“Ghosting” Operator X thru a CrossCore® HardCore workout “This isn’t what I’d expected – this is a hell-of-a-lot better than I expected!”

By Marty Gallagher Coach, Team USA, IPF world team powerlifting champions; IPF world masters powerlifting champion

Can a real man get a real workout using a portable bodyweight training device?

Operator X is a US Special Operations active duty sniper with twelve straight combat tours under his belt. Mike Davis, Doctor of , and I were instructing Operator X on how best to use a new portable bodyweight training device that had come our way: the CrossCore180®, which utilizes a lockable pulley and could be used to intelligently challenge Operator X. Operator X seemed bemused as “Doc Mike,” as he is known in the Spec Ops community, set the ropes of the CrossCore180® to the final position for the first and motioned for X to grab the handles and commence. Before each exercise we instructed our extremely fit Spec Ops fighter on exactly what we were doing and exactly why we were doing it. We had extremely specific techniques and related to X what the expected benefits were. Our goal was to empower him, to enable him to be able to use the device competently on his next deep deployment. He wanted power and strength from a portable training device and we had alerted him that we had the device and a power protocol to compliment the tool. Operator X was skeptical; most portable bodyweight training devices were one dimensional toys; hardly worthy of lugging to the mountains of Afghanistan. On deep and extended deployments, most Spec Ops operators intent on a workout are resigned to free hand calisthenics using bodyweight for resistance. Our device fits in a 12-inch bag and weighed less than five pounds.

 Our predetermined session goal was to see if we could provide Operator X with a no compromise, result-producing, hypertrophy-inducing, progressive resistance hardcore workout. In this particular session we were specifically targeting the pectorals, the front, side and rear deltoids, the upper back, rhomboids, teres, and .

Could the CrossCore180® duplicate the hypertrophy-inducing strength-increasing results derived from a classical free-weight workout? Could a portable bodyweight training device create the requisite payloads required to force strong men to involuntarily curtail their top work sets in the magical 5 to 10 to 12 rep range, ideal for inducing hypertrophy and increasing strength? Bill Pearl once said, “Does a muscle really care what mode is used to invoke hypertrophy? Just as long as hypertrophy is induced, what matter the mode, tool or device?” The question posed to us by the Spec Op community was this: Is it possible for a real man to get a real work out using a portable bodyweight training device? Can a portable device provide a strong man a hardcore workout – a workout so taxing and demanding that it (nearly) replicates the effectiveness of a classical barbell and dumbbell workout – long the Gold Standard within the progressive resistance world? Could a portable training device provide enough resistance and exercise variety to challenge a truly strong man in a wide range of beneficial ?

As it happens, I happen to hang out in the same circles as many national and world champion powerlifters and hall of fame strength athletes; so it seemed only natural for me to see if we could create a portable protocol that could stop in their tracks some of the strongest men on the planet. We came up with a series of exercise techniques that were designed to maximally tax a targeted muscle or muscle group. We put ourselves and our national and world champion powerlifter friends through our fledgling hardcore CrossCore® workout protocols. We found ways and methods needed to create the additional payloads required to provide the truly strong with all the resistance they could handle. Could we bring truly strong men to their knees in a hardcore workout, done solely using low reps on a portable device? Indeed we could. Now we wanted to share this device and the power protocols with all our Spec Ops friends.

We knew we were on the right resistance track when we were able to “burn down” Charles, “Son of Chucky” Miller. We made him yell “Uncle! No Mas!” when we had him perform a scant three sets of triceps and three sets of biceps using the CrossCore180® and our new hardcore protocol. Chuck has a 400 pound raw weighing 195 pounds and he does strict reps in the standing dumbbell curl with a pair of 70s for 8 reps. For triceps Chuck routinely knocks out sets of 6 reps in the narrow-grip bench with 315 pounds – yet here he was unable to complete his ninth rep in a CrossCore® steep-angle bicep curl done while wearing a backpack stuffed with a miniscule 25 pound plate. The fact that we could provide a multi-time national powerlifting champion with all the resistance he could handle in biceps, triceps, upper back, shoulders, lats, abs, and pecs using a portable training device was incredibly exciting.

We decided to try out the CrossCore® Hardcore protocol on some of our elite military friends; these men are always pressed for time and are always looking for ways to compress the most amount of productive exercise into the least amount of time; less time in the gym means more time on the firing range, more time to jump, swim, dive, practice hand to hand combat and evasive driving skills. Mike and I were conducting the final day of our four day Spec Op strength seminar workshop at a military base when we introduced the CrossCore180® device, along with the hardcore protocol we had devised. Operator X stood 5 foot 10 inches and weighed a hard, lean and somewhat thick 205 pounds. He was built like a football free safety, compact and powerful, while most of his compatriots were somewhat taller and leaner.

X smiled as he examined the CrossCore® and asked, “So you think this f@#king toy can give me a real workout?” He was obviously skeptical. Doc Mike is a friendly stoic; a nice man of few words. He motioned to X to come closer. Doc described the contents of the first “quad-set” he wanted X to perform. This first round would consist of four exercises, strung back-to-back, done non-stop. This was to be a low rep, size and power affair. X was dubious that the CrossCore® would be able to provide enough resistance to cause him to fail in less than 10 reps. “Not f#%king likely…” he responded when I told him I would bring him to positive failure within 8-10 reps. In the interest of time, he would perform four exercises, a giant set, that would consist of…

 rear deltoid raise rear delts, teres and rhomboids  front flye upper and lower pectorals  inner and outer biceps  triceps extensions three tricep heads

Operator X was a strong boy with a 325 pound bench press. We were really going to have to ‘disadvantage’ his leverages in order to ensure we could provide him enough resistance. We specified to him very particular exercise techniques. In order to make every rep maximally tough and, ergo, maximally effective, we insisted Operator X…

 Use a full and complete range-of-motion while working with the added instability the CrossCore® pulley provides  Use an ultra-specific exercise technique  Use pauses at the beginning and end of each rep stroke to amplify difficulty  Use a purposefully slowed “grind” rep speed  End each concentric phase with a full and complete lockout

The first exercise was the rear lateral raise: Mike and I felt we could give him all he could handle on this unusual exercise, simply by insisting on an exact exercise technique and a slowed rep stroke. “First rule – you need to set your feet here.” I indicated a position close to the fulcrum. With a big strong man we start with steep angles that force them to lift a large percentage of their bodyweight on each rep.

Function over form: the archetype military physique differs from the archetype athletic physique. Military training is inclusive, requiring a wide and varied set of skills; athletes are exclusive and practice only what is relevant to their specific sport. The job molds the physique and the optimal military physique is all about function in a wide variety of skills; they need to possess strength, strength/endurance and pure endurance. Low body fat makes any athlete or soldier better.

Operator X began his reverse flyes. His angle was steep. He maneuvered into the bottom start position while maintaining slightly bent elbows. He powered his elbows upward to commence the rep. I spoke to him. “Don’t jolt in order to get the rep started; use a smooth application of power…the rep speed is slowed a tad, but don’t overdo the slowing…we are taking the explosiveness out the start of each rep…we substitute deliberateness.”

Operator X began his rear lateral raises; each rep was deep and precise and concentrated. He used only his rear delts and mid-back muscles to power the raising of the torso during the contraction phase. He didn’t contort or speed up or break form in order to slip through the muscular sticking point. We taught him to purposefully seek out and struggle through the sticking points as this is where the real muscle and strength gains lay hidden. Using a grind speed makes a tough exercise tougher; using a full and complete range-of-motion makes a tough exercise tougher; using a pause makes a tough exercise tougher. X struggled to complete ten reps in this slowed-down, reverse flye. He flipped over and began performing arms-flung-wide pec flyes. I told him to “Go deeper!” on each successive rep. We had him pause at the deepest point before he rose up by bringing his two hands together underneath his chest with great deliberation. Again, the slowed rep speed, the pause, the extreme ROM, all combined to cause X to begin shaking like a leaf after a super deep tenth and final pec flye rep.

We immediately ushered him into position and had him adjust the rope length so he could commence his bicep curls and triceps extensions. We coached him in real time on the exact position of the arms and elbows as the curl commenced: we wanted his arms held high throughout the entire curl. There was a certain pace and feel we wanted to establish and I barked a repeated command, “Slow down the rep speed!” I had taken away his explosiveness and momentum in order to increase the degree of difficulty. X barely made rep ten in the curl and immediately spun around to commence his forward leaning triceps extensions. He was admonished to “Relax!” in the bottommost position in order to “pre-stretch” his triceps. He was told to keep his elbows tight to his head throughout the set. “Don’t let the elbows flare outward!” I admonished. “Letting the elbows flare allows us to lessen the degree of difficulty – which is exactly what we do not want.” X finished his ten tricep extensions to complete the first round. He beamed. “That was tough!” Tough was a high compliment.

Round two of the quad set would use partner assisted “payload amping.” The training partner pushes or pulls on the trainee to make the resistance greater. On the rear lateral raise Doc Mike placed an open palm on Operator X’s chest and pushed him downward (ever so slightly) on reps four, five and six. Unable to perform another “impeded rep,” Mike removed his hand and let X perform two more excruciating reps “unimpeded.” He barely was able to lock out rep eight. Done with rear lateral raises, it was now on to onto pec flyes. Doc stepped in on the forth rep and applied the slightest amount of pressure on X’s upper back, causing him to struggle to complete reps four thru six. Doc felt X start shaking with the intensity of the effort and removed his mid- back pressure; X was now able to complete two more reps. X was breathing hard as he assumed the start position for his curls. I provided a chest push to make finishing each of his first six curls difficult but not impossible. I stopped applying pressure and he was able to complete one more perfect rep. No rest as it was straight onto triceps. Doc created extra payload by pushing on X’s shoulders. He struggled to complete rep 6 impeded and completed one more rep without the extra payload, struggling mightily through the sticking point.

Now we had competed two cycles and our 33 year old Spec Ops fighter was pumped, swollen, flush-faced and breathing hard. Operator X had been converted from cynic into believer. “I am liking this! This isn’t what I expected – this is a hell-of-a-lot better than I expected!” On the final cycle Doc Mike produced a heavy duty rucksack stuffed with a 25 pound plate. On the rear delt raises, Operator X was able to knock off four reps on his own wearing the weighted pack. When he hit positive failure on rep four, wearing the pack, he was instructed to drop the pack to the floor and continue performing that same exercise, now unencumbered by the weighted back pack. He was able to squeeze out four additional pack-less reps. The entire hardcore strategy is rooted in the idea that the muscle need be taken to and past its limits; with the proviso that on every rep we use perfect pulling and pushing technique. Now we were onto “backpack pec flyes” and the procedure was repeated: Operator X hit positive failure at rep six, dropped the pack and completed three perfect reps before gassing out. Now it was backpack curls and back pack extensions using the “rep to failure/shed the pack/rep some more” protocol.

Upon completion of the last rep of the final set of backpack tricep extensions, Operator X was exhausted and exhilarated; he was experiencing the post-workout “runner’s high” that only occurs when a workout is sufficiently intense enough to trigger the release of endorphins into the bloodstream. X offered up a ringing endorsement. “That was a seriously good chest/shoulder/arm workout! This tool used in this way blasted the hell out of me. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it.” Our work was done. We had created another convert to the CrossCore® Hardcore strategy. And we hadn’t even touched on the “pulled pin” rotational possibilities, the pulley exercise dimension, or the fact that the CrossCore180® can be used to create intense strength/endurance workouts and even used in a pure cardio format as an alternative to or stationary bike cardio…but these modalities will be explored in depth in future articles.