Check out the Hot Sardines from NYC

This was at the Montreal Jazz Fest last Wednesday. Dancing was a bit challenging in the crowd and on the asphalt, but somehow it happened. Fun time! Check out the band's website. A must for any swing event.

Squats and side presses kinda max!

Back squat 295lbs x 2 reps with 1 maybe 2 reps in the bank

Hypothetical 1RM between 335-355lbs

Side press 75lbs x 2 reps with 2-3 reps in the bank

Hypothetical 1RM between 90-100lbs

In the SP, the 1st rep is the hardest, because you have to set the path of the bar, so there isn't much difference between 1 and 5 reps very often.

Balboa practices

+Vivianne Carrier got hurt and has to stop dancing for a couple of weeks, but now she is back! I have seen that happened too many times to believe in coincidence: some time off can help your game a lot! I don't fully understand the process, but it works. Work hard for many weeks or a couple of months, take a couple weeks off and enjoy the results.

Drill: leg work

General dancing

re-connect after a turn

Happier clips from people at my gym

Even if my intentions were pure with that post showing people at my gyms doing all kind of crap, I have been criticize as if my purpose is to make fun of them. I should have known better since it's common pratice on the web. In fact, I'm merely trying to use peer pressure as a rethorical process to discourage bad practice and encourage good ones. To show my good faith, I thought about posting clips of people who are doing the right thing or are on the good path. As the other post, I will keep adding clips over time.

You can be all ''this is not a lot of weight'' or ''this is sissy deadlift'' or else, but the girl is pregnant and deadlifting.....pretty cool!

I like this one. She looks like an average girl who simply wishes to get in shape. She doesn't have the profile of an athlete and she's not overweight, but she brought her bench press over time to a 95lbs for a roughly 125lbs girl.

This guy is about the age of my dad or a bit older. Look at his form! Yes he bounces the weight on the floor and yes high reps deadlift a rarely great, but he keeps the weight relatively light and his form doesn't change much.

This clip could've go in either post, but I choose to put it here. Why you ask? He reminds me of myself when I was younger. He has the sport guy profile. He probably heard somewhere ''squat! this will improve your vertical jump.'' So he remember from some blurry memory that you should never squat below 90 degree and he tries really hard not to and he keeps adding weight on top of his poor form. Get a coach people! Even if you want to build your own program, just because you can, you need help to get your forms right. This will save you more time and money than you can imagine.

Kettlebell side press

When I started 2 weeks ago, I could only lift my 24kg for 3 reps and now I easily lift my 28kg for some sets of 5 reps. Neural adaptation is my best bud! 

Latest videos

Solo routine for a bridal shower

Move idea from open tuck turn +Audrey-Anne Bouchard 

Move idea from open tuck turn +Audrey-Anne Bouchard 

Move idea from texas tommy +Vivianne Carrier 

1 leg deadlift 185lbs 5reps

Basketball dunk attempt - ring mid-fingers

Clips from last dance practices: country swing routine

+Vivianne Carrier  

+Vivianne Carrier 

+Vivianne Carrier 

Clips from random people at my commercial gym: funny and sad at the same time

I will keep adding clips on this post. This is all about all the stupid stuff we see everyday in a commercial gym. For a lot of us, we have no other option to have access to a barbell, enough weight and a rack. Instead of hitting my head against the wall everyday, I thought it would be more fun to secretly record some of the jewels and share them on my personal blog. I know, I know....you are welcome!

It's the second time I see an old Asian dude doing some weird ... I can't even call that exercise!

Wow! It's a decent weight by commercial gym standard and he even knows how to get up from his sited position. I guess throwing weights on the floor help him to feel like a real man.

This is a classic scenery in any commercial gym. Girls.... you probably don't even have a good time at the gym. Either get in, do something productive and get out or go for some other productive activity like walking.

For those unfamiliar with the bench press, you either have a hard time to push from the bottom position or to lock out at the top. This guy solved everybody's problems, just avoid either! 

Ah, the sissy deadlift.... atrocious form and ridiculous weight, agreed! Now watch the clip below.

He coaches her, but her form is better than his! I almost told him he should let her coach him, but I didn't dare...

Full screen and look at the guy on the bench. What kind of a ROM is that?! Really?! The guy was puny if this is even necessary to add, lol!

This one seriously needs coaching. The video doesn't really show how rounded his back is pulling all that 65lbs off the floor. His grocery bags are probably heavier.

Whatever this is, this skinny 175lbs guy doesn't need that before a couple of years of heard training.

This is what happen when you superset everything with no break. The standard push up might get too easy too fast, but it's a great movement pattern builder when done correctly.

Let's call this one the classic! If some powerlifter have seen a correlation between biceps curls and their 300+ bench press, I'm pretty sure this is not the guy's story! 

Bunch of videos from last practices

Turns, speed and directions +Audrey-Anne Bouchard 

Swing out drill: changing focus

Balboa drill: swivel +Vivianne Carrier 

Balboa jam practice

Balboa drill: transition with basics +Julien Gosselin +Sarah Jacques 

Balboa drill: transition lollies and Out & ins

Hip fexor pain when deadlifting: modifications from my current cycle

After a few searches online, I'm most likely experiencing a femoral anterior glide syndrome apparently quite common amongst deadlifters. Basically my glutes are not doing their job when needed. It could feel it a lot after my last heavy workout of the 2nd week. I switch to some medium-heavy hip thrust (275-315lbs) followed by some light deadlift variations such as 1 legged or large sumo deadlift. i think I can get back to my program next week keeping the hip thrust prior deadlifting and backing off with the weights. The pain is almost all gone now.

Super large sumo deadlift as described in Power to the people professional. Just practicing my skills with a light 225lbs. I'm trying to get my hips closer the the bar. I dropped the plates on my right foot, so I'm glad this is not 400lbs we're talking about.

I also dropped my upper body pulling day keeping only my bench press day and my ''bodybuilding'' day (more sets and shorter rest). It was too taxing and and Already feel better. Will see if I get any results. I feel the pump, but I can't lift more weight yet. I also change my bent over row to start from the floor to avoid any jerking. Tough move anyway! I understang more and more why Pavel never recommends it.

Dance practices from past weeks

Bulk posting! +Julien Gosselin +Sarah Jacques +Vivianne Carrier +Audrey-Anne Bouchard 

Bal-Swing elbow catching drill

Creating some ideas from previous drill

Drill from Purebal to Out & Ins 

Same as above with extra leg work

2nd part of the Fan Drop with split

Practice fan variations in Purebal

Same as above

Macro musicality focus

Short unfinished routine

New cycle: single deadlift routine and another attempt to improve my bench press

Here's my plan for the next 8 weeks (original plan here). I start with some saddle deadlift follwing a single routine and I focus on the bench press with many (too many for my taste) assistance exercises. 

Week 1

Day 1 265 lbs 15 Singles / Bench press 3x3 / Wide grip BP 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps / Narrow grip BP 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps
Day 2 285 lbs 12 Singles / Combat twist 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps
Day 3 305 lbs 10 Singles / Bent over rows 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps / DB rows 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps / Kelso's shrugs 3-5 sets, 10-15 reps
Day 4 325 lbs 8 Singles / Combat twist 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps
Day 5 345lbs  6 Singles / Good morning 5-6 sets, 2-4 reps, Bent over rows 5-6 sets, 2-4 reps / barbell curls with Fatzgrips 5-6 sets, 2-4 reps / Inclined BP 5-6 sets, 2-4 reps / Standing DB press 5-6 sets, 2-4 reps

Day 6 Off
Day 7 Off

Week 2

Add 10 lbs to each day's lift from Week 1 / BP 5x2

Week 3

Add 10lbs to each day's lift from Week 2 BP 6x1

Week 4

2-3 sets 24 kg snatches/swings 2-3 times per week with some push ups/pull ups. 

Week 5

Add 5lbs to each day's lift from Week 3 / BP 3x3

Week 6

Add 5lbs to each day's lift from week 5 BP 5x2

Week 7

Day 1 Off
Day 2 Off
Day 3 Off
Day 4 Off
Day 5 Off
Day 6 ''Sort of max''
Day 7 Off

Week 8

Unload as Week 4

------------------------------------

So far so good! The saddle deadlifts scared me when I started and i could imagine finishing the cycle with those numbers. A week later, it's way easier than last week with more weight! I expected being really sore with the upper body work and it was not remotely as painful as my last ladder protocol. I regressed in my bench press lifting barely 175lbs even I my bodyweight increased which makes me relatively weaker (Note to self: do not panic). 8 weeks to know if I can do better I guess. Here some videos from my first week:

Saddle deadlift

Combat twist

Dumbell rows

Kelso's shrugs

Bal-swing drills I love

This nothing less than boring stepping backwards drill. I have yet to see someone who can naturally step backwards under his hip. 

Any exercise need to be integrated into a dancing context.

Tough, tough, tough! Very few dancers, even among those known as the best, can keep the scapula in place, engage the minimal muscles, losen the arm and keep a smooth connexion during the lollie's kicks. Initiate inside and outside turns WITHOUT extra pump or prep is in the hardest techniques to master. Better start working on it now!

Choose a simple theme, here: kick ball change on 5 & 6 in a regular throw out. Keep that going and see what you can come up with.

I grew weaker and ego got in the way

I just finished another 5 weeks cycle and for the first time in a while, I actually grew weaker! I always try to max out on 2 consecutive days and this time I couldn't pulled more on the 2nd day.

Look at that video:

405lbs x 1 rep

I actually pulled 405lbs the day before and failed 425lbs which should have told me that I should be careful. I pulled 385lbs and it felt heavy, but since my target for this cycle was 455lbs, I listened to the numbers instead of my body. I should have known better by now, but it seems I'm not there yet. This was probably on of the first time I was close to my 100%. I felt dizzy and about to throw up. Today my back reminds me how stupid i have been.

Strangely enough, my side press was pretty good! 

Dumbbell side press 80lbs x 1

I injured myself with this lift in my 3rd week and switch to an inclined bench press instead which kept my scapulae together and avoid any pain. I was just playing around, learning the lift and not pressing anything serious. When I tested out my side press almost 2 weeks later without any practice, I improved by about 20-25 lbs.

On a bright side, dipping every day really improved my shoulder's flexibility, hurray! Probably the best exercise with the clean to keep your shoulders healthy.

I was impressed by +Vivianne Carrier 's progress. She doubled her hip thrust PR in 5 weeks and added 15lbs to her side press. 

Final thoughts

I think there is a mix of external factors and programming factors that led me there. I was tired, haven't slept well for a couple of days which might also be related to the way too intense programming. 

Since I hate to calculate, keep track, etc, it's way easier for me to rely on instinctive methods. However, by trying to create a build up with my 5x2 / 3x3 / 2x5 / 5x3 (deload), I also exhausted my CNS and 1 deload week wasn't enough. I think it could have worked with less intensity, but I felt like I had to lift more doing doubles than triples so i pushed myself instead of listening to whatever was going on. 

Plus, my ladder protocol for the press was also way to intense! It probably would've been ok 2-3 days top, but 4 days was way too much. We were both sore all the freaking time, I hurt my shoulder and it's a miracle the same didn't happen for Vivianne. 

What's next?

I still didn't find the perfect protocol that would keep me fresh for dancing, but would also help me grow stronger. Still being an intermediate lifter, I think change is good to grease a lot of different movement patterns and get a lot of stimuli. 

I wanted to switch to a single protocol and it seems like the perfect timing. Again, I get my inspiration from Pavel and his single routine. It's an 8 weeks cycle, but basically 2x 4 weeks if you check it out carefully. The number of total reps/week is about the same than his classic Power to the people template (50 in PTTP vs 51 in this one). I already laid out the numbers according to my new 1RM which is less than my last. The % will stop me from overdoing it again and I just have to take it really casually when it's time to max out next time aiming more for a kinda max than real max. 

I'm still puzzled about the pressing portion of my next cycle. I think about an approach similar to the Grow stronger method and mix different strength protocols like bench pressing 3x3 on Day 1 with auxiliary exercises throughout the week. 

End of cycle

I tested 3 of my lifts after 5 weeks (lift/initial weight/final weight): 

-Squat/225x5/315x1

-Press/105x5 ladders/135x1

-Floor press/155x5 ladders/185x1

Body weight 192lbs

Fasted state

Final thoughts

As expected, the high frequency did wonders for my squat, even beyong my expectations. 315lbs was my goal, but I didn't really believe I could do it. I'm getting closer from my long term goal of squating twice my body weight. Pavel was right again: greasing the squat patern without squating is enough. 

Despite the clearly good results from the ladders, 1 different lift per day is not the best idea for an swing dancer. I've been sore until the tapper week and had to be extra careful with the aerial pratices all the time. From all my testing, I concluded that the following protocol was the best for me: 

-Pick a weight I think I can handle for 4-5 reps

-Start with a 1, 2, 3 ladder for up to 5 ladders

-Switch for a 1, 2, 3, 4 ladder or add a ladder to the previous one

-Switch for a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ladder when ready

-Once I can do a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 x 3 ladders. add 5 ou 10lbs and start over

Also, my time in the weight room was too long. I don't my lifting some weight 5 days a week, because I'm already at the gym to dance and I feel better afterward anyway, but I like to keep the work under the 45min line warm up included. 

The only lift that did not increased was the weighted chin up with Fatzgrip. Perhaps because I hated it or my initial weight was too heavy, but I sticked at +20lbs and added some insignificant reps. 

I've been so impressed with the dips! I haven't done those in months and they made me realize the poor mobility of my shouilder because of my shorten bicep tendons. It took me 3 weeks and over 150 reps of them to finally feel alright. Because it is soo easy to cheat doing dips, I don't they are worth using as a 1RM kind of lift, but rather to support the other lifts and my scapular mobility/stability. 

I will definitely keep the 5 weeks template, but I'll get back to somthing similar to the RKC clean & press routine, picking up one press and one pull I can use in a ladder structure. 

Floor Press

Press

Squat

Videos random

In this drll, +Julien Gosselin and +Sarah Jacques are working on 3 moves: swing out, under arm and full bring in. The objective is to keep the groove of the dance all the time which is probably the most typical sticking points among intermediate dancers.

Now the focus is on the free arm. I gave them few ideas and they are tring them out. Swing dancing is about finding what is right for you and that ask for some experimentations.

Front squat rules! Very uncomfortable at first, it forces thoracic expension and the shoulders and wrists moblity. Plus, like most posterior chain compond movements, you can ge pretty strong with it evn wihtout any other exercices in you rroutine. My typical progression would be wall squat, goblet squat, front squat and finally back squat. 

The hang man is a weird variation from the Manhattan Routine. Fortunately, I practiced those plenty in Balboa, so now I'm trying to do them wiht the Shag groove.

Last attempt of the day with the Manhattan routine.

Videos of the day

The Ab Roller is on of my favorite full tension ab exercice. It forces your lower abs and your buttox to work together and keeping your structural integrity. After seeing this clip, I focused on squeezing my buttox even more. 

Enjoy! +Vivianne Carrier weight almost 130lbs, even if she looks 115lbs max. Muscles are deceiving!

We keep working on the Collegiate Shag for the next week and a half. This routine by +Tony Fraser is one of the best way to start dancing Shag. It gives you a decent starting pack of classic moves and the general groove of the dance.

Last practice before the gig and Collegiate Shag exercice.

Vivianne made a lot of progress learning this routine. 2 weeks ago, she still couldn't make the Around the back aerial. 

Single time Shag vs Double time Shag : 1st Shag practice with Vivianne. Is there a better way to face the challenge of this dance than trying this basic exercice. Beginner and advanced dancers alike are going to mess up!

Random weight training videos

1 hand dumbell snatch: the weight is increasing and the Fatzgrip really makes the difference.

Janda sit ups: I'm getting used to those weird sit ups and I almost don't need the band assistance anymore.

Bent over rows: I wanted to double check my alignement which isn't that bad. The weight is increasing as well.

Random dance practice videos from last week