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Method · Body

Shoulder-safe pull-up technique

A locally coherent method for pull-ups: (1) at a dead hang, pull down first to depress the scapula, then pull up — that's the ready position; (2) on the way down, maintain tension throughout the scapula and shoulder girdle so you don't fall back into the traction-stress position; (3) treat every rep a little slower on the way down and don't avoid full extension at the elbow. Letting the shoulders ride up at the bottom undoes the stable position and reintroduces traction stress.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Body

Shoulder-safe overhead press setup

A locally coherent method for overhead pressing: (1) keep pressing overhead but do it better; (2) narrow the hand positioning on the barbell to bring the elbows from out to the side to more in front of the body and into the scapular plane, which also adds a bit more triceps contribution and helps you get overhead in a more free and mobile position; (3) with dumbbells, bring the elbows in to about 45 degrees rather than flaring them out to the side; (4) press one dumbbell at a time and lean slightly under the pressing dumbbell so the wrist is supported by the elbow and the elbow by the shoulder, creating a stacked joint for more stability; (5) slow the pressing speed, which combined with joint stacking regains shoulder stability and makes the pain go away.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Body

Correct dip setup and execution

A locally coherent method for shoulder-safe dips: (1) set up by pushing down and engaging the serratus with the chest out rather than sinking down; (2) pull the shoulders down away from the ears to create greater distance between ears and shoulders, the same as with the pull-up; (3) control depth to about 90 degrees at the elbow rather than going all the way down, since going deeper pitches the shoulder more forward and stresses the anterior capsule; (4) at the top, push high rather than letting the shoulders drift back up, and finish with a 'dip plus' by pushing through with an extra plus at the end of the ascent. Getting the chest out allows a better stretch without going too deep.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Method described by Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Method · Body

Assess acceleration objectively, then target the specific weakness

Dr. Morin's acceleration-improvement workflow: first assess acceleration objectively with metrics — maximum force output, maximum power output, and propulsive power output on the ground — before trying to improve it. If an athlete has strong jumps but weak acceleration, he will very likely not improve acceleration by jumping higher, so don't address it with more jump training; instead target horizontally oriented push over several steps, since the missing pieces are orienting the push over multiple contacts. Bring kinematic analysis including contact times to identify whether the athlete is collapsing or pushing too vertically at the start.

Garage Strength · Why Most Athletes Train Speed Wrong w/ Sprint Scientist Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Method described by Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Principle · Body

Flared elbows on bench press aggravate the bicep tendon

Flaring the elbows out on a bench press causes more internal rotation at the bottom, drifts the bar forward, and aggravates the bicep tendon. Pulling the elbows in closer and dropping them at a 45-degree angle to the sides takes stress off the bicep tendon.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Claim from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Principle · Body

Narrow bench press grip preserves scapular retraction

A narrower bench press grip lets the shoulder blades pinch back more, allows the arms to drop back, and keeps the blades retracted during the press. Going extra wide prevents that retraction, which is needed to stabilize the shoulder blades for a proper bench press.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Claim from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Method · Body

Complete Single Leg Squat Progression

Start with body weight single leg squat progression. Progress to overhead and goblet single leg squat variations. Progress to the Zurcher single leg squat variation. Progress to advanced VBT training in the single leg squat, pushing it as heavy as possible.

Garage Strength · The "Single" Best Lift Every Athlete Should Do!

Method described by Garage Strength

Method preserved for inspection; not a verified protocol.

Recommendation · Body

Weekly sprint programming: acceleration and high-speed sessions with hamstring prevention

Dr. Morin outlines a weekly structure: use the same metrics for acceleration work as for high-speed exposure work (it's a principle, not a recipe), and when running one session per phase, program one acceleration-focused session and two high-speed-focused sessions per week — with the second high-speed session structured around hamstring prevention rather than high-speed output. For high-speed volume, he suggests 100 meters per week split as two sets of 3x20m flying 20s.

Garage Strength · Why Most Athletes Train Speed Wrong w/ Sprint Scientist Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation from Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation · Body

Build each meal with the 9:20 clock plate method

Jeff recommends visualizing your plate as a clock and focusing on two times: 9 o'clock and 9:20. Fill the largest portion with fibrous carbohydrates like leafy, crunchy green vegetables; the second largest portion with protein, whether vegan or meat-based; and the smallest portion with starchy carbohydrates. He explains starches get the smallest share because people tend to overeat them when given free rein, but stresses they should not be avoided entirely since they are an important part of a healthy balanced nutrition plan. Include fat incidentally by cooking with it rather than piling it on. Done this way, counting calories is unnecessary, and when nutrition is in check, six-pack abs become much easier to see.

ATHLEAN-X™ · I'm 51. Here's How I Still Have Visible Abs (WORKS AT ANY AGE)

Recommendation from Jeff (Athlean-X host)

Recommendation · Body

Dip form fixes: shoulders back and down, chest out, control depth to 90 degrees, push high with a 'plus'

The host advises not letting the shoulder position drift forward in dips: falling forward pitches the shoulder more and more as you descend, putting excess stress on the anterior shoulder capsule and structures inside the joint. Keep your shoulders back and chest out always, and make the distance between ears and shoulders greater by pulling the shoulders down (the same cue as the pull-up). Set up by pushing down and engaging the serratus rather than sinking into the shoulders. Control depth to about 90 degrees of elbow flexion instead of going all the way down, which he calls 'influencer fitness' and bad advice; pushing the chest forward allows a better stretch even at controlled depth. On the way up, actively push high rather than letting the shoulders drift back up, and perform a 'dip'

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Fix the pull-up instead of skipping it: depress shoulders, slow negatives, full extension

The host advises not skipping the pull-up but fixing it: before the first rep, create extra distance between shoulder and ear by pulling down into a more stable position; on the way down, maintain tension through the scapula and shoulder girdle and treat every rep a little slower; don't avoid full elbow extension at the bottom; and never let the shoulders ride up, which reintroduces traction stress. With these changes the pull-up can stay in the program and build a much bigger back.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Bench press fixes: 45-degree elbows, narrower grip, keep scapular retraction

The host advises tucking the elbows in closer and dropping them at a 45-degree angle to the sides, which feels much better and takes stress off the bicep tendon. Flaring the elbows out causes more internal rotation at the bottom, lets the bar drift forward, and aggravates the bicep tendon. Going extra wide in grip prevents pinching the shoulder blades back, which is needed for a proper bench press; going more narrow lets the shoulder blades pinch back more, allows the arms to drop back, and keeps them there when pressing. Leading with the shoulders loses scapular retraction and sets off a cascade of issues.

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Overhead press fixes: narrow the grip, keep elbows in the scapular plane, press one dumbbell at a time

The host advises getting away from a wide grip on the bar when overhead pressing, because a wide position causes the elbows to drift out to the side and out of the scapular plane. The scapular plane is oriented forward, not out to the side, so the arms should sit slightly in front of the body. Narrowing the hand positioning brings the elbows more in front of the body, adds a little more tricep contribution, and helps you get overhead in a much more free and mobile position. With dumbbells, don't flare the elbows out to the side; bring them in to around 45 degrees and press from there. Since shoulder problems are sometimes structural and sometimes just a lack of stability rather than a torn element, press one dumbbell at a time to create a stacked joint in the shoulder for more stability:

ATHLEAN-X™ · 7 Exercises That Are Making Your Shoulder WORSE

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere (Athlean-X)

Recommendation · Body

Focus each session on one quality: acceleration day or high-speed day, not everything at once

Dr. Morin advises that on acceleration day, you focus only on the acceleration — everything afterwards is not important. When coaches cue and emphasize everything every time in sprinting, there is no way to get quality over the entire spectrum — this is the main problem of beginning coaches. He structures one weekly session focused on acceleration and two sessions focused on high-speed running, with the second high-speed session being a hamstring prevention session rather than a max-velocity session. For acceleration work, he uses about the same metrics as high-speed work (100-150 meters of exposure), noting it's a principle, not a recipe.

Garage Strength · Why Most Athletes Train Speed Wrong w/ Sprint Scientist Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation from Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Consequential creator advice requires independent verification before Today can promote it.

Recommendation · Body

Strengthen trunk and hamstrings in highly bent positions for athletes whose sport demands bent positions

Dr. Morin recommends that for athletes who must stay in bent positions for their sport (like running backs and basketball point guards), rather than changing their running technique, you strengthen the trunk and hamstrings in highly bent positions. He advises using very intense trunk flexion exercises, choosing exercises that involve both trunk flexion and huge hip flexion, and using unilateral exercises as much as possible to replicate the lunge and sprint movement. He cites the drop and catch RDL as an example of a very intense trunk and hip flexion exercise, and notes resisted sprinting is useful because it forces the athlete to be more bent forward with higher hip flexion, strengthening the posterior chain with kinematics close to future actions. The same bent-position strengthening is

Garage Strength · Why Most Athletes Train Speed Wrong w/ Sprint Scientist Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation from Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation · Body

Assess acceleration objectively with metrics, then combine quantitative and qualitative diagnosis

Dr. Morin advises that when an athlete shows good top speed, strength, and broad jump but weak acceleration, the first step is to assess acceleration objectively with metrics — maximum force output and maximum propulsive power output on the ground. You can also bring kinematic analysis including contact time to diagnose acceleration weaknesses such as trunk collapse or overly vertical push. He stresses combining quantitative numbers with qualitative movement assessment — how does he move? He also notes that changing the trunk angle during acceleration likely addresses braking issues in the first three to seven steps (per the host's example with a running back), and that an athlete already elite at high jump will very likely not improve acceleration by jumping higher.

Garage Strength · Why Most Athletes Train Speed Wrong w/ Sprint Scientist Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation from Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation · Body

Strengthen athletes in bent positions instead of changing their sport movement

For athletes who must stay in bent positions (like point guards), you would never tell them to drive less horizontally because it is dangerous for the hamstrings; instead, teach them to be much stronger with their trunk and hamstrings in exercises that stimulate highly bent positions.

Garage Strength · Why Most Athletes Train Speed Wrong w/ Sprint Scientist Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation from Dr. Jean-Benoit Morin

Recommendation · Body

Heavy Single Leg Squats for Strength Transfer

Push single leg squats heavy to transfer strength to speed. Use the Garage Strength single leg squat roller for heavy single leg squats. Use velocity-based training, pushing the weight as high as possible without going below 0.45 to 0.5 meters per second on average (not peak average). Athletes can push loads upwards of 400 pounds using this method.

Garage Strength · The "Single" Best Lift Every Athlete Should Do!

Recommendation from Garage Strength

Recommendation · Body

Use adduction exercises to train chest activation

Jeff Cavaliere recommends finding exercises that adduct the arm across the chest to train the chest to become more active. This includes floor flies with dumbbells (if no cable machine) and cable bench press (if available). He notes that floor flies avoid the shoulder vulnerability of unsupported bench flies.

ATHLEAN-X™ · You Hate Your Saggy Chest (HERE'S HOW TO FIX IT!)

Recommendation from Jeff Cavaliere

Principle · Body

Don't drop the bell — dropping ends the challenge

The single governing rule: the moment the kettlebell hits the floor, the challenge is over. Resting is allowed only by holding the bell (goblet hold or clean position), never setting it down.

iamariankanani · https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcbq4SHSbew/

Claim from iamariankanani