Recent Posts
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 […]
Continue Reading5 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 […]
Continue ReadingSagittal 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 […]
Continue Reading3 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 […]
Continue ReadingSexy 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 […]
Continue ReadingThe 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 […]
Continue Reading20 Ways to Decrease Stress and Anxiety
If you’ve followed my blog, writing or speaking for any extended period of time, you’ve probably seen a fundamental shift in my focus. And it’s not so much even whether I’m talking corrective exercise vs. performance training. This goes a lot deeper than that. When I first got into the industry, my sole goal in […]
Continue ReadingArching versus Bracing
What is a superior cue to the strength coach or trainer? “Arch” or “Brace”? After discussing this via e-mail with my good friend Wil Fleming last week, I felt it was finally time to sit down and put this blog together. A cue that we’ve all used in the past when teaching someone how to […]
Continue ReadingDeadlifts vs. Clean Pulls
How Picking Stuff Up Can Be Totally Different (Note from MR: This is a guest post from my good friend Wil Fleming. Wil is a very sharp guy and knows his stuff when it comes to O-lifting and power development, and I think you’re really going to enjoy this post!) For a long time in […]
Continue ReadingShould You Use Manual Muscle Testing?
Manual muscle testing (MMT) can be a valuable tool in your assessment arsenal. Now I know what the naysayers are going to say: It’s not reliable enough. It’s hard to use between testers. And trust me, I agree with those sentiments. Like virtually any test in isolation, manual muscle testing is not perfect. But as […]
Continue ReadingFilling in Your Knowledge Gaps
We all have knowledge gaps. Those little areas of our knowledge base that just aren’t quite up to snuff. Or perhaps, just not up to our standard. I like to think of it as a wheel, and your specific areas of knowledge are like the spokes that prop that wheel up. If you’re balanced and […]
Continue ReadingAssessing Posture in Single-Leg Stance
Every coach worth his salt probably realizes that you’re always assessing your clients. Sure, there’s the initial screen or assessment where you try to determine what they do well, what limitations they have, etc., But at the end of the day, you really should be assessing your clients every second of every session with them. […]
Continue ReadingDiagnosis Fitness – Who, What, When, Where and Why
Since Bill and I announced our most recent dates for the Diagnosis Fitness seminar, my inbox has been flooded with people asking questions about it. As such, I figured the best way to handle this was a blog post. That way, instead of crafting an individual response to each and every person who writes, I […]
Continue ReadingObliterating Your Weak Links
Today’s guest blog comes from Lee Boyce. Lee is a guy I have a lot of respect for, and he’s put out some great content over the years via numerous online and offline training publications. I hope you enjoy it! – MR ——— One reason why I like Mike Robertson is because he keeps his […]
Continue ReadingPunch the Clock Workouts
This weird thing is happening, and I’m not totally sure what to do about it. No matter what I do, no matter I’m getting older. And the weird thing is, as I get older, I have more responsibility. And the worst part is with more responsibility and things going on, sometimes my “life” gets in […]
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