Posts categorized in:

Injury Prevention

12 Bench Press Alternatives for Strong, Healthy, and Pain-Free Shoulders

The barbell bench press is one of the most rewarding lifts we can do in the gym. Whether it’s building muscle, getting stronger, or improving our athletic performance, the bench press can check all of those boxes. But you know what’s not cool? When every time you bench press your shoulders hurt! So if you’re […]

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Dan Pope on Training, Injuries, and How to Stay in the Gym for Life

Let’s be real for a minute: Injuries suck. If you’ve been lifting yourself for any period of time, you know that if you push yourself long enough or hard enough, something is bound to crop up. But while injuries might be part of the game, they shouldn’t keep you out of the game. That’s why […]

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The Ground Prep Series

I’ve noticed a few things as I’ve gotten older… It takes a bit longer to warm-up or feel like I’m ready to train. While not necessarily “sore,” there are definitely times when I feel stiff or achy prior to training. And last but not least, sometimes I just need to do a little bit more […]

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No More Pulled Hamstrings!

With spring right around the corner, there are a few things you can bank on: More broskis in the gym curling their way into oblivion, Tons of people out “running to get into shape,” and A handful of new hamstring pulls at your local physical therapy clinic! I joke, but I’ve seen it first hand. […]

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Warm-up

Warming up is a critical starting point for an optimal workout. Can you get by without one? Sure. Can you do some arm circles, leg swings, and jump right into your session? I guess. But if your goal is to improve your performance in the gym or on the court/field, you need to use proven […]

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Training the Unstable Client

We’ve all had ‘em before. That really tricky athlete… …the one who just can’t seem to stay healthy…. …the one who just can’t seem to put the pieces together on the field, court, or in the weight room… …and of course, the one who just can’t seem to get bigger, stronger or more powerful. You’ve […]

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What’s YOUR Achilles heel?

If you’re a geek like me, you no doubt have heard the legend of Achilles. For those of you that were actually cool in middle and high school (or went out on dates with girls and stuff), here’s a brief recap: Achilles’ mother, Thetis, wanted to make her son immortal. To do this, she held […]

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Q&A: Is Static Stretching Good?

Mike – I have a question I was hoping you could possibly answer on your blog. I’ve been reading a lot lately about stretching and the various methods that can be used. While I’m still a big believer in static stretches I have slowly been becoming more familiar with stretches by Kelly Starrett and Pavel […]

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An Interview with Dean Somerset

One thing I love about our industry is when I start reading new material from a guy who I think “gets it.” Dean Somerset is one of those people, and if you haven’t heard of him before, I wanted to put him in the spotlight today so you can learn a little bit more about […]

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Re-Building a Deadlift

Q: Mike you had mentioned at a seminar a few weeks ago that I could improve my deadlift if I fixed up my core and pelvic alignment issues. Here is a side view of my posture, along with some video clips of my deadlift. If you were training me, what would you do to fix […]

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FREE Knowledge Bombs from Eric Cressey

I was going to write some big, expansive post on why you should check out this free webinar from Eric Cressey. And then I realized something… It’s Eric friggin’ Cressey, and it’s FREE! I know you’re not really working today anyway, so take a few minutes and check it out! FREE Eric Cressey Training Webinar […]

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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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Improving Plantar Fasciitis

Every now and then, I get people with a wild-hair who want to write a guest blog for the site. Strangely enough, it doesn’t happen all that often, but if the person is serious about getting better and has a unique piece, I’m all ears. Here’s a nice guest blog from Adam Rees on plantar […]

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Corrective Exercise Doesn’t Work

I’ve heard the grumblings for years. Corrective exercise is a myth. It won’t work with high-level athletes. Basically, you name it, and I’ve heard it. Strangely enough, most of the people that had issues with this sort of training did very little “training” themselves. They might be able to cite some research or write a […]

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What I Learned from Charlie

Charlie Weingroff isn’t just smart – he’s wicked smart. Last month, we were lucky enough to have Charlie come into IFAST for the afternoon and drop knowledge bombs on us left and right. With no real itinerary or schedule, we simply asked Charlie one question and over the next 3.5-4 hours, he finally got to […]

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