Back Story
The combination of GST and AcroYoga (page 52) has completely remodeled my body in the last year. I’m more flexible and mobile at age 39 than I was at age 20. I’m going to skip explaining a lot (e.g., Maltese, Stalder press handstand) that is best seen in video or pictures, though I’ll describe the most critical (starting on page 53). Google is your friend.
On Working on Your Weaknesses
“If you want to be a stud later, you have to be a pud now.”
Coach first told me this when I was complaining about slow progress with shoulder extension (imagine clasping your hands together behind your back, arms straight, then raising your arms without bending at the waist). When in doubt, work on the deficiencies you’re most embarrassed by. My biggest weaknesses are shoulder extension and bridging using the thoracic spine (versus lower-back arch). After improving them 10% over 3 to 4 weeks—going from “making coach vomit” to merely “making coach laugh”—a host of physical issues that plagued me for years completely disappeared. To assess your biggest weaknesses, start by finding a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) near you. Related from Sommer: “You’re not responsible for the hand of cards you were dealt. You’re responsible for maxing out what you were given.”
“Flexibility” Versus “Mobility”
Sommer’s distinction between “flexibility” and “mobility” is the most concrete and clear I’ve heard. “Flexibility” can be passive, whereas “mobility” requires that you can demonstrate strength throughout the entire range of motion, including the end ranges. See the J-curl and pike pulse exercises on pages 15 and 18 for two examples of mobility, which can be also be thought of as “active flexibility.” The pike pulse is a particularly clear demonstration, as it tests “compression strength” in a range that most people never experience.
Consistency over Intensity
“Slow down. Where’s the fire?” This is Coach’s constant reminder that certain adaptations take weeks or months of consistent stimuli (see page 160). If you rush, the reward is injuries. In GST, there are surprising stair steps after long periods of zero progress. Roughly six months into doing his “hamstring series” with minor gains, I seemingly doubled my max ranges overnight. This was completely unsurprising to Sommer.
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“I used to tell my athletes there are stupid gymnasts, and there are old gymnasts, but there are no old, stupid gymnasts because they’re all dead.”
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“Diet and Exercise” → “Eat and Train”
Coach Sommer dislikes the fitness fixation on “diet and exercise.” He finds it much more productive to focus on “eat and train.” One is aesthetic, and the other is functional. The former may not have a clear goal, the latter always does.
They Failed Warmup!
Coach describing his first-ever seminar for non-gymnast adults, in roughly 2007:
“We’ve got all of these beasts there [advanced lifters], and they’re strong. I tried to do my entry-level plyometric group work and some floor work with them. The stronger the athlete, the faster they went down: knees, lower back, ankles . . . from baby stuff. We’re not talking anything hard. We’re talking about standing in place, and, with knees straight, being able to bounce down the floor using just your calves.
“No way. Their tissues couldn’t take it. They hadn’t done anything like it. [To show you] how bad mobility was, we had 15 minutes on the schedule to stretch. Nothing intricate, nothing intense—just an easy, basic stretch. Get them loosened up for the day. That stretch took an hour and a half to complete. There were bodies lying everywhere. It was like I was in Vietnam or filming a war movie. I turned to my staff, and I’m like, ‘What the fuck am I supposed to do now? They failed warmup. They failed warmup.’”
Why Those Olympic Boys Have Gigantic Biceps
Male Olympic gymnasts don’t have biceps the size of their waists from curls. It comes largely from straight-arm work, especially Maltese work on rings.
But how on earth can you practice a Maltese as a novice? I use a 50/50 pulley system to cut my body-weight resistance in half, which is similar to the Ring Thing (Power Monkey Fitness) or generic “dream machine” that Jason Nemer (page 46) loves using. I combine this with “power levers,” strap-on metal gauntlets that allow me to attach the ring ropes to my forearms anywhere between the elbow and the fist. This allows me to use progressive resistance, starting near the elbow and moving out to the hand. The best versions are currently only available in Europe, but there are vaguely similar “iron cross trainers” available in the U.S.
3 Movements Everyone Should Practice
J-Curl (page 15)
Shoulder Extension: Lift a dowel behind your back (standing), or sit on the floor and walk your hands backward behind your hips.
Thoracic Bridge: Elevate your feet enough to feel the bulk of the stretch in the upper back and shoulders, not the lower back. The feet might be 3+ feet off the ground. Ensure you can concentrate on straightening your arms (and legs, if possible), holding the position, and breathing.
Good Goals for Adult Non-Gymnasts
The following goals incorporate many different aspects of strength and mobility into single movements:
Beginner: J-Curl
Intermediate: Straddle Press Handstand [TF: I’m working on this]
Advanced: Stalder Press Handstand
Sometimes, You Just Need a Vibrator
Coach Sommer introduced me to a Russian medical massage specialist who recommended I use the plug-in (not cordless) model of the Hitachi Magic Wand on its high setting. I’ve never experienced such heights of ecstasy. Thanks, Vladmir!
Just kidding. In this case, it’s for relaxing hypertonic muscles (i.e., muscles that are tense even though they shouldn’t be). Just place the wand on your muscle belly (not insertion points) for 20 to 30 seconds, which is often all it takes at the proper hertz. Tension headaches or a stiff neck? It’s great for relaxing the occipitals at the base of the skull. Warning: Having Hitachi Magic Wands lying out around your house can go terribly wrong—or terribly right. Good luck explaining your “hypertonic muscles.” As one friend said to me, “I think my wife has that same problem. . . .”
Gymnast Strong
Unusual and Effective Bodyweight Exercises
In less than eight weeks of following Coach Sommer’s protocols, I saw unbelievable improvement in areas I’d largely given up on.
Try a few of my favorite exercises, and you’ll quickly realize that gymnasts use muscles you didn’t even know you had.
QL Walk—An Unusual Warmup
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Coach Sommer borrowed this exercise from power lifter Donnie Thompson, who calls it the “butt walk.” Donnie “Super D” Thompson is the first person to hit a power lifting total of more than 3,000 pounds (bench press + deadlift + squat). The QL walk is intended to get your glutes and quadratus lumborum (QL) firing, the latter of which Donnie calls “an angry troll in your back”:
Sit down on a mat (or gravel, if you want to turn your ass into hamburger meat). Legs are extended in front of you, ankles can be touching or slightly apart, and your back should be straight. I keep legs together. This is “pike” position, which I’ll refer to quite a bit in this book.
Lift a kettlebell or dumbbell to your collarbones (think front squat). I weigh 170 pounds and use 30 to 60 pounds. I hold the kettlebell “horns,” but Donnie prefers to support it from underneath.
Keeping your legs straight (no bend at the knee), walk your butt cheeks—left, right, left, right—across the floor. I typically go 10 to 15 feet.
Reverse direction and go backward 10 to 15 feet. That’s it.
Jefferson Curl (J-Curl)
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Think of this as a controlled, slowly rounded, stiff-legged deadlift. From Sommer: “Progress slowly and patiently. Do not rush. For this type of loaded mobility work, never allow yourse
lf to strain, grind out reps, or force range of motion. Smooth, controlled movement is the order of the day.” The ultimate goal is body weight on a bar, but start with 15 pounds. I currently use only 50 to 60 pounds. This can perform miracles for thoracic, or mid-back, mobility, all while helping the hamstrings in the pike position. When I asked Coach Sommer how often I should do these, he said, “We do these like breathing.” In other words, at a minimum, J-Curls are done at the beginning of every primary workout.
Begin by standing up straight, legs locked, holding a bar waist-high with your arms shoulder width apart. (fig. A) Think dead-lift top position.
Tuck your chin tightly against your chest (keep it tucked for the entire movement) and slowly bend over, one vertebra at a time, from the neck down. (fig. B) Keep your arms straight and the bar close to your legs. Lower until you can’t stretch any farther. As you become more flexible, stand on a box (I use a Rogue plyo box), with the goal of passing your wrists below your toes. Keep your legs as perpendicular to the ground as possible, and try to not push your hips back until your head is below your waist.
Slowly stand back up, rolling one vertebra at a time. Your chin should be the last thing to come up. (fig. C) That’s 1 rep. Repeat for a total of 5 to 10 reps.
Dips with RTO (Ring Turn Out)
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So you can do 10 to 20 regular dips? Fantastic. I challenge you to do 5 slow dips on rings with proper turnout at the top (“support position”). Imagine the lines of the knuckles pointing to 10 and 2 o’clock at the apex. Perform this without piking (bending at the hips) or leaning your torso forward. This requires the brachialis to work like a mofo at the top, and it requires good shoulder extension at the bottom—my nemesis. Curse me, then thank me in 8 weeks. If you can’t do 15 regular dips, consider starting with push-ups with RTO, which Kelly Starrett (page 122) first showed me. For the push-ups, ensure that you use the hollow and protracted position from cast wall walks on page 19.
Hinge Rows
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This is an excellent low-risk option for smashing your mid-traps and external rotator cuff muscles, which are used for handstands and just about everything in gymnastics. Visualize popping up like Dracula in a coffin, then hitting a double bicep pose. The catch: Your hands are holding rings the entire time. Once you can do 20 reps of hinge rows, Google “lat flys” and progress to those.
Set up a pair of rings to hang about a foot above your head when you’re sitting on the floor.
While sitting on the floor, grab the rings. Keeping your heels on the floor, lie back, and—arms straight—lift your hips off the ground. Focus on making your body (head to heel) ramrod straight. (fig. A)
Sit up (pike) until your head is between the rings and hit that double-bicep pose. The bends at your waist and elbows should be about 90 degrees. (fig. B)
Slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat 5 to 15 times.
Ag Walks with Rear Support
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These are hugely productive and a major wakeup call for most people. 99% of you will realize you have no shoulder flexibility or strength in this critical position.
Get some furniture sliders ($5 to $15). These look like drink coasters and are used to move furniture around without scratching the floor.
Sit down in pike position and put your heels on the furniture sliders (which I now always pack for travel workouts).
Put your hands on the floor by your hips and—arms straight—lift your hips off the ground. Try to make your body perfectly straight from shoulder to heel, just as in the hinge rows.
Easy? Now walk forward with your hands, pushing your feet along the floor. This can be done forward and backward. Aim for 5 minutes of constant movement, but feel free to start with 60 seconds (you’ll see). Pro tip: This is a great way to freak people out when done at 2 a.m. in hotel hallways.
Pike Pulses
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When one of my meathead friends is laughing at my GST exercises, I have them attempt this. It usually ends with a head shake and a puzzled “Holy fuck.”
Sit in pike position in the middle of the floor. Point your toes and keep your knees locked.
Walk your hands out on the floor, as far toward (or past) your feet as you can.
Now, try to lift your heels 1 to 4 inches, which is 1 repetition or “pulse.” For 99% of you, this will be completely impossible and you’ll feel like an ice statue. Ratchet back and put your hands midway between hip and knee. See how you do and then move your hands forward enough to allow only 15 to 20 pulses.
If you did really well, now try it with your lower back against a wall. What happened?! Sorry, killer, you weren’t actually pulsing, you were rocking back and forth like a cradle. Do it against the wall to keep yourself honest.
Cast Wall Walk
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If you have no gymnastics background, this one will be fun/terrible. I use cast wall walks as a workout finisher and recommend you do the same, as you’ll be worthless afterward. First, let’s define the position you need to maintain.
Torso “Hollow”: Sit on a chair, back straight, with your hands on your knees. Now, try to bring your sternum (chest bone) to your belly button; “shorten” your torso by 3 to 4 inches by contracting and pulling in your abs. You’ll maintain this position throughout the entire exercise. No lower-back arch or sag permitted.
Shoulders “Protracted”: Keep your torso “hollow” per the above. Now, pretend you’re hugging a telephone pole. Your shoulders should be well in front of your chest, sternum pulled back strongly. Straighten your arms but maintain this position. Next, without losing any of the aforementioned, lift your arms overhead as high as you can. There you go. Now we can begin.
Get into a handstand position against a wall, nose facing toward the wall. (fig. A)
Keeping your body in one line, slowly walk your hands out and your feet down the wall simultaneously. (fig. B) Keep your knees straight and walk with your ankles. The steps should be small.
Reach the bottom with your feet on the floor in a push-up position. (fig. C) Correct your form to be maximally hollow and protracted.
Reverse and go back up the wall, returning to handstand position. That is 1 rep, my friend.
Target is 10 reps, but stop this one at least a few reps before muscular failure. Otherwise, woe unto your face when gravity opens a can of whoop-ass on your flattened head.
Spirit animal: Beaver
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Dominic D’Agostino
Dr. Dominic “Dom” D’Agostino (TW: @DominicDAgosti2, ketonutrition.org), PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, and a senior research scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). He has also deadlifted 500 pounds for 10 reps after a 7-day fast.
He’s a beast and—no big surprise—he’s a good buddy of Dr. Peter Attia, my MD friend (page 59) who consumed “jet fuel” in search of optimal athletic performance. The primary focus of Dom’s laboratory is developing and testing metabolic therapies, including ketogenic diets, ketone esters, and ketone supplements to induce nutritional/therapeutic ketosis, and low-toxicity metabolic-based drugs. Much of his work is related to metabolic therapies and nutritional strategies for peak performance and resilience in extreme environments. His research is supported by the Office of Naval Research, Department of Defense, private organizations, and foundations.
Little-Known Facts
Back around 1995, Dom gifted Tony Robbins’s (page 210) Personal Power audio set to all of his undergrad lifting buddies. Two contacted him years later to thank him for changing their lives.
After my first podcast with Dom, Whole Foods Markets around the country sold out of Wild Planet canned sardines.
Preface
This profile is one of several that
might save your life, and it has certainly changed mine. As such, it deviates from the usual format to act as more of a mini-primer on all things ketosis. There is a lot of diet talk, but the supplements and fasting can be treated as separate tools—no bacon or heavy cream required. For ease of reading, some of the concepts are slightly simplified for a lay audience. My current personal regimen is included.
First, Some Basics
The ketogenic diet, often nicknamed “keto,” is a high-fat diet that mimics fasting physiology. Your brain and body begin to use ketones (derived from stored or ingested fat) for energy instead of blood sugar (glucose)—a state called ketosis. The diet was originally developed to treat epileptic children, but there are many variations, including the Atkins diet. You can achieve ketosis through fasting, diet, exogenous ketones, or a combination.
How do you know when you’re in ketosis? The most reliable way is to use a device called the Precision Xtra by Abbott. This can measure both glucose and blood levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Once you reach 0.5 mmol—millimolars, a concentration—you can consider yourself lightly “in ketosis.” I tend to feel increased mental clarity at 1 mmol or higher.
Tools of Titans Page 4