Recent Posts

2013 Sounders FC Sports Science Weekend Recap

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2013 Sounders FC Sports Science weekend. Needless to say, Dave Tenney and his staff put on an amazing seminar! Not only was I surrounded by some of the best and brightest in the strength and conditioning community, but the seminar was one of the most […]

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Big Lifts and Core Training

Yo Mike! Coach Poliquin (and others) have noted that you only need squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, etc. to build core strength. What do you think? This is an age-old question, and hopefully I can do it justice in one post. Let me begin by saying I have the utmost respect for Coach Poliquin and everything […]

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Lats: Friend or Foe?

The lats are an often revered muscle group. Most guys are all about getting that “V-taper” and looking jacked. For women, there’s something incredibly empowering about being about to move their own bodyweight. As such, we have tons of women coming into IFAST who have a goal to do a chin-up. But are the lats […]

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Stop Missing Lifts!

Spring 2001 Ball State University Powerlifting Practice One of my favorite guys on the powerlifting team is having a rough go at it. He’s in what he calls a “squatting slump” and he’s bound and determined to work his way out of it. We’re less than 1 month out from Collegiate Nationals; now is not […]

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RTS 2013 Manifesto

Welcome to the new and improved Robertson Training Systems (RTS). I’ve been meaning to write this for a few weeks now, but unfortunately, things have been truly hectic and this is the first time I’ve been able to sit down and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!). One of my most popular posts […]

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Do You NEED Corrective Exercises?

Note from MR: Dean Somerset is a guy I truly respect. Not only is he a great writer, but he knows corrective exercise as well as anyone I know. Dean is getting ready to launch his Post Rehab Essentials 2.0, and I thought you’d like to hear his thoughts on corrective exercise in this short […]

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Adding Corrective Exercise to Your Large Group Personal Training Program

Note from MR: Steve Long and Jared Woolever are two guys I have mentored for years in the fitness industry. Not only are they great guys, but they are doing amazing things for people who work in large group settings. If you work in a large group setting, or have considered doing it in the […]

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Four Elite Speed Seminar Takeaways

This past weekend, I attempted something totally new with our seminars here at IFAST. Rather than bringing in a slew of presenters and only allowing them an hour each to present, I brought in two top notch guys in Lee Taft and Nick Winkelman, and allowed them each a half day to speak. Needless to […]

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5 Factors for Success

The other day, Eric Oetter and I sat down for coffee. He had been touring Europe for the previous two weeks, so it was great to get caught up on what was going in life. Towards the end, we got on the topic of continuing education, and what we were reading right now to get […]

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Interview with Pamela MacElree

Pamela MacElree is someone I’ve worked with and learned from quite extensively over the past couple of years. Not only is she an awesome person, but one hell of a kettlebell coach to boot. Luckily, Pamela found some free time in her schedule to do an interview with me, and I think you’ll really enjoy […]

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5 Reasons You Should Take Interns

It was really weird walking into IFAST yesterday. I came in a bit earlier than usual to get my training session in, but around 9 am, it was more quiet than usual. The reason, you ask? Our awesome spring interns (Pat, Conor and Kyle) were no longer with us. Now my little girl is only […]

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Sagittal Plane Still Matters!

There’s been a ton of talk lately about how important the hip and ankle are to knee health. And I’ve done a lot of the talking, so trust me, I don’t disagree with this sentiment! A smart approach to knee assessment and training will absolutely include looking at the entire kinetic chain, and especially the […]

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3 S’s for Stronger Knees

8 years ago, I suffered a knee injury that caused me to radically changed the way I look at my body. When you’re young and healthy, you may take what you have for granted. But if you’ve ever had an issue with any joint in your body, you quickly realize how important it is to […]

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Sexy Shoulder Function

(Photo courtesy of A. Blight) I get at least 8-10 e-mails per month that go something like this: “I jacked up my shoulders – what exercises can I do to keep training while working to fix the underlying issue?” The end goal for guys and gals like this is simple: Get back to hard and […]

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The Case for Big Quads

Quads get a bad rap. Trust me, I get it – the posterior chain can and should be a major player. A strong posterior chain can help you run faster, jump higher and deadlift more weight. But the quads aren’t the red-headed step-child they’re made out to be. In fact, regardless of your goal in […]

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