Posts categorized in:

Coaching

5 Hacks for Half-Kneeling

There are a few things that I really love in life. My family. Classic movies. Great music. And while half-kneeling isn’t necessarily in that upper echelon, well done half-kneeling work is pretty damn epic! Today we’re going to talk about the ins-and-outs of half-kneeling exercises, and I’ve got five hacks that I know will make […]

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Can You Guarantee Improved Performance?

Every athlete I’ve worked with wants to improve their performance. And many will do damn near anything to improve it. If you would’ve told me when I was 16 years old that you could help me jump higher to dunk a basketball, I would’ve done damn near anything.

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Front Squat

Front squats are a different animal. After years of dedicated powerlifting training and back squatting, I read an article by one of my strength training mentors, Brad Gillingham. “Big Brad” is one of the strongest human beings on the face of the planet, and his 5×5 squat program had worked wonders for my back squat. […]

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3 Reasons You Can’t Perform Big Lifts

The other morning, my daughter Kendall and I were totally engrossed watching “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Now before you start bashing me and threaten to steal away my man card, I’m going to tell you this: Snow White is a classic. Whether it’s the simple animation, the lovable characters or the musical score, […]

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Online Personal Training

(Photo courtesy of Allen Sky) For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to dive head first into the realm of running a fitness business. I’ve been thinking a ton about both my online (Robertson Training Systems) and offline (Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training) businesses, and I feel I’ve got some really cool stuff to […]

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Lessons in Coaching

I’m always thinking about training and coaching. When I was a little kid, my coaches always described me as a gym rat because I loved spending time in the gym and getting better. Now as a performance coach, it’s not uncommon for me to go home (or in my office) after a training session and […]

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5 Lessons to Teach Young Athletes

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, as I’ve been on the floor a bunch and coaching some really fun athletes. As a result, I’ve also been reflecting on some of the lessons I’ve tried to teach my young athletes along the way. Each and every kid is a little bit different, and […]

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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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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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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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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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Arching 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 […]

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Deadlifts 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 […]

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