Blog Archives

Training Athletes vs. General Population Clients

A few years ago, while presenting at the NSCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, I mentioned to the crowd that I don’t work with a lot of athletes anymore. By choice. Training Athletes vs. General Population Clients Instead, I explained that currently 90-95% of my clientele are made up of general population clients. You know, “normal” people…. Read more

How to Write Effective Training Programs: Foul Shots and Whiteboards

I’ve had a rash of fitness professionals reaching out of late asking the same question in varying iterations… …a question, mind you, that I think every fitness professional ponders at some point: When the hell is someone going to green-light a sequel to Over the Top? Okay, in all seriousness: the real question revolves around… Read more

Why College Athletes Should Not Include Olympic Lifting In Their Programs

It’s not lost on me that the title of this particular blog post may ruffle a few feathers out there. There are many coaches and facilities in the world who implement the OLY lifts with their athletes and find great success with this approach. Conversely, there are also many coaches and facilities in the world… Read more

6 Reasons to Consider the Semi-Private Training Model

I started my career as a personal trainer back in 2002. To give a little perspective on how long ago that was: Joe Millionaire was one of the top-rated television shows that year. The standard reaction to anyone requesting almond milk was one of two things: 1) a cold, blank stare into the abyss or… Read more

Never Question Your Exercise Selection Again

I’ve been a fan of “offset” loading for a number of years now. Without getting too deep in the weeds on what offset loading is and what the benefits are… …it’s when you either stagger your foot or hand position on certain exercises OR you load an exercise a certain way (how you hold a… Read more

The Ultimate 5-Step Guide to Progressing a Client Workout

Last week I received an email from Jon Goodman. At first I thought he was going to extend an invite to me to come up to Toronto for a weekend of watching Jean Claude van Damme movies. But that wasn’t the case. Fingers crossed for next time. Nope, instead Jon was curious if I’d be… Read more

Accessing T-Spine Extension For Healthy Shoulders

There are many things that can make your shoulder(s) hate life. Poor programming balance Less than stellar exercise technique Muscular imbalances Bony adaptations (acromion type Poor scapular kinematics Orcs And, for some, we could even make the case for faulty breathing mechanics and/or contralateral hip/ankle mobility restrictions. I try not to get that into the… Read more

How to Correct Diastasis Recti and Turn It Into a Bulletproof Core

As a card carrying member of the Y chromosome I did not write today’s article. This isn’t to say I lack the confidence or knowledge to do so – in fact, I’ve gone out of my way in recent years to educate myself more on postpartum issues so that I am better prepared to work… Read more