Fisticuffs - Georgetown

One of the most frequent corrections we make in the gym is, "Drawing" or pulling the Elbows back from the shoulder blades during rows instead of just thinking about pulling the weights up with your hands.

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The same goes for Lat pull-downs and pull-ups. By initiating with the back muscles and pulling Elbows back (or down, depending), upperbody pulling motions will go from giving You Elbow pain to actually helping shoulder and neck issues.

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No matter the type of row or pull-down, start light, squeeze the handle/bar tight with your pinky finger/fingers and, "draw" your Elbows back from your shoulder blades. You'll feel the exercise far more in your lats/upperback and you'll save yourself some elbow/shoulder wear and tear in the process.

5x5 Deadlifts. Old school. Not flashy. Good dumb strength workout. What's dumb strength? Any activity that involves picking things up and putting them down.

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Deadlifts get a bad bad rap because people often perform them with poor mechanics and too much weight. However, with good mechanics, bracing and a proper weight, Deadlifting in the gym will keep you less likely to hurt yourself with less weight outside of the gym. If you can deadlift 200lbs for 5x5, those stepping stones you have to move won't be as big of a deal.

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If you want to build your Deadlift (or any lift), start slow. Think 5 years instead of 5 months. A good way to manage how much weight you can lift is to use a double-overhand grip and no chalk. You won't be able to lift as much, but that's often a good thing. Training that way will also help to build your grip along with the rest of you.

Nice morning. Enough said.