Coaching Archives - Page 8 of 18 - Robertson Training Systems

My Top 5 Coaching Cues

on June 7, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

(Lead photo courtesy of Flickr) As you may or may not know, I’ve gone through something of a Marvel obsession that past couple of months. Whether it’s the big Avengers roll-outs, the solo movies, or even the Netflix series’ like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, I’ve pretty much seen all of their recent work in the […]

RTS Coaching: Make the Arrow on Push-ups

on June 1, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Lots of talk on push-ups lately, and for good reason. Great exercise. FANTASTIC exercise. But again, not always executed the way we would like. One of the most common questions has to do with arm and shoulder position. Quite simply, where should your elbows be relative to your torso? Should they be tucked in tight? […]

RTS Coaching: Finishing the Push-up

on May 25, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

When it comes to training, virtually anyone and everyone includes push-ups in their programming. Whether your goal is to build muscle, lose body fat, or become a better athlete, well-performed push-ups can help you get there. I’m a huge fan of the push-up for obvious reasons – and if it’s not obvious, grab a cup […]

5 Things I Wish Someone Would’ve Told Me About Coaching

on May 23, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

In the summer of 2000, my life changed forever. I thought I wanted to do something in fitness, and the thought of being a personal trainer or strength coach sounded pretty darn cool. Problem was, I’d coached/trained less than 10 people in my entire life! (I had, however, become an absolute ninja assassin in the […]

Physical Preparation with Grant “Rufus” Gardis

on May 6, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Grant “Rufus” Gardis is a guy I’ve known and worked with for years. In fact, he was one of my instructors when I took the USA Weightlifting certification course way back in 2003! Not only is he one of the most knowledgeable coaches I’ve ever met when it comes to long-term athletic development, but one […]

RTS Coaching: Hips First on Push-ups

on May 4, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Since the beginning of time, people have been doing push-ups to get into better shape. In fact, the push-up may be the single-most performed exercise on the planet, simply because you can do it anywhere, anytime, and get in a great workout. However, like most exercises, there are little things you can do to make […]

15 Random Thoughts on Coaching

on April 25, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

If you know anything about me, you know that my brain is always working. Especially when it comes to the athletes I work with, I’m constantly thinking about not only their training, but what I’m doing as a coach. For example: What are the best ways to communicate with and coach this athlete? Am I […]

RTS Coaching: The Quarters Cue

on April 20, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

When it comes to training, I’m constantly searching for new cues that help my clients and athletes better understand how their bodies should move. For instance, for the past couple of years now I’ve been talking about feeling the whole foot when squatting, deadlifting, lunging, etc. The RDL is a particularly salient example here because […]

RTS Coaching: The Reaching Dead Bug

on April 14, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

I’m pretty sure if you’ve hung out around here for a while, you know I’m a fan of the dead bug. Whether it’s core engaged, a standard variation, or even with a twist like wall press abs, dead bugs are a staple in many of my programs. Along those same lines, I’m also obsessed with […]

RTS Coaching: Lats vs. Abs

on March 31, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Whether you coach personal training clients or overhead athletes, one of the biggest issues that I see is an inability to go overhead safely and effectively. Now there are obviously a ton of reasons why someone may not be able to go overhead effectively, but one of the biggest reasons is poor muscular balance between […]

RTS Coaching: How to Plank

on March 9, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Everyone and their mother knows that the plank is a solid core training exercise. However, just because it’s a great exercise doesn’t mean that most people are doing it correctly! In fact, my model actually shows one of the most common technique errors I see in the plank, so watching the video should help you […]

5 Goals of Pre-Season Training

on March 1, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Pre-season is here for the soccer bros. And whenever we have one of these big shifts in mindset, it often leads to some good insights from myself as a coach. Quite simply, what are our goals for this period of time? Are we doing everything in our power to serve our athletes? And perhaps most […]

RTS Coaching: How Wide on Split-Squats?

on February 25, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

One of the most common questions I get asked is: How far apart should my feet be on a split-squat? For many years, I always had my athletes start in a 90-90 set-up. But over the years, I’ve changed this position ever so slightly, which this video will describe. After watching the video here are […]

RTS Coaching: Hips Up on RDL’s

on January 27, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Like I mentioned last week, the RDL can be a very difficult lift to coach. Another common mistake I see is when athletes want to bend the knees excessively, or almost try and “squat” the weight down. Not only does it make for a terribly inefficient lift, but you fail to load the hips and […]

RTS Coaching: Chest Over the Bar on RDL’s

on January 21, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

I’ve been a firm believer for years that the Romanian Deadlift, or RDL, is the most difficult lift to teach in the gym. Whether it’s poor stability patterns through the spine, failure to move through the hips, or too much knee motion, there’s just a lot going on in this seemingly simple exercise. As such, […]