Recent Posts

Build Rotary Core Stability with the Pallof Press

As trainers and coaches, we’re always looking for new and exciting ways to train our core. But sometimes, it’s easy to fall back into our staple exercises – you know, the planks, bears, dead bugs, etc. And while those exercises are fantastic, one big limitation is that they’re all very focused on the sagittal plane […]

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Build Your Abs AND Upper Body with the Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

When it comes to training, I’m all about maximizing bang for my buck. After all, why do multiple exercises when ONE exercise can give you a ton of benefit? In this case, the single-arm dumbbell bench press is an awesome choice, because it not only strengthens the upper body, but builds a strong and stable […]

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My Top 3 Reaching Core Training Exercises

As you probably already know, I’m a big fan of core training exercises. Whether it’s bulletproofing the lower back, controlling the hips and pelvis, or helping someone improve their athleticism, a strong and stable core can help you get there faster. But here’s the thing – too often, there’s no rhyme or reason to our […]

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RTS Coaching: Finishing the Push-up

When it comes to training, virtually anyone and everyone includes push-ups in their programming. Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose body fat, or become a better athlete, well-performed push-ups can help you get there. I’m a huge fan of the push-up for obvious reasons – and if it’s not obvious, grab a cup […]

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RTS Coaching: The Reaching Dead Bug

I’m pretty sure if you’ve hung out around here for a while, you know I’m a fan of the dead bug. Whether it’s core engaged, a standard variation, or even with a twist like wall press abs, dead bugs are a staple in many of my programs. Along those same lines, I’m also obsessed with […]

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RTS Coaching: Lats vs. Abs

Whether you coach personal training clients or overhead athletes, one of the biggest issues that I see is an inability to go overhead safely and effectively. Now there are obviously a ton of reasons why someone may not be able to go overhead effectively, but one of the biggest reasons is poor muscular balance between […]

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Ground-Based Core Training

“You play sports on your feet!” “If you’re not standing up, it’s not functional!” “Life is 3D – don’t forget about rotation!” Chances are if you’ve been training for a little while, you’re heard one (or all) of these quotes. And don’t get me wrong – there’s definitely some truth here. But it’s not the […]

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Half vs. Tall Kneeling Exercises

One of the biggest shifts in my philosophy over the past 2-3 years has been an improved focus on efficient core stabilization patterns. If you’ve followed Stuart McGill’s work, you know he’s a huge proponent of stability training for the core and lumbar spine. But what do you do after you’ve mastered the basics like […]

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7 Keys of Balloon Core Theory

A Guest Post By Chris Collins M.Sc. CSCS (And inspired by Mike Robertson) A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a 2 day seminar with Mike Robertson.  As a reader of his blog I don’t need to tell you how knowledgeable the guy is.  Anybody that gets results for himself and his […]

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Understanding Your Abs, Part II

Stay up late some evening, and I have no doubt you’ll be bombarded for core training products like the Bender Ball, Ab Dolly, or an assortment of other ridiculous contraptions promising to help sexify your abs. In Part 1 of Understanding Your Abs, I did my best to explain the true role of your core […]

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Unstable Surface Training for Beginners

Unstable Surface Training: Functional training revolution, or simply the current training fad? (Photo courtesy of TRXFitness.co.uk) Unstable surface training (UST) is currently all the rage in the fitness world.  Go to any fitness seminar or boot camp and you’ll immediately notice tools like Blast straps or TRX systems being employed. The question becomes, how efficacious […]

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Knee Pain Basics Part 2

Programming and Training Thoughts to Reduce Knee Pain In Part I of our series, we discussed my core philosophy behind knee pain, and how to address it from a theoretical standpoint.  In case you missed it, check it out via the link below: Knee Pain Basics, Part I In our second edition, we’re going to […]

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Improving Core Stabilization Patterns

One of the first concepts we teach clients at IFAST is neutral spine. As you can imagine, this is difficult for many – whether it’s due to limited mobility, poor stabilization patterns, or a mixture of both, this can often be quite challenging. To help teach neutral spine and proper core stabilization patterns, one of […]

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November 5th, 2009

Robertson Training Systems Newsletter 5.20 My Thoughts on the Lumbar Spine and Low Back, Part III In case you missed the first two installments, you can find them linked below. In Part I, we covered my basic thoughts and ideals when it comes to the low back. In Part II, we covered my thoughts on […]

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Exercise of the Week: The Tall Kneeling Series

(Note: I actually wasn’t going to post this today, but since I have a few extra minutes, here goes!) In this edition of Exercise of the Week, I want to discuss two of my favorite core training options: The tall kneeling cable chop and the tall kneeling cable lift. Gray Cook wrote an entire article […]

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