm. As
the weight transitions to the
mid-point of the body, we find
the load shifting from one
arm to the other. The Arc
Press then becomes a press for
one arm and a pull for the
other arm. Making that transition requires us to really
brace through our whole
body to ensure we prevent
any leaning in one direction
or the other.
Don’t shift
laterally.
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The Arc Press is almost
always performed with a really
slow tempo. While we can push
press and use other means to get
the USB up overhead, there is
great value in learning how to
decelerate that weight as the
USB moves from one side of the
body to the other. As with all
DVRT drills, adding speed adds
a great deal of complexity and
instability. Unfortunately, I
often observe lifters trying to
add speed to the Arc Press,
causing them to lose all focus
and/or control over the body’s
posture and alignment . The Arc
Press often proves to be most
valuable in the slow and steady
mindset.
Don’t bob
the head.
Logistical Issues
As great as the Arc Press is to perform (one of my favorites in fact), there are some setup issues that we have to consider and address. The Arc Press is best to implement with
smaller USBs. In the DVRT principles section, I discussed times where a more stable USB
is far more effective, and this is one of those times! A smaller USB also means a more compact and stable weight. The orientation of the USB and the movement during the Arc Press
creates enough instability on its own. We need to actually create some stability by making
the USB move less.
The question is, “How do I get stronger with the Arc Press?” Since some of you will use
a weight at first that is much lighter than you could handle in the standard Clean and
Press, we can jump progressions a bit. Instead of starting with the bilateral stance and
moving to military and so on, we can begin by bringing you right to kneeling and halfkneeling positions. By combining slower speeds and unstable body positions, we can make
the Arc Press a challenging drill.
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At some point, load is
going to be a variable we will
want to improve upon. An
issue arises when we progress
to larger USBs. Moving from
a Power to Strength or
Strength to Burly causes significant changes in dimension. Having a USB that is
lightly loaded with a larger
dimension means a USB that
will fold as it is used during
the Arc Press. For many, the
actual press is not limiting
because of the weight of the
USB or stability problems.
Rather, the problem is that
the folding USB is too cumbersome to press overhead.
There are three relatively easy
solutions to this problem.
Too Flimsy of USB
during Arc Press
Different Filling Material
The name Ultimate Sandbag definitely implies the filling of the USB with sand.
However, that is not necessarily the best option. In movements such as the Arc Press, we
may want to increase the load and dimension of the USB. But dramatic increases in both
cause too much stress, and altering the filling material can be very helpful. Over the years,
we have experimented with a host of filling materials such as rubber mulch, rice, and birdseed. While other materials can definitely be used, these are both inexpensive and easily
accessible. These materials give density to the USB and make it easier to make the jump to
a large USB.
The Towel Solution
Possibly the simplest, but the method we have used the least is to take a heavier, but
more unstable USB and simply add towels or similar materials increase the density of the
USB. Easy to do and easy to remove over time, this method just shows how easily we can
solve what first appears to be a significant issue in the use of specific USB drills.
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Leveraging
the USB
In the above description of
the Arc Press, I discussed
grabbing onto the middle of
the USB. While this is the
standard recommendation,
we can manipulate where we
hold the USB to adjust for
the increasing weight. By
holding onto more of the
front end of the USB and
allowing the rest of the USB
to almost fall behind the
body, we can work with even
unstable USBs, as we are
pressing less weight and have
to move less of the USB over
the head.
How to manipulate
leverage.
177
The Many Ways to Overhead Press
I have learned in the past few years that offering more options isn’t always welcomed by
people. New options can seem overly complicated and confusing. That is why the programs included in this book are going to be incredibly helpful in getting you accustomed to
the DVRT system. These principles, programs, and drills will quickly become second
nature to you. Implementation seems to be one of the best ways to solve the intimidation
factor that many encounter. Yes, you have to actually use this information!
In order to simplify the progressions a bit, I have broken down the overhead progressions
into categories so you can get an idea of where to start. Once your confidence grows, you
will be able to jump around a bit to meet your own specific needs and goals. This isn’t a linear progression; you can use any of these movements at any time as long as you have identified them as the best method for helping you achieve your fitness and performance goals.
BILATERAL PRESSES
DIFFERENT
BODY POSITIONS
B I L AT E R A L P R E S S
W I T H B I L AT E R A L S TA N C E
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IN
B I L AT E R A L P R E S S
W I T H M I L I TA RY S TA N C E
B I L AT E R A L P R E S S
W I T H S TA G G E R E D S TA N C E
179
B I L AT E R A L P R E S S
WITH KNEELING
POSITION
B I L AT E R A L P R E S S
WITH HALF
KNEELING POSITION
180
OFF-SET SERIES FOLLOWING
BILATERAL PRESS
PROGRESSIONS
O F F -S E T P R E S S
W I T H B I L AT E R A L
S TA N C E
O F F -S E T P R E S S
W I T H M I L I TA RY
S TA N C E
181
O F F -S E T P R E S S
W I T H S TA G G E R E D
S TA N C E
O F F -S E T P R E S S
WITH KNEELING
POSITION
182
O F F -S E T P R E S S
WITH HALF
KNEELING
POSITION
(Opposite side: easier)
O F F -S E T P R E S S
WITH HALF
KNEELING POSITION
(Same side: harder)
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ARC PRESS SERIES
FOLLOWING
OFF-SET PRESS
PROGRESSIONS
ARC PRESS
W I T H B I L AT E R A L
S TA N C E
ARC PRESS
W I T H M I L I TA RY
S TA N C E
ARC PRESS
W I T H S TA G G E R E D
S TA N C E
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ARC PRESS
WITH
KNEELING
POSITION
ARC PRESS
WITH HALF
KNEELING
POSITION
Seeing the progressions in these categories should help you become more confident with
the progressions that I discussed. This doesn’t at all exhaust the options available, but gives
us a strong foundation. Transforming the overhead press from what a shoulder exercise
into a multi-purpose overall body movement not only provides so much more versatility,
but also meaning to this movement patter.
185
186
TRAINING
WITH A TWIST
f DVRT is really a complete training system, then we can’t leave out functional
movement patterns such as rotation. Interestingly, many coaches stay far away
from the concept of rotation. Ironically, our bodies are meant to produce a great
deal of rotation and learning to use rotational forces in our performance of many
activities helps us create far more force and efficiency in movement. If we look at a host of
sporting actions that have a great deal of power, such as kicking, punching, change of
direction, throwing, and even aspects of sprinting, rotation plays a very large role.
Why is rotation so greatly feared and neglected by many training programs if it is so
important? While rotation is immensely beneficial, it also has the potential to cause injury.
My confusion, though, is if we go through progression and teach rotation like any other
movement pattern, is the risk any greater than any other series of movements we teach? I
think the rewards and proper progressions truly outweigh the potential risks involved.
I would rather make the argument that avoiding teaching rotational movements not
only creates an incomplete program, but actually sets us up for a higher risk of injury. The
old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” applies very well to the functionality of the
body. There will inevitably be times when we need to rotate. Having neither the ability or
knowledge of proper rotation is a high risk proposition.
Rotational training is the final plane of motion that we learn to move through. It make
sense that if natural human movement has three planes, we should eventually learn to
move through each. While I hopefully made a strong argument for rotation-based training,
I also have to say that the following training concepts do have a higher level of complexity
to them. Therefore, I suggest that you spend time working through most of the previous
drills before moving to the rotational aspects of your training. As with all the movement
patterns we have covered, I am going to show you how to progress and identify if you are
ready to perform rotational drills.
187
Before we get into those progressive DVRT drills, it is worthwhile to address why so
many coaches have apprehension to rotational based drills. One of the easiest ways to herniate a disc in the lumbar spine is by moving the spine into rotation and flexion. That is
why it is important to differentiate rotation of the body from rotation of the spine. While
it may sound like a matter of semantics, the difference is very important.
The lumbar spine does not have much rotation available. That is why it is even more
important to teach people the difference between rotating through the low back and rotating through the hips. That’s right, the hips are a ball and socket joint that allow a great deal
of movement, including internal rotation of the hip. When the foot rotates inward and creates force up through the hip, the hip creates this very powerful rotational force, not twisting through the low back.
That is why exercises such as Russian twists, which lock the feet and hips into place, are
often far from ideal for people’s low backs. Since drills like the Russian twist prevent
proper motion of the foot and hip, most of the rotation is left to the low back That is where
issues arise, and a great deal of force is being applied to the low back. It cannot absorb
these stresses well. Like all our movement patterns, the important issue is not whether the
movement is good, but whether it is being taught and performed properly.
Make sure to
pivot through
the hip rather
than twisting
through the
low back.
188
A Matter of the Hips
Unfortunately, many people lack the proper hip motion to perform the rotational patterns well. Without a trained professional to evaluate your hips’ specific movement, it is
difficult to definitively say whether or not you possess this range of motion. However,
looking at how we hold certain postures and positions can give us valuable feedback.
The Shin Squat
We are going to use a rather simple movement to make a very general evaluation of your
hips’ ability to internally rotate. Simply by sitting in the Shin Squat, we are placing the back
leg in a position where we can see its ability to internally rotate. The goal of the Shin Squat
is to sit in this position while maintaining a tall trunk posture. If you are unable to internally rotate the back hip, you will find that you have to lean away from the back leg and
support yourself by placing your hands on the ground. Some may cramp in this position,
showing that the body is trying to protect itself from a position it perceives as dangerous.
In either scenario, we are using the Shin Squat as a simple self-assessment tool. If you
find yourself either unable to hold the upright trunk posture or cramping, you may want to
spend time working on your hip mobility prior to performing the drills in the latter part of
this chapter. What should you do? Addressing all of the possible reasons that you could be
experiencing these issues is beyond the scope of this book. But some of the drills in the
overhead press warm-up section also carry over into improving hip mobility for rotational
training.
The
proper
Shin
Squat.
The tight
Shin Squat.
189
One other issue to consider is coordination. While the ability to internally rotate the hip
is important, I have found that far more people can’t rotate properly. Improving coordination in rotation is why I have structured the progressions in the manner you will see. At
first we are going to want to try to isolate the motion as much as possible so you can really
focus on correctly integrating all the components of proper rotation. As we move through
these progressions, we will add more joints to the movement and leverage the body and
load differently to stimulate various aspects of the rotational movements. You have seen
throughout this book that no DVRT drill is performed for some random reason. This will
be especially true for the sequence of our DVRT rotational drills.
Rotational Press
After trying to teach rotational training to so many different populations, I found success
with the use of the Rotational Press. Our trunk maintains a vertical position throughout
the exercise, allowing us to really focus on the quality of the movement without much compromise to the spine at all. The Rotational Press allows us to help the lifter feel how proper
rotation through the body can generate power and efficiency in the entire body.
After we have cleaned the USB into our pressing position, we can place focus on what is
happening from the ground up. The key is the ball of the foot driving into the ground and
rotating at the same time. Unfortunately, the best way to think of this action for most people is to simply think of “putting out a cigarette.” I know, I wish I had a better cue that
reinforced
healthy
habits, but this cue
seems to be universally
understood. We want
to separate just simply
turning the foot and hip
with a very deliberate
action of creating a
great deal of force into
the ground.
Foot pivoting—
think of “putting
out a cigarette.”
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As the foot rotates and creates this force into the ground, our torso follows the movement of our hip and we begin to feel this drive going all the way to our upper body. If I am
rotating through the right hip, I will actually be moving toward the left. Don’t worry, it is
ALMOST impossible to move in the wrong direction. Performing the Rotational Press correctly, you will have feel as though you are lifting less with your arms and upper body, and
simply continuing the rotational action that
began at my foot. Those that try to lift and
press will struggle a bit more because pressing
from a rotated position is a much tougher body
position. Our goal is to make it one synergistic
movement so we can take advantage of the
forces being driven through the body.
The
Rotational
Press.
191
Once the USB is locked out over the crown of our head we want to make sure that both
legs are in proper position. The side of the foot that caused the rotation should feel as
though it cannot rotate inward much further. The leg should lock by continuing to push
through the ball of the foot, not letting the heel come into contact with the ground. By
locking out the rotating leg, we are again giving support to the low back by activating that
glute to make sure we don’t try to move through our lumbar spine.
Too much low
back
compensation.
Too much out
in front
compensation.
192
The action of the stance leg is equally important. We can even use what happens on the
stance leg to gauge much mobility we possess in this side of the body. When the rotational
movement occurs, the stance leg (the one that is not moving) should be able to remain very
close to neutral (pointing almost straight ahead). Those with limited mobility in their hips
are going to find that as they rotate, the stance leg begins to rotate as well. That definitely
is a sign of mobility issue through the hips, and should be addressed before progressing any
further through our series.
With all DVRT drills, we have to pay attention on the downward phase as well. This is
a tremendous opportunity to reinforce important principles that will carry over to our
more complex rotational patterns. As the USB reaches the crown of the head (not being
pressed out at a angle!), we are going to use the principles from the overhead pressing
series and pull the elbows into the ribs. Yes, actively and slowly pull the USB back to the
beginning of the press position while simultaneously rotating the leg back to the bilateral
pressing stance. Do not just let the USB “fall” from the top position, and don’t forget to
rotate the leg purposefully. By being very deliberate in the lowering action, you will naturally continue the rotation to the other side of the body. Focusing on the rotation of the
body through the movement of the feet, you will find yourself wanting to use the momentum you purposefully created to help press to the opposing side. The more
you find yourself becoming efficient in this movement, the less “arms” you will feel. The
weight of the USB will be dispersed through the entire body.
Learning how to create this almost effortless press is the whole point in starting with the
Rotational Press as our foundation to rotational based movements. In the earlier part of
this section, I discussed that rotation is our way of moving more efficiently. The
Rotational Press does a terrific job of demonstrating this very concept as we begin to gain
higher levels of proficiency in the DVRT exercise.
Inside Out Clean
You can spend a great deal of time utilizing the Rotational Press to meet many different
goals. The Rotational Press is positioned perfectly to allow us to build progressive loading,
and allows us an opportunity to build smarter combination DVRT movements. When you
find yourself being able to use the Rotational Press for both of these goals, you can begin
to introduce the Inside Out Clean. Our form of progression in the DVRT rotational drills
is going to be a combination of both adding more joints to the exercises and being very
aware of the angles we create.
In the case of the Inside Out Clean, we have many different variables to consider. As we
identify more variables, we have to realize we are increasing both the complexity and
193
intensity of the drills. Make sure you have spent time building the foundations with the
Rotational Press and aren’t trying to rush to “new” exercises for the sake of novelty. At the
same time, the Inside Out Clean is a very deliberate DVRT progressional movement to
help us bridge the gap into achieving these more challenging rotational drills.
Speed, increasing the number of joints used, and the angles we will load the body all
make the Inside Out Clean a very important drill to introduce. One of the foundational
DVRT principles that I have been repeating throughout this book is that of moving from
stable to unstable progressions. The Inside Out Clean begins and ends in our stable hip
hinge position, very similar to what we see in the deadlift and other accelerative DVRT
movements. This is much different from how most rotational drills are introduced into fitness programs.
Whether we are looking at wood chopping band and pulley exercises or medicine ball
drills, the great majority of these drills both begin and end in a less stable body postures.
For our purposes, that means starting and ending in the rotational positions. When moving from other planes of motion to the transverse plane, we take quantum leaps rather
than using incremental jumps.
Most of the rotational drills I just mentioned with other training tools require a hip
hinge to be added to the patterns. This is very important for creating higher levels of
power, but also means we need to learn how to absorb these forces and make sure we
aren’t trying to produce power from our low back! The Inside Out Clean also takes advantage of the hip hinge pattern. However, we don’t do it in a rotated position. We begin in a
movement that you already have developed, so you should feel strong and stable.
The motion is almost identical to that of the Power Clean, but we quickly pivot through
the ground and catch the USB in a rotated position. To perform the Inside Out Clean well,
we not only extend the hips explosively upward, but also at an angle. This means simultaneously pulling up and pivoting. Doesn’t this mean the catch ends in the unstable position
that I just claimed was unsafe?
We are producing power from our strong and stable position to assist the power of the
rotation. The stable hip hinge produces significant force, and we continue this force to
rotation. This might seem like mere semantics, but it makes a big difference and is fundamentally different from trying to produce all of the force via rotation.
The difference also lies in the fact that we catch the weight with a vertical torso and
extension of the hips. While the rotation is a somewhat weaker position, the increased support from the lower body and changed leverage makes for a stronger stance. It is very similar to the one we just learned how to achieve with the Rotational Press.
194
Catching the USB in this position also means that when we come down with the USB we
can absorb the weight in a much safer and stronger position. That means we are going to
rotate and hinge the hips to catch the USB back into the deadlift posture. When the forces
are highest, we are putting ourselves back in a very safe postural alignment, which we have
patterned with all the DVRT movements leading up to this series. When force production
is highest, we are working from that strong hip hinge posture to allow us to introduce this
very dynamic lift.
The Inside Out Clean is highly effective on two additional fronts. The first is that if you
have any faults with the Power Clean, they will become very evident here. Common mistakes
such as not fully extending the hip or swinging the USB out in front of the body are amplified
by the Inside Out Clean. From a conditioning and effort side, the Inside Out Clean will cause
a greater metabolic effect because of the complexity of the movement and the additional
muscles needed to both produce and absorb the force created. This means that over time, we
can vary not just our reps, sets, and weight in
the Power Clean, but the plane of motion we
choose to work in as well.
The Inside
Out Clean.
195
Rotational Clean and High Pull
The Inside Out Clean solves an initial issue of decreasing the amount of eccentric loading we introduce during a rotated position. From a functional perspective, we do need to
eventually introduce how to absorb the downward motion of rotation. This may cause
some hesitation by some strength coaches, but this can be done with a plan and does fulfill
our ideas of functional training. Many sporting actions occur with a quick preload of the
body before producing full power. If we look at many throwing motions, for example, we
see that the athlete takes advantage of elastic energy through the body by rotating back
before they move forward. You can see how
much more power can be developed by performing this small action before the actual
throwing movement.
The
Rotational
Clean and
High Pull.
196
In our DVRT training, we have a far more predictable environment and can progress
this type of training by controlling range of motion, angles, and other important training
variables. Managing range of motion is one of the best ways to make these drills more
accessible and reduce overall risk. Again, the old adage, “Use it or lose it” is particularly
relevant here. Trying to pretend that this type of movement doesn’t occur in everyday or
sporting life doesn’t make us less prone to suffering injury. In fact, a stronger argument can
be made for the opposite. One reason that people get hurt performing pretty mundane
tasks is that they have never trained these ranges of motion or patterns before. Don’t let the
scare tactics of some keep you from fully developing what your body was meant to do –
move in all sorts of angles and positions!
For the DVRT rotational drills where we work from the outside of the body, we will use
the knee height as our goal. Since height varies, working from the floor can be easy for
some and a huge change of leverage for others. The knees help balance out the field.
Unlike with our first introduction of DVRT accelerative drills, now we are going to use
the Clean before the High Pull. The Clean in the rotational series gives us a definitive stopping point where we can re-evaluate
our posture and position. Before we
try to quickly rotate and absorb the
force of the USB in this more challenging position, we want to make
sure we start from the right alignment. That means when we clean the
USB we should receive the weight
with both feet planted into the
ground and the weight of the body
distributed between our mid-foot and
heel.
The catch of the Clean really is the
midway point of the two lifts. The
start and end of the drill are the two
most critical points of the these two
rotational USB drills. At these two
times, you’ll find yourself in a rotated
position. Let me emphasize again that
we don’t have the rotation occurring
from the low back, but rather the
hips. Just like in the original hip hinge
series, we can do a great deal to make
sure you don’t try to move through
197
the low back by paying attention to the shoulders. As we move to more unstable body
positions, the tendency to round the shoulders will increase. Therefore, either when we are
about to start the lift or when we come back down with the USB, we want to make sure
the shoulders never round forward but rather lock into place to help absorb the force coming down or help direct the weight moving upwards.
Catching the USB in the Clean gives us a moment to remind ourselves of these important
concepts, and to initiate the movement by a quick rotation of the outside hip and foot.
That is why the Clean is used prior to the High Pull. Thinking about the correct movements is very different from actually having to react to the USB moving across the body.
This shows us the difference between feedback and feedforward systems. Feedback occurs
when we have the time to self-correct the movement while it is occurring, while feedforward relies on our training to pre-program the right actions into the brain. This is a big
reason that football coach Vince Lombardi, said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect
practice makes perfect.” Understanding why I am taking you through this journey is just
as important as the drills that you learn along the way!
When we move to the Rotational High Pull, we have to quickly move from one side of
the body to the other. Done correctly, you really begin to feel what it is like to generate
force from the ground and up through the entire body. You begin to get a fluid action of
rotating from one side to the other with the combination of the extension of the hips and
rotation of the feet making a nearly seamless action from side to side. When you are able
to use the energy from one side of the High Pull to create power on the other side, you
know you are starting to get the hang of rotational movements.
I have to remind you, though, that this isn’t our initial goal. When we first introduce the
Rotational High Pull we want a definitive stop when the USB is received on the other side.
We do so to ensure that you are in a position to pull again. We never want to see you perform any lift from a bad posture, so we need to make sure you have come down with the
weight in the right position to lift again to the other side.
Even though we may be transitioning from one side to the other in a slower manner, this
doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of the exercise to any degree. By moving from side to side
in a rapid pace we use elastic energy which may eventually be optimal for more conditioning types of workouts. However, when we remove this deliberate momentum the body has
to work harder to create that initial pull for the Rotational High Pull. Therefore, using
both strategies can be very helpful for different purposes. The setting up and stopping
before we transition rep to rep helps develop the skill of the exercise as well as optimizes
power production. Whereas quickly moving side to side can teach us reaction skills and
build more specific conditioning.
198
SHOVELING
here are important similarities between all of the rotational DVRT movements
we have covered. The USB creates a small lever arm and stays close to the
body. The leverage of the weight we lift is a point of consideration in many programs. That is due to the fact that more times than not, the weight stays relatively close to the body. However, with the popularity of drills such as kettlebell swings, we
have to reconsider how the lever arm of the exercise can influence both the progressions
we set forth, and the outcomes of the exercise.
One of the biggest reasons that lighter kettlebells can be swung to produce force that is
similar to heavier barbells is the leverage they create by being swung out in front of the
body. When we swing a 35-pound kettlebell out in front of the body, as the weight moves
further away from us it is much more than 35 pounds. When we swing the kettlebell back,
the momentum of gravity with our body behind it greatly increase the difficulty of the
swing.
That is the same reason that I have introduced a series of DVRT drills where the weight
of the USB has stayed relatively close to the body. We can focus on the more challenging
foot movements and body positions when we feel more in control of the weight we are trying to move. Adding leverage definitely provides more complexity. You must already be
very proficient in the rotational movements to earn the right to perform.
There are many positive benefits of extending the leverage of the weight. In a 2012 study
of both weightlifting and kettlebell exercises, researchers found that, “Short-term
weightlifting and kettlebell training were effective in increasing strength and power.” —
Otto WH, Coburn JW, Brown LE, Spiering BA. Effects of weightlifting vs. kettlebell training on vertical jump, strength, and body composition. 2012. J Strength Cond Res.
199
These researchers found that weightlifting (as in the Olympic lifts) was better for
strength development than the kettlebells. However, here is the interesting point for both
the power and strength development side: The weightlifting group used an 80% maximum
weight, while the kettlebell group used a 35-pound kettlebell across the board. So, even
though the weights used for the kettlebell group were less than those of the weightlifting
group, there were significant improvements in power compared to the weightlifting group.
Of course, with these parameters we wouldn’t expect a 35-pound weighted squat to compare to a squat of 5 times its weight. Not all weight is equal, and leverage plays a very big
role in power development. Since most kettlebell drills have a bigger horizontal component
than classic Olympic lifts, we have to assume this is the main reason we can see appreciable
power gains in spite of the inferior loads.
What I love about our DVRT system is that we are capable of both! We can have the
loading during the vertical type pulling that
occurs during weightlifting, and we have
some unique drills that provide that horizontal loading that we see in kettlebell exercises
like the swing!
Shoveling
sequence.
200
Compare DVRT shoveling to the kettlebell swing. The obvious difference is that the
focus on the transverse plane that Shoveling provides us is far more difficult to achieve
with the kettlebell. Don’t worry, kettlebell fans! I am not suggesting you abandon your kettlebell swings. Instead, I want you to consider what DVRT drills such as Shoveling can
bring to your training.
Shoveling includes all the movements we find in the earlier DVRT rotational drills.
However, instead of moving the USB upward along the body, the USB will be projected out
in front of the body. With this increased leverage, we need to be aware not just of what
goes up, but what comes down as well.
In order to even think that Shoveling is the right exercise for your training program, you
have to have developed proficiency in all the DVRT rotational drills listed prior. There are
two reasons that having worked through the previous progressions is so critical. The first
is that Shoveling is very similar to the Rotational High Pull. That means quickly moving
from one side to the other, so we really don’t have time to adjust our form during the lift.
Instead, we have to use the quality movement skills we built in the previous drills.
Secondly, the lever arm of the USB during Shoveling creates much more weight than the
actual weight of the USB.
In the end? Don’t skip progressions!
There is a reason that DVRT is a system
and not just bunch of cool exercises.
Why do people struggle or not see the
results they desire? Because they choose
to ignore my advice and find themselves
overwhelmed because they didn’t take
time to establish a strong foundation. If
you have the patience to work through
the levels of DVRT drills you will definitely find the results worthwhile!
I probably make Shoveling sound a
bit scary, and that is not my goal. It can
be a relatively simple drill to learn as
long as you take the time to work
through drills like the Rotational High
Pull. You will find the principles of
Shoveling to be the same as kettlebell
swings, so if you have a background in
kettlebell training you will definitely
love Shoveling!
201
While Shoveling carries a lot of similarities to the kettlebell swing, overall the USB does
not function well in a swing. The difference between the structure of the USB and kettlebell means that the USB does not function well in a linear swing. Remember, it is not about
which tool is superior, but when is it appropriate to use a different tool! That is why the
USB works better for rotational based training than the kettlebell. Make sure to understand your training tools!
The range of motion during the actual performance of Shoveling is very similar to that of
the kettlebell swing. We are not looking to squat the motion, but rather to pull the body
into an active hip hinge and create a strong base to drive the USB away from the body. We
cue Shoveling by working from no lower than knee height and making sure you don’t overrotate the USB. The side of the knee is typically ideal for the end point of the Shoveling
motion. We don’t want to start rotating through the low back, so a bit more deceleration
is needed to ensure that we keep the motion through the hip. That means really driving the
hip closest to the USB back to absorb the weight, and quickly rotating the opposing hip
and driving that ball of foot into the ground.
The fast motion of Shoveling is largely based upon your ability to keep the shoulders in
the right position and the elbows locked. When people begin to bend their arms, they seem
to start to lift the USB with their arms rather than projecting through the hip. Such compensations in technique definitely mean we are losing value to the Shoveling action.
One of the most common mistakes during Shoveling is that people are so concerned
about rotating to the opposing side that they miss what happens in the middle. The middle
point of Shoveling is one of the most important. During the transition from one side to the
other, we want to fully extend the hips and plant through the heels. This ensures we get
true power development, while helping us actively pull the weight back into the right position.
Just as with the kettlebell swing, Shoveling can be performed at high hip speeds, but not
necessarily large swings with the weight. By focusing on the hip movement rather than the
height achieved with the USB, we can avoid trying to lift with the arms. The projection of
the USB with Shoveling is really a byproduct of the hips “pushing” the weight away from
the body. That is why we don’t need to go any higher than chest height when we are establishing a top end range to the movement. While there may be some slight variance with this
idea, overall, chest height serves as an overall great cue.
When you are trying to establish the weight you want to use for Shoveling, remember,
we also have to consider the dimensions. Even if you are an experienced kettlebell lifter, be
conservative during your first few sessions working with Shoveling. For men I recommend
working with the Power USB and women either the Core or Power USB. We want the USB
to be less awkward because the combination of the body position, pattern of motion, and
the speed are big enough changes to stability.
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CORE TRAINING
hroughout this entire book we have been discussing the role of the core in creating success in a variety of movements. It may seem inappropriate to suggest
there are specific exercises that work the core, as all our movements are predicated largely upon proper integration of the core of the body. We’ve already discussed how the core is integrated into so many different movements, so having a section on
just core training might seem unnecessary. What this core training section of DVRT is
really designed to do is to provide us the opportunity to really focus on the core.
During drills like the Shoulder Squat, Front Loaded Good Mornings, Military Press, and
so on, we have a ton of core work going on, but we’re also working other major muscle
groups. It may be hard to improve the core when we have such complexity to an exercise.
Therefore, the DVRT drills outlined in this section are going to be specifically geared to
improving our ability to integrate the core. Just as with our other movements, you are
going to see layered progressions that make this DVRT drills accessible to any fitness level.
Using core training as a movement may seem somewhat odd considering through most
of these drills the core actually produces very little movement. Yes, the gluteals do work
hard to extend the hip, but the trunk typically sees minimal dynamic action. Preventing
movement is the foundational role of the core. While most people train the core to flex the
spine in actions such as crunches and sit-ups, this may not be the primary role of the core.
Research by leading spine specialist like, Dr. Stuart McGill, shows that the core is really
trying to provide resistance to the trunk rather than activating very dynamically itself.
“The lumbar torso must prepare to withstand all manner of possible loads, including
steady-state loading (which may be a complex combination of flexion/extension, lateral
bend, and axial twisting moments) and sudden, unexpected complex loads together with
loads that develop from prehensive ballistic motion.” (McGill, 168) What Dr. McGill is
trying to espouse, is how “reactive” our core must really be to properly absorb and tolerate many of the stresses that the spine endures in what seem to be rather every day activities. That is why learning his technique of bracing and resisting many of these motions can
go a long way in enhancing performance and health.
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Lateral Bag Drags
One of my absolute favorite drills is the Lateral Bag Drag. I may be a bit biased because
this is a drill I used a great deal myself in rehabbing my upper body after my neck fusion.
After my fusion, my greatest challenge was gaining coordination and stability back in my
right arm and shoulder complex. Holding even a push-up on plank position often caused
fatigue in the area, and I knew this would require some work.
Of course I incorporated Front Planks, but the Lateral Bag Drag quickly became a staple
because of the varying levels I could use and the increased work it created in my upper body.
The Lateral
Bag Drag.
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I created the Lateral Bag Drag as a means to teach people what bracing the trunk actually felt like. Dr. McGill writes extensively that bracing, not drawing in, of the torso builds
trunk stability. Great, but how do you actually teach people how to create this action that
can really only be felt by the lifter as there is no movement? We can create squatting, pressing, and most other movements simply because we can actually see the moving parts. In
bracing, we really can’t see what is happening on the inside of the individual. What should
this feel like, and how do I know I am performing bracing correctly? These are all questions I had, but didn’t know how to help my clients get the answers.
What led me down the path of the Lateral Bag Drag was my attempt at solving a secondary problem. When I tried to employ the aspects of overhead lifting, I began to see a big
issue. Many people lacked mobility in their thoracic spine and shoulders. II would have to
address these issues specifically, but this didn’t mean I would have to wait to clear up these
movement problems before I could teach good fundamentals of lifting. How could I save
myself and the client time in teaching them the components of lifting overhead if they
didn’t have the mobility to lift in the first place?
Get them horizontal! I kept finding that a lot of people lacked both mobility and
strength in the upper body and shoulder stabilizers. My clients had no idea how to hold
their scapula in the right place, create tension in their lats, and more! What I found is that
I could work on their direct mobility issues and complement that with foundational stability and strength work from a horizontal position. Being in a horizontal position, we could
use gravity to stress their bodies and use posture and position as feedback.
There were still a few issues. My clients could build to holding a push-up position
quickly. They seemed to improve in their stability and strength faster than we could
improve their mobility, so what could we do? Given that some of my clients had severe
restrictions in the overhead positions, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to compound the problem
by building the muscles that roll the shoulders forward. I wanted to accentuate the stability
component as I began to find that people in the push-up position not only lacked awareness and strength in the upper body, but in their core and lower body as well. The more we
challenged their stability, the more we could see where these weaknesses were.
All of a sudden the equation came together. I wanted to teach the principles of driving
through the feet, tightening the lower body and pelvis, bracing through the trunk, and
proper tension and positioning of the upper body. Small goals, I know, but the answer
came in the form of the Lateral Bag Drag.
The Lateral Bag Drag addresses all of these goals and allows for plenty of progressions,
enabling proper training and quick success. Moving to one hand in the push-up position is
more than enough of a challenge for most people. The stability of two hands and two legs on
the ground is a whole different world from lifting an arm off the ground. I would even argue
that lifting an arm is much more difficult for most than is lifting a leg off of the ground.
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Realizing how challenging these DVRT progressions can be, don’t try to rush through
many of these progressions. We are going to discuss and describe the primary means of performing the Lateral Bag Drag and then provide you with regressions and some very fun
and effective progressions.
Here is your rather simple goal for the Lateral Bag Drag: DON’T MOVE! I am referring
to your position and alignment. We are trying to see when we perform the Lateral Bag
Drag if the feet, hips, and/or trunk rotate, does the pelvis sink or hike up in the air. Do we
see the shoulder unwind and begin to round forward, even if the head stays in good alignment? There are several check points, but we are going to focus on the big things first!
Start in a push-up position with the feet rather wide. How wide? We don’t want to see
the pelvis start to move upwards or the feet rotate inwards. I have found that the widest
that most can manage is to move each leg three steps to the side from the standard push-up
position. Once we determined our lower body position, we want to make sure we set up
the upper body so that the shoulders will line up directly above the hands.
Now that both ends of our body are set in the proper position, we can press through
both the balls of the feet and lock our arms into place so we rise to the top of the push-up.
Continuing to drive through the balls of the feet, we then try to lockout the legs and
actively squeeze the glutes. You should feel a lot of tightness in the lower body, pelvis, and
trunk at this point. That is good! This tightness will give you a very strong base to operate
from and keep your low back from moving.
What occurs in the upper body is as important as what is happening at the lower body.
As our arms lockout we want to “corkscrew” our shoulders so that the crease of our
elbows points almost straight ahead. Don’t move the hands; just try to “roll” the shoulders
into this position. You know you have done this correctly if you feel tension begin in the
underarms. Maintaining this position in both the lower and upper body is critical during
the performance of the Lateral Bag Drag. Often you will see compromise in one of these
areas when you actually start performing the drill.
The final part of the Lateral Bag Drag is the Ultimate Sandbag itself. People are often
surprised how a little weight can go a very long way with the Lateral Bag Drag. The
Rotational Lunge and the Lateral Bag Drag are two key exercises for which having a more
compact Ultimate Sandbag becomes very important. Even if we don’t consider the weight
component, larger Ultimate Sandbags will drag for a longer period, making the exercise
more difficult.
The drag portion of the Lateral Bag is one of the most overlooked and improperly performed aspects of the exercise. Most people become very task oriented and only see the
Ultimate Sandbag traveling from one side to the other, paying very little attention to HOW
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the Ultimate Sandbag is transitioned. I have even seen some people, thanks to YouTube,
who toss the Ultimate Sandbag from side to side or try to pick it up and move it from one
side to the other. Tossing or picking up the USB make the movement far less valuable.
The actual dragging of the Ultimate Sandbag causes friction on the ground, which provides additional resistance to the Lateral Bag Drag. Trust me, you would think that more
resistance unnecessary once you begin the Lateral Bag Drag, but the friction is different
from just adding more weight. The friction created by dragging the Ultimate Sandbag
requires the body to constantly change where tension is being created. You will find that
one area begins to work harder than another depending upon where the Ultimate Sandbag
is in the dragging sequence.
In order to really enhance this concept, the Lateral Bag Drag is always performed at a
slow count. The more advanced you are, the more slowly you should be able to drag the
Ultimate Sandbag. You will find that increasing the duration of a repetition causes rapid
fatigue, so that beginners will have to use more moderate tempos along with shorter repetitions. That also means we can make the exercise more difficult by intentionally moving
slower or increasing the number of repetitions for a set. Yet even with increasing repetitions, 10 repetitions performed on each side is quite high.
With the Ultimate Sandbag starting right underneath one underarm, we begin to reach
across the body to begin the dragging aspect. As soon as the opposing hand lifts and begins
to reach across the body, we are watching for compensation throughout the body. Our first
point to check is the feet. If we begin to see the feet rotating, it is easy to see this continued
throughout the chain of the body. We begin to see the legs twist, the hips rotating, and all
of a sudden we take a very powerful anti-rotational exercise into a rotational exercise. A
great example of the need to understand the intent of every exercise.
If we see the feet rotating (typically the heel falls inward), we can provide some feedback.
By using the hands of a partner or a small band around the ankles, we want to feel ourselves pushing slightly outward against the resistance. The position we are working from in
the Lateral Bag Drag makes even small things feel challenging, so be very aware of the
amount of tension you are applying to the body. A small amount is more than appropriate.
The knees become the next checkpoint, as we want to ensure that the legs remained
locked out. If we bend even slightly at the knee, we will lose tension in the pelvis and see
the hips drop. Keeping that good lockout will be necessary throughout, and grows in
importance as we fatigue.
Moving right up, we hit the hips. We should be able to actually see tension being created
by the glutes. The glutes are a very important point on the body, so not providing stability
here usually leads to a collapse in both posture and strength. Once the hips are checked we
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want to look at shoulder position. Can we see and feel tension in the underarm? Are the
creases of the elbow facing almost directly ahead? If you want to quickly see that understanding these details is important, just quickly drop down to a push-up position. Without
paying much attention to the other segments we have discussed, simply begin with the
shoulders corkscrewed and then deliberately allow the elbows to rotate outward. Do this a
few times and you will begin to see how the tension shifts from the upper back and underarm to the shoulders. A lot of people “rest” on their shoulders in push-ups because they do
not understand how to use the rest of the upper body.
If you go through this checklist, you will quickly see how this teaches us all the principles
that carry over to overhead lifting. This means you can use the Lateral Bag Drag as a
preparatory drill to teach these movements, build up the foundational strength we will be
needing, or even as a warm-up to some of your overhead pressing drills.
The last challenge is to see what actually occurs as the Ultimate Sandbag drags across the
body at slow speeds. Since we are constantly going through our checklist, do we begin to
see compensation at any point? If so, we can try to cue that specific area and see if the lifter
can correct the fault. However, if the issue persists, this could mean we have reached a
point where the set needs to be terminated, or we can try to drop to a regression to see if we
need more time to develop these skills and the strength to demonstrate them well.
The Regression
One of the most under appreciated aspects of the DVRT system will always be how we
can make any exercise not just more difficult, but regress the movement to allow a person
of any fitness level to perform it. The Lateral Bag Drag is no exception. To perform the
standard Lateral Bag Drag variation described above, you usually have to be able to hold
the top of a push-up position for at least one minute. Does this mean that we can’t introduce the drill at any other time? Absolutely NOT!
Some coaches see dropping to the knees as somehow less “hardcore,” but it still fits
within the scope of our system and can be highly effective as a regression. The kneeling
position can be used during the same training cycle as other Front Plank variations as a
means of slowly introducing the concepts of the Lateral Bag Drag.
The key to getting positive results from the kneeling position all goes back to our set-up.
People frequently use the kneeling position incorrectly, leading to a quantum leap to the
more standard push-up position. We will use our hands and shoulders as a guide for correct alignment. Keeping our shoulders remain over our hands instantly moves our body
weight forward. All too often, people “sit back” too much in the Lateral Bag Drag or other
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kneeling push-up variations. This doesn’t stress the necessary muscles enough. Having the
correct upper body alignment solves this problem and allows us to load both the trunk and
the stability systems of the upper body.
The Kneeling
Lateral Bag Drag.
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What occurs at the lower body is equally as important. Most people forget that kneeling
does reduce our base of support that we achieve in a wider stance in the standard Lateral
Bag Drag. Even though we have more of our body weight supported on the ground, this
reduced base of support can still make taking one hand off the ground and anti-rotational
training quite challenging. To provide more stability and to use the lower body to your
advantage, flex the feet to dig in the balls of the feet into the ground. Once you do so, you
should feel the hamstrings and glutes tighten, giving you a more stable foundation. Most
people lift their feet off of the ground at first. This doesn’t allow us the opportunity to integrate the lower body into the movement, and we see all types of collapses in the pelvis,
trunk, and/or upper body. Since we are going to be using this strategy in future progressions of the Lateral Bag Drag, it is more than worthwhile to establish the concepts as early
as possible.
Once we are set in the correct position, we can perform the Lateral Bag Drag in the manner we did in the initial introduction of this movement. Even very strong individuals can
find this variation challenging and worthwhile. After all, this isn’t about just having just a
strong abdominal area. It’s also about having a strong connection through the body –
something that even the strongest of lifters sometimes lack.
Other variations also allow us to progress the Lateral Bag Drag. One very helpful idea is
to reduce the amount of distance the USB actually drags upon the ground. We can focus on
just dragging the USB from one side of the body to the middle, and then back to the starting
position. This both reduces the amount of stress on the torso and the time under tension.
The Progressions
I am more than confident that quite a few of you that end up reading this book will
quickly discover many variations that can be performed off of this movement. Truthfully, it
can feel like there’s no end to what one can create once the original cues are accomplished.
However, when we do add variation it could come at the expense of our original intent of
using the Ultimate Sandbag. We still want to stay true to what the exercise is trying to teach
us about movement and not start building bad habits just in the name of variety.
Some may leap to the idea of using a heavier USB. In my experience this is NOT the best
means of progressing the Lateral Bag Drag. I cannot tell you how much more intense even
adding just five pounds to your Ultimate Sandbag can make the movement. It literally can
be the difference between feeling very confident and proficient in the movement and finding that the Ultimate Sandbag feels almost glued to the ground.
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Instead, move slowly! Moving slowly is more beneficial for our goals, even if this means
we reduce the repetitions of the set or workout. Performing six repetitions at a 3-4 count
versus 2-3 at a 5-6 count may not sound like a logical progression, but people are often
astonished at how intentionally moving slower is far more taxing than trying to knock out
more repetitions.
Speed is one option. Another is to make the Lateral Bag Drag into a complex. Push-ups
are an obvious and very effective choice. However, realize that as the pushing muscle tire,
your ability to pull across your body and hold the top position will decrease. If you do add
any of these possible progressions to your arsenal, make sure to appropriately reduce the
repetitions and slowly
build back up.
• Push-ups
• T Push-ups
• Lateral Body Walks
The Lateral Bag Drag with
one arm push-up.
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The last suggested movement listed above may be a bit unfamiliar to some. As we pull
the USB across the body, instead of pulling it right back the other direction we can actually
move the entire body! By walking both the feet and hands across the USB, we add some
interesting stresses to the body. Walking the body in this manner will give us that powerful
upper body stabilization that occurs in the single arm position. We have to resist both the
lateral forces and rotational forces of the walk that are trying to pull the body out of alignment, and we have to learn to keep a tight lower body during a dynamic action. This is
really fun and effective means of progressing the Lateral Bag Drag assuming you don’t
allow faulty techniques to creep into the exercise.
Around the World
The Lateral Bag Drag teaches us how to make our body very rigid, but this by itself isn’t
very functional. Our core needs to also know how to be mobile and change how much
force it creates. You will notice when we create a lot of tension in the core, we are discouraging movement from other areas of the body. The reality is that most daily life activities
and sporting actions require very quick moments of a rigid core combined with a core that
can quickly contract and relax. This allows us to create movement and express force. You
can feel how awkward it would be to hold this much tension in every day life just by trying
to walk around with huge amounts of tension in your trunk.
The Around the World may be the perfect complement to the Lateral Bag Drag for this
very reason. Where the Lateral Bag Drag is very rigid, the Around the World is very fluid.
Which one is better? Neither, both are concepts that we want to address during training.
In the Overhead Pressing section, we introduced you to a variation of the Around the
World in a kneeling position. The purpose of that drill was to actually avoid rotation and
create rigidity in the torso. The variation we are discussing now is quite different (notice
you have to understand the intent of a movement to decide if it is helpful to your goals). We
are going encourage a lot of movement throughout the entire body. Trying to hold the stiffness that we create during the kneeling variation would actually be counterproductive to
this version of the Around the World.
You can place the standard standing Around the World in the same section as our other
rotational based DVRT movements. The motion of the Around the World is created not by
swinging USB up and around our body, but rather by pivoting and moving our body
around the USB. This may sound like semantics, but intent can change the outcome of a
movement. In the kettlebell clean, learning how to move the hand around the kettlebell is a
popular cue to avoid slamming the weight into the forearm. The barbell deadlift is often
taught by thinking of pressing into the ground rather than just picking up the weight. Such
a simple cue and change in thought process can dramatically change the amount of tension
one feels in the low back during the barbell deadlift.
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Around
the World
series.
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By concentrating on wrapping our bodies around the USB, we avoid the swing motion
that often occurs. If the USB starts to swing away from the body, the lifter will try to create
stability by reducing their motion at the feet, hips, trunk, and upper body. The whole
essence of the Around the World is the synergistic motion that stems from all these segments. The Around the World is initiated by pivoting to one side, with the USB rotating to
the opposing side and being caught by the elbow. The position of the elbow will correct
about 90% of the issues that we see in the performance of the Around the World. What do
I mean by “catching” the elbow? As the USB begins to come around the body, the elbows
closest to this side must quickly lock into the ribs and set a strong foundation for the
motion to continue. If the elbow comes away from the body, this will create a lever arm
and encourage a swing motion of the USB.
Once the elbow locks into the side of the body, the momentum created by the strong
pivot and the outside arm will come just over the top of the head. The USB will continue to
be wrapped around the body until we hit the upper back position. When first introducing
Around the Worlds, I will have lifters stop in this position. This is because this is both a
very strong learning position as well as a site where a lot of things go wrong!
The upper back is one of our holding positions in the DVRT system, and this is the first
time we will discuss its use and purpose. At a very foundational level, the upper back position will allow us to see the amount of motion in the thoracic spine and shoulders. Many
lifters will find getting into this position very difficult because of the lack of mobility they
posses in these regions. If you cannot get into this position without discomfort, then you
are not quite ready to go here. Others will find this position gives them a huge triceps
stretch – just one more reason we are going to start with rather low loads in the USB.
When getting into the proper upper back position, the weight of the USB tries to pull the
trunk into extension. This means that we have to use the entire core to resist this extension
and hold a more neutral body position. That requires the trunk to brace and the glutes to
tighten. A lot of people miss this position because they are consumed by trying to swing the
USB around their bodies. Pausing in this position allows us to emphasize the benefits of the
upper back.
The extension that the USB wants to create here also means we can use it for a few other
exercises. Notice that we didn’t use the USB in the upper back position for the squatting
variations? This is not just due to the stress the position causes to the back, but also
because of logistical issues.
One of the biggest reasons that the barbell can be stabilized on the back is due to the
shelf that most lifters create. If we watch how both powerlifters and Olympic lifters position their shoulders as they get under the bar, the upper back creates a platform for the
weight to sit upon. This provides stability to the weight and allows them to support more
load. The problem with the USB in this position is this very thing! The USB must be held in
this Upper Back position, which means that no shelf can be created. Therefore, many lifters
attempting to squat the USB will either have to lean very forward or hold most of the
weight on their necks. Neither is a productive or healthy way to perform the movement. If
you are absolutely set on back squatting (even in light of the evidence I supported above),
please use the barbell and not the USB!
This doesn’t make the upper back position useless, though. We can use the upper back
hold in movements such as lunges and step-ups. Why is ok but squatting is not? The reason
that the upper back holding position works for these exercises is that we want to create a
tall torso in both of them. We want to avoid the forward lean, and a little bit of weight can
be effective in accomplishing this goal. This way we are not putting our shoulders, back, or
neck at risk. Using the upper back holding position to correct the faulty forward lean in
both lunging and the step-up is very effective and easy to implement!
Let’s go back to the Around the World. Performing the full movement can be overwhelming very technical. In order to make the Around the World more accessible to more
people, we focus on one side at a time. This means we will use the upper back holding position as our end point, and unwind to the same side the USB came up the body.
With all the moving parts the Around the World requires, we need to slow down speed
to ensure that we learn how to coordinate our movements. One of the most common mistakes people make in the performance of the Around the World is that they try to apply
speed far too early in the progressions. The complexity of the Around the World itself,
combined with speed, usually ends with swimming the USB instead of moving the body.
Feet end up staying firmly planted into the ground, hips don’t rotate, and all the tremendous benefits that this DVRT drill offers are lost.
Moving at a slow speed, making sure that we are learning how to wrap our bodies
around the USB, and working one side at a time makes learning the Around the World
much easier. All of a sudden, instead of having a very complicated drill, you can immediately begin to feel the benefits the Around the World has to offer.
If we are looking to making the Around the World more of a workout, we can do half
turns combined with a lunge or step-up movement. We quickly get a cool complex of different movement patterns that flow together very effectively. Focusing on a such a complex
allows us to build the repetitions of the Around the World and refine our skills before we
move to the full version.
Performing the entire Around the World is when things get really fun and powerful! The
movement is largely dependent upon the continual movement of the feet. It will be the pivoting of the feet that helps continue the motion and movement of the Ultimate Sandbag
without any swinging or upper body muscling in the exercise. If you find that your feet are
no longer pivoting, you need to slow down the movement, use less weight, or you have
tired and need to terminate the set. Why? When people don’t move their feet, they start trying to move through the low back. I think we have discussed enough times why this is far
from optimal or desirable.
When we go all the way in the Around the World, we want to make sure to hit that
important upper back position. People often get in a rush to simply get through the movement, and start missing important segments to the drill. We can move all the way around
but still stop for a brief pause at the upper back position to do a body check. Since we have
already described why this is such a great position, we don’t want to be bypassing it in our
program! Keep the intent of the drill true to the desired outcome and don’t become a victim
of mindless repetitions.
Once proficiency in the Around the World is demonstrated, we can slowly add speed.
Like the Lateral Bag Drag, the Around the World can feel much heavier even with modest
changes in weight. Therefore, we often will work on increasing speed or add repetitions.
The Around the World drill is a very fluid exercise, so it lends itself very well to higher repetition protocols and you may be shocked by how taxing it becomes!
Besides being incredible for reactive core training, shoulder/thoracic mobility, and teaching rotational skills, the Around the World is incredibly metabolically taxing. Time and
time again we see people hitting 90% plus maximum heart rate outputs when they really
become proficient at the Around the World. We don’t typically think of “core training” as
being so taxing to the body. Once again, people often underestimate the ability of DVRT to
do things better. This is just another way that the DVRT system makes your training more
efficient and effective.
The Around the World is one of those DVRT drills that has nearly infinite layers once
you build the proper skills. Taking the time and having the patience to do so will reward
you with not just incredible results, but options to keep sophisticating movement to unbelievable levels over time.
Cyclone
Besides having a fun name, the Cyclone is a signature move in the DVRT system. At first
glance it can seem like a very overwhelming motion. Some may be incredibly intimidated by
the Cyclone, but if we understand the DVRT program, the fear is replaced by excitement.
The Cyclone is a combination of Shoveling and the Around the World. Instead of having
the weight of the Ultimate Sandbag project far away from the body, the Shovel is quickly
transitioned into the Around the World. The constant movement of our feet allows us to
move quickly and efficiently to rapidly absorb and retransmit the force to produce a
unique full body drill.
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The
Cyclone
series.
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Trust me, the goal is not just to create a novel drill. The Cyclone is really the combination of rotational power, deceleration strength, reactive core ability, and upper body mobility. All of these parts are why with rather light loads, heart rates can go far beyond people’s
90% maximum.
The quick movement of the Ultimate Sandbag is something unlike what we see in most
other areas of lifting. Just like lifting “heavy,” fast drills are usually done with the feet
firmly planted into the ground and the weight moving in line with the body. The Cyclone
breaks all those rules and creates what I believe to be a far more athletic type of lift. We
have to react, rotate, decelerate, and still be strong. If you ask me the ingredients that make
up athleticism, it would be hard for me not to include these concepts as the cornerstones.
You will learn to be fluid, and you will quickly find where your weaknesses lie in
strength, mobility, or deceleration abilities. Feeling proficient in both Shoveling and the
Around the World will make the transfer to the Cyclone much easier. Shoveling teaches
you how to get in the right positions to both start and stop, and how to project the
Ultimate Sandbag.
Bridge to Pullover
Lying on the ground and performing functional movements seems counterintuitive.
After all, functional training is supposed to make us work in ways that we may encounter
in everyday life or sport. n truth, functional training is designed to teach you how to move
more efficiently and effectively. Working from the ground actually works within the principles of the DVRT system.
Our concept of working from stable to unstable positions and postures allows us to take
movements all the way to the ground. After all, there is no more stable position than the
ground itself. Sometimes making people very stable is the best means for teaching them
how to perform very precise movements or for introducing movements that have more
complexity.
One such example is the outwardly simple but very powerful Bridge to Pullover drill. If
you have followed what we have set forth in the earlier sections, the core is not just the
abdominals or even the low back, but the hips as well. The hips that help stabilize the
pelvis, and that can go a long way toward both preventing and treating low back issues.
Teaching people to use the hips can be a challenge in of itself. That is why we spent a
great deal of time in the early sections discussing the Hip Hinge pattern before we got to
more classic exercises like squatting. However, gaining really great motor control of the
hips can be an issue. Outwardly, lifters can make their technique look good, even to the
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trained eye. Yet they are experiencing an abnormal amount of low back pain and/or discomfort. That makes the Bridge to Pullover a great drill for beginners and advanced individuals alike.
The hip bridge is not a new exercise to many, but it is one of the most incorrectly performed drills. Most people cheat the hip bridge and never actually train or even feel the
right muscles. What are you trying to work? The hip bridge is not just about training muscles, but making sure they function in the right sequence. The hip hinge that we spoke so
much about in the earlier sections is not just about using the hamstrings, glutes, and low
back, but also about the order in which they are used. Many people actually develop dysfunctional patterns and never use one of these three muscles, or they do so in a sequence
that doesn’t provide proper stability in the low back, which is the primary reason we perform these drills.
The key is to
perform a small
pelvic tilt to
hold the torso
in place.
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What is right? Ideally we would see the hamstrings, then glutes, then low back fire in a
very fast sequence. However, most people work from hamstrings directly to the low back,
completely missing the glutes. This is a big problem, but a common one. More importantly,
how do you know that you may have such an issue? When bridging, some will almost
immediately cramp in their hamstrings. The cramping that many experience is often
related to the body trying to project itself from weakness in the area. This is often due to
the fact that the glutes are not working.
Before we can get too far into the full Bridge to Pullover, we have to make sure that you
are setting yourself up correctly. When we lie on our backs, we want the palms facing
upwards. Doing so will discourage us from using the upper body and prevent the abdominals that flex the spine from trying to produce the motion. We want the lower body to produce the force, and the trunk to simply stabilize. In other words, you shouldn’t feel like you
are performing a maximal effort when you bridge. If you do, you will encourage the wrong
areas of the body to become active.
What comes next may be one of the most challenging aspects, even though it is one of
the smallest movements. When people initiate the hip bridge, they almost inevitably at
some point being to lead with the low back. Most coaches aren’t sure how to cue lifters not
to use the low back, and are left with vague cues like, “use the hips more!” The problem
comes in the actual set-up just prior to the movement’s beginning.
The key is to perform a small pelvic tilt to hold the torso in place. You want to gently –
and I can’t emphasize the word gently enough – roll your pelvis so your low back applies
light pressure to the ground. At no point should you feel the upper abdominals wanting to
flex the trunk forward. Rather, you need a solid contraction in the area below your umbilical. For some, this will be an issue of coordination, but it is not unlike what happens when
we press overhead or at the top of many of our hip hinge movements. Learning this skill
obviously has great value not just for this exercise, but for good movement overall.
Using this little pelvic tilt goes a long way in preventing the low back from becoming the
major source of motion. Once you lock the pelvis into place, either the pelvis will go
straight up or the body will try to shift backwards. Trying to lean back is the other compensation and we want to avoid leaning back as much as moving through the low back.
The hips need to go straight up.
Now, really dialing in the hip bridge, we can bring in the movement of the pullover. This
isn’t the classic bodybuilding goal of increasing the rib cage or such things. We have two
primary goals with the pullover. The more subtle reinforcing how to utilize the lats.
Remember, understanding how to create tension in the underarm will be important for our
ability to stabilize in the push-up position and when pressing overhead.
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The bigger reason that we are using the pullover in the hip bridge is to challenge the
body to resist extension in the torso. That’s right, now that we have created a strong hip
bridge with a strong body alignment, we want to use the weight of the Ultimate Sandbag
to try to pull us into extension. Of course, we want to resist the force by strongly engaging
both the lower abdominal area and the hips. Simply allowing the arms to carry the weight
overhead is a means of incrementally increasing the intensity.
The Pullover to Bridge.
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When we can hold the right position and carry the Ultimate Sandbag completely over the
top of the head, then we can progress the movement. Like the majority of our DVRT drills,
going up in weight is an option, but it may be not the best one. The lever arm that the pull
over creates makes small Ultimate Sandbags feel much heavier than their actual weight
would indicate. Therefore, since we don’t typically move up by a very small amount of
weight, we are going to look to alter body position as a means of progressing this movement.
It won’t take much to make the Bridge to Pullover by altering body position. Slightly
elevating one leg can completely change the dynamics of the exercise. We don’t have to lift
the leg high to immediately feel the impact of going on one leg. Moving to a unilateral
movement not only makes one side work harder, but adds rotational forces to the Bridge
to Pullover. Avoid rotating the hips during any variation of one legged Bridge to Pullovers.
The Unilateral
Bridge to
Pullover.
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Over time, you will keep challenging yourself by first lifting the off leg to eventually 90
degrees, and then slowly straightening it out. The most difficult form will be when the off leg
sits just off the floor and completely straight. Having the off leg in this position adds a long
lever arm, and will improve the ability to properly hip bridge and keep the torso aligned.
Take your time, though. Determine which position gives you the best ability to perform the
exercise well. Once you can work through all these levels, increasing the weight of your
Ultimate Sandbag will feel far more reasonable.
Leg Threading
You are probably wondering, heck, even waiting. When I am going to discuss performing
Turkish Get-ups?! After all, Ultimate Sandbags are perfect for a variation of the Turkish
Get-up. My answer is that they are and they aren’t. Holding an Ultimate Sandbag on the
shoulder while trying to get up off of the floor is quite a unique experience. It is different
from holding a weight overhead, and the only thing I can compare it to is having someone
lay right on top of your body!
This makes the Ultimate Get-up a valuable exercise for anyone who is looking to emphasize core strength or who has shoulder limitations. I am not going to suggest that the
Ultimate Sandbag on the shoulder is a better version than holding weight overhead; it’s just
different.
What we are looking for is not just your ability to get off of the ground, but the manner in
which you do so. We are trying to see if you can integrate the right muscles of the core to perform the get-up or if you start to compensate for a weak core structure. What does compensating look like? During the get-up, the set-up is the same as with the weight overhead. We
take a “v” position with the legs, with one straight leg and one leg bent as though we were
going to perform a bridge.
The Ultimate Sandbag rests on the shoulder that is on the same side as the bent leg. As we
try to roll and sit-up, if the straight leg comes off the ground, we have a compensation pattern. This is a strong sign that our body has given up on the ability of our core to work synergistically to bring the body upward, and has substituted the hip flexors. In this instance, I
am referring to the abdominals, hamstrings, and glutes when I mention the core. While the
hip flexors technically make up the core, we are trying to minimize their role at this point in
the movement.
Part of the issue can be strength and integration. Using the wrong approach in the get-up
portion can also be a problem. The heels of both legs are actively pushing into the ground
and are not in a relaxed state. We want to feel tension in the hamstrings and glutes before we
even begin to move. Now we have a strong foundation to move, and can focus on using the
right muscles.
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Straight leg
stays on the
ground.
Straight leg comes
off the ground.
The lower body isn’t the only player in getting up; the upper body also plays an important
role. Coming up is not a straight sit-up motion. Rather, we are going to roll and use a drive
through the outside arm to once again place force into the ground to help us up. The arm
helps activate the lat, transferring force through the rest of the body. It is also a stabilizing
force for the next phase of the DVRT we are about to perform.
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Dropping the bent
knee outwards
compensation.
At this point, we are going to diverge from the traditional Turkish Get-up. Don’t get me
wrong, it is possible to do a Turkish Get-up with the Ultimate Sandbag . But there’s an issue
with coming back down. After rising off the ground with the Ultimate Sandbag, the weight
is going to rest upon the shoulder, dispersed evenly. That makes coming back down to the
floor a bit of an issue. The USB ends up returning to the floor before the body.
Does that ruin everything? I think it makes the movement awkward, and after all the exercises we have discussed throughout this book, hopefully it is obvious that we don’t need to
just copy other exercises. The best and most important aspect of the Ultimate Sandbag in
this position is the shoulder position we hold. Consequently, we are going to want to really
emphasize what the shoulder position does in challenging our movement and strength. That
means we don’t need to perform a get-up. We can do something a bit different.
Leg Threading makes it possible to stress the shoulder position that forces the body to
resist lateral force. When we have introduced the shoulder position in past exercises, we have
always had a vertical torso, which makes distributing the weight a bit easier. As I described
those exercises, easier and easy are not the same thing!
Moving through Leg Threading, we work the torso in all types of angles. The challenge of
keeping the trunk in good alignment becomes much greater when we are both moving and
holding the Ultimate Sandbag on the shoulder. The primary goal of stressing the trunk is to
slow down the speed. The complexity of the movement is another great reason we slow
down Leg Threading.
225
Leg
Threading.
226
To move from one position to another, we need the hip bridge that we built in the Bridge
to Pullover – as well as hip mobility – to seamlessly move our body. Like all our DVRT drills,
there is an ideal and many levels to regress. I say this because the amount of movement and
stability that Leg Threading requires could discourage many from even trying. Many think
regression is a bad word that means you are unfit. Nothing could be further from the truth!
I experienced this lesson working with a former professional strongman. He was former
because he had hurt his back so badly that not only could he no longer compete, but he told
me he was unable to perform a body weight squat without pain. Going from a high level of
athletic competition to being unable to perform the foundational task of squatting your own
weight is a hard thing to swallow. However, he possessed a great attitude and more importantly, a desire to get better.
All day, this very strong athlete gave his best, going through many of our DVRT drills. He
did what he could, and modified what seemed like too much. Until we came to it. When we
started to cover Leg Threading I thought we had hit the limit. The once-positive attitude was
met with a facial expression that said it all, “NO WAY!”
Why did this exercise seem impossible to him? He watched the full version – all these moving parts that seemed to force positions he had never used and that asked parts of his body
to work that I don’t think he had ever worked. Maybe I could have forced him through the
movement. Instead, I tried to stay true to our principles. I had to look at modifying the range
of motion. Some may argue doing so compromises the integrity of the exercise. That is the
danger in seeing something as an exercise and not a movement. A movement has a host of
different levels and versions. I wanted him to perform the movement of Leg Threading.
What did we do? We simply altered the range of motion. I didn’t ask him to bridge as high
or to move his legs as wide. I know, not really innovative, but how many people are discouraged from an exercise because they cannot perform the “ideal” version? Get over what is
ideal, and work on what is both safe and effective for you and your current ability levels!
Back to our strongman, though. I had shown him what level I wanted him to work at, and
he is was up for the challenge. In all honesty, I didn’t have big expectations for him, but I
wanted him to experience it, as now he was a coach. If he was going to be teaching these
concepts to others, I wanted him to have a baseline for what it felt like. I went on to help a
few other coaches with their technique, and as I came back to him, he was doing it! Not just
the version I had provided him, but the entire Leg Thread. I was completely shocked. He was
smiling, but most improbable of all was that he stood up after and started to squat. I asked
him if he was in pain and he said that he felt so good he wanted to try. It was the first time
that he was able to body weight squat without pain! Are you going to get the same result? Is
it going to happen as fast? I can’t really tell you that, but being persistent and staying true to
the concepts can help you accomplish some pretty amazing things!
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One of the concepts that Leg Threading taught him was not necessarily to just drive harder
through his lower body, but how important integrating the body really becomes in building
strength and stability. In Leg Threading, the best example is what happens with the arm.
Once we are in the sitting position, we want to make sure that we corkscrew the support arm
in the same manner that we used in the Lateral Bag Drags. I am constantly amazed how time
and time again, emphasizing the corkscrew can make or break the bridge. By corkscrewing
the arm, we engage the lat and cause a chain reaction throughout the whole body. Where
someone can’t bridge one moment, as soon as they engage the upper body, it becomes almost
effortless. The correct arm position is what is going to help us move the lower body in all
types of angles.
The actions of bridging and supporting of the arm allows us to move our straight leg all the
way across the body. If we freeze the motion in time, we see a different version of a Side
Plank. Instead of just working on hitting the lateral side of the trunk, we are combining it
with stability of the arm and hip as well. Whether you want to use this as a “core” drill, a
“warm-up” to your overhead work, or a finisher, Leg Threading has so many terrific applications because of how many issues it addresses at one time!
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BUILDING
MUSCLE?
e talked a lot about concepts like functional training throughout this
entire book. While it may sound great to build strength that transfers to
the real world and increases our overall health, you may still find yourself asking one question – will I look better?
The simple answer is YES! Of course, you have to remain consistent with other important factors such as nutrition and sleep. Seeing the amazing results people get from applying the DVRT system even surprises me at times. It is the adherence to a program – based
upon strong principles and using an amazing tool – that seems to bring about such change.
The best part is that DVRT isn’t a program that requires you to live and breathe fitness.
You don’t have to be a professional athlete, or perform two daily workouts to accomplish
significant goals. Pedro Morales is a perfect example of someone who took his life back
into his own hands and dedicated himself to these very ideals. His results?
“Hands down the best program I’ve ever seen or been on, The program is simply genius. Today February 7, 2012 I weigh 219.6 lbs. I haven’t broken the 220
lb barrier in over a year, this is with 3-1/2 months of training, that’s 30.4 lbs of
weight, I definitely put on some muscle, so I know I lost a lot more then 30.4 lbs
of fat. My energy levels are through the roof. The depression is gone. I feel strong
& healthy. I’m getting my mobility back & my posture has improved we are talking night & day deference, and this is just ½ way to my goal.”
Pedro’s story is not an anomaly; it is the result of dedication, consistency, and adherence
to the principles we have outlined here for the DVRT program. The DVRT system will
give you what you put into it. Can you build muscle? Absolutely! Can you shred fat? Of
course! Is it really possible to get in incredible shape with minimal space? No doubt!
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The Ultimate Sandbag has so much versatility we didn’t even cover in this book. I didn’t
want you to get into all the exercises that are possible with the Ultimate Sandbag. Instead,
my goal was to introduce you to a new way of thinking about fitness programs. In that
spirit, I will touch on a few exercises that are highly effective but didn’t quite fit into the
journey I was hoping to take you through.
Bent-Over Rows
In the very early sections of this book, I outlined the many benefits of the Bent-Over
Row. What I did not discuss were the incredible combinations that you can create and the
ways you can manipulate the system for different exercise goals.
The Ultimate Sandbag is a far more powerful tool than people realize. The fact that we
have so many gripping options is only one element. Changing the grip you take on your
rows will change some of the muscle activation in the upper body. I have provided the table
below to give you some idea of how changing the grip on your Ultimate Sandbag can alter
the outcome of your bent-over row variations.
Grip Option
Supinated
Mechanical Advantage
Strong
Stability Level
Focus More on Biceps
Involvement and Lats
Neutral
Strong
Good Combination of Biceps
and Scapula Retractors
Pronated
Moderate
Less Biceps and More Focus
on Scapula Retraction
End Cap Rows
Minimal
Grip Will be Limiting Factor
and the Center of Mass Will
Be Away from Grip
Off-Set
Moderate (Depends
on Above Gripping
Options)
Creates a Unique
Asymmetrical Loading
Variable
230
Supinated
Bent-Over Rows.
Neutral
Bent-Over Rows.
231
Prontated
Bent-Over Rows.
End Cap
Bent-Over Rows.
232
Off-Set
Bent-Over Rows.
Bonus one Grip
Bent-Over Rows.
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The unique emphasis on gripping the Ultimate Sandbag also allows us to use more of the
muscles used in the upper body. Therefore, we not only have grip position, but extra
emphasis in some variations on grip strength as well. We have to select the right variation
for our goals.
Don’t worry, if you don’t know which one is right for you, simply rotate the type every
few weeks. I often recommend that people incorporate two versions in a training cycle,
with a third day being devoted to drills like pull-ups. Why a ratio of 1:2? I find most lifters
don’t have good scapular retraction and need to learn how to perform retraction of the
shoulders correctly. They often lack strength in this area. Many lifters forget that as good
as pull-ups are, they also tend to cause internal rotation of the shoulders if done too frequently. Considering many people already suffer from rounded shoulders, I want to prioritize correcting this issue.
Along with variation, work through tempo. As mentioned in our first discussion of the
Bent-Over Row, many people simply rush through the movement. Work on slower lowering tempos. Add pauses and use different repetition schemes. If this all feels a bit overwhelming, don’t worry, you can also follow some of the workouts I am providing at the
end of this book.
Biceps Curls
Since functional training has gained such popularity in both the fitness industry and general population, exercises such as biceps curls have almost become outlawed! As with
many new concepts, we tend to suffer from an overreaction to some of the concepts. Are
drills like biceps curls bad? Of course not. The better question is: how many of them do we
perform and how much of our workout do they make up?
Biceps can be very useful and teach us important lessons about movement. The current
fitness overemphasizes going hard and fast all the time. No wonder injuries accumulate
faster and goals are never met. All of us can benefit from preparing our bodies for more
intense training. You don’t think bicep curls are important? Some of the strongest athletes
in the world may disagree with you!
Competitive strongmen have long used biceps curls to help prevent bicep tears. The
immense strain placed on both the tendon and muscle during classic strongman events like
stones and farmer’s walks make biceps curls part of the strongman arsenal. Listen to the
advice of top-level amateur strongman and strength coach, Jason Nunn: “Distal biceps
tears are very common in strongman. Doing these high rep curls will help develop the tensile strength of the tendons involved.” Don’t think doing a few sets of biceps curls will get
you kicked out of the functional training coaches club!
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We must go beyond the biceps to maximize the benefits of performing this muchmaligned exercise. Take your eyes off what is happening at the arm. If we zoom out, we
can see that biceps curls actually work the upper back and core to a great degree, especially
as the weight gets heavier or our grip gets stressed more. When the weight sits in front of
our body in the initial phase of the biceps curl, we have to actively pull our shoulders down
and back, while locking our legs and tightening the glutes.
That’s right! Many of the same tips I have given for so many other DVRT to produce
stability apply here as well. All too often people allow their shoulders to round forward
and crunch into the weight when they perform biceps curls. If you follow the tips of DVRT
stability, you will find that your upper back and core get hit almost as hard as your biceps.
They don’t move, though. They learn how to fight the weight of the Ultimate Sandbag
pulling them forward. Another chance to teach the concepts of good movement doesn’t
sound like a waste of time to me at all!
Biceps Curls.
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Just like the Bent-Over Row, the Ultimate Sandbag biceps curl has many variations. Not
only can we curl it from a few different handle positions, not only can we curl it from different body positions, and not only can we make it one handed or two, We can also place
the Ultimate Sandbag in some unique holding positions.
My favorite is placing the Ultimate Sandbag in a vertical position. Instead of holding
onto the handles of the Ultimate Sandbag, you are now holding onto the Ultimate Sandbag
itself. This changes two important variables. The most obvious is that by no longer holding
the handles, our fingers and grip are taxed to a higher degree. Just like the Bent-Over Row,
this will actually increase the usage of our upper body muscles and really work the arms.
Getting grip and biceps strength is a double bonus!
Grip Curls.
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Less obvious until you actually perform Grip Curls is that by holding the Ultimate
Sandbag vertically, we have a lot of weight pulling against us. The weight of the Ultimate
Sandbag usually feels heavier in this position, probably because of the unique combination
of leverage and grip strength. Using grip curls at the end of a workout or as part of a circuit
is effective and remains true to our ideals of functional training.
Don’t
compensate.
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Carries
The concept of carrying weight has become popular once again – relatively speaking, at
least. The idea of walking around with weight may seem a bit odd for some. Old time
strongmen, though, greatly believed in the idea that how much weight you could carry was
a sign of your overall strength. There were three attributes that made for a good strongman: how much weight they could pick up from the ground, how much weight they could
put overhead, and how much weight they could carry.
Having competed in more modern day strongman competitions, I can tell you carrying
weight hits muscles that are simply hard to explain. Some coaches like Dan John believe
that carrying weight can be completely transformational. He explains, “The loaded carry
does more to expand athletic qualities than any other single thing I’ve attempted in my
career as a coach and athlete. And I do not say that lightly.”
What is it that makes carrying weight so unique? When you hold weight, your body
instantly starts to feel the compression. To maintain your postural alignment, both the
large and small muscles of the body have to become very active. This combination of all
these muscles working together helps activate your body’s natural weight belt system to
create stability for the spine. Is that it, though?
I think the combination of this compression and walking adds dimension to this type of
training. After all, if you are performing many of the drills in the DVRT system, being
under compression of weight is not a new idea. DVRT drills like Front Loaded Squats,
Shoulder Lunges, and even Lateral Bag Drags and Overhead Pressing all require a great
deal of compression in the trunk. I believe things differ when you add the simple act of
walking.
Walking wouldn’t seem to complicate things. After all, we do it every day. Walking with
weight changes the game because the feel of the weight differs with every step. As with all
our DVRT drills, the goal is not simply to complete the task, but also to correctly perform
the movement. The weight in loaded carries tries to alter our postural alignment, and
depending upon which holding position we choose, it can change what areas of the body
we feel being stressed.
Those that are somewhat familiar with loaded carries might instantly think of the exercise called farmer’s walks. A farmer walk is simply carrying a weight down by your side as
you walk. It’s a simple sounding task, but not so easy to perform. The farmer’s walk is a
good drill, but I like some of our DVRT options even better.
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The DVRT and Ultimate Sandbag variations move the weight from down by our sides
to much higher positions. This simple change often completely alters the feel of carrying
weights. A higher carrying position requires more work from the trunk, upper back, and
in some instances, arms as well. Why do most people favor the farmer’s walk? To be perfectly honest, it is due to the fact you can handle more weight and it is much easier than the
walking variations I am about to describe. But if you are up for the challenge, here is our
system of loaded carries:
Bear Hug
The Bear Hug comes back as our foundational holding position because it allows us to
maintain a more upright torso position. Far
too often, lifters will get into loaded carrying
positions and begin to lean back to counter
balance the weight on the body. Such a compensation is a big no-no, as it only puts the
lower back under more shear. The overall
goal of any of the loaded carries is to maintain
as undisturbed a walking posture as possible,
not just heave the heaviest weight possible.
The Bear Hug walk calls heavily upon the
arms and upper back, along with the trunk, to
maintain a tall walking posture. While walking, you will find that your breathing becomes
shortened because your body must maintain
the tension through the trunk. Learning to
take shorter and timely breaths is key to keepThe Bear Hug Carry.
ing the duration of the loaded carry at challenging levels. However, this unique fatigue
that loaded carries such as the Bear Hug walk
provide are exactly what make people tire in
the first place. Becoming more proficient and
simply more fit with these carries will go
along way toward improving some of your
other lifts and specific conditioning as well. Tactical athletes such as fireman should perform such work because of the unique stress of their jobs. Being under heavy loads for
long periods of time is a type of fatigue that can’t be simulated by just classic running or
other conditioning methods.
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Front Hold
My personal favorite is the Front Hold position walks. Why? These exercises are both
challenging and highly accessible. Since we have already paralleled all Front Hold positions to the Front Plank, we can quickly see this becomes a walking plank. By taking the
Ultimate Sandbag from the Bear Hug to the Front Hold position, we also have changed
the body’s center of mass making it even harder to hold our walking posture. This is one
of those drills you feel pretty instantly. As soon as you take that first step you can feel your
core turning on big time! The body isn’t just fighting the pull of the Ultimate Sandbag forwards, but the walking action causes lateral forces to torch the obliques as well!
The higher holding position of the Front Hold additionally increases the work load on
the upper back and arms. I have seen
numerous lifters fail in their ability to hold
their shoulders in the classic “down and
back” position because their lats and upper
back fatigue. If you can perform the Front
Hold walk well, you will feel as though you
just got done with a tough set of pull-ups in
your upper back!
Don’t lean
back.
The Front
Hold Carry.
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Shoulder
The Shoulder position is often the trickiest of the loaded carries. I see it all the time on
the internet. Guys and gals load up their shoulders and try to run or walk. Unfortunately,
you see all types of compensations. You see people’s hips sitting to one side, their trunks
leaning, and even knees caving! The Shoulder loaded carry requires even more attention
than the Shoulder Squat because of the instability walking causes through the pelvis.
Our goal hasn’t changed from the Bear Hug to the Shoulder loaded carry. We don’t
want to see our walking stance altered. Doing so will most definitely result in sore, if not
injured, low backs. Most people allow a collapse of their torso to one side, completely
overloading structures like the quadratus lumborum. A funny-sounding muscle that you
don’t want to make angry! The result can sometimes be almost as painful as a disc injury!
Attention to quality of movement is key in
both getting the desired result and keeping
you clear of harm. Being disciplined
enough to follow these standards will provide you with some powerful strength
gains.
The
Shoulder
Carry.
Don’t
compensate
laterally.
241
Overhead
The Overhead position battles
closely with the Shoulder position for
the role of most challenging loaded
carry position. The more balanced
loading position makes it somewhat
easier to maintain good alignment,
but the longer lever arm definitely
makes walking quite the challenge.
Add in the fact that the Ultimate
Sandbag provides more instability in
this position, and you have one heck
of a feat of stability and strength.
I must preface the rest of the
description of the Overhead loaded
carry with the fact we have to ensure
you have the upper body flexibility to
get into the correct position. Much
like the Shoulder holding position,
many people compensate greatly during their Overhead loaded carries.
Compensations, though, are not subtle; they usually come in the form of a really big
curve in the low back. As I discussed in the
Overhead pressing series, we don’t want to see an
increased curve in the low back at any point of the
Ultimate Sandbag being overhead.
The
Overhead
Carry.
Some people can actually start in the right posture, but as soon as that first step is taken, they
begin to arch. If we start in the right position and
this type of compensation occurs, this could be due to a core weakness rather than an
inability to move properly in the upper body. Learning how to brace more effectively while
pulling the shoulders down and back are keys to helping stabilize the trunk.
More unstable Ultimate Sandbags are really fun with Overhead loaded carries. As you
pick up speed or walk longer, you will find the instability increases, making the body work
harder. That means you don’t have to perform huge weights to get a great benefit from the
DVRT Overhead loaded carries. Sometimes using a very unstable Ultimate Sandbag is
more than enough.
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DVRT
PROGRAMMING
o far I have provided you the pieces to the puzzle. Exercises and progressions
are really just pieces of a program. The art of fitness comes from understanding
how to put these pieces together to match your goals. Some people get overwhelmed by all the movements that are possible in our DVRT program. and
can’t even imagine how to put it all together. Going back to principles, though, you will see
that it is relatively easy to piece together a well thought-out plan for your fitness goals.
Is a program really necessary, though? Should I just go by how I feel that day? Doesn’t a
plan keep me from addressing the unpredictability of life? Isn’t “confusing” my muscles far
more effective than following a consistent program? These are the questions that the current fitness climate breeds. Truthfully, I find these to be excuses that are not founded on
much science, but are rather a result of our culture’s tendency to suffer from varying levels
of A.D.D.
In an era where we communicate with 140 characters and check the news in literally seconds, our desire to spend any appreciable time thinking about what and how we wish to
accomplish our fitness goals seems to go far against the grain. Yet, if you look at successful
organizations, they all have a strong foundation and a good plan. How many Fortune 500
companies do you think are built without a business plan? How many times do generals go
into battle without a plan? Would you feel good if your doctor didn’t have a plan for treatment of an illness? While it may seem ridiculous to some to put your fitness program in the
same category as business, military, or medicine, the reality is it isn’t too far off. To get a
specific result, you need a specific plan.
What most people don’t understand is that a training program is just that – a plan. You
can think of a plan as providing you direction or being a map. It is hard to find where you
are going if you don’t have a map or directions. Yet this is the very way people address
their fitness goals all the time.
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Don’t get me wrong, your plan and program won’t always be right. They will need to be
tweaked, re-evaluated, and altered to the unpredictable variables that life will throw at
you. Knowing the rules means you understand when it is necessary to break the rules. As
strength coach Charles Staley says, “You can’t deviate from a system you do not have.” If
we do not have a plan, we cannot even attempt to identify why we are not making the
progress we desire. It also means that we don’t even really know what is working so we
can continue to implement the successful ideas. To help you better understand the value of
programming, let me quickly dispel many of these common programming myths.
MYTH 1
I need to keep my body guessing!
Truth: The reality is that your body needs to get somewhat accustomed to a program.
Since many of the early changes in a program (yes, any program) are due to the brain coordinating the body more efficiently, we need to allow some adaptation to occur so that the
muscles and metabolic systems can be more appropriately challenged. Think of a program
like riding a bike. The first few times you feel unsteady, you can’t really balance, and then
after a few times you start to smooth it out. You can then ride faster, longer, and more
aggressive trails. Your program is very similar; you can’t really train the muscles or other
aspects of fitness if you don’t allow some familiarity with the program. Otherwise your
body is always learning how to “steady the bike,” and doesn’t get much better at anything.
Still a bit doubtful about how effective this concept is for training? If you don’t think
having a program works in fitness, look at the performance of Olympic athletes in track &
field, gymnastics, weightlifting, and heck, most sports. They all work off of a plan.
The truth is at some point, our body becomes too efficient and changing the program is
necessary. Researchers find this time from to be somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks. A
beginner can be on a program longer than a well-trained individual. This is due to the fact
the more advanced trainee has a more efficient nervous system.
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MYTH 2
My program needs to be random
to meet the unpredictability of Life
Truth: There are many issues with this line of thinking. Possibly most notable is the fact
that those that preach this concept actually do not have much random work in their training. Many of these individuals are merely trying to justify doing what they like and are
good at. It is shocking to see those that promote the idea of random workouts usually center their training around 5 to 10 specific lifts. Not too much randomization there at all!
Focusing on what we like and what we are good at is not unusual, and even a program
can’t prevent this altogether. However, if you sit down and really analyze your programming, the truth is usually very glaring. Making a commitment to yourself by putting your
weaknesses first in your workouts is a very powerful way to achieve progress much faster.
Let’s address the whole predictability factor now. Even unpredictability in the world of
sport requires planning. Whether you have played American football, basketball, baseball,
tennis, lacrosse, soccer, or pretty much anything, you practice and prepare for the sport.
You spend a considerable amount of time developing the skills and abilities that are necessary for high level performance in your sport. Of course, each of these sports has a strong
element of unpredictability – from weather and the elements to facing a highly skilled athlete. Your opponent has also trained, has specific strengths and weaknesses, and has developed a strategy and plan they want to execute. You have to both react to your opponent
and perform at the highest possible level.
In most team sports, the most successful coaches are those who can make adjustments
during the game. However, adjustments are based upon the foundation of a great plan.
How would you feel if you knew the coach of your favorite team went into the championship game with no game plan, no strategy, and just said they were going to react to the
unpredictability of the game? Such an approach would seem odd on many accounts. Just as
the coach would have to make adjustments to a game plan, it is very likely you, over time,
will have to do the same to your training. This doesn’t make a program wrong or unnecessary. Quite the opposite, you will find knowing which aspect to change is far easier than a
shotgun approach.
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MYTH 3
Designing a program takes all the
“fun” out of training.
Truth: A training program is not etched in stone, and is not designed to remove the joy
from training. In coaching for over 20 years, I can tell you that there is a great deal of fun
in accomplishing specific goals. The opposite happens with random workouts. You will
find often find these individuals constantly searching for more novel exercises and unique
training tools to make up for the fact they don’t find themselves getting any closer to actually reaching their individual goals. This becomes a pursuit that seems to have no end, as
trying to find a new stimulus every workout becomes time consuming and more times than
not, futile.
If, after reading this book, you don’t see how to make purposeful progressions, I haven’t
done my job. The goal of the first section of this book was to describe how simple it is to
make a small change that yields big results. We have the power to have fun and still stay
focused. One of the biggest challenges in achieving goals is possessing the dedication to stay
on a path toward accomplishing your goals. DVRT is set up to help you have variety. It
also helps you avoid forgetting the big picture of achieving your specific goals!
The Beginner Program
What makes for a beginner program? If you have had a three month or more period of
time off from training, I would ask you to start in the beginner’s section. While three
months does not seem to be a great deal of time, certain fitness qualities can drop rapidly,
and rebuilding and preparing the body for more intense forms of training will definitely
allow for a faster return to your previous fitness levels.
The focus of the beginner program is to teach proficiency for the foundational movements. I want you to get better at them because they will serve as a strong base for every
other form of training we implement. Many of these movements have us working in both
stable holding and body positions to help us feel more confident with these foundational
movements. Therefore, show some discipline and patience with the training. Trying to rush
to the more intense variations is something that far too many people try to do. You’ll only
be met with plateaus and early stagnation in your training.
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How Much Weight?
One of the most challenging aspects of the DVRT program is to provide you with guidelines on what size and weight of USB to use. I am going to provide you some general recommendations. However, these are just that – general. If you need to adjust the weight
either up or down, make sure to do so . As a base I recommend women work with a Power
USB between 25-30 pounds and men with a Strength USB at 50-60 pounds. In reality, you
are going to do best with one additional USB – women with one heavier USB and men with
one lighter USB. This would be a Strength USB at about 40 pounds for women and a Power
USB at 30 pounds for men. While this may seem like a more significant investment, the
truth is that you will find your gym almost complete with just these two sizes.
How Often?
The beginner programs are based upon a three day a week training schedule. While some
of you may be capable of handling more, it doesn’t mean you are necessarily better served
by performing even more workouts. It is normal in our culture to think more is always better. Remember that even good training like the DVRT system is still considered a stress to
the body. The key with any fitness training is to apply the right amount of stress to the
body, while still allowing the body to recover and improve overall fitness. The old gym
adage that, “you grow outside of the gym, not in it” rings very true.
If you doubt that three days a week of focused training can produce strong results, then
it may be better to hear the same idea from another source. Weightlifting champion
Tommy Kono is one of the most legendary American strength athletes. He’s also a pioneer
in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. He explains, “You can train 2 or 3 times a day, 5-6
days a week like the Europeans, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will improve that much
faster.” Moreover, he opines, it may lead to overtraining, injury and bad habits that come
from lifting tired. Says Kono, “Training three times a week tends to create more enthusiasm, and because you enjoy the training, you put more heart and soul into it and reap the
benefit of improving faster.” If it is good enough for a world champion then it may be wise
to give it a try yourself.
This doesn’t mean that you should not participate in any additional activity. Quite the
opposite, the non-scheduled training days can have activities such as yoga, hiking, and
other enjoyable training that is lower intensity. These non-scripted training days can be
very helpful in facilitating greater recovery, building a stronger foundation, and keeping the
mind fresh and excited. Being excited to train is an important aspect of developing a program. Most people believe that they must painfully go through every workout, dreading
every minute of it. You will be far better served if you find how to make training a more
enjoyable habit.
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What if the workouts are
too easy or too difficult?
My rant in the earlier part of this chapter reinforced that programs are plans. You can
alter the plan if it is not working for your own personal fitness levels. Coaches do this all
the time for their clients, so absolutely feel free to adjust the program to your needs. One of
the most obvious factors you can change is simply the weight of the USB. However, our
assumption is that you are really using no more than two USBs for your training.
Therefore, you might find the weight perfect for some exercises and too heavy or light for
others. What do you do?
If you find the weight of the USB too light, then our first variable is speed. Begin to consciously slow down the speed with which you lower the Ultimate Sandbag. A 5-6 second
count is as long as we typically extend the eccentric phase. That doesn’t mean at select
times you can’t be a masochist and work up to ten seconds! Talk about brutal. That isn’t
the only way we can manipulate speed. Adding pauses in the bottom position of the lift is
a great way to not only make the weight of the USB feel heavier, but to spike up the heart
rate and build tremendous strength. Pauses of 3-5 seconds are a tremendous way of incorporating deliberate pauses. Legendary bodybuilding innovator Arthur Jones spoke extensively about the use of altered tempos for building a strong body.
In these introductory workouts, we use typically stable holding and body positions. That
means you can try to introduce less stable holding or body positions to DVRT drills you
find too easy. That might mean performing a Front Loaded Squat instead of Bear Hug. It
could mean performing Staggered Deadlifts in place of our standard bilateral deadlifts.
This might be a bit challenging to integrate until you become more familiar with these progressions. Altering speed and load will serve as your tools for making your DVRT workouts more challenging until then.
Let’s look at the other side – what if the workouts are too hard? Of course, reducing the
load of your USB is an option. However, you may find yourself running into the same
issues as before. Some DVRT drills are perfect with the weight, and others are far too
heavy. Moving too quickly isn’t ideal when we are trying to develop quality movement patterns. Speed probably won’t be the variable that we manipulate the most; we want to maintain a pretty consistent moderate tempo.
That leaves us with volume and rest intervals. What is volume? Think of volume as the
sets and repetitions. You will find that there are ranges for both. This gives you the freedom
to alter and progress in your workouts without just adding weight. By adjusting sets and
reps, we realize that the real world can often factor into the quality of your workouts. One
of the best known scientists in performance and fitness training, Dr. Mel Siff, called this
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type of training “cybernetic periodization.” This futuristic term simply referred to the idea
that technique, volume, and load may have to be altered workout to workout. You may
find yourself exhausted from a long day of work, stressed by all of life’s commitments, or
a host of real world activities. In such situations you can work on the lower end of both set
and repetition schemes. If you are having a great day, then you can push the upper limits –
simple, but often underrated.
Can you go below either the sets or repetitions I recommend? Of course! If you find a
single set to be the only way to get your workout in, then I am all for it. Science has shown
that cumulative training delivers a result, not a singular workout. Therefore, keeping on
your schedule is more important than how much you killed yourself that day. Sometimes
doing less but actually moving will help your body recover, and does help to maybe relieve
some stress and elevate your mood. I can’t tell you how many times I considered skipping
a workout, but decided to alter my program just in the manner I am describing and ended
up finishing the workout feeling good and upbeat. A complete 180 from how I felt prior to
performing the training session.
The rest intervals also play a key role. Most people don’t pay attention to the rest time
in between sets. Yet they play a large part in the outcome and intensity of the training session. It probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that most people try to keep their rest intervals as short as possible. Does this help in improving fitness? Absolutely! However, this
approach is very intense, and the great majority of people cannot do it on a consistent
basis without overtraining. Just like weight or the number of training sessions, making the
rest intervals harder and harder isn’t always better.
This is especially true for beginner workouts. Building great technique as a foundation is
so very important for getting great results. Having too little rest between exercises or sets
can cause fatigue to accumulate so quickly that technique often suffers. Having a bit more
rest allows us to train much harder and maintain technique in our earlier phases. As we go
through the different levels, we will place greater demand on your ability to perform while
fatigued. That means you are more than free to increase the rest intervals if you find yourself tiring out so fast during the workout you feel like you aren’t performing the DVRT
drills well any longer. Start by adding 15-30 seconds and see if that makes the workout
much more feasible.
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Weeks 1-6 Beginner
Workout 1
Exercise
A1. Deadlift
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
12-15
Rest Intervals
60 seconds
A2. Overhead Press
2-3
8-10
60 seconds
A3. Bear Hug Squats
2-3
8-10
60 seconds
A4. Bent-Over Row
2-3
10-12
60 Seconds
A5. Front Plank
2-3
30-45 seconds
60 seconds
Exercise
A1. Front Hold Squat
with 2 second pause
at bottom
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
30 seconds
Rest Intervals
60 seconds
A2. Bent-Over Row
2-3
30 seconds
60 seconds
A3. High Pull
2-3
30 seconds
60 seconds
A4. Push Press
2-3
30 seconds
60 Seconds
A5. Side Plank
2-3
30 seconds
60 seconds
Workout 2
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Workout 3
Exercise
A1. Staggered Deadlift
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
8-10 each side
Rest Intervals
60 seconds
A2. Kneeling Half Press
2-3
6-8
60 seconds
A3. Front Loaded
Drop Lunge
2-3
8-10 per side
60 seconds
A4. Body Weight
2-3
5-8
60 Seconds
A5. Around the World
2-3
10-12 per side
60 seconds
Weeks 7-13 Beginner
Workout 1
Exercise
A1. High Pull
Sets
1-2
Repetitions
10/8/6
Rest Intervals
As little rest
as possible
A2. Chin-ups
1-2
3/2/1
As little rest
as possible
B1. Bear Hug
Staggered Squat
2-3
5-6 per side
60 seconds
B2. Kneeling Press
2-3
6-8
60 Seconds
B3. Inch Worm
2-3
8-10
60 seconds
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Workout 2
Exercise
A1. Front Hold
Forward Lunge
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
30 seconds
Rest Intervals
45 seconds
A2. Bent-Over
Hand Grip Rows
2-3
30 seconds
45 seconds
A3. Front Hold
Good Mornings
2-3
30 seconds
45 seconds
A4. Military Push Press
2-3
30 seconds
45 seconds
A5. Side Plank
with Knee Tuck
2-3
30 seconds
per side
45 seconds
Exercise
A1. Staggered Deadlift
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
8-10 per side
Rest Intervals
60 seconds
A2. Drop Lunge to
Half Kneeling Press
2-3
5-8 per side
60 seconds
A3. Bear Hug Squat
with 3 second pause
at bottom
2-3
6-8
60 seconds
A4. Staggered
Bent-Over Row
2-3
6-8 per side
60 Seconds
A5. Hand to Chest
Touches from
Push-up position
2-3
8-10 per side
60 seconds
Workout 3
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Intermediate
What qualifies someone for an intermediate program? If you have a minimum of six
months of training behind you, you may attempt these programs. This doesn’t ensure that
you have worked on these specific movement skills long enough that you are going to feel
proficient. If you find that the following programs feel like they are too much either on the
fitness or movement side, definitely jump to the beginner programs. Don’t worry, just
because I have labeled them “beginner” doesn’t mean that a host of ability levels wouldn’t
benefit from performing them. After all, not being familiar with the Ultimate Sandbag may
make these workouts initially much more challenging. It is possible that after a month of
the beginner programs, you will feel much more confident tackling these intermediate
workouts.
As we progress through the different levels, you are going to see more variables being
manipulated at one time. The thought is that as your fitness and movement skills continue
to improve, your ability to tolerate more intense workouts and exercises will improve as
well. What are you going to see? We will definitely be working on challenging your ability
to stabilize your body under various conditions. Some exercises will focus on changing
body positions, while others will challenge your holding position by working one side of
the body at a time. We will incorporate specific tempos, and finally repetition, set, and rest
intervals that will be relevant to the intermediate level.
Weeks 1-6 Intermediate
Workout 1
Exercise
A1. Rear Step Deadlift
Sets
3-4
Repetitions
6-8 per side
Rest Intervals
30 seconds
A2. Clean and Press
3-4
5-6
30 seconds
A3. Front Loaded
1 1/4 Squat
3-4
5-8
30 seconds
A4. Off-Set Grip Rows
3-4
8-10 per side
30 seconds
A5. Super Plank
3-4
6-10
30 seconds
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Workout 2
Exercise
A1. Right Shoulder
Drop Lunge
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
10/8/6/4
Rest Intervals
As little rest
as possible
A2. Right Off-Set
Push Press
2-3
5/4/3/2
As little rest
as possible
A3. Left Shoulder
Drop Lunge
2-3
10/8/6/4
As little rest
as possible
A4. Left Off-Set
Push Press
2-3
5/4/3/2
As little rest
as possible
B1. Chin-ups
2-3
3-5
30 seconds
B2. Kneeling
Around the World
2-3
5-6 per side
30 seconds
Exercise
Sets
A1. Power Clean to
3-4
Front Hold Good Morning
Repetitions
30 seconds
Rest Intervals
30 seconds
A2. Kneeling Press
3-4
30 seconds
30 seconds
A3. Rotational High Pulls 3-4
30 seconds
30 seconds
A4. Side Plank
with Reach
3-4
30 seconds
per side
30 seconds
A5. Grip Curls
3-4
30 seconds
30 seconds
Workout 3
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Weeks 7-13 Intermediate
Workout 1
Exercise
Sets
A1. Staggered High Pulls 3-4
Repetitions
8-10 per side
with rest
between sides
Rest Intervals
30 seconds
A2. Military 1 1/4 Press
(1/4 at the top)
3-4
5-8
30 seconds
A3. Front Loaded
Front Lunge
3-4
6-8 per side
30 seconds
A4. Kneeling
Front Body Circles
3-4
8-10 per side
30 seconds
A5. Single Leg Bridge
to Pullover
3-4
6-8 per side
30 seconds
Exercise
A1. Slow Rotational
Lunge with Pause
at Bottom
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
10/8/6/4
Rest Intervals
As little rest
as possible
A2. Clean and Press
2-3
6/4/2/1
As little rest
as possible
B1. Shoveling
2-3
30 seconds
30 seconds
B2. Leg Threading
2-3
30 seconds
per side
30 seconds
B3. Body Rows
with Hip Hinge
2-3
30 seconds
per side
30 seconds
Workout 2
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Workout 3
Exercise
Sets
A1. Shoulder to Shoulder 5
Squat Right
Repetitions
5 with 2 second
pause at bottom
Rest Intervals
30 seconds
A2. Mixed Chin-up Right
5
5
30 seconds
A3. Shoulder to
Squat Left
5
5 with 2 second
pause at bottom
30 seconds
A4. Mixed Chin-up Left
5
5
30 seconds
B1. Lateral Step
High Pulls
2
40 seconds
20 seconds
B2. Side Plank with
Row Right
2
40 seconds
(switch every
20 seconds)
20 seconds
B3. Front Load Carry
2
40 seconds
20 seconds
Advanced
The word advanced can be a dangerous one. There is a great deal of responsibility that
comes with being a more advanced trainee. Being advanced does not just refer to a fitness
level or strength ability. It is the ability to combine how well we move, integrate muscles in
our body, and yes, our strength and fitness.
As we move to more advanced DVRT programs I also expect that you are able to get
more out of each movement. One reason that you see a change in the amount of repetitions performed is that at this point, we really should be able to work at an intensity that
gets us more out of doing less. We can handle heavier Ultimate Sandbags, as well as move
in less stable patterns, along with working a the full spectrum of speeds.
One of the biggest differences from a beginner to a more advanced trainee is the ability
to move efficiently, with the assistance of a well-trained nervous system. Strength Coach
Charles Poliquin describes neurological efficiency very effectively:
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“Neurological efficiency refers to how effectively an individual recruits the
higher threshold muscle fibers, and is of special concern to prepubescent athletes
and all female athletes. Having these groups focus on sets of 1-2 reps may not be
an efficient use of training time as they often cannot recruit a significant number
the high-threshold fibers in the first place, especially if they have no previous
weight training experience.”
This is why more advanced lifters can focus on a few complex lifts, where a beginner
needs to build a strong body and gain exposure to a wider spectrum of movement patterns.
There are people who can get to the advanced DVRT workouts rather quickly, but starting at the beginner or intermediate workouts might be more advantageous. Even if you do
have an extensive background in functional training, the unfamiliarity of the DVRT movements and Ultimate Sandbag take a little bit of time. After a month’s worth of training you
can try the first phase of the advanced workout series.
Weeks 1-6 Advanced
Workout 1
Exercise
A1. Rotational Clean to
Front Hold 1 1/4 Squat
Sets
5
Repetitions
5
Rest Intervals
30 seconds
A2. Pull-ups
5
5
30 seconds
B1. Shoulder Drop
Lunge to Balance
3-4
6-8 per side
30 seconds
(increase hold
time on balance
up to 3 seconds)
B2. Lateral Bag Drag
with Push-up
3-4
5-6 per side
30 seconds
(incorporate up
to 3 second
pause at bottom
of push-up)
B3. Shoveling
3-4
10-15 per side
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30 seconds
Workout 2
Exercise
A1. Rotational Lunge to
Chest Height
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
12/10/8/6
per side
Rest Intervals
As little rest
as possible then 2
minutes after
the ladder
A2. Rotational Presses
Chest Height
2-3
6/4/2
per side
As little rest
as possible then 2
minutes after
the ladder
B1. Leg Threading
2-3
30 seconds
per side
30 seconds
B2. Grip Rows
2-3
10-12 per side
30 seconds
B3. Cyclone
2-3
30 seconds
per side
20 seconds
Exercise
Sets
A1. Lateral Step Shoulder 3-5
Repetitions
6-8 per side
Rest Intervals
30 seconds
A2. Off-Set Staggered
Rows
3-5
8-10 per side
30 seconds
B1. Shoulder Up Downs
3-5
8-10 per side
30 seconds
B2. Kneeling Press
3-5
6-8
30 seconds
B3. Around the Worlds
2-3
30 seconds
per side
30 second break
in between
Workout 3
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Weeks 7-13 Advanced
Workout 1
Exercise
A1. Single Leg
Bent-Over Row
Sets
2-3
Repetitions
5/4/3/2/1
per side
Rest Intervals
As little rest
as possible then 2
minutes after
the ladder
A2. Staggered
Squat to Press
2-3
5/4/3/2/1
per side
As little rest
as possible then 2
minutes after
the ladder
B1. Rotational
High Pulls
2-3
30 seconds
30 seconds
B2. Lateral Bag Drags
2-3
30 seconds
30 seconds
B3. Biceps Curls
2-3
30 seconds
30 seconds
Exercise
A1. Rotational Lunge
to Clean
Sets
4-5
Repetitions
40 seconds
alternating
sides
Rest Intervals
20 seconds
A2. Push Press
4-5
40 seconds
20 seconds
A3. 1 1/4 Front
Loaded Squat
4-5
40 seconds
20 seconds
A4. Leg Threading Right 4-5
40 seconds
20 seconds
A5. Leg Threading Left
40 seconds
20 seconds
Workout 2
4-5
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Workout 3
Exercise
A1. Lateral Step Clean
to Lateral Lunge Right
Sets
5
Repetitions
6
Rest Intervals
On the minute
for 20 minutes
A2. Staggered
Clean and Press Right
5
6
On the minute for
20 minutes
A3. Lateral Step
Clean to Lateral
Lunge Left
5
6
On the minute for
20 minutes
A4. Staggered
Clean and Press Left
5
6
On the minute for
20 minutes
B1. Single Leg Bridge
to Pullover
2-3
6-8 per side
30 seconds
B2. Side Plank
with Leg Raise
2-3
45-60 seconds
per side
30 seconds
Explaining DVRT Programs
Some of the methods used in the DVRT programs may be familiar, and others may
appear to be a foreign language. There are many programs we can create using the DVRT
system. They vary in their intent and stress, so you will see more or less at various levels of
training. These methods are largely used to maximize the many benefits that DVRT
Ultimate Sandbag Training offers and minimize the one limitation of not being able to add
incremental loads set to set. Once you understand how to perform these workouts, it will
become much more obvious what we are trying to achieve.
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Standard Repetitions / Set Protocols
Many people don’t think that we use standard sets and repetitions because we don’t
add incremental loads from set to set. That isn’t true at all, and keeping it more familiar at
first allows people to focus primarily on the technique and not on the complexity of the
workout. In the early phases of training, we are going to perform more movements and
establish a good movement vocabulary by not really specializing. The repetitions are
going to be higher and we are going to try to give enough practice and intensity to set
forth a great base.
As discussed earlier, the standard repetition and set protocols allow us to have a range.
If you are feeling great and want to push the upper limits of both sets and repetitions, then
you are free to see if you can hit the high ends of both. If you can accomplish this, then the
following workout you can either add weight to your Ultimate Sandbag, or slightly reduce
the rest time to see if you can repeat your performance. Most people tire though, and you
will see a drop off in performance from set to set. That isn’t a bad thing. We usually don’t
progress until the top end is achieved for both sets and repetitions. This is a simple but
effective gauge for progress.
Climbing the Ladder
There is a problem. If I am recommending you NOT place your focus on changing the
weight of your Ultimate Sandbag, how in the world do you create workouts? I know, you
may be thinking you are going to perform some unimaginable number of repetitions, but
that isn’t it either. There is a secret that no one talks about. This is the fact that we have a
lot of great ways to make better workouts if we don’t focus on just “more weight.” You
have to think outside the box of “how much and how many.” However, once you learn a
few of these strategies, you are going to wonder why you never used them before!
These methods I am alluding to work particularly well for those pieces of equipment that
don’t change weight easily. As I discussed in an earlier chapter, only the barbell is a tool to
which can add incremental weights. For other equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells,
even bands, you have to have more of them if you want to change the actual weight. So, is
the barbell the best tool to use? As discussed in “What is DVRT,” a focus on just going
heavier does little for long-term progress or health of your body. What do we do?
One of the most effective strategies I have found is the concept of ladders. What is a ladder? I originally got the idea of ladders from kettlebell expert Pavel Tsastouline.
Kettlebells originally came in three different sizes, with about 20 pound increment
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changes between them. Not very “incremental” at all, but that was the point. Kettlebells
had been used quite a bit by the Soviet military because with just a few pieces of equipment,
you could perform a wide array of exercises and programs if you knew how to manipulate
other training variables.
A ladder can be an ascending or descending series of repetitions. It is often best to alternate or superset two movements that really don’t compete with each other. Alternating
squats and overhead presses typically works better than squats and cleans. Does it mean
that you CAN’T use both techniques? Absolutely not! However, I’ll be honest, combining
exercises that hit similar segments of the body is a lot more advanced than breaking up the
regions of the body.
A typical ladders series may look like the following:
• Overhead Press 1/2/3/4/5
• Front Loaded Squats 1/2/3/4/5
The above series is accomplished by performing one repetition of each, then without rest,
proceeding to two repetitions each, and so on until the series is completed, followed by 1 to
2 minutes of rest.
Why is this method so effective? If you do the math that gives us 15 repetitions of each
exercise. Why not just perform 15 repetitions instead of using ladders? The ladder method
has a few advantages. The first is that we can handle more weight for the 15 repetition ladder style than the classic style. Whenever possible, using more weight (assuming combined
with great technique) will yield better results for fat loss, strength gains, and overall body
conditioning. What, wait, huh?! Did I not just spend the majority of this book talking
about weight being overrated? Yes, and it is, but the role of weight is also easy to misunderstand.
When most people create their fitness programs, they don’t focus on variables such as
changing stability and speed of motion. However, if we do change these variables and can
use the best weight for the movement, then absolutely we should take advantage of the
opportunity. If you are using different instability techniques and playing with variables like
speed of motion, then yes, use the highest weight that allows you to have good technique!
Ladders also allow us to manage fatigue much more efficiently. In all honesty, when you
see most people perform a standard set of 15 repetitions, a great portion of the series is just
flat out ugly because the lifter has accumulated so much fatigue. Whenever possible, we
want to keep the quality of work at a high level. Better work will always produce a superior
result that just makes you tired, promise!
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Lastly, it is just more fun — as well as easier — to mentally focus on the work you are
performing, rather than counting what seems to be endless repetitions. You are more likely
to repeat a workout if you find it engaging rather than boring and uninteresting.
The example I provided above does not prevent us from using other forms of ladders. We
can still utilize higher-repetition ladder schemes, but this typically is used along with exercises that have more of a “flow” to them rather than very definitive stops and starts. Here
are a few DVRT exercises that would fit higher repetition protocols:
— Rotational Lunge
— Rotational High pull
— Shoveling
— Around the World
— Lateral Lunge High Pull
Even some of our Ultimate Sandbag Training exercises that possess the common starts
and stops can work well with higher repetitions due to the rhythmic motion you develop.
Such exercises are:
— Power Cleans
— Bear Hug Squats
— Power Snatches
— Front Loaded Good Mornings
I have provided a number of ladder workouts for you to try immediately and find the
style that works best for you. In these workouts, I demonstrate a variety of different ways
to integrate the ladder method and allow you to experience what these variations feel like
in the scope of a well organized program. I am sure you will find them extremely challenging. but they may also be among the most fun workouts you’ve ever performed!
Density Training
The idea of Density Training is new for a lot of people. It is not a training variable that
too many are familiar with programming, but some people are actually already using
Density Training in their workouts. Density refers to doing the same amount of work in
less time. For example, if you simply wanted to do 100 Bear Hug Squats and found you finished in ten minutes, that would be your 100%. If you performed the same workout a
week later and finished in 9 minutes and 30 seconds, you would have improved your fitness in the realm of density. So, even though the weight hasn’t changed and you haven’t
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performed more repetitions, you finished the same amount of work in less time – improved
density.
There are several forms of density training we can implement, but one of my personal
favorites is the idea of Escalating Density Training (EDT) developed by Strength Coach
Charles Staley. There are a few benefits of using EDT as the primary means for attaining
density in your workouts:
1. EDT makes it easier to measure your progress.
2. The EDT method allows you to easily adjust the training to your current fitness level.
3. EDT is a self-regulating system that will ensure you don’t end up venturing into
unsafe training methods or overtraining.
EDT begins with finding a weight that you can use for about twenty repetitions. However,
since weight isn’t our only factor or the easiest variable to adjust, you can also find the best
variation of a movement. For example, Shoulder Staggered Squats may be too challenging to
perform for twenty repetitions with your Ultimate Sandbag, but you can use the USB with
Front Loaded Squats. Therefore, Front Loaded Squats are the variation you will incorporate.
I have provided some outlines, but you can adjust the exercises if necessary.
Similar to ladders, you will find yourself alternating between two non-competing exercises, usually with the focus on different regions of the body (i.e. lower or upper). With the
two exercises determined, we will set a time interval, usually about 10-15 minutes, for the
workout. The goal will be to perform the specified number of repetitions for each exercise
while trying to take as little rest as possible between exercises.
What you will find is that you will rest less in the beginning, and as you tire, the rest
interval will increase. Instead of counting mindless repetitions, the goal is to see how many
sets you can perform in the allotted time. So if you are able to perform eight sets your first
time , then the next time you perform the workout you will attempt to beat that number of
sets. The goal is obviously to rest less between sets. This is an easy way of tracking an
improvement in your fitness levels.
You may be asking yourself, “Why such a light weight for a small number of repetitions?” Your goal is to perform anywhere from 8-15 sets. If you can do more than this, the
weight is too light. If you can’t achieve the minimum of 8, the weight is too heavy. If you
again think about the design of the program, we can take the standard 20 repetitions and,
let’s say, 3 sets. That yields us 60 repetitions, with probably half of them being less than
high quality. Performing 10-12 sets of 5-6 repetitions provides us the same amount of
work, but with much higher quality of work.
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If you have never performed EDT or any form of density training before, I recommend
you find a good pace for the first workout. Let this be your standard, and through the following workouts you can begin to push yourself to a new level while demonstrating great
technique. Don’t worry about underestimating at first; it is often better to err on the side of
too few rather than too many. Over a few workouts, you will find what works best for you!
Inferno Intervals
One of my personal favorite methods is using intervals or timed sets in our programs.
Intervals allow you to focus on the quality of repetitions and work on another variable
outside of weight – speed. The faster you can perform an exercise with great technique,
the closer you get to performing what we call High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
What is HIIT and why should you care about using this style of training? HIIT is basically short bouts of really intense exercise followed by a specific rest period. The key is
both the idea of “short bouts” and “intense” exercise. Research has shown that this style
of training is better for fat loss than traditional long duration, steady state “cardio”.
What researchers are realizing is the post-exercise recovery period may be extremely
influential on the overall outcome of a training program. To lose body fat, it is more
important to take into account the overall calories expended rather than the amount utilized from fat(1). Research shows that when the same number of calories are burned using
high-intensity and low-intensity exercise, the amount of body fat loss between these
groups was not significant(2). In fact, a study performed by Tremblay et al.(3) examined
the differences between endurance training (ET) and high-intensity intermittent-training(HIIT). The endurance group performed their training for 20 weeks and burned an
average of 120.4MJ per session. The HIIT group performed their program for 15 weeks
with an average expenditure of 57.9MJ per session. In other words, the endurance group
burned more energy during their training sessions. However, the results of body fat testing
showed the HIIT group lost significantly more body fat. There has to be something happening to the body beyond simple caloric expenditure.
Okay, why is the high-intensity group losing more body fat? There are a lot of theories,
but no concrete facts. With exercise, basically everything is still theory and we just try to
employ effective methods. Knowing how the body works allows us to manipulate it for
better results. One of the more popular theories is that high-intensity exercise will result in
greater post-exercise energy expenditure and fat utilization(4). This means you end up
burning calories for hours afterward – some believe as many as 16 hours after training.
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Another theory is the influence of growth hormone(GH). GH is the anti-aging hormone,
and also is effective at regulating body fat. A high production of GH is useful for maintaining low body fat levels. The body naturally produces GH in response to high levels of lactic
acid. Lactic acid is responsible for the burning sensation you feel during strenuous exercise.
As described in Kraemer and Fleck’s excellent text, Designing Resistance Training
Programs, “... this energy source [lactic acid] contributes a moderate-to-high percentage of
the energy during activities composed of high-intensity work interspersed with rest periods
and high-intensity activities lasting longer than 25 s, such as interval run training and
wrestling.” So, short rest intervals – 45 to 90 seconds – with anaerobic training lasting at
least 25 seconds cause high levels of lactic acid. This would cause a greater production of
GH, so in theory, greater body fat loss.
A third theory can be a little more confusing because more explanation of exercise physiology is necessary. During the recovery period of high-intensity exercise, higher levels of
free fatty acids can be found, with increased use of fat during the recovery period.
Rasmussen et al. found high-intensity exercise resulted in greater acetyl-CoA carboxylase
inactivation, which in English means an increased utilization of free fatty acid oxidation(5). Finally, many studies have also shown that high-intensity exercise suppresses
appetite to a greater degree.
Maybe this is a bit more science than you are interested in seeing, but I do believe that it
is important for people understand that science has shown us better ways to get fit. We just
have to implement the techniques the right way! What is the “right way”?
To be clear, this style of training is NOT easy. As I discussed earlier, the high effort is
paramount in getting all the great body fat burning effects we are talking about. Casually
going through repetitions doesn’t cut it. Trying to perform as many repetitions with great
technique in the amount of time designated is going to be your initial standard for
improvement.
The good news is that the bouts of “work” are typically 30-45 seconds. I find that going
to a minute usually causes too much fatigue, and going over 60 seconds also takes the
training out of the HIIT style. Therefore, you have to work as hard as possible during that
specified time frame. That may mean going faster (my preferred method), going heavier, or
advancing the exercise.
Don’t worry, there is a rest period, but that too is important. Typically rest will be quite
short, only 15-60 seconds. If you are following these workouts and you are finding them to
be TOO intense, then increasing the rest time slightly is a great way of tailoring the workouts
to your own ability level. Instead of the traditional approach of just adding weight as you
progress, you can simply decrease the rest interval time until you are working in the designated time frames. A good rule of thumb is decreasing your rest by 5 seconds every workout.
266
Below is a practical example of how you can progress your intervals:
Week 1: Clean and Squat: 15 Seconds of Work, 60 Seconds of Rest
Week 2: Clean and Squat: 20 Seconds of Work, 55 Seconds of Rest
Week 3: Clean and Squat: 25 Seconds of Work, 50 Seconds of Rest
Week 4: Clean and Squat: 30 Seconds of Work, 45 Seconds of Rest
Intervals are a powerful tools for getting stronger and leaner. You can make them progressive and fun. Your focus doesn’t have to be on counting endless reps, but on working
against the clock. You will be shocked how much more fun and challenging such workouts
can be when applied correctly.
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268
ARE YOU
EXCITED YET?
y biggest concern with writing this book was not that you wouldn’t
believe what I was suggesting is true and not that you wouldn’t think what
we talked about was interesting. No, my worry is that you will never actually try the DVRT system. I completely understand that what I just wrote
is a lot of information. It is asking you to change the way you see fitness and strength, it is
asking you to differ from many other programs and ideas. I wouldn’t ask you to make all
these changes if I didn’t truly believe there was a better way.
Just because I believe it doesn’t mean that I don’t expect you to have some doubts. I am
not going to ask you to try the DVRT system because we have military personnel and elite
athletes using the programs, or because some of the top fitness facilities in the world are
adopting these concepts. Rather, I want you to try DVRT because it can provide YOU with
the results you really want. But you can’t just sit there and read what I am talking about;
reading will never help you achieve your fitness goals. Instead, you have to get up and get
to work!
You can find literally hundreds of excuses for avoiding this challenge, but there is one
big reason you can’t afford to make excuses. That is the promise of such powerful results.
When I ask you to “try” the DVRT system, I don’t mean for a workout or a week. I am
asking that you do it for at least a month. It takes time to fully understand the depth of the
program.
Many top fitness professionals and strength coaches need some time to appreciate the
full scope of the DVRT system. As Strength Coach Dave Quevedo recently wrote, “The
more and more I see the body positions of how parents hold their young children (infants
& toddlers) the more my appreciation for Josh Henkin’s DVRT system and the Ultimate
Sandbag grows. So many practical uses for the system and the tool.”
269
When I say DVRT is so much more than a “sandbag” program, I really mean it. It
changes the way you see every day activities, as Coach Quevedo mentioned. You start to
really evaluate what fitness and movement are all about. Most of all, you start addressing
and accomplishing your OWN goals, not those that other people have for you!
In fact, if you had to break down DVRT into just two movements, I would suggest the
Clean and Press and Rotational Lunge. That’s right, just two! If you spend ten to fifteen
minutes, five days a week, trying to knock out as many sets as possible of five repetitions of
the Clean and Press and ten Rotational Lunges, I know you will see amazing changes. I
probably could have written an entire book just on the value and power of these two
movements, but as I keep saying, I wanted to give you much more!
I don’t want you to have exercises. I want you to have a system, a philosophy. I don’t
want this to be what you do just for the use of the Ultimate Sandbag. Instead, I want
DVRT to change how you see everything to do with fitness. That may be a lofty goal, but
that is why I am devoting my life to bringing awareness to more effective and accessible
forms of fitness. If it can change my life and those of so many, how can you NOT at least
give one month to see if it can do the same for you?
Is It Really For Everyone?
In 2002 I became interested in kettlebells because of one simple statement. I heard kettlebells were “the working man’s weightlifting.” The idea of being able to achieve great things
without the need for expensive equipment, coaching I could never get, and with the limited
time my clients and I had to devote was pretty exciting. In fact, I think many people were
intrigued by the very same idea.
However, recently the philosophy of fitness has changed quite a bit. There is a desire to
feel elite, even to feel better than others. I get it, people want to feel special. They want to
feel as though they are doing something that not just anyone can perform. Ideas from
Olympic weightlifting and gymnastics have flooded even the mainstream fitness arena. Is
this bad? Probably not, but I think we forgot our mission. We have gotten away from making fitness accessible and real for people.
I have no problem if you want to practice your training, if you want to spend hours in
the gym. I have no place to judge. In my mind, though, that’s not helping people. That is
setting up unrealistic expectations and goals. I didn’t want DVRT to be elitist, I wanted it
to be something that a busy parent, office worker, athlete, or serious fitness enthusiast
could all greatly benefit from using. Maybe the DVRT loses some sexiness because of this,
but I think back to the purpose of coaching and our program.
270
Former college football coach Ara Parasheghian said, “A good coach will make his
players see what they can be rather than what they are.” In my mind, the same can be said
of fitness programs. I don’t want DVRT to show you what you cannot do. I want it to
show you what you can do! I want you to see that you can continue to strive to be better
and make huge changes with a bit of dedication and hard work.
Is this to say that the DVRT program and Ultimate Sandbag Training aren’t as challenging as other fitness programs? Nothing could be further from the truth. DVRT means we
can work with an elite strength athlete or someone looking to begin a fitness program. We
can make them fitter, stronger, and more mobile than they ever thought possible! That is
the essence of DVRT. It isn’t a sandbag program, but an innovative fitness system that will
completely change everything you ever thought possible about fitness, strength, movement, conditioning, and most of all, feeling your best!
1. Coyle, E.H. Fat Metabolism During Exercise. [Online] Gatorade Sports Science Institute. 1999, March 25.
2. Ballor, D.L., J.P. McCarthy, and E.J. Wilterdink. Exercise Intensity Does Not Affect the Composition of Diet- and
Exercise- Induced Body Mass Loss. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 51:142-146, 1990.
3. Tremblay, A., J. Simoneau, and C. Bouchard, Impact of Exercise Intensity on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle
Metabolism. Metabolism.43:814-818, 1994.
4. McMillan, J.L., et al. 20-hour Physiological Responses to a Single Weight-training Session. J. Strength Cond. Res.
7(3):9-21, 1993.
5. Rasmussen, B.B., and W.W. Winder. Effect of Exercise Intensity on Skeletal Muscle Malonyl-CoA and AcetylCoA Carboxylase. J. Appl. Physiol. 83:1104-1109, 1997.
271
References:
Yessis, Michael, Secrets of Russian Sports Fitness and Training. Michigan: Ultimate Athlete
Concepts, 2008.
McGill, Stuart, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance. Waterloo, Canada: Backfitpro
Incorporated, 2006
Kubik, Brooks, Dinosaur Training: Lost Secrets of Strength and Development. Louisville, KY,
Brooks Kubik Enterprises, Inc., 2006
Jesse, John, Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia. Pasadena, CA. Athletic PR, 1974
Hedrick, Allen, “Using Uncommon Implements in the Training Program of Athletes.” Strength
& Conditioning Journal: August 2003 - Volume 25 - Issue 4 - ppg 18-22
Behm, David & Anderson, Kenneth, “The Role of Instability with Resistance Training.”
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: 2006, 20(3), 716–722
Beckwith, Kimberly, Building Strength: Alan Calvert, the Milo Bar-bell Company, and the
Modernization of American Weight Training. Ann Arbor, Michigan, ProQuest LLC, 2008.
Saeterbakken, AH & Fimland, MS, “Effects of Body Position and Loading Modality of Muscle
Activity and Strength in Shoulder Presses.”Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Volume 27-Issue 7-ppg 1824-1831
Scott, Christopher. “The Effect of Time Under Tension and Weight Lifting Cadence on aerobic,
Anaerobic, and Recovery Energy expenditures”. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
2012. 37(2), 252-256.
LaStayo PC, Woolf JM, Lewek MD, Snyder-Mackler L, Reich T, Lindstedt SL. “Eccentric muscle contractions: their contribution to injury, prevention, rehabilitation, and sport.” Journal of
Orthopedic and Sport Physical Therapy: 003 Oct;33(10):557-71
Gullett, Jonathan C; Tillman, Mark D; Gutierrez, Gregory M; Chow, John W. “A
Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals.” Journal of
Strength & Conditioning Research: January 2009 - Volume 23 - Issue 1 - pp 284-292
“The Clean High Pull.” T-Nation. n.d. 25 Jan. 2012
“The Case for Single Leg Training.” T-Nation. n.d. 24 April 2007
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ABOUT
THE
AUTHOR
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Josh
Henkin, has been in the fitness industry for over 20 years.
In the early 2000’s Josh began writing articles on new
methods of functional and performance training. Over
the years Josh has written over 100 articles for various
publications including Men’s Health, Experience Life,
REPS, and many other fitness publications.
Teaching has been a great passion of Josh’s as he has
lectured at some of the top fitness conferences in the US.
His work has been recognized not just in the US, but all
over the world as well. He has lectured in over 10 countries worldwide and is highly sought after for his innovative functional training concepts.
2005 was the year everything changed for Josh as he created his Dynamic Variable
Resistance Training (DVRT™) program as an innovative way to look at functional training. Since the inception, DVRT has been taught to top training facilities, personal training
businesses, and military units all over the world. In fact, in 2008 Josh was commissioned
by the US Army to create an entire fitness program inspired by DVRT for the US Army
Special Forces Recruiting Battalion.
DVRT also saw the creation of the Ultimate Sandbag™. A specifically designed variables
resistance sandbag that met the demands of a highly detailed fitness and performance program. The Ultimate Sandbag completely changed how people perform their fitness and
performance programs due to the incredible versatility and effectiveness of both the
Ultimate Sandbag and DVRT system. The Ultimate Sandbag has grown from an idea in his
garage in 2005 to being used in over 80 countries worldwide.
273
Since 2001, The Originator and Leader
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