Todd Bumgardner
My Back Hurts (Wait, so do my hips).
I have congenital scoliosis. As I was exiting the birth canal, Nomgar, the fire dragon from the North, attacked me. I parried against his fire and claws with a ball of infant explosion and savagery described with adequate vim as Ginger Fist. During the battle, however, I over-utilized my supple infant tissues to dodge fire and inflict damage–as a result my spinal [...]
The Magic of Cluster Sets, Part 2
Yesterday on T-Nation they publushed my article “The Magic of Cluster Sets.” I didn’t name it that–I actually sent it in without a title–but it’s cool that they called clusters magic. It makes me feel like a wizard–or at least like a dude that knows card tricks. I don’t know any card tricks. What I [...]
Do Your Intentions Match Your Actions?
Do your intentions match your actions? It’s a matter of congruency. My guess is no. I’m not saying that you, in part from everyone else, have anything wrong with you–it’s just a numbers game. Most people intend to do more–training, living, growing–but fail to act accordingly by what they envision. It’s like playing a movie in [...]
Easy Ways to Completely Avoid Making Progress
Earlier this week Chris asked us a question, have you progressed? Hopefully you took some time to think objectively on the question. Have you written a good movement history, or does it need a greater effort of penmanship? Are you learning? Do you have a support system? I thought about Chris’ questions a lot over [...]
Why Habits Determine Success
Last week Chris talked about about the construction of BSP NOVA, One Piece At a Time. His analogy for training progress is perfect–our bodies, and our goals, change as we manipulate one variable at a time. What’s frustrating, though, is this isn’t how we think. We envision the whole rather than the thousand meaningful parts that [...]
Lift For Boston!
I’m sitting comfortably in my bedroom as I write this. My dog is dreaming on my bed behind me, wimpering and huffing at rabbits yet to be caught. The cracked window in front of me welcomes a cool breeze as I sit listening to “Murder in the City” by The Avett Brothers. Tomorrow, if all [...]
A Better 3/4
Each year, just past the first quarter of the year, I celebrate my birthday. This one happens to be 27–the first number I wore on my football jersey in college. I wasn’t fond of having that number–I didn’t pick it–and I changed to number 40 for my sophomore season to honor Pat Tillman. I also grew [...]
Youth Training: Building a Base that Builds a Monster
I have a favorite client. She’s not an Olympian, nor is she a professional athlete. A few years back she learned how to read and she’s now on her way to mastering long division. She’s my neice, Kendra. That’s her nailing the is0-lunge hold a few months back. Since then she’s been introduced to a [...]
Intermittent Eating 2: Paleo
A few years ago my ex-girlfriend’s mom gave me a copy of Eat Right for Your Type. If you’re unfamiliar, the book is about eating foods that fit your blood type. The book is based mainly on conjecture; there’s minimal–if any–solid research supporting the author’s claims. But at the time I was enthralled. I’m Type O [...]
Bad Grip, Bad Hips
If I were a rapper my stage name would be Hot Red Nasty. I’d be like a white Trinidad James–or maybe I’d be a black Eminem. My first album, Sunburnt But Flexin, would sell two million copies the first week. It would be a concept album telling the story of how we roll in New [...]
Quadruped Arm Traction
I’m a strength coach and a manual therapy student; so when I get the opportunity I like to take my lessons from massage school and apply them at the gym. It’s kind of like how I combine man’s best friend with exercise equipment. (Seriously, get yourself a Fit Bull.) It’s common for strength coaches to [...]
Fighting Rotation with Tension
Unfortunately, the fitness/strength and conditioning/social media industry is a bit skewed–a lot of great coaches don’t get the attention they deserve while others undeservingly bask in praise of relentless fandom. It’s not often that I start a post off with such a digression–especially one with such a distinct topic–but ironically, it’s necessary. The previous paragraph’s digression [...]
Teaching Deadlift Lat Tension
I’m sticking with the theme of short posts with a video included. Check out the video to see how I teach lat tension to those learning to deadlift. Get Stronger, Todd Share
Band Landmines
Training at a small gym that isn’t wealthy in equipment requires a little creativity to get things done. When barbells aren’t abundant we make due. Enter the band landmine This exercise is great for core stability (anti-rotation and anti-lateral flexion) but it’s also great for shoulder mobility and stability. The band adds an element of [...]
Why You Should Visualize
“Tension is part and parcel of what we call the mind. Tension does not exist by itself, but is reflexively integrated into the total organism. The patterns in our muscles vary from moment to moment, constituting in part the modus operandi of our thinking and engage muscles variously all over our body, just as do [...]
