Recent Posts
How to Write Power Training Programs
Power training is critical in athletics. Whether it’s the ability to juke a defender and break off a big touchdown run, hit a baseball 400 feet, or slam dunk a basketball, power is a key component that every performance coach must program for. However, before you blindly jump in and start doing 100 repetitions of […]
Continue ReadingMy Top 5 Moves for Athletic Power
Let’s start with an important, yet not so obvious statement…. Athletes are not professional lifters. Does strength have carryover to what they do on the field or court? Absolutely. But is it the be-all, end-all of athletic development? Absolutely not. When it comes to developing a well-rounded athletic development program, you can’t put in everything […]
Continue ReadingWil Fleming Interview
Note from MR: Wil Fleming is a guy I’ve become close with in recent years, and beyond having great hair, he’s also an awesome guy to chat with. The guy owns a successful business, coaches high-level athletes, and is an Olympic lifter himself. In this post we’ll discuss training, coaching, and everything in between . […]
Continue Reading3 Keys to Improving Power
As an athlete, power reigns supreme. Sure maximal speed is important, and being brutally strong can help, but if you want to be at your best it behooves you to improve power. Unfortunately, I think most athletes go about this entirely wrong. First and foremost, they spend all their time focusing on force production vs. […]
Continue ReadingForce Absorption vs. Force Production
“.2 off your 40 in 8 weeks!” “2 inches on your vertical in 6 weeks. Guaranteed!” If you’ve been in the athletic development industry for any period of time, claims and guarantees like the above aren’t anything new. In fact, especially when it comes to young athletes, it seems as though if you’re not making […]
Continue ReadingTwo HRV Case Studies
Heart rate variability (HRV) has been getting a ton of press lately, and with good reason. We all know that training, nutrition and recovery always has been, and always will be, an arms race. Who can train the hardest? Who can really dial in their nutrition? And who is recovering the fastest and most completely […]
Continue Reading5 More Thoughts on Energy System Development
A few weeks back, my article 10 Nuggets, Tips and Tricks for Energy System Training got some great reviews. However, I don’t feel as though people should take what I say as gospel, either. There was one comment in particular from a reader that stood out: Not that I’m against this style of training, I […]
Continue ReadingThe Cardio Competition
Note from MR: Last week in my 10 Nuggets post, Tip #10 was to make energy system training fun whenever possible. Jen Sinkler is someone I really respect in our industry, and with her background as a National caliber rugby player, I know she knows a thing or two about conditioning. If you want some […]
Continue Reading10 Nuggets, Tips and Tricks on Energy System Training
Energy system training (EST) is always a hot topic in the fitness and athletic development industries. And unfortunately, I think there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to EST. With everyone looking to get leaner, more “toned,” or just look and feel like a sexy beast, it’s natural to assume that glycolytic and/or […]
Continue ReadingHow NOT to RDL
The RDL, or Romanian deadlift, is a staple exercise for Olympic lifters and athletes alike. It’s universally popular because it not only serves as a teaching tool for bigger lifts (full deadlifts, cleans, etc.), but it also builds the hamstrings and teaches people to flex and extend their hips properly. However, I will go to […]
Continue ReadingBuilding a Movement Foundation
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring Steve Long and Jared Woolever. Together, they are known as “Smart Group Training,” and they are helping make large group exercise more personalized, fun and effective. While we often talk about building a foundation, I don’t think it’s always clear exactly what we […]
Continue ReadingBuilt by Science
March is “Movement” month here at Robertson Training Systems, and I see no better way to kick it off than with some hard core anatomy. In September, I flew out to Boise, Idaho to the Bodybuilding.com headquarters, and shot material for five days to develop what’s now called the “Built by Science” video trainer. In […]
Continue ReadingInterview with Eric Cressey
Eric Cressey is not only one of the brightest minds in our industry, but also someone I call a good friend. I’m really excited to wrap up “Athletic Development” month here at RTS with an interview with EC, focusing on his target niche, baseball. Enjoy!
Continue Reading6 Huge Issues in Athletic Development
I’ve spent the better part of my life participating in sports at some level. Couple that with the fact that I’ve been coaching athletes of all shapes and sizes for the last 15 years, and I think I’ve got a good perspective on athletic development as a whole. In this article, I want to not […]
Continue ReadingInterview with Grant Gardis
Grant “Rufus” Gardis is a guy I’ve been lucky enough to know for the last 5 or 6 years, and I’ve got to admit, he may be one of the sharpest coaches you haven’t heard of. The guy is just a wealth of coaching knowledge, and it’s an honor to chat with him here today. […]
Continue Reading