Interview with Damien Tougas About All-Things Minimalist Footwear
You know it’s a good day when you open your email inbox to find an interview that you’ve been waiting for nearly a month to get back, and that it was more than worth the wait. This is one of those interviews that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside – something I’m proud to publish. While reading through it this morning, I kept muttering to myself, “this is good stuff.”
It’s no surprise, of course, because Damien Tougas is truly a minimalist footwear expert. He’s been experimenting, testing, and reviewing all kinds of footwear options for years. So much so, that every time I’ve visited him, he’s got a huge bin just stuffed full of shoes just waiting to be worn for the first time. Yep, all the major footwear manufacturers send him free minimalist shoes, sandals, slippers, boots, and moccasins, among other things because they want his opinion.
On top of that, Damien is also the founder of Toe Salad: the Internet’s premier minimalist footwear website, but he’s the real deal not just because he’s tried a lot of shoes and has a snazzy website about them. He’s the real deal because he’s found a way to truly help people understand and benefit from proper footwear choices – and it’s not hip, trendy, new-age nonsense either. Damien is a really down-to-earth guy and he wants simple solutions that are practical and based on common sense. Personally, I consider him THE go-to guy for all things regarding footwear. Damien also happens to be a friend of mine, and he’s a very cool guy who enjoys a lot of outdoorsy interests. What can I say – I’ve got cool friends.
So, let’s get right down to it. If you are at all intrigued by minimalist footwear (or going barefoot) – perhaps on the fence about it – then this interview is for you. You will learn a lot – as I have. You’ll also notice that there are a lot of very useful links spread throughout. They’re included for a reason. So, don’t be shy – check them out!
QUESTION: How slowly can you do just one pullup or chinup? That’s right. Today, I’m not concerned with how many pullups you can do, but how long you can endure a single, measly repetition. My challenge to you is to perform one pullup or chinup as slowly as you possibly can and post your results in the comments below.
I think it’s a good idea to have the ability to stop at any point during most strength training exercises (excluding some ballistic exercises: e.g. the clean and jerk). Having isometric strength throughout the full range of motion will ensure that you’re not training something that your body is not ready for yet. If you can’t stop and hold a pose during a particular range of motion, then chances are, you’re having to force yourself past that point when you’re doing sets of multiple repetitions, which isn’t an efficient, nor effective, approach to training. We should train to be strong throughout the entire range of motion of each exercise we perform.
Now, I’ve already posted several pullup training tutorials and workout programs over the years (see links at the bottom), and many of you have written to me expressing how proud you are of yourselves since you’re now able to dominate this popular, yet challenging, exercise. But today, I want to find out how long you can survive just one maximum-duration pullup.
Here is a video of my first attempt from earlier this morning.
We all have days when the motivation meter is running low, and for whatever reason, the last thing on Earth you’d like to do is subject your body to exercise – or move at all, for that matter.
There’s something I’ve done over the years to get my [...]
This article and video is about how to do pushups with optimal technique. There are a ton of pushup technique videos and tutorials circulating the web, and I’ve viewed many of them over the years. But adhering to a couple of vague and generic technique tips isn’t enough to ensure proper pushup form, and unfortunately, most pushup performances these days leave a lot to be desired. I wish there wasn’t a need for me to post a pushup technique tutorial, but from what I’ve seen so far, most people still don’t know how to do this exercise correctly – let alone with optimal form.
Of course, you have the usual culprits of over-extending the neck backwards, and letting the hips sag, both of which detract from spinal alignment, and thus, greatly inhibit maximal strength and power potential. But even people who do pushups with a “flat back” often still haven’t learned how to truly push something with optimal alignment, range of motion, breathing, and ultimately with the greatest force production potential. You’ve got guys and gals who can successfully flex their triceps, delts, and pec muscles, but still don’t know how to actually transfer immense force into something in front of them (i.e. the ground) again and again.
Given that this is such a foundational strength training exercise that provides a host of benefits, I wanted to finally give it the attention it deserves. Check out the following video to learn exactly how to do pushups with optimal technique – including some subtle nuances in the movement that have the potential to sky-rocket your performance and pushup numbers. Even if you’ve been doing pushups for a long time, you’ll probably learn something new that will help you to do pushups even better.
If you want to strengthen your arm and back muscles, spread your wings (lats) to create that V-tapered back appearance, and increase that critical vertical pulling strength that everyone needs, AND if you want a laser-focused pullups program that was created exactly for improving your pullup numbers, then you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find a complete workout program with several pullup workouts that you can use to accomplish these goals.
How I Went From 6 Deadhang Pullups to Over 30 in Only 3 Months
Back when I was in high school, I followed a 52-week workout program right out of the book Maximum Fitness : The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Cross Training. Over the next three months, while following the first training cycle, I increased my pullup numbers from a maximum of 6-7 reps to an astonishing 31 reps – my all-time record. I was pretty happy when I hit 20 reps for the first time, but when I crossed that big 30, well, it was pretty cool.
Now, 30 pullups might not seem all that impressive with some fitness trainees regularly nailing sets of 50 or even 100 kipping pullups in a row. But here’s the thing. These were deadhang pullups, and being able to perform 30 deadhang pullups is almost unheard of – even today. I studied up on basic pullup technique, and while I didn’t understand the nuances of this movement at the time, I did make sure to follow the basic recommendations outlined in most exercise textbooks.
The burpee is a simple and effective exercise that is often used for fat loss, muscle building, and general strength and conditioning. The burpee also has a reputation for being quite unforgiving. By design, it’s not easy, and for a lot of people, the burpee is a bit too challenging to start off with. That’s when the CST strategy called movement sophistication really shines. You can not only make exercises more challenging, you can also make them easier by changing, swapping, or removing certain components, which is exactly what I’ve done in this instructional video.
Here are 5 incrementally more challenging versions of the burpee exercise that will help you build a foundation of conditioning in prep for the traditional burpee and the many advanced variations thereof. Even if you’ve done burpees before, you’ll find benefits from working on the components in this video.
By now, you guys probably know that I’m a pretty big fan of MovNat, which is why I was ecstatic when one of MovNat’s top instructors agreed to an exclusive interview just for you. I want to introduce you to Clifton Harski, who is a MovNat Master-Level Instructor. Clifton is involved with many aspects of the MovNat mission, but he’s particularly well-known for conducting workshops around the country. In this interview, he shares a lot of great insight about the MovNat system. Enjoy! Continue reading Interview with MovNat Master Instructor – Clifton Harski
On top of that, Damien is also the founder of Toe Salad: the Internet’s premier minimalist footwear website, but he’s the real deal not just because he’s tried a lot of shoes and has a snazzy website about them. He’s the real deal because he’s found a way to truly help people understand and benefit from proper footwear choices – and it’s not hip, trendy, new-age nonsense either. Damien is a really down-to-earth guy and he wants simple solutions that are practical and based on common sense. Personally, I consider him THE go-to guy for all things regarding footwear. Damien also happens to be a friend of mine, and he’s a very cool guy who enjoys a lot of outdoorsy interests. What can I say – I’ve got cool friends.
. Over the next three months, while following the first training cycle, I increased my pullup numbers from a maximum of 6-7 reps to an astonishing 31 reps – my all-time record. I was pretty happy when I hit 20 reps for the first time, but when I crossed that big 30, well, it was pretty cool.
