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5 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 […]
Continue Reading5 Strength Training Tips for Females
Between my years as a strength coach, gym owner, and personal trainer, I’ve had hundreds of females come to me with a goal of getting stronger. Some want to get stronger as a goal in-and-of itself (i.e. to compete in powerlifting). Some want to get stronger to improve their athletic development. And others simply want […]
Continue ReadingMolly Galbraith Interview
Molly, thanks for taking the time to be with us here today. Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself? Sure, Mike! Thanks so much for having me! In terms of my professional life, I’m am a trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist, co-founder and owner of Girls Gone Strong, and […]
Continue ReadingThoughts on Training Female Athletes
Coaching is in my blood. Before I decided to become a strength & conditioning or “performance” coach, I thought I was going to be a basketball or volleyball coach when I grew up. I remember as a teen watching the same recorded games time and again on old VHS tapes, breaking down mechanics, movement, and […]
Continue ReadingPush-up
Every single client or athlete I train uses push-ups in their programming. And why not? They are simply a fantastic lift, whether your goal is to get stronger, burn more body fat, or become more athletic. Let’s start our journey by reviewing just a few of the reasons you might want to include push-ups in […]
Continue Reading7 Exercises You SHOULD Be Doing
I’m not a fan of the article that features “eight new ways to blast your pecs,” or “six new ways to shred your abs.” When it comes to training, I’m very vanilla in my approach. I believe that there are certain basic, big bang exercises that everyone should be using, regardless of their end goal. […]
Continue Reading5 Fitness Business Tips and Tricks
Running a fitness business is one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. Needless to say, it’s a lot more difficult than that whole “Field of Dreams” mantra: “Build it and they will come.” That makes for awesome cinema, but if you try to pull that in the business world, it’s only a […]
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