Posts categorized in:
Programming
In-Season Program Design
Okay my friends, it’s time for a little Wipe Board Wednesday! Today we’re going to talk about in-season lifting. For many years, lifting in-season was vilified…but should that have been the case? Too often, as the competitive season goes on we see lean body mass and force production go down, while overall fatigue and the […]
Continue ReadingThe Reload Week
When it comes to program design people like to talk about de-loading, or deloads. A deload is a period of time – generally one week – where you strategically drop volume and/or intensity to reduce fatigue and improve overall fitness. But something I’ve used with great success over the years is what I call a […]
Continue ReadingThe Extended Warm-up
One of my favorite programming tricks is to extend the warm-up. Maybe you’ve got a few more years under your belt and need a bit more time to get warm and loose. Maybe your R4 work isn’t super intense, but you want to maintain some power and athleticism. Or maybe you want to get a […]
Continue Reading10 Programming Tips I Wish I Would’ve Known Starting Out
When you’re just starting out as a trainer or coach, as the saying goes: You don’t know what you don’t know. And I think this is especially true with regards to writing programs. Whether it’s using antiquated ways to program intensity, making everyone conform to 4-week training cycles, or skipping key steps early-on in the […]
Continue ReadingHow to Build a Better Squat (or Any Movement Pattern)
As trainers, coaches and rehab professionals, I hope we can all agree that we want our clients and athletes to move better. But how often does somebody just kill it on Day 1? You’re coaching them up, then you just throw out that one magic cue and, BOOM! They’re moving perfectly. Maybe sometimes…but not nearly […]
Continue Reading12 Random Thoughts for Trainers and Coaches
Well in typical MR fashion, I took what was supposed to be a short and sweet, bullet point post and made it into something much bigger! I really wanted to just give you some quick ideas to stimulate thought, but in that same vein it’s hard to just randomly drop ideas on you without at […]
Continue ReadingStep-by-Step Program Design
One of my favorite days in every IFAST internship is “Program Defense Day.” Here, our young coaches are put to the test. We get to see what they’ve really learned about program design during their 3-month internship. And trust me – I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. From the programs that are […]
Continue Reading3 Types of Recovery Lifts
The longer I write programs, the more I interact with people who want to train DAILY. But here’s the rub: We all know you can’t train “hard” every day without breaking yourself down. So what gives? How do you reconcile the idea of training regularly without burning yourself out? Easy – you need to get […]
Continue ReadingThe Reverse Workout
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute: Unless you’re some sort of fitness lunatic, you don’t walk in the gym every single day EXCITED to train. Sometimes it’s low energy or motivation. Sometimes it’s an ache, pain or boo-boo that might be holding you back. And sometimes, you just feel like you need a […]
Continue Reading13 Practical Programming and Coaching Tips
The longer I do this, the more I realize that your journey is never over. You’re never a “finished” product. Take program design, for instance… Since I started in physical preparation, I’ve easily consumed thousands of pieces of content on this topic, including articles, webinars, podcasts, VHS recordings, DVD’s and seminars. And furthermore, I’ve probably […]
Continue ReadingMike Robertson on Superpowers Left Unchecked
Note from MR: This post was originally sent via my RTS Newsletter. If you’re not already subscribed, what are you waiting for? Just drop your name and email and you’ll know whenever we drop new content. THANKS! ———————— First and foremost, I hope you had an amazing weekend. And second, I hope you’re ready to […]
Continue ReadingExercise Progression Across Blocks
I think it’s safe to say the days of old-school periodization are dead. We’re no longer trying to plan out annual (or quadrennial) cycles in Excel, all while meticulously calculating every set and rep to ensure we optimize training load. BUT…that doesn’t mean we pull out the big exercise wheel each month, give it a […]
Continue ReadingBuilding the Ultimate Weekend Warrior
It all started with “Striking Camp”… As you might already know, my daughter Kendall is really into soccer these days, and her current team is struggling to score goals. And since she’s never really been asked to score before, we collectively decide that “Striking Camp” would be a great idea for her. The only downside? […]
Continue Reading19 Ninja Tricks to Write Better Training Programs
If you’re a trainer or coach, you have to write programs. And trust me – there are tons of great resources out there to help you. I’m preferential to my Complete Coach Certification or Complete Coach Seminar, but again, I’m biased… 🙂 But here’s the thing – the X’s and O’s are all fine and […]
Continue ReadingStaggered, Split, Parallel – Which Stance is BEST?
When it comes to program design, I’m not sure we put enough thought into the stance we choose. Sure, there’s a time and place for “mixing things up,” but let’s be honest… How much time and effort do we put into whether we choose split-stance? Half-kneeling? Parallel stance? Or even staggered stance? Even for me […]
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