S&C Internships: The 'Difficult' Coach

By: Josh Trammell

For part I of the S&C Internship series, click HERE.
For a fascinating look into the world  (and exploitation) of your fellow interns, check out this book: Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy

Let me introduce you to Coach Jay*. Coach Jay is an archetypal example of a coach who just couldn't care less about you. He's a dick and he knows it. 

"Stop bein' lazy man! You keep that up and you'll be an intern for the rest of your life." 

(said in front of the ENTIRE football team)

He went on to tell the intern to "go eat some donuts."

Obviously, this is a rather extreme example of a coach who really doesn't give a crap. But, while this is extreme, there are difficult coaches out there, and the goal of this article is to present some options on how to deal with those same coaches.

Option 1: Avoid the Coach in Question

...I would not recommend this option, for the simple reason that you'll be spending the next 2-3 months (or longer) working with this person. Also, you're an intern, which means you're not worth much - there's no reason to dig yourself an early grave.

Perfect example: after the coach in the intro did this to one of the interns, I actively avoided him...for about a week. Unfortunately, this coach used me as an example of what NOT to do when coaching a particular movement for another intern (even though I was teaching it the way another coach requested). I'm definitely human too, and this was a huge mistake that I quickly corrected.

Option 2: Ask for Advice from the Coach in Question

Once I saw how badly option 1 worked, I changed tactics. For every exercise I wasn't 100% clear on, I approached Coach Jay and asked him how he wanted it performed. Everything from depth for front squats to bench press, coaching cues, and so on.

This approach works much better than the first. For starters, by going to the coach for guidance you are establishing him as the expert and presenting yourself as being a humble intern. 

Many interns (myself included) go into the internship thinking they know everything about everything... and while you may know a lot, context is important and you may suck at applying what you know in a team sports context with lots of constraints. So, shutting your mouth and listening while establishing that coach as an authority is a very valuable skill.

Option 3: Does the Coach have an ego? Yes? Show off.

This one may sound funny, so I'll just use another personal example to illustrate the point.

Coach Jay was a former NFL pro for a few years before turning to coaching. He has a lot of confidence (rightly so) and thinks he can do pretty much anything he tries. Awesome.

One day, another intern and I were practicing some handstands, and he comes up and says "Hey man I can do that too. That's easy."

"Sure thing Coach Jay."

"What, you don't believe me man? Watch me."

He proceeds to kick up to a handstand...and falls over. He decides to try again...and gets the same result.

"Dang man! This is harder than I thought. Can you show me again?"

"You want me to show you the same thing, or do something else?"

"Show me something else man."

"Alright Coach."

I then proceed to do the following: Handstands Galore

Coach Jay tries it again...and fails. 

"Mad respect dawg." Bro hugs ensue. 

...And that's how I got Coach Jay's respect. Seriously. Immediately after that, he started talking to me, asking how I was doing, etc. 

Is this option appropriate for most coaches? Probably not. BUT, in certain situations this may work (but KNOW the coach's personality first).

Option 4: Always be seen Working

You'd think this would be obvious, but from stories I've heard from other internships and about past interns, apparently, it's not. One of the biggest keys to getting on a coach's good side is to be working AT ALL TIMES when you're out on the floor. 

Towels need to be picked up? Pick them up.

Weights on the floor? Pick them up.

Working out? Don't rest for 10 minutes between your sets while that coach is around (even if you are a powerlifter).

Does an athlete need a weight gain shake? Make him a weight gain shake.

The point: ALWAYS be moving around, doing something. Don't wait to be told to do something, show some initiative. This, more than anything else, will get you noticed and respected.

Is this stuff simple? Yes. Should I really have to write about it? No. Some of you will run into difficult coaches, and my hope is that you remember these lessons (and my blunders) and find a way to make it work to your advantage. 

*Fictitious name for a real coach.

Have some questions? Want to learn more about S&C internships and what they're all about? Shoot me an email at jtfitnesssystems@gmail.com and I'll help you out as much as I can.

Handstands, Part 2: "Supplementing" your Training to Maximize Results

Josh Trammell

Warning: These exercises are to be tried at your own risk. Some of these exercises, if performed incorrectly or before they are properly progressed or prepared, can do more harm than good. Proceed with caution (and patience).

Webster’s Dictionary defines a supplement as “something that completes or makes an addition” to something else. The following tips, exercises, and progressions are just that: supplements to part 1 of the Handstand guide. They are NOT absolutely necessary; however, they can help speed up progress greatly. With that said, let’s dive right in.

Supplement #1: The Frogstand Progressions

One of the biggest factors keeping people from achieving that elusive handstand is the concept of balance. The fingertip “handbalancing” is something that can be felt, but never quite adequately described. Frogstands help to get a better feel for the front-to-back balancing aspect of the handstand.

The progression is simple: once you can do step 1 for 60 seconds relatively easy (it should NOT be a struggle!), move to step 2.

Step 1: Bent-Arm Frogstand

Step 2: Straight-Arm Frogstand

Supplement #2: Wrist Push-Ups

A lot of times, especially after a few weeks, people will complain about wrist soreness or pain. The following progression can definitely help cure weaksauce wrists:

 1. Knee Wrist Push-Ups.

 2. “Long” Knee Wrist Push-Ups.

 3. One-Leg Extended Knee Wrist Push-Ups.

 4. Full Wrist Push-Ups.

Once you can do 10 reps of the first step comfortably and easily, move to the next step in the progression. BE CAREFUL with these and take your time. If you rush it you WILL regret it.

Supplement #3: Wrist Care and Fixing Mobility Issues

Take care of your wrists! I can’t say it enough. If you’re not properly warming up your wrists, it WILL come back to haunt you. If you thought shin splints were bad…you’ve never experienced forearm splints. You don’t want to either. So again, TAKE CARE of your wrists! Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are two great ways to incorporate some wrist care:

1. Use this as your wrist warm-up: Novel Movements for the Wrist, Hand, and Elbow

2. Hammer Wrist and Finger Extension - Joe Hashey has a great set-up here:

Other options include rubber band finger extensions and rice bucket exercises.

3. Smash Trigger Points:

While what is wrong with YOU specifically is something you're going to have to find out yourself, in general, these muscles can all play a role in limiting how 'open' your handstand is: infraspinatus, supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major/minor, lats, pectorals, and the long head of the triceps, to name a few.

Pick 1-2 muscles per session, and spend a quality 1-2 minutes per side. Here's a guide to help you out:

Trigger Point Therapy Guide

Putting it all Together

The following routine is something you could follow for a while and make great progress. This is just one example of many, and is meant to teach you how to apply the information presented thus far.

Warm-Up:

1A) Novel Wrist Movements

2A) Wrist Push-Up Progression 1 - 1 x 10 (EASY)

3A) Trigger Point Work: Lats and Infraspinatus - 1 x 1 minute per side for each muscle

Handstand Work: 5 minutes

Finish with:

1A) Bent-Arm Frogstand - 1 x max hold for time (once you hit 60 seconds, progress it up)

2A) Wrist Roller - 2 x 5 w/ 10lbs

3A) Ironmind "Expand-Your-Hand" Band Extensions - 1 x as many reps as possible (AMRAP)

Lastly, cool down with some light wrist stretching: contract/relax, static stretching, whatever makes ya feel good.

That’s it! With time and patience, your handstand will look and feel better and better.

How do YOU normally warm up for handstands? Are there any other tips you think are worth mentioning? Let us know through the comments or email (affectinggravity@gmail.com).

Handstands: An (In)Complete Guide

Josh Trammell

I have a confession to make: I'm one stubborn son of a gun. Luckily, being stubborn has its uses, especially when it comes to doing your first handstand. When I first started teaching myself the handstand, I hit my back over...and over... and over again. For 30 days. By the end of those 30 days, my stubborn tenacity paid off, and I was able to hold the world's ugliest handstand for 15 seconds or so.

A year later, when I realized just how horrible my handstands looked, stubbornness paid off again, and over the course of a few months I was able to reproduce a much more aesthetically pleasing handstand. Luckily for you, I made all the mistakes so YOU don’t have too.  Without further ado, here’s my guide to Handstand domination.

Prerequisites:

Before taking the first step on your handstand journey, there are 2 things in particular that will greatly aid your progress if you can do them before you start.

1) 5-10 QUALITY Push-Ups: This should be obvious, but the handstand is a very shoulder dominant movement. If your shoulders aren’t conditioned upon starting, you will find that, by the time you walk your feet all the way up the wall, your shoulders will be screaming at you to come down. A little strength here goes a LONG way. While not always a hard and fast rule (for example, it may take women a while to work up to 5 high quality push-ups), in general, it’s a good rule to stick by.

2) Hollow Body Hold x 30 - 60 seconds: The hollow body position is one of 2 fundamental gymnastics positions. In other words, it’s kind of a big deal. Unless you want your handstands to look like garbage, a 30 second minimum hollow body hold is a MUST. Read that again. A MUST. 

The Wall

The wall is your best friend, initially. Ideally, you will be practicing handstands with your belly facing the wall (BTW – belly-to-wall). This prevents an overextended, extra ugly-lookin’ handstand. Climbing up the wall is relatively self-explanatory – but what do you focus on when you get up there? In other words, what should your positioning look like, and what cues are at your disposal to help you hit that position?

In general, there are 3-4 cues that I find most beneficial:

1) Crack a Walnut with your Butt Cheeks

2) Break Your Ribs in Half with your Abs

3) Push the Ground Away

4) Point your Toes to the Sky

Your handstand should end up looking something like this:

“But wait…there’s a problem. How in the heck do I get down?!?!”

I'm glad you asked!

Preferred Technique: The Bail

Chris Salvato does a fantastic job of outlining and demonstrating this technique:

Alternatively, the Handstand-Forward Roll can be utilized:

Practice Makes Permanent

You’d think that people know how to effectively practice, but that’s definitely not the case. While effective practice is worthy of an article in and of itself, it’s outside of the scope of this article. However, if you get nothing else, remember this: Stay FRESH when practicing this or any other skill. Once your form breaks down, bail out. No exceptions. Practicing ugly handstands will only make your handstands more ugly. This is NOT something you want to push to failure anytime soon, especially when first learning the skill. With that out of the way…

First things first: get REALLY familiar with one of the aforementioned bail-out techniques. A good rule of thumb involves assessing your level of fear while up on the wall – if you’re still scared to death of being in that position, you haven’t practiced enough. You should know the bail like the back of your hand.

Once you have achieved a moderate level of proficiency with a bail-out technique, the real fun begins: handstands for time. 

1) Set a time for 5 minutes.

2) Get into your wall handstand.

3) When you start getting a little tired and feel like your form may break down soon, bail out. BEFORE your form breaks down.

4) Rest.

5) Repeat steps 2-4 until 5 minutes have passed. 

Goal: a 60-second Handstand hold against the wall.

Alright. You can hold a handstand pretty easily against the wall for 60 seconds. What's next?

Moving Forward

Foot wall taps are definitely beneficial here:

Once you feel confident with the wall taps, the next step is to take a leap of faith and step away from the wall. There are two ways to do this: with, and without, a spotter. If you have someone who can spot your feet on the way up, great. Otherwise, the bail comes in handy big time here when practicing in a more open space.

If using a spotter, AS SOON as you can, get rid of him/her. Over time, the safety of having a spotter becomes a crutch – don’t let that happen. Use the spotter until you are feeling more comfortable and then get rid of them. 

In summary:

1) Take care of those prerequisites.

2) Get confident with bailing.

3) Hold a solid Wall Handstand for 60 seconds.

4) Move away from the wall ASAP.

While far from exhaustive, taking this approach, and practicing just 5 minutes a day, 4-6 days/week, a 15-30 second handstand can be achieved within a month.

For those who teach handstands, what methods do you use? What are you struggling with? Let me know in the comments, or email me at affectinggravity@gmail.com and I will get back to y’all as soon as possible.

A big shout-out to all of the people who have had a huge influence on my teaching process: Chris Salvato, Ido Portal, Gold Medal Bodies, and Jim Bathurst.

Stay tuned for Part 2…