Some things work really well together: peanut butter and jelly… peanut butter and chocolate… peanut butter and bananas…

Can you tell I have a peanut butter addiction? That is a topic for another day.

Today I want to tell you about how the Original Strength (OS) resets pair well with your barbell lifts. If you think about this from a nervous system perspective it will make perfect sense.

OS helps to “prime” your CNS (central nervous system) using the 5 base resets:

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
2. Head Control
3. Rolling
4. Rocking
5. Crawling/Gait Patterns

Your body has a built-in program for movement. By using the OS protocol you reset your system to feel awesome and ensure your stabilizers are doing their jobs so your mobilizers are free to move you! 

Wait. Didn’t you say this is an article on how to use barbells with OS?

YES! We are getting to just that subject!

So we just went over how OS can help your CNS stay fresh and make sure your inner core stabilizers are working properly. I started experimenting with OS resets and my big 3 barbell lifts: the deadlift, squat and bench press.

I always warm up with a 5-10 minute OS reset flow. That has been a staple since I got into OS in 2013. I usually cool down with OS as well and have done that now for a few years. I find it always brings me back to a nice supple state. This helps my mobility in the big 3 lifts but also keeps me from getting too tight afterward.

I wondered if I could reset between sets to get performance increases. There is no algorithm for the OS system; everyone will respond to both the lifts and the resets a bit differently. What I found best was to experiment with various resets and test them with the lifts. If the lift got faster or easier then that reset was good!

So far these particular pairings are working well for me:

• Deadlifts: I love to pair deadlifts with standing elbow to knee cross crawls or lateral marching cross crawls (10-20).
• Squats: I use a combination of 2 resets for my squats: lower body segmental rolls (2-3 per side) and OS rocking (10, and I do them FAST).
• Bench Press: This one took a bit to find the right ones. What feels best is to do a set of speed skaters (8-20 reps) and then some OS rocking push ups (5-10 fast).

Try these with your training. Play with it. Test it out. If the lift feels faster or better, then keep pairing it with that reset. If not, then try something different! Sometimes the reset you need may be unrelated to the movement pattern.