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The Complete and Step-by-Step Guide to Front Squat Technique
The front squat is one of my all-time favorite exercises for gen pop clients and athletes alike. You can lock in your technique, stay tall and upright, and crush your hips, quads and core in the process. Now that’s not to say that I don’t love back squats – because I absolutely do. But the […]
Continue Reading5 Simple Squat Variations for Beginners
Squats are an awesome total-body exercise for building strength, power and muscle in the lower body. And ultimately, I want every client and athlete I train to be able to load a squat variation of their choice. But that leads to a great point – everyone should be working to find a squat variation that […]
Continue ReadingWhat Squat is Best For YOU?
Want to learn more about the squat? Then this video is for you! In this video, my guy Luka and I break the squat down on multiple levels. Here’s a brief overview of what we cover: How to assess the squat, and what I’m looking for when picking the ideal squat for a client or […]
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 ReadingRandom Thoughts on Squatting Basketball Players
A while back, me and my boy Joey Burton (an NBA skills coach) were sitting back and athletic development, and some of the goals we want our athletes to achieve. That discussion prompted a lot of thought and reflection on my part, and made me want to jot some of my thoughts down on video. […]
Continue ReadingThe 3 Biggest Squat Set-up Mistakes
When I was in Seattle a few weeks back, my entire presentation revolved around rebuilding the big lifts. You see, I think too much of our lifting culture has been influenced by powerlifting. And while we know powerlifters are strong, is that who we should look to for coaching advice when it comes to our […]
Continue Reading4 Squat Variations You Should Try ASAP
A few weeks back, someone on Instagram asked me the following question: “Why would you want to load your quads on a squat?” Now I did my best to contain myself, but let me tell you – it wasn’t easy. If you want to know why squatting is a good thing, or why we should […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching: Hip Postion on 2-KB Front Squats
I’m a huge fan of 2-kettlebell front squats. In fact, with a lot of my athletes that I may only have in for a short period of time, it’s my go-to squatting progression. Not only can you load it up fairly quickly, but it’s almost impossible to screw up. Almost. As with most lifts, the […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching: The Plate Squat
Anyone who is serious about training likes to squat. Well, let’s be honest – it’s probably more of a love-hate relationship. Maybe a better way to put it is that everyone who is serious about training respects the squat. But this leads us to a big question: How do you teach someone to squat safely, […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching: Knees First on Squats?
The other day I was perusing the Interwebz, and I came across this awesome tweet from my guy Mike Roncarati: Vertical tibia during a squat means anterior head and trunk displacement as the first move for most. Or a very wide BOS #letquadswork — Mike Roncarati (@RoncMike) June 8, 2016 The timing was impeccable, because […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching: The Quarters Cue
When it comes to training, I’m constantly searching for new cues that help my clients and athletes better understand how their bodies should move. For instance, for the past couple of years now I’ve been talking about feeling the whole foot when squatting, deadlifting, lunging, etc. The RDL is a particularly salient example here because […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching: The Offset Squat
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 […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching: Reset Every Rep
Many moons ago, I was attending a Perform Better seminar in Chicago. Gray Cook was giving one of his signature presentations, when he made the following comment: Stopping doing one set of five. Instead, do five sets of one. – Gray Cook When you sit back and think about it, it’s pure genius. Too often […]
Continue ReadingRTS Coaching – Feelin’ the Heels
One of the biggest issues I see when it comes to squatting and deadlifting is a poor center of gravity. Too often people get pushed forward in their big lifts, and end up on their toes. Here’s a simple cue that should make a world of difference in your lifting: Now keep in mind, this […]
Continue ReadingSpecialty Bar Training for Athletes
As a reformed powerlifter, the move away from strictly barbell exercises was not easy. Because let’s be honest – the barbell squat, bench and deadlift are fantastic ways to get strong. However, in my effort to build the most complete athlete known to man, while simultaneously keeping them healthy, sometimes the barbell falls by the […]
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