gym form – Page 2 – Never Give Up PT

Is A Behind The Neck Shoulder Press Safe To Perform?

Over the past few years I have started to hear reports that the behind-the-neck shoulder press is dangerous and is best to sack it off from your workout. In this article I will give you the pros and cons of this technique and delve into the reasons why this movement is increasingly becoming a dinosaur.

Ok, so first here’s my story and my background on the BNSP…

The Wheely Bin?!

This used to be a staple move for me to perform some 20 years ago as I felt that it completed my shoulder workout. Later I will explain why. I knew that the range in which I was exposing my rotator cuffs was putting them under extra stress, yet I continued to perform them with good results (no apparent injury with trapezius and rear delt hypertrophy).

But I did sustain an injury about 10 years ago which had nothing to do with any exercise in the gym. During my weekly task of putting the wheely bin out at home I grabbed the handle to pull it down the garden path. The wheely bin was obviously heavier than I had anticipated and as I pulled the handle the bin stayed in place. I heard a tear come from my rotator cuff. My fault of course as I hadn’t made a full assessment of the load I wanted to move. It was late, I was tired and my Homer Simpson pyjamas weren’t the height of fashion for the neighbors to see. I wanted the job done quickly. Doh!

Take Injury Rehab Seriously

Fortunately, I knew how to repair such an injury as I have lots of experience in doing so. I continued to train, but I left out any techniques that could damage it further. That included the BNSP. In fact anything that involved lifting above the head was dealt with extreme care. The amount of injuries that I see from gym goers that don’t heal or get worse is saddening. Injury rehabilitation is a skill that too many people aren’t prepared to pay for. I don’t enjoy having to pay for a car mechanic when my car is knackered, but I appreciate and enjoy the benefits of doing so.

There’s no denying that a BNSP is very beneficial in hitting the rear delts like no other press. And to train muscle groups equally without creating an imbalance then it should remain a useful technique to perform. However, consider using a lighter barbell or even using a Smith machine to keep your movement flush.

The Smith machine could provide an alternative way of performing a free weight BNSP

The Bottom Line…

Any exercise can cause injury if it is performed incorrectly. And sometimes you get unlucky. Injury occured even with impeccable form. There are instances where I would not prescribe a BNSP to my clients but I know their abilities and past injuries so, although I am a PT, I am not your PT. So if you have poor shoulder mobility it is likely that this is not an exercise that you should be doing without support and advice from a professional who knows you.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my content take a look on my home page for gym advice and motivation.

Shay.

The Cable Machine Appreciation Society

Does anyone remember when they were a kid and they’d find a lonely exercise bike in the corner of their parents spare room? Dust would gather on the bits that wasn’t used to hang the clothes on to dry.

Perhaps you have felt a bit nostalgic and got yourself an exercise bike too. And just like mum and dads it dries clothes really well.

I remember my parents having a rowing machine too but its awkward frame didn’t lend itself to being much of a clothes dryer. Although I do recall that it made a good battle ground for my He-Man and Skeletor action figures.

There are lots of home gym equipment that seem to get tossed to one side or used for something completely different. Our 4kg kettlebell makes for a fantastic door stopper. A couple of dumbbells in the garden are great footy posts for the kids and the battle rope in the garage seems to provide perfect chewing material for the mice.

Yet if anyone said to me that their Cable Machine multi gym was left unused I would gasp in horror. It is almost perfect and this is my case for it to be one of your go-to pieces of kit whether it be at home or in the gym…

It is versatile. There isn’t one muscle group that cannot be trained on a cable machine. If it has all of its attachments then a full workout can be done on it.

It is non-linear. Don’t be fooled by the ‘machine’ in its title. The cables provide a non-linea movement unlike its weight machine buddies. Non-linea movement can heal old injuries and avoid new ones, it allows better mind to muscle connection as you have to think about the movement much more and it keeps your core engaged.

More time under tension. There is no resting position on a cable. Think of performing cable flyes. At the top of the concentric movement, the cable wants to pull your arms back which means that your muscles are continuously engaged as you apply force against it. Don’t fib now! You’ve found a resting point using dumbbells right?!

A great way to finish a workout. Ok, despite my appeals for an appreciation of the cable machine, free weights are still the king of resistance training. But if free weights are Super Mario, then the cables are a very respectable Luigi. And you can burn out on free weights. Your muscles need a selection of different stimulus to grown lean and strong. So when you think that your muscle can’t perform another rep with a free weight, replicate the movement on the cable and rep out until exhaustion.

I hope I’ve put forward a good case for the cable multi gym machine. Thanks for reading!

Question…What’s your favourite piece of equipment that deserves a shout out?!

Use Your Toolkit

If you’re a handy person who is good around the house at fixing things and doing a few home improvements then you probably have a tool kit. Your kit will provide you with lots of tools to get a specific job done.

American soldiers in World War 2 had their own little handy tool which became very useful during their time away on duty. The Offiziersmesser, or Swiss Army Knife as they called it, had scissors, saw blade, assortment of screwdrivers, bottle and can openers attached to a spearpoint blade.

When you enter the gym you open your very own handy tool box. Every piece of equipment is a tool to provide you with the ability to reach your goal.

Or at home, if you have invested in equipment for your home workouts, you can have a good selection of tools in which to achieve your fitness objectives.

Even in the outdoors you can use different gradients and an assortment of training methods to meet targets.

And you carry a great tool around with you all day. Body weight exercise is an excellent way to stay active.

And yet in a recent survey (yougov) in the UK it was found that 37% of adults do not even meet at least one hour of physical activity a week. The Department Of Health And Human Services in the US reported that only 22% of adults complete 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Interestingly in Europe, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Austria are the most physically active with half of their adult population engaging in the recommended amount of exercise according to WHO.

We have all of these tools but not enough people willing to use them. The top 5 reasons that I am given on why they don’t exercise are…

1. “I did but got bored and gave up.”

Solution…An exercise routine should not be boring. If it is then change it immediately. Join a different fitness class, change your goals to more achievable ones, find out more about the variety of equipment and never be aftaid to enter the free weight area of a gym.

2. “It is too expensive.”

Solution…walking, running, bodyweight home workouts are free. My fitness app is free on entry with regular workout ideas. There are budget gyms in most major towns and cities and equipment can be sourced on selling sites.

3. “I don’t have the time.”

Solution…If you work at the right intensity a 20 minute workout can be done daily to good effect. It doesn’t need a journey to and from the gym and an elaborate routine. Just small tweaks in your lifestyle should be able to accommodate some sort of physical activity each day.

4. “I don’t know what to do”.

Solution…Ask a friend who goes to the gym, plays a sport or enjoys running and walking if you could go along too. Also, a good PT will show you what to do and will add accountability.

5. “I’m injured.”

Solution…You can still exercise with an injury. In fact, gentle physical activity can help the healing process. Just find out from a professional what the best activities for your injury would be.

You have a box with lots of different tools to help you improve your physical and mental health. You just need to open it up.

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Knowledge Is Power

When I first started training I wasn’t interested in the finer details such as my diet, muscle groups, recovery and time under tension. I just wanted to get into the gym, throw some weights around and get out. I spent years of my 20’s doing this.

I had some positive results, of course. I kept myself ‘in shape’ and my mental health began to improve. But I also had lots of time out due to injuries and disillusionment. There were something missing. Through ignorance and perhaps the arrogance of youth I didn’t think that I needed to know how to perform in the gym.

It’s like wanting to bake a cake without knowing its ingredients or baking times. You can call it a cake. It comes out of the oven resembling something of a cake. But had you followed a recipe and understood the procedure if could have been so much better.

I never followed a recipe until my PT friend started training with me. He was perplexed at how disorganized my method was. My first mistake was that I couldn’t give him a logical answer on my goals. I wanted size and strength, but I also wanted definition and to lose some belly fat. I would lift heavy not just because I thought that I would get laughed at by my gym peers if I didn’t, but because I thought that this would give me bigger looking muscle.

I gave him an idea of my daily calorie consumption which was generally at a deficit due to me wanting to lose the belly fat.

“But you’re confusing your body.” My friend said. “You ask it to grow in the gym but don’t provide it with the right amount of calories, protein or nutrients to do so outside of the gym.”

This was a lightbulb moment. Immediately I dropped the weight that I was trying to lift. My form improved in the first week. I remained at a slight calorie deficit but increased my protein intake. He explained different training splits such as push/pull and upper/lower. He described the periodization process and how I can achieve muscle hypertrophy, strength, power and be confident in maintaining a 16-18% body fat.

This would take time. I began to appreciate all of this would take time. But because my time away from the gym had reduced due to ego injuries and a lack of knowledge I progressed well. It wasn’t just about how I felt or looked anymore. I wanted to know what muscle performed which function rather than keep my focus on aesthetics. As I became more experienced in my routine and worked through each period of my programme I became fitter. I moved better in my everyday life. I ran faster. I jumped higher. I slept better. I focussed on tasks at work easier. I wanted to learn even more. I realized that knowledge was power. My life was improving and, without even noticing, my physique was too.

You don’t have to be an expert, but you should acquire knowledge from those who know not just gym form and techniques, but who also know you. After all, the ripped dude on his YouTube channel sounds like he knows what he is talking about, but he doesn’t know you, your needs, your goals, your likes or dislikes.

When you start learning the basics you’ll find that it’s a piece of cake.

10,000 Kicks

It’s coming up to 50 years since the release of the Bruce Lee movie Enter The Dragon. It was one of my all time favourite films growing up. I’d watch it many times with my dad and it sparks good memories when I watch it now to this day. Bruce Lee was a hero of mine growing up. His quotes resonated with me too. These are some of my favourites…

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”

This can be used as an analogy for many different circumstances in our lives. In fitness, I see this as the biggest stumbling block to people’s goals. We try to be good at everything, but in doing so, we often end up being good at nothing. We give up as we see failure as a conclusion rather than a pathway. We chop and change our routines until our bodies are confused about what we are asking it to do.

“Defeat is a state of mind. No-one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as reality.”

If you have found what activities that you enjoy then stick to it. Practice 10,000 times and more. Do you think that every one of your kicks will be perfect? Do you think that by quitting you will reach your goals? Practicing is hard. Quitting is hard. Choose your hard.

Keep practicing your kick and you will sometimes fail. Stop practicing your kick and you have always failed.

Your last kick is neither your best kick nor your worst kick. It just provides a platform for your next kick. Practice dealing with the good efforts and the failures. Both will see you hit your goals in time.

“It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.”

I have talked about your ‘why’ previously. Your why is what gets you out of bed each day and enables you to focus. Your why is the moon. Your ultimate goal. The finger merely provides an instant direction. From there you just have to focus on your goal and be certain of your path towards it. Focus on the finger for too long and you lose your goal. It is just a finger. The moon cannot be observed anymore.

Don’t forget the focus on your why.

The Piano Stairs

If the only piece of equipment available to me in the gym was a treadmill I probably wouldn’t go. I don’t particularly enjoy running on a tready. I like training, but I certainly don’t like absolutely everything it involves.

With the closure of gyms during the first lockdown I had to find alternative ways to exercise. But I found that I were skipping sessions and not fully focussing on my training. I simply didn’t have the equipment available to me that really makes me happy. Jogging became a regular activity and I went walking with the family daily of course, but it wasn’t fulfilling my hypertrophy goals and the more sedentary period of my life didn’t help my weight maintenance. I craved a bench press, weight plates to deadlift with and decent dumbbells. That is the sort of workout I enjoy. It makes me happy. I like the results and I keep going back. That is my Piano Stairs.

In Stockholm, Sweden an experiment was conducted on how people’s behaviour can be changed for the better by making a boring everyday task more fun. Musical piano steps were installed in a subway instead of regular steps to see if more people would use the steps instead of the escalator. Results showed that 66% more people used the stairs than usual that day. If more proof was needed that people are more likely to engage in a fun activity than stuck to the mundane then that was it.

Yet when it comes to our health I don’t find it conclusive when I talk to the gym members. Walking on musical stairs for an amusing short period of time instead of standing still on an escalator makes sense, but put the same person in a gym and there’s a good chance that they will choose something safe and uninspiring. It’s important for me to point out that just because I don’t like the tready doesn’t mean that everyone else doesn’t either. If that is what excites a person and motivates them into going to the gym then that is what a large part of their training should involve.

Almost every day I will hear,”I get bored on the treadmill.” Or “I hate deadlifts.”

So why do they use a treadmill or perform deadlifts? There are literally thousands of exercises to do inside or outside of the gym. If there’s exercises that you don’t like, don’t do it!

There has to be a draw to keep going back to the gym. Yes, of course, you have your goals which might include feeling fitter and looking your best, but if you’re going to spend your time absolutely hating the process there’s a good chance that you won’t stick it out, whatever your goals.

I usually get a programme right when I send it to my trainees. However,during feedback if they tell me that there’s something that they do not enjoy I will change that particular exercise. There’s plenty more. We just need to find the right ones that make my trainee want to complete it and keep going back to it. That will give them a better chance of succeeding in reaching their goals.

So, I’ve found my Piano Stairs and I’m sure that my trainees have found theirs. What’s your favourite bits of equipment and exercises that keep you going back for more?

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A Habit Loop

Although you can take a Habit Loop situation into any aspect of your life, seeing as I am a fitness coach I will apply this to your fitness journey for the sake of this article. A Habit Loop consists of a Cue, Routine and Reward.

But before we get to your fitness journey, I will initially point out an of example of a habit loop in my recent experience.

My 8 year old son is learning a set of 10 words each week at school for a spelling test. Studies show that he will have to read out these words around 30 times before each word will stay with him.

Cue… We encourage that he reads and writes these words for just a short time each day, usually after dinner.

Routine… He acknowledges that this will happen every day and he is prepared for this task.

Reward… He is encouraged by his spelling test results at the end of each week. By Monday, with a new set of words, he will be happy to begin the loop again.

But it is important to note. He might not get 10/10 in his test. He sometimes gets 8 or 9. It is his job and that of his parents and teachers to focus on the 8 new words he has learnt rather than the two he got wrong. He needs to praise and reward himself for his achievements, as does his guardians. This will connect the loop much easier.

We have to be able to accept that we will not always be perfect in what we set out to achieve. 10/10 will happen often, but it is the 8’s and 9’s that can make us stronger if we channel it into our loop correctly.

A Habit Loop must be formed when you are committing to a fitness goal. Ask yourself, ‘what is my cue?’

Your cue needs to be that first step. Joining a gym, buying the trainers and joggers, finding nutritious recipes to try, dusting off the kettlebells if your cue is to exercise at home, employing a coach or asking a friend to join you. These are all really good starting points.

Once you have taken that first step you need to develope your routine and plan when and where you will carry this out. Meeting a friend for a jog every Tuesday and Friday, booking gym sessions in advance or setting aside 30 minutes each evening to cook a nutritious meal are examples of your routine beginning to take shape.

Then you need to reflect on your work. You can do this daily or at the end of each week. How has your cue and your new routine made you feel? You might feel a little lighter and fitter, more energised, confident and pleased with yourself. Focus on your wins. Any failures don’t matter. Once you start the loop again you have many opportunities to put them right.

Forming new habits is difficult. In doing so, you are trying break old habits that aren’t working for you. And these old habits might have been festering for years. I ask my clients to reward themselves after a workout or at the end of each week. This doesn’t have to be anything materialistic or indulgent. It could be just reflecting on their performance and being proud of themselves.

Think about how to start your loop today. What will your cue be?

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About My Online PT Challenges

Kudos to the Personal Trainers out there that had to change their entire business plans and jump on the Online PT idea when the first lockdown hit in 2020.

I’m late to the party and, as always, I’m going to be totally honest as to why I was late…and explain why I have no regrets.

When the gyms closed due to the first lockdown, PT’s had to make a decision if they wanted to remain in the profession. They could continue via zoom video calls, use a fitness platform or freeze their clients payments until they could see see their clients in person again.

I didn’t want to do zoom and here is my brutal honesty. I saw lots of videos online of PT’s doing exercise routines and the links weren’t great, the sound was unclear and they looked uncomfortable, which was understandable, they wanted to keep earning money and had to leave their comfort zone. I didn’t do it because my house is where I was home schooling and entertaining the kids and there was somebody doing it better than anybody for free on YouTube. Joe Wicks smashed it during the first lockdown.

I had a fitness app long before the first lockdown, but I was never happy or confident with it. I’m not great with technology, but it felt clunky and bland to me. It would’ve been a poor replacement for my 1-1 clients had I put them on the app.

So I decided to freeze their payments and wait until we were able to meet in a park or on the beach. I stayed in touch through regular messages and phone calls if necessary, but I took no payments until I could meet them in person again. There were times where my wife and I worried as our savings dwindled down, but we didn’t really care about that. Our children needed us to guide them through the craziest of times and we needed to keep our heads in the game too if we were to succeed in giving them a positive experience. So I have no regrets about my decision.

Rather than rushing into becoming an online coach I dipped my toe into the world of technology and try out a few different fitness platforms on trial periods over the course of a few months. I knew that, to develop my business and be able to reach out to more people I had to go online. My previous gym that I trained at, based in the centre of Leeds, had 6,000 members. But when we moved to Scarborough the biggest gym had 2,500 members which is where I began training. It has been clear for some time that my reach had to be much greater and I love training people! I want a hundred happy people training with me at affordable prices rather than just a few who can afford it. I needed to give the masses a challenge!

I have currently got a number of challenges set on my fitness app that are being enjoyed by my clients. My newest one, which I have developed this month, is one that I know all about from my own experience. I’ve called it the 60 Day Dad Challenge.

I understand that having residence in a gym might give me an advantage in enabling me to work out and ‘keep fit’. After all, I’m not booked solid with back to back appointments. I have gaps in which to train myself. Most people don’t have that luxury. This is why I can develop any type of workout for any particular goals. This can be done at home, in an office or at the park and time needn’t be an issue. A workout can last just 20 minutes a day if it is designed and executed correctly.

Our lives don’t suddenly get any easier or slow down and when we become parents our one year old learning to walk is suddenly scoring top bins in his under 8’s football team. Where did that time go? It’s easy to forget that you have your own life too. I became daddy. I wasn’t a PT at the time and my own fitness was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted a decent nights sleep and, to make our lives easier, a takeaway for tea. I had always been active. From being a teenager I would regularly go to the gym. My physique and mental health massively improved because of it. But becoming a dad at 34 made me forget about myself and my own needs. It was fine for the most part. Hearing their first laugh and just cherishing their every move makes up for any sacrifices we make as parents.

But, for me, there was a moment of panic. My jeans started to not fit so well. I hated passing a mirror and if I did I’d breathe in. Getting up and down the stairs seemed a little tougher. My worry was that, if this is me now when my kids are toddlers, what will my fitness be like when they start school, become teenagers or become adults? It started to get me down.

I guess it scared me so much that it prompted me to not only get to the gym but become a Personal Trainer too! Obviously not all dads will take my path, but I designed a 60 day challenge so they don’t have to. He can work hard, give his love and support to his partner and children and feel great about himself without it having to take over his life. Dads can have support too. Dads can look good. Dads don’t have to worry about playing football in the park with their kids. Dads can be fitter and stronger than they were before they were dads, not just from when they were knackered being up half the night with baby.

I enjoy meeting my clients face to face, but I have come to love my online work equally. I still see their results. We can celebrate the wins and tweak the bits that need to change just the same as working with them 1-1.

Let the new challenge commence!

MacGuffin Reps

It’s a long standing joke between me and my trainees that I’m a rubbish counter. I’ll often say 6 and, whilst under stress, the trainee will shout ‘That was seven!’

The truth is I don’t particularly care what number rep it is.

When asked about how many sit ups he did each day, Muhammad Ali said,”I don’t know because I don’t count until it starts hurting.”

My job is to give my client a target, for example a 12 rep set, with a weight that they will begin to ‘struggle’ at about rep 8/9. If they start to struggle from rep one, we’ve gone too heavy or not allowed enough rest period from the previous set. Having a number in mind what you would like to achieve is good as far as having a target, but it isn’t essential to your overall goals.

In my own training I call my reps a MacGuffin. Within the film industry this term is used to describe a character or an object that keeps a plot in motion without having any significance in the outcome of the movie. Think about the briefcase in Pulp Fiction and, even the much loved character in Star Wars, R2D2 was called a MacGuffin by George Lucas. Neither had a bearing on the outcome of the movies that they were in, yet were present throughout their films that they appeared in.

To follow the plot, the viewer thinks that they must pay attention to the object or the character. Indeed, as I train, I recognize that my MacGuffinesque reps won’t define the outcome of my workout, rather the weight and quality of those reps will. Yet I understand the need to to have them there. And if I do as an experienced trainer, most of my clients will need their MacGuffin too.

The important thing to remember is that the weight and the quality of your reps is what will get the best results. During your programming you should go through a variety of reps, sets, weights and rest periods anyway. This can help in avoiding a plateau. But one rep is going to better than 10 rushed reps with poor technique. The reason for poor technique is that you have not perfected your first rep at the correct weight. Get that wrong and the rest of your set is not going to get you the results that you want and in some circumstances will cause injury.

I have mentioned in a previous post about an older gent gym goer that generally trains at the same time as me. I’ve called him Hannibal because he is strapped up like Dr Lecter as they wheel him out of his prison cell. The only thing that is missing is the muzzle. The strappings, I’m concluding from experience, is because of his previous injuries. He will pick up the heaviest weights and quarter rep twenty times. Had he performed at a sensible weight and completed 8 perfect reps then I would imagine that he would have swerved many of his injuries.

But perfect reps aren’t sexy or cool. R2R2 isn’t sexy, it is just a character that provides a platform for the heroes. Harrison Ford was the eye candy. The briefcase in Pulp Fiction wasn’t cool but it was written into the plot for very little purpose. Samuel L Jackson was cool.

Not sexy (but my Henry hoover has a thing for R2D2)

The weight that I choose and the time I have my muscle under tension with that weight is my leading actor. My leading actor will play a significant part in the climax of the movie. Without the leading actor the movie could not have a satisfactory ending. The reps count just happens to be a part of the script and, if you’ve got the star cast in place, won’t have any bearing to the final scene.

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The Test

My eldest came out of the school gates looking very pleased with himself. He ran towards me waving a piece of paper shouting “Daddy daddy, I got 10 out of 10!”

At the beginning of the week he had been given ten words to learn for a spelling test today. As well as my wife and I going through these words daily and his teacher teaching them he was well prepared for a test.

Schools, higher education and any learning environment have a similar system. We learn, practice and revise until we are tested on the subject. When you leave education, however, I find it a very different experience. Life gives you the test first, and then you learn the lesson.

Imagine my son having the test first and then learning the words after? It seems unfair, right? Ah, and yet our experiences in life are full of these examples.

What I try to provide as a Personal Trainer is a platform in which to learn, develop and achieve. An individual’s fitness journey has, admittedly, moments of enduring the test before knowing the lesson. In some ways that helps us deal with the challenges of success and failure. If we knew how to do it we’d already be doing it, so learning from life’s tests is a part of the process. And the process isn’t a smooth, linear path.

My job is not just to bask in the glory of a trainee’s goal being achieved like a PB or a weight loss target, but it is to navigate us through the difficult times. That’s not easy to do on your own. It’s doubly difficult when, even though you’ve put the hours in and worked with a plan in place, things still don’t go smoothly. Yes, you get given the words, you revise like mad, and you don’t always get full marks in your exam.

The problem is when you get given the words to learn, you revise like mad, don’t pass the exam and you give up. A few months pass by and again you get given the words, work hard and study but still don’t quite make the grade. Before you know it you are a year older and you are still stumbling through the tests, quitting, starting again…the cycle continues.

This, for me, is where the role of a coach is vital. There’s plenty of people that will count your reps on a rocking ab machine. But a coach will provide knowledge, technique, expertise, experience and the ability to get you to your goals. Even when the test becomes tough, they know what to do to get you through to the other side.

My son might only get 9 out of 10 next week, even if he works hard in his revision. But that in itself is a lesson. How I react to it and how he dusts the disappointment off is the difference between his future success and failure. If he learns how to deal with that disappointment it becomes even more important than learning the word he got wrong.

Life is ironic. It takes depression to know happiness. It takes stress to understand calm. It takes failure to recognise success.

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