Posts categorized in:
Coaching
5 Things Clients and Athletes Want from Their Coach
A few years ago I had an amazing chat with my good friend Eric Oetter of the Memphis Grizzlies. And while EO and I always seem to have amazing chats, the discussion we had that day still stands out in my mind. That discussion focused on writing programs, and specifically, the idea of checking boxes. […]
Continue ReadingHow and Why to Stack the Ribcage on the Pelvis
I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about stacking the ribcage on the pelvis. And two questions in particular keep coming up… What does it mean to stack the ribcage on the pelvis? And Why is it important? In this short video, I describe not only what it means to stack the ribcage on top […]
Continue ReadingHow to Use Band Resistance to Improve Power and Explosiveness
I’ve learned a lot from Lee Taft over the years. In many ways, he’s the closest thing I’ve had to a true mentor when it comes to speed and agility training. One of the most impactful things I’ve taken from Lee’s work was watching him use band resistance to control the momentum of his athletes. […]
Continue Reading7 Tips for Training Around Lower Back Pain
I’ve been doing this training thing for close to 20 years now, and I can tell you one thing: Pretty much every client or athlete who trains with you is going to have some sort of issue. In fact, training a new client or athlete with zero pain or issues would be kind of like […]
Continue ReadingA Simple Cue for Less Shoulder Pain
I can’t tell you how many clients and athletes I’ve seen over the years with a set of stiff or cranky shoulders. And while there’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” approach to keeping your shoulders healthy, this one simple cue can make a world of difference. In this short video, I explain: What that […]
Continue ReadingThe Core Training Collective
I’ve been coaching for close to 20 years now (I’m officially in my 19th year), and one thing I’ve learned over the years is that trainers and coaches love learning stuff they can use and apply immediately. If you go to a workshop, it’s called “Monday Morning” value. Sure they want to learn theory and […]
Continue ReadingCrush Your Hamstrings and Glutes with the ValSlide Leg Curl
I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the more I’m looking to get maximum bang for my buck when in the gym. And suffice it to say, the days of body part splits and hitting a single muscle-group during a training session are long gone! So if I’m going to do a […]
Continue ReadingThe Ultimate Dead Bug Video
If you love core training exercises, this is your video! The dead bug is one of, if not my favorite, core training exercise of all time. It’s easy to use, and can be done with little (or no) equipment. You can progress it from simple and easy, to extremely hard and challenging. And in this […]
Continue ReadingHow to Dial in Your Half-Kneeling Exercises
What if I told you one exercise variation could help you: Loosen up your hip flexors, Strengthen your core, and Improve your stability and control in split-stance and single-leg exercises? Well guess what – half-kneeling can help you do all of those things! In this short video, I detail exactly how I coach half-kneeling exercises, and give […]
Continue ReadingWhy Your Ankle Mobility Drills Aren’t Working
I can’t tell you how may times I’ve had clients or athletes come to me and say they have “stiff ankles.” Many have been doing ankle mobility drills for months (if not YEARS) on end, and getting little to no results. So what gives? Here’s something to consider… …what if your “ankle mobility” problem isn’t […]
Continue ReadingWhy You Should STOP Belly Breathing
I don’t know about you, but I’ve made a ton of mistakes over the years. One of the big mistakes when I first started coaching breathing exercises was cuing everyone to “take a big, deep breath into their belly.” While the intention is good, I think more times than not, you don’t get what you […]
Continue Reading6 Random Thoughts on Programming For and Coaching Young Athletes
Over the past couple of years, it seems like our training is all over the place when it comes to training our young athletes. The spectrum ranges from training kids like elite athletes, to treating them like Bubble Boy, and everything in between. So whether you’re a parent, a coach, or maybe a little bit […]
Continue ReadingChris Chase on The Trainable Exercise Menu
Note from MR: When it comes to training, I love Chris Chase’s approach. Here’s a guy that’s coached at virtually every level, and who has a truly pragmatic approach to training. In this article, he talks about why we need to get away from the idea of “correcting” clients movement, and instead, to focus […]
Continue ReadingStep-by-Step Glute Training
Lots of people that I work with want a great set of glutes. Now I know what you’re thinking: “But Mike! You work with athletes! These people don’t care about training muscle groups…” First and foremost, I’m not talking about bodybuilding splits here. What I am talking about is building a set of glutes that […]
Continue Reading3 Simple Ways to Classify Your Unilateral Exercises
As trainers and coaches, we love to classify our exercises. We have our quad dominant and hip dominant lifts. We have horizontal and vertical pressing and pulling. And of course, we’ve got elbow flexion and extension, because we have to find a way to make arm training sound sophisticated, right? But when it comes to […]
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