Posts categorized in:

Core Training

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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Band-Resisted Dead Bugs (Video)

Last week, we talked about how important it was to exhale effectively and get our air out. This week, we’re going to talk about how we can use that exhale to facilitate better core training and abdominal function!

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Are You Full of Hot Air? (Video)

A common theme for many of our clients at IFAST is faulty diaphragmatic breathing patterns. Often, people are so caught up on how to get air in, they forget (or don’t realize) how important it is to effectively get air out!

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Supreme Stability Training

As an industry, we love ourselves some mobility. It’s like we can’t get enough – foam rolling, static stretching, mobility drills and exercises, Yoga, Pilates, the list goes on and on. And don’t get me wrong – I fully respect the need for mobility. In fact, I’ve championed the need for mobility since at least […]

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Eric Cressey and Mike Reinold Interview

This week I got a chance to chat with Eric Cressey and Mike Reinold, two guys who I feel are really taking our industry to the next level. This week they’re launching a fantastic new product called Functional Stability Training, and in this interview we’re going to cover some common injuries these guys are seeing, […]

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Functional Stability Training Review

As I get older, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I get jaded from time-to-time. I see so many crappy fitness products on the market it makes me sick. In fact, there are a lot of times I’m actually embarrassed to do what I do, more as a result of what others are […]

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Why YOU Need Complete Core Fitness

==> Get Complete Core Fitness NOW <== I’m pretty sure not one single day has gone by over the past 11-12 years where someone hasn’t asked me about core training. Whether it’s in my gym, comments on my blog, or simply random e-mails, the bottom line is people want to learn more about core training. […]

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My Core Training Story

Many people want to know why I originally got interested in core training. Even as someone who was just getting into the industry at the young age of 21, I quickly realized everyone and their brother wants to train their abs, or learn how to get a 6-pack. Let’s take a little trip down memory […]

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Should You Crunch? #2

Amazingly enough, crunches are still a hot-button topic in the fitness industry. 10-15 years ago, crunches were all the rage. After all, they were easier on your achy back than sit-ups, and they did a better job of isolating the target muscles, the rectus abdominus. About 5 years ago, crunches really started to fall out […]

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The Two R’s of Core Training

This past weekend, I was honored to give an in-service to the staff at Force Fitness in Bloomington, Indiana.  Wil Fleming and Ryan Ketchum are guys that you might not have heard of yet, but I can promise you will in the future. They are two very sharp guys with a first-class facility. The topic […]

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Random Training Thoughts

I haven’t done a “random” post in a while, so I figured today would be as good a time as any! One thing that anyone knows me can attest to is that I’m always thinking about training. My training, the training of my lifting crew, and the people that I’m programming for and coaching in […]

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Half vs. Tall Kneeling Exercises

One of the biggest shifts in my philosophy over the past 2-3 years has been an improved focus on efficient core stabilization patterns. If you’ve followed Stuart McGill’s work, you know he’s a huge proponent of stability training for the core and lumbar spine. But what do you do after you’ve mastered the basics like […]

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Effective Birddog Performance

Birddogs are a fantastic exercise for not only improving core stability, but for rehabilitating the lower back as well. Unfortunately, a lot of people assume that just because an exercise appears simple that they can mindlessly crank out the reps. This video demonstrates proper performance of the birddog exercise, along with outlining common errors. Specific […]

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7 Keys of Balloon Core Theory

A Guest Post By Chris Collins M.Sc. CSCS (And inspired by Mike Robertson) A few weeks ago I had the privilege to attend a 2 day seminar with Mike Robertson.  As a reader of his blog I don’t need to tell you how knowledgeable the guy is.  Anybody that gets results for himself and his […]

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Improving Your Push-up

Push-ups are easy.  After all, you just plop down on the floor and press yourself up, right? Not so fast.

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