Programming Archives - Page 10 of 15 - Robertson Training Systems

Addressing Weaknesses in Training and Life

on December 2, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

I’ve been thinking a lot about the training process recently, and specifically, how we address weaknesses within a training program. More than anything, I’ve been trying to explain how I go about addressing weaknesses in the programs that I write for my clients and athletes. We’ve all heard the saying, “You’re only as strong as […]

Just Beat It

on November 30, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

Note from MR: Today we have a guest blog from a good friend, fellow trainer, and IFAST client Steve Long. If you’ve never done any work with a sledgehammer before, this article may push you over the edge! Sledgehammers are a great tool regardless of whether you want to improve your conditioning or just look […]

800 Pound Abs?

on November 21, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

Last week, I actually gave my Complete Core Fitness presentation not once but TWICE! I’ve lost count but I know I’ve given that presentation “live” at least a dozen times this year; and that doesn’t even count all the rehearsals! Upon completing one of the presentations, Jason Nunn (a professional level strongman) had a fantastic […]

The Myth of Symmetrical Programs

on November 14, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

I’ve been asked this question numerous times over the years. And recently it’s started coming up again. “Mike – don’t I need a symmetrical program? Like balancing pushes and pulls, quad dominant versus hip dominant lifts, etc.?” It’s a very valid question, and one I feel needs to be addressed.

My Core Training Story

on September 30, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

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 […]

Should You Crunch?

on September 27, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

“Should we perform crunches in our exercise routine?” This question has been hotly debated, especially in recent years. Many have leaned on the work of Dr. Stuart McGill and excluded crunches, sit-ups and other spinal flexion work from their programming. But one question that almost always comes up is this: What about mixed-martial artists (MMA)? […]

Speed Work? Or Technique Work?

on September 13, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

The other day I was having a discussion with IFAST Olympic-lifter Adam Coons, and we got started on the topic of speed work. Adam is a guy that’s been putting in a lot of hard work under the bar, and he has recently started using some dynamic effort training in his programming. Speed work has […]

Training the TALL Athlete

on September 2, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

It’s funny how things happen sometimes. This past weekend, my good friend Joe Dowdell came in for the Midwest Seminar, with plans of flying out on Sunday afternoon. Evidently, mother nature had other ideas with regards to his travel schedule! As a result, Joe stuck around an extra day and his client, Indiana Pacers starting […]

Do You Have Training ADD?

on June 13, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it. New guy comes into the gym (or starts posting on the Interwebz), ready to get as strong as possible. He’s just read Wendler’s 5-3-1 and just knows this is the program for him He gets rolling, and he starts to make some progress. His numbers […]

Point-Counterpoint: Mike Reinold

on May 12, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

Mike Reinold is a guy I not only respect, but someone I’ve learned a great deal from. How can you NOT learn from a guy whose expertise is used to keep some of the greatest athletes in the world healthy? So when Mike wrote a blog last week about why he DISLIKED the YTWL shoulder […]

Random Training Thoughts

on April 21, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

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 […]

Off-Season Football Training for In-Season Success

on April 4, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

We all know (or most of us, anyway) that great athletes are made in the off-season. Far too often, though, we see sport coaches who get their athletes in mini-camp who are overweight, out-of-shape, and simply not performing at the level they would expect. So what do they do? What’s their solution? Two-a-days. Gassers. 20 […]

The Three Step Training Process

on March 21, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

Effective coaching of clients and athletes isn’t a rigid, cookie-cutter process. When you get down to the heart of it, high-quality coaching and training can be boiled down to three key components: Assessment Program Design, and Coaching Let’s begin by looking at the individual components, and then how their interplay manifests itself into a holistic […]

Technique Work-ups

on March 2, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

Last week, we talked about the concept of clean volume. The premise here is simple – the goal of our training should be to get as many quality lifts in as possible, especially on our first (or primary) lift. Technique is often a limiting factor, and performance can vary greatly from day-to-day. This leads us […]

The Clean Volume Concept

on February 23, 2011 | by Mike Robertson

One of the things I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is a concept I refer to as “clean volume.” No we’re not talking about power or hang cleans – I’m talking about the quality of the volume that you’re accumulating in the gym. Let me explain a bit further.