A Core Training Blueprint for the Athlete
It’s a simple model that uses stabilization, strength, and sport transfer to build the core of your athletes.
Exercise Selection: Ask Better Questions and Make Better Choices
Do you ever wonder why certain exercises happen in the order that they do? Or why athletes will work on power and speed before hitting their main lifts? Here’s why.
Does Mobility or Stability Come First?
For those involved in the healthcare, fitness, and strength industries, this is a question that has been long debated and has much enthusiasm behind it, creating the ultimate chicken vs. the egg debate in the human body. So which is the answer? How do we know once and for all?
The Post-Surgical Knee: The Stability and Proprioception Rebuild
The initial stages of the balance, stability, and proprioception phase will be performed through the slow rebuilding of ROM through single-leg movements and will eventually use more advanced dynamic movements, such as jumping and landing mechanics drills.
Phase 2: How You Should Start Young Athletes in the Weight Room
In this phase, we will focus on developing more stability. We’ll also introduce movement patterns that the athlete will need down the road.
Should You Load a Stable Joint?
I’m here to present the case that you should load your stable joints; otherwise, how will you increase its stability?
Are Bands a Bad Idea for Rotator Cuff Strengthening?
The proper resistance profile for strengthening external rotation should have less resistance in fully lengthened and fully shortened muscles and more resistance in mid-range lengthed muscles. While bands are great tools, they aren’t so great for strengthening rotator cuffs.
Muscle Doc's Big(gest) Three: Core Movements for Strength and Perfo...
When we talk about the Big Three, we’re usually talking about squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Well, guess what: There are even more bigger and better Big Three movements out there. Find out what they are if you dare…
The Bulgarian Split Squat: Which Side Should You Load?
There are movements that I think all coaches should have a fundamental understanding in, and it’s hard to think of an exercise more worthy of a deep dive than the Bulgarian Split Squat. Go grab your dumbbell so we can figure out which side to load.
Two Crucial Components Your Training is Missing
Most intermediates that have come to me without ever working with a qualified coach before are lacking a few qualities in their technique, especially on big lifts. Lacking these qualities can potentially lead to injury at one point or another. These two qualities are tension and torque.
Why Big Air Is the Key to a Bigger Total
Imagine that you are on a team at work in which each individual had his or her own unique duties and tasks. What happens if someone doesn’t show up to work?
The Value of Accessory Work
I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to moving a weight that makes me “feel good” about training, versus doing a movement that requires less weight on the bar because it exposes weakness.
Programming for Athletes — The Youth Athlete: Grades 1-3, Ages 6-9
Programming for this age must be based on the understanding that most speed and strength gains in young athletes are due to motor learning, improved motor coordination, and nervous system development/adaptation.
Using Continuous Positional Feedback: Three Exercises You Can Improve by...
The continuous feedback of the wall can provide the athlete with a sense of position, tension, and compensation, resulting in improved performance and benefit of the exercises.
Peaking When Things Feel Off: Quick Corrections Before A Meet
Only five days out from an important meet, I don’t have much time to fix the issues I’m having. For this reason I’m approaching the idea of a pre-meet deload a little differently.
Applications and Benefits of Tempo Training
Tempo training has the potential to be highly specialized to meet whatever metabolic demands, fiber type, or performance goal an athlete wants to develop.
Priorities for the Powerlifter and Bodybuilder — Lower Body Mobility and...
What mobility or stability drills should I do? How much should I do of them? Which days do I do them on? Here’s what to do, when to do them, how to do them, and how long you should do them.
Upper Back for the Bench
So why do you want to build a strong, thick upper back? Isn’t the bench all pecs, shoulders, and triceps?
Three Tips for Coaching the Novice Athlete
Regardless of your coaching style or philosophy, here are three techniques that will help your novice athletes improve quickly.
Manipulating Acute Variables in Training— A Guide to Building Lean Muscl...
If you’re training under a Conjugate System, variation is your key to success. Let’s talk about the two acute variables that you should use to your advantage: exercise variation and equipment selection.
Just Breathe
Every lifter should learn to “fill low” and generate pressure in the proper area of their lower abdomen.
How Can I Get Stronger?
Whether you’re healthy or coming back from injury, try incorporating these things to increase force production and longevity.
Motor Patterning and PRI — Finding Solutions to Hip Shift and Dysfunctio...
Using a number of methods, here’s a look at what I did to correct a host of problems hindering my performance and health.
Passive vs Active: Why Your Plank Sucks (Plus Two Tips for Making it Bet...
Do planks feel easy? If so, you’re doing them wrong. Here’s how to get the most out of this stability and posture-building exercise.
How The OBB Power Handles Do More Than Save Your Shoulders
The OBB Power Handles aren’t just great for saving your shoulders and elbows, they are great assistance work and stability as well!
JL Plank
JL Holdsworth instructs his athlete on how to properly perform a plank for better transfer to walking out heavy squats and pulling heavier deadlifts
Stability Is Your Problem...You Just Don’t Know It Yet
Your weak points may not always be a strength issue.
Filling in the Holes, Part II
Previously I discussed how adding in various training tools can “fill in the holes” of standard barbell lifting. Kettlebells have gained a stronger and stronger following in the strength training community, but sleds and sandbags are two tools that have yet to gain their recognition.
Why You Need to Take Tai Chi
Didn’t you hate it when your mom used to say, “Susan (or whoever), you NEED to clean your room” or “you NEED to empty the dishwasher” or even “you NEED to be nicer to your little brother.” One time I heard a young girl retort to her mother, “I don’t NEED to do anything but be born and die so
Torso Training – Part 3: Advanced Training Exercises
In the past two articles, we have given you ideas and progressions for strengthening your torso. As you know by now, strong abs isn’t all that is needed.
Torso Training – Part 2: Basic Rotational Exercises
In this article, the second in our Torso Training series, we will cover rotational exercises that don’t specifically target the rectus ab.
Torso Training for Athletes, Part 1: The Basics
What is torso training? Torso training is strengthening your body from just above the hips to just below the chest. Training your torso involves many movements, but can be done effectively in just a few minutes, 3-4 times per week.