131. Building a Buffer for Your Back | Shaun Cook

Andrew Fix — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:07:24 +0000

Deadlifts, often misunderstood and feared, are essential for building a resilient body and preventing spine injuries with proper technique and balanced training. This week, Shaun Cook, a seasoned personal trainer and owner of Crucible Strength, joins Dr. Andrew Fix to discuss the critical role of deadlifts in strengthening the back and spine, debunking common myths and misconceptions.

Dr. Fix and Shaun clarify that deadlifts and squats serve different purposes: deadlifts focus on lifting weight from the ground with hip dominance, while squats involve more knee and hip flexion. Proper form and gradual progression in deadlifting are crucial to avoid injury, as injuries typically result from improper loading or technique.

The episode highlights how deadlifting can improve back pain and spinal health, even in chronic conditions, providing an active rehabilitation alternative to the typical “rest and anti-inflammatories” approach. Additionally, deadlifting builds a buffer of strength, enhancing physical resilience and confidence for everyday activities.

For those new to deadlifting or hesitant due to past injuries, Shaun offers practical advice on starting with kettlebells or trap bars and focusing on variations like the Romanian deadlift to build foundational strength gradually. Whether you’re experienced or new to lifting, this episode of The Code provides valuable insights to safely and effectively incorporate deadlifts into your fitness routine.

Quotes

“I always joke around that the deadlift is simply the art of lifting heavy shit off the floor. And it doesn’t have to be heavy; it’s relative. But it is the delineation between the squat and the deadlift.” (04:25 | Shaun Cook)
“There is an ignorance surrounding the deadlift and that movement among health professionals who don’t do those movements themselves or don’t understand the biomechanics of exactly what the movement is, what it trains, and how, essentially, one can bulletproof their spine from external loads in daily life by training it properly.” (09:12 | Shaun Cook)
“We have a lot of science, but the human body is so complex that there is a myriad of trial and error with some of this. People often drop off the wagon because they hold so tightly to what’s happening in the moment and not the long term. And that sounds like most of life, right? Because we’re all about instant gratification. So, I just want to tell anyone who’s listening and going through that, there’s going to be a period we call ‘the suck.’ If it’s an acceptable level of pain, it doesn’t mean you’re not improving—you could absolutely be improving. It’s just how this process works.” (26:50 | Shaun Cook)
“What we do in training is stay strict and adhere to form. The more you do that, the more you create a buffer so that when you do go off script in real life, you have this built-in capacity. If things go wrong a little bit, there’s now a margin of error you can handle without breaking.” (43:45 | Shaun Cook)

Connect with Shaun Cook:

https://www.instagram.com/crucible_strength/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29971708/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/14038196.2012.674973

https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2015.5021#:~:text=the%20lumbopelvic%20region.-,Results,001

Links

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Connect with Physio Room:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 131. Building a Buffer for Your Back | Shaun Cook appeared first on Physio Room.

61. The Sport of Life Made Simple | Shaun Cook

Andrew Fix — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:12:32 +0000

Key Takeaways

• Life is about counterbalancing.

• No one can be an island. You need good mentors around you

• Our thoughts are often wrong due to outdated limiting beliefs.

“We do things based on feeling and that’s a really horrible way to live life because most of the time we actually do a lot of things that we feel like doing that are not in our best interest,” shares Shaun Cook, owner of Crucible Strength, NASM performance and enhancement specialist, USA Powerlifting competitor, and certified nutrition coach. Shaun has been involved in training for almost 20 years and has learned quite a few lessons along his career. Today, he joins host Dr. Andrew Fix to talk about the sport of life made simple.

People often make life more complicated than it needs to be. They believe all sorts of lies from limiting beliefs created in childhood to the popular myth of needing to create a balanced life. Instead of choosing their actions through careful consideration, most people act based purely on feelings. It would be much simpler if people took the time to sit with themselves and really figure out their purpose. Without being very clear on their purpose, people can quickly become distracted and get in their own way.

Success requires intentionality, and intentionality comes from knowing your purpose. Once you know your purpose, it will be easier to stay motivated, organize your priorities, and shut out limiting beliefs and distractions.

Quotes

• “You can’t be an island. That’s one of the big things is you need good people, good mentors around you.” (25:58-26:05 | Shaun)

• “It’s so much easier to see someone else’s problems than it is your own.” (42:30-42:33 | Shaun)

• “We do things based on feeling and that’s a really horrible way to live life because most of the time we actually do a lot of things that we feel like doing that are not in our best interest.” (44:31-44:43 | Shaun)

• “A lot of our thoughts are primed the wrong way. They’re lying to us. Once you can crack that, you unlock a lot of potential in what you can do.” (50:21-50:31 | Shaun)

• “What a lot of people are lacking is intentionality. And intentionality comes from having a purpose.” (1:16:34-1:16:41 | Shaun)