How we Progress and Teach the Deadlift! Training at Trilogy follows a lot of structure but we include a lot of flexibility and fun in training. We focus primarily on our basic movement patterns – Push, Pull, Hinge, Squat and Carry. We covered squats here: Link to Squat Blog so here we are going to chat all about why and how we deadlift at Trilogy. Scroll to the bottom for the TL/DR checklist! The big lifts like deadlifts and squats tend to get a bad rep. This is often because they are: Done poorly with subpar technique. The wrong variation is done for the wrong person. They aren’t done with the proper purpose/intent/end goal in mind. We love our deadlifts here because they train one of our favorite fundamental movement patterns, the hinge! The hinge is just hip extension which is the ability to control our torso and leg position as we push our hips back and forth through space. This is important because we learn to keep our backs neutral and really strengthen our hamstrings, glutes and our backs safely. When you hinge well, you unlock a world of potential with your strength and your body! Not all deadlifts are created the same and not every deadlift will fit for every person. When we start deadlifting we make sure that each person has the right deadlift for them! In order to discover how to start deadlifting we do a couple tests. Active Straight Leg Raise: We lay on our backs and raise up one leg at a time to see how much each leg will actively move into flexion. This lets us see if there are any big differences in the left and right side of our body. Toe Touch: we simply see if we can touch our toes and we check out to see what that looks like: do you hinge, are you stiff, does your back round a lot with it, can you only reach your knees…all of these clues help us determine where you should start on the deadlift. These tests give us some clues to where you will start! Once we get moving there we do the PVC hinge, this is our first teaching moment for the hinge where we will teach you to sit back into your hips while keeping a neutral torso. We love all of our hinges (aka deadlifts) because they teach our hips and our back to work together. When we make this movement pattern smooth, we don’t rely on everything pulling through the lower back. We can move a lot more weight and we can protect our backs for the long haul! Reminder: The reason we love our deadlifts is because we can safely strengthen our posterior chains. Your posterior chain is, in a super broad stroke, the entire back of the body from your back to your glutes into your hamstrings and calves. Fun bonus for you, our physical confidence improves as we learn to safely pick up heavy objects. Strong muscles + good movement patterns + confidence = INDESTRUCTIBLE!!! On to the lifting! At Trilogy, we have some strength standards that we use to make sure everybody is ready for the next progression of the lift. Most of our people start with the kettlebell deadlift, when they progress up to the 123 lb kettlebell and can do that properly for 6-8 reps…they “graduate” to the bigger deadlifts and bars. This makes sure that everybody has practiced the lift enough to become proficient in the movement and we have enough strength to handle a larger weight. The biggest difference after the kettlebell deadlift is the bars and how the weight is distributed. Since we will now have to hold onto a bar, the weight is spread out further and our hand position shifts. We will need both the proficiency in the hinge and the strength to control the changes. Now when it comes to picking the right deadlift for you, we always start around the same point with kettlebell deadlifts and then each individual will progress differently and to different stages of the deadlift. Conventional deadlifts (barbell deadlifts) from the floor are awesome and fun but they aren’t a good fit for everybody. Deadlifts off of the floor are perfect for powerlifting as that is the sport but if they don’t fit for your body and goals, we simply adjust the lift. It is easy to find the right deadlift for you because it isn’t the actual deadlift that we care about! We care about getting you stronger, fitter and healthier and doing it safely. When we focus on what the hinge is supposed to do – strengthen your posterior chain and improve the rhythm and coordination with your hips and back we are no longer glued to 1 specific version of the exercise. We have principles and standards guiding our choices rather than a training modality guiding our decisions. This way you get stronger and have less wear and tear on your body trying to force yourself into an exercise variation. This is our general progression from Day 1 assessment to Deadlifting Professional!! PVC Hinge – This is our screening test and the very first movement we show people when they have no experience with lifting. We want to teach the hinge and basic movement, this lets us sit back and load our hamstrings and glutes. The PVC pipe acts as an external cue to help us maintain proper positions. It teaches us to keep our backs flat and to reach with our hips. [caption id="attachment_1676" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Start Position - Hold Contact with head, shoulders and hips[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1692" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Maintain contact with PVC, reach hips back.[/caption] KB DL from the block – This lets us load the hinge and control both the weight and the range of motion. As your strength increases, you will be able to control more motion and more weight. The centered weight allows us to maintain good tension and put us in good positions. Elevating the KB slightly allows us to make the positions even easier to get into as we learn the movement. [caption id="attachment_1691" align="aligncenter" width="480"] KBDL - Make sure the handle is even with your shoelaces[/caption] KBDL from the floor – Once we nail the hinge with some weight, we remove the block and pull from the floor. After this the focus is on adding weight to get to our strength standard. Since we are getting stronger, we add a little more range of motion to challenge you! DBL KB DL This gets us in a wider stance and teaches us to control individual weights using our LATS!! These guys lock in and do a lot of support work with the deadlift. The wider stance will also really get us using our GLUTES! [caption id="attachment_1688" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Same Position as the single KB but feet wider, gets more hips![/caption] RDL We can use a KB, 2 KBS, DBs or bars for this one!!! With the RDL(Romanian Deadlift) we are focusing on the top portion of the lift, hinging back to feel a stretch and loading into your hamstrings. [caption id="attachment_1677" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Kettlebell RDLs - Focusing on the top portion of the hinge and not pulling from the floor or block. The motion will be the same no matter the implement - KBs, DBs, Bars, Sandbags, Humans, Cars[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1678" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Barbell RDL - Same as the KBs just with a different weight[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1680" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Top of RDL - Again, this will look the same whether it is DBs, KBs or Bars[/caption] Trapbar Deadlift Numbers 4 and 5 are interchangeable in order. This bar has higher handles and the weight is centered on the body, making it one of our favorite variations for people. It is pretty use to learn and very joint friendly. Since the handles are at your side – you will need to brace solid and really engage your lats to maintain position throughout the lift. [caption id="attachment_1690" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Trapbar Deadlift - Same Hinged position at the bottom, handles off to the side. The weight is centered more on your body with this bar.[/caption] Conventional/Semi-Conv/Sumo Deadlift Deadlifts have all kinds of variations that you can learn down the line! We can adjust with - bands, chains, grips, racks, blocks and deficits This set up will be very similar to the trapbar but with the bar and grip being just in front of your shins, the force changes slightly and will require you to stabilize slightly different. Conventional – feet hip width apart – requires more in the lower back. Semi-Conventional – Feet about shoulder width apart – a hybrid lift [caption id="attachment_1679" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Bottom Position of Barbell Deadlift, Conventional Stance. Feet are hip width apart.[/caption] Sumo – Feet outside shoulder width – requires more hip mobility, less requirement in the lower back [caption id="attachment_1682" align="aligncenter" width="480"] The bottom position of the sumo deadlift.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1684" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Sumo Deadlift - Top Position. Same Strong finish with the hips into a neutral lock out.[/caption] Single Leg RDL - This deadlift teaches us to hinge and balance on one leg. It is important gain the ability to separate the movement into each leg. This is a continual practice that we will work with people on. We use it in both warm ups, with various loads and as a strength exercise. Since it is harder and harder to load heavily, most people skimp out on the Single Leg RDL...Don't be like most people! Get strong and awesome with all of the lifts. [caption id="attachment_1681" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Is Helen just awkwardly standing here or getting ready to hinge on one leg?![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1683" align="aligncenter" width="480"] She is hinging on one leg!! Remember to keep your hips and your shoulders level and push your hips back just like if you were on 2 legs.[/caption] TL/DR Checklist: The Hinge is a fundamental movement pattern that we should always strive to safely train. Strong hamstrings and strong glutes will protect your back and knees. Getting Strong is really cool. Find the right deadlift version for you! This is based on experience, injury history, goals and body type! Line all of these up and the results will SKYROCKET!!!! Progressions will all involve an increase in weight, range of motion or implement. Once you have mastered all of these variations, you can implement them all at different times depending on the goal. Technique Checklist: We want to keep pressure through the heel, big toe and pinky toe of the feet. We want to keep a strong brace – those abs should be engaged to keep our torso neutral. Lock your lats into place (imagine you are trying to block us form poking your arm pits) this will keep your shoulders down, help keep you neutral and let your body disperse the heavy weights you are holding onto. Create tension at the bottom of the lift, if you are picking it up off a block or the floor. You don’t want the weight to “shock” your body. We like to think about pulling yourself down into the start position with your lats and brace to really load and tension your muscles. Grip the bar hard and keep your arms locked out. Think about pushing through the floor to initiate the lift and finishing with your hips. At the top, finish in a strong plank position and initiate the lowering of the weight by shifting your hips back. HAPPY DEADLIFTING!

Everybody at some point wants to drop a little body fat. While we teach people to focus more on the performance side of fitness, the aesthetic side is always there so here are our Top 5 Fat Loss Tips for you! 1) Track your calories and protein! Our primary focus when dieting for fat loss is controlling calories! We need to make sure we maintain a caloric deficit. This is the only way that we can lose weight. Tracking calories can be a bit tedious, AT FIRST, but when practicing portion control by either consistent estimations or through measuring your food you will get better and faster with it. The other primary piece that we track is protein, when we are getting enough protein we typically stay more satiated! PRO TIP – Little snacks, bites, nibbles and sips can add up fast. We typically forget to count them. Worst-case scenario, they are big trigger foods and drinks for us. Bonus PRO TIP – Like everything in life, fitness/nutrition/exercise/etc is a skill and skills take time to develop. 2) Eat the things that you actually enjoy eating! When it comes to diets, all diets work, from low carb and keto to intermittent fasting and Mediterranean to insert whatever will pop up next month. The reason they all work… reduced calories! We need longevity and a long term change so why not eat things that you enjoy! If you have ever seen Matt eat: - We are sorry. It is a train wreck. - He likes everything and LOVES sweets so he diets in a way that will let him control calories over the long haul. We don’t need to go wild just because we read about it or heard about a new trend on a podcast, eat the nutrient dense food you actually enjoy!! 3) Lift Weights and Focus on Daily Activity All training should be built around building you up and improving both your capabilities and your functioning (more strength, better flexibility, improved cardio). When we focus on weight training, we are building our muscles and improving our ability to handle food and burn calories over the long haul. This doesn’t give us a free pass but when we have limited time, we have to hit with the most impactful first. With limited time, our priorities should be nutrition, lifting and then additional cardio. We also want to focus on our daily activity – we want to do something EVERYDAY! Not crazy workouts every day but we want to walk and increase our activity throughout the day. Moving and doing more every day will increase your caloric expenditure. 4) Consistency and Patience. What do numbers 2 and 3 help…CONSISTENCY!!!! When we eat in a style that we can enjoy and when we are focused on building daily activities and ourselves our consistency skyrockets. Just like 1 salad won’t change your body, 1 bowl of ice cream won’t either. The focus needs to be on the long term and how to sustainably create the proper habits and decisions. The road to long-term change is rocky, we will stall out and then kick butt. We will stumble and then stall and then kick butt…any combination of these 3 phases will happen continually. Focus on your consistency and be patient. As long as you keep chipping away, you will make it. When you have wins and victories...CELEBRATE THEM!!!!! 5) Focus on Your Environment and Triggers In the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, he talks about how important it is to control our environment. When we control our environment and make it easy to make the right choice we really start to master ourselves. We have a lot of stresses in life and we have a lot of decisions to make. As a result, we will often make whatever choice is more convenient or easy in the moment. Schedule your workouts or meal prep in your calendar Put your workout stuff in your car or by the door the night before. Do online grocery shopping to reduce your access to trigger foods. These are just a few examples but they go a long way in helping you make the right choices. This list could go one forever but we have an important question… What has worked well for you? What in this list can you implement now?

Over the last several years, we have had a lot of consistent messages and one of them is... WE DON’T DO BURPEES!! CAVEAT TIME! Before we jump in, with the exception of kipping exercises, no exercise is bad and we don’t want to push fear of an exercise. At Trilogy, we screen exercises. There needs to be a balance between taking training seriously by teaching and performing exercises with optimal form and pushing your body's limits to improve. There is no place for the message that we are all frail humans that can’t push ourselves. We want a middle ground between ‘it doesn’t matter just GO GO GO’ and the ‘we need to do correctives for 6 months before your body might tolerate exercise and movement’. Ask these questions about every exercise: Do l need to do this exercise? Will this exercise help my goals? What are the risks and benefits of this exercise? Do I have the ability to perform this exercise well and safely? This is why we don’t do burpees at Trilogy. The typical application of the burpee is for conditioning during a training session, class or practice. People prescribe burpees just to get the heart rate up and suffer a bit, we are told to move fast and do them for extended periods of time. We throw our bodies to the ground and catch ourselves. People don’t rely on much muscle to stabilize at this time so all the impact goes through your wrists into your shoulders and your hips collapse as you extend your lower back before thrusting yourself back up and doing a sloppy jump. This makes it a risky exercise for most people without any specific training effect. More strategic training can strengthen and improve our bodies with a lot less impact through squats, some proper plyometrics and some specific conditioning at the end of a workout (this covers each phase of the burpee) . We can use the specific needs of a person rather than haphazardly pushing burpees and simultaneously get a more effective training response by improving strength, cardio and range of motion. More often than not, we see burpees used with high school kids to condition them or in a bootcamp style class to make people tired. The fatigue will only enhance the risk factors of the exercise. People need skill development and strength first. Combining the higher risk of the exercise with minimal return in high levels of fatigue – we have a recipe for burnout and injury. The more extreme the approach, the less likely people will stick with it. The more stresses we have in a fatigued state the more likely somebody is going to get hurt or quit. Their application doesn’t make people better at anything. A young professional or middle age person in fitness, doesn’t need this exercise because it doesn’t improve their lives or abilities. In athletics, it doesn’t carry over to anything specific for the sport or benefit a developing athlete. Every exercise in a program should have a solid, “why” behind it. The burpee doesn’t pass our test for useful application. We can do almost anything to condition you and make you stronger before we resort to burpees. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do them and should fear them. It simply means that a Trilogy program won’t have them and we believe there are better training options for you. XOXO, Team Trilogy

Personal Training Tips and Fitness Information

All About Deadlifts!

All About Deadlifts!

How we Progress and Teach the Deadlift! Training at Trilogy follows a lot of structure but we include a lot of flexibility and fun in training. We focus primarily on our basic movement patterns – [...]

5 BIG Fat Loss Tips

5 BIG Fat Loss Tips

Everybody at some point wants to drop a little body fat. While we teach people to focus more on the performance side of fitness, the aesthetic side is always there so here are our Top [...]

Body Image and Loving YOURSELF

Body Image and Loving YOURSELF

Helen's Corner is one of our weekly emails where Helen (the resident adult of Trilogy) pontificates on life, fitness, nutrition and all the things intertwined with it. In this edition, she talked all about Body [...]

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All About Trilogy Squats!

Not all exercises are equal and this is how we make sure that you are doing the right exercises for you, your goals and your body. The Squat. The KING of the exercises. I want [...]

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What Does Training Look Like after 2 Months Off??? We have been cooped up and doing body weight exercises with minimal access to weights. Hopefully, you have been kicking major butt still but we haven’t [...]

Don’t Do Burpees

Don’t Do Burpees

Over the last several years, we have had a lot of consistent messages and one of them is... WE DON’T DO BURPEES!! CAVEAT TIME! Before we jump in, with the exception of kipping exercises, no [...]

Training in a Time of Quarantine

It is a stressful and wild time so we just want to give you a few quick reminders about your training to make sure you keep rocking it while we are stuck in this weird [...]