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Specialty Bar Training for Athletes
As a reformed powerlifter, the move away from strictly barbell exercises was not easy. Because let’s be honest – the barbell squat, bench and deadlift are fantastic ways to get strong. However, in my effort to build the most complete athlete known to man, while simultaneously keeping them healthy, sometimes the barbell falls by the […]
Continue ReadingKettlebell Leg Training
The other day I was having a discussion with one of my favorite athletes of all-time, the incomparable Danny O’Rourke. Every off-season, DO comes in and we put together a program to help him take his game to the next level, as well as prepare him for the rigors of a 9-month MLS season. He […]
Continue Reading2014 Midwest Performance Enhancement Seminar Recap
The 2014 Midwest Performance Enhancement Seminar is in the books, and it always feels kind of like a wedding: You spend months (or years!) planning, and then the actual event goes by in a flash. Regardless, it was an awesome weekend and I wanted to do a quick write-up on the entire event. Here we […]
Continue ReadingSimplifying Your Squat and Deadlift
I don’t know about you, but I can’t stop thinking about lifting and training. Even when I’m attempting to zone out or dial in on something else, often my thoughts drift and I find myself thinking about training once again. Lately I’ve been re-visiting my thoughts on squatting and deadlifting. Not only am I working […]
Continue ReadingMike Roncarati Interview
Mike Roncarati is not only an awesome coach and physical therapist, but a good friend as well. And when you get the opportunity to interview an NBA-caliber coach/therapist, you jump at the opportunity! In the interview below, Mike and I talk in-depth with regards to his philosophy, off-season and in-season programming, as well as the […]
Continue ReadingWidening the Aerobic Window
If you’ve been around athletics for any period of time, chances are you’ve seen the athlete who isn’t “in shape.” Whether it’s football, basketball, soccer, or something in between, they make a few runs up and down the field or court and they’re gassed. Red faced, tugging on the shorts, and gasping for air like […]
Continue Reading5 Thoughts on Sprinting
I’m a huge believer that if you really want to understand something, you need to teach others what you’ve learned. While sprinting may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mike Robertson*, I’m totally ok with that. (*Side Note: One of my new goals in life should be to […]
Continue ReadingTravis Hansen Interview
Following up on Monday’s post about sprint training, I wanted to interview Travis Hansen of the Reno Speed School to dig a bit deeper into his sprint training methodology. Enjoy! Travis, thanks for taking the time to be with us here today. Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? My pleasure […]
Continue Reading3 Cues for Better Sprinting
Note from MR: As many of you know, I’ve spent a ton of time the past couple of years learning about speed. As you can imagine, this is a massive topic – and one I’ve really only scratched the surface on. However, one of the more complete manuals I’ve come across is Travis Hansen’s “Speed […]
Continue ReadingInterview with Mark McLaughlin
On a daily basis, I’m seeking out the best and brightest in our field to learn from. If you do this long enough, you know that most are spewing the same rhetoric that there buddies are. But Mark McLaughlin is different – and someone I’ve always wanted to learn more from and about. In this […]
Continue ReadingRandom Friday 8-29-14
Oh hey there – long time no see! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, with work, travel, and a bunch of personal commitments all coming together at once. But I wanted to get this blog up today, just so you know what all is going on – and that I haven’t forgotten about you. […]
Continue ReadingQ&A: Speed Work
Q: I was wondering if you could help me when it comes to programming for speed sets. Do you have an optimal percent range that you use when working on bar speed? I am working with a sprinter right now and wanted to start adding some speed sets in, but I am not sure how […]
Continue ReadingManaging the In-Season Athlete
The other day I was texting with my good friend (and Portland Timbers center back) Danny O’Rourke, and we were discussing how to approach in-season training and lifting. After our discussion, I thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss the topic here on the site. (This is also going to be the entire […]
Continue ReadingMike Rants – Exercise Technique
Last week, Kirsten (my amazing admin and the Wonder Woman of IFAST) posted a picture of me working with one of the new guys for the Indy Eleven. I’m an admin on the page, so I get a notification that another gym owner here in Indianapolis has commented: “Better check on that lunge form.” Now […]
Continue ReadingHow to Find a Quality Coach
Hiring a coach isn’t an easy process. It’s not as easy as poking around on the Internet for 20-30 minutes, looking up a few websites, and plopping down some cash for training. Instead, finding a coach should be a (somewhat) slow and painstaking process. You are, after all, trusting this person with your single-most valuable […]
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