Lifting Technique Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Robertson Training Systems

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 […]

RTS Coaching: Wall Press Abs

on March 16, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

Core training is a critical component of every athlete’s program. However, we often find ourselves in situations where we don’t have a ton of equipment available. Whether it’s kettlebells, dumbbells, cables or bands, a lot of the core training exercises our there require equipment. As such, I’m always looking for simple exercises that can be […]

RTS Coaching: How to Landmine Press

on March 2, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

The landmine press is one of my favorite exercise variations of all time. First and foremost, if you have clients that struggle to go overhead, this is a great way to “bridge the gap” between horizontal and vertical pressing. Furthermore, you can take this standard movement and either build it up or break it down. […]

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, […]

RTS Coaching: The Knees Extended Bear

on January 13, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

A few months back, I introduced you to a new core training exercise: The Bear. I love the bear because it really targets the obliques, and also reinforces good reaching patterns for my athletes. However, if you’re anything like me, you always want to get to the next level. Enter, the knees extended bear… Now […]

RTS Coaching: Foot-Knee-Hip on Unilateral Work

on January 6, 2016 | by Mike Robertson

A few weeks back, I wrote an article about five of the biggest benefits of single-leg training. If you haven’t read that, take a few minutes and review it first, as I think it gives unique insight into the true role of unilateral training. And if you want the Cliff’s Notes version, here goes: […]

RTS Coaching: The Arm Bar Series

on December 25, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

If we jump into the way back machine, it was around 2009 or 2010 that Pavel Tsatsouline personally invited me to attend an RKC seminar. Needless to say, it was an amazing experience, and one that I feel made me an infinitely better coach. And while I was familiar with the bulk of the exercises […]

RTS Coaching: The Offset Squat

on December 17, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty utilitarian when it comes to my exercise selection. When I hear someone talk about a “new exercise,” or “X new variations” of an exercise, I immediately start tuning them out. It’s not that I don’t like “new” things, or that I’m locked in my ways. I’m always […]

RTS Coaching: Low-Cable Split-Squat

on September 16, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: When it comes to training, I’m pretty vanilla. I’m a big believer in using the big lifts (i.e. squats, deads, chins, rows, push-ups, etc.) with brutally efficient and effective technique. AND In my opinion, split-stance exercises are a must-have in your programming . In case you […]

RTS Coaching: Reach AND Row

on September 9, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

Chances are if you’ve pushed weight for any period of time, you’ve performed some dumbbell rowing variations. The primary focus when rowing is obviously on the upper back, and getting a nice retraction through the shoulder blade. However, I contend that we can get even more out of this exercise by actively reaching with the […]

RTS Coaching: Push-up to Single-Arm Support

on August 19, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

Much like the Renegade Row (which we covered last week), a push-up to single-arm support is a terrific total-body exercise. First and foremost, you get the benefits of reaching which I’ve touted numerous times here. But furthermore, when going into a single-arm support position you really overload the core, and stress its ability to resist […]

RTS Coaching: How to Renegade Row

on August 12, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

I’m a HUGE fan of Renegade Rows. I mean, who wouldn’t want an exercise that can bulletproof your shoulders, strengthen your core, and make you feel like a superstar athlete all at the same time? If you’re a rotary sport athlete (i.e. golf, tennis, baseball, etc.) Renegade Rows will give you the anti-rotary stability that’s […]

RTS Coaching: Reaching vs. Shrugging

on August 5, 2015 | by Mike Robertson

While everybody and their mother likes to talk about the bench press, I’m a huge believer in focusing on reaching exercises to keep my athletes healthy and strong. In fact, if you’ve reviewed my Physical Preparation 101 DVD’s, you’ll remember that I break all of my upper body movements down into reaching and rowing variations. […]