The Forgotten Component of Progressing in the Weight Room
It’s popular nowadays for people to brag about how hard their workouts are. And I don’t mean “hard” as in “man, I’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth than do that squat session again” hard. No, for whatever reason, it’s become more important to one-up each other, to champion shenanigans over actual progress in the… Read more
Deadbugs Are Gucci. However, Pump the Brakes a Little and Try These Regressions First
First off: Yeah, that’s right I just put the slang version of “Gucci” into the title of a blog post about deadbugs. Second: I promise I won’t ever do that again Third: I’ve been swamped with travel the past few weeks (and the subsequent catching up on emails, programs, projects, and life shit-show) and I… Read more
What Being An Army Ranger Taught Me About Getting Strong Using Only Bodyweight Exercises
SPOILER ALERT: I didn’t write this article. The closest I’ve ever been to calling myself a “ranger” was when I used to watch Walker, Texas Ranger growing up and pretend to roundhouse kick unsuspecting (and imaginary) bad guys in the face. Oh, and there was that one time I dressed up as the Green Power Ranger for… Read more
30 Days of Deadlifts: Days 21-30
The Trilogy Ends 30 Days 30 tips, insights, and suggestions on the deadlift. 3 articles. I want to thank T-Nation.com (in particular Chris Shugart) for taking the time to edit this series and for making me look and sound competent. Dare I say, this series deserves a PULLitzer?…;o) Here’s Part III. Enjoy. —> No Diggidy,… Read more
The Inundation of Corrective Exercise In Strength and Conditioning Makes Me Want to Throw My Face Into a Brick Wall
Just to help calm the waters: I am not anti “corrective exercise.” And I am not really going to throw my face into a brick wall. I respect and can appreciate that, sometimes, our jobs as fitness professionals require us to pump the brakes and to venture down the corrective exercise rabbit hole. Some people… Read more
30 Days of Deadlifts: Days 11-20
There are many things in life I enjoy: Dead animal flesh. A good Jason Bourne fight scene. Making my two-year old laugh. Filling my wife’s love tank by making the bed every morning. Few things give me as much jubilation as deadlifts, though. I like performing them, I like coaching them, I like dreaming about… Read more
Favorite Movements For Athletes and Modifications For Adult Athletes
I’m always asked what’s the main difference between training professional athletes and those who think they’re still an athlete. Not much, really. I still very much prefer to treat my general population clients like athletes – encouraging them to lift, hoist, push, toss, and drag things every which way – if for no other reason… Read more
3 Quickie Programming Notes On the Pullup
Today I wanted to share some quickie thoughts with regards to pull-up/chin-up programming. I firmly believe possessing the ability to perform a pull-up, if not multiple pull-ups, is one of the most rewarding and worthwhile achievements to accomplish in the weight-room. Pull-ups are a fantastic way to measure and gauge relative strength; I.e., your strength… Read more