Recent Posts

3 Reasons I Returned to Powerlifting

A few weeks back, I wrote an article for T-Nation titled 7 Reasons Everyone Should Doing a Powerlifting Meet. It got great reviews, and almost all of the commentary and feedback was awesome. And hopefully I inspired a few people to do a meet in the process. However, one guys’ comments stood out – essentially, […]

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Q&A: Designer Athletes

Hey Mike, Keep up the great podcast! One question for ya; your Designer Athletes article was one of the first articles I ever read on T-Nation. Still think it’s awesome, but I know it’s been 6 years or so since you published it- what changes would you make now based on what you’ve learned over […]

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Facts and Fallacies of Corrective Exercise

This article originally ran on T-Nation.com. Corrective exercise is the new “functional training.” Functional training started out with the best intentions. Well-meaning physical therapists got their clients off the leg extension machines and had them do exercises that mimicked everyday life. Somewhere along the line, though, it turned into people balancing on wobble boards, doing […]

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Fix That Weak Link!

This article originally ran on T-Nation.com. Even though I have a home gym, it’s nice to get out from time-to-time and actually train around other human beings. This typically leads to some entertaining moments. However, what I often see from the “educated and certified fitness trainers” is appalling. Would you believe that many still assess […]

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My 5 Ah-Ha Moments

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com AlwynCosgrove’s original “My 5 Ah-Ha Moments” got me thinking: what are my top 5? What are the most influential events in my life as a coach and trainer? The following are the top five defining moments in my coaching and athletic career. Enjoy! Ah-Ha Moment #1: Being strong is cool. At […]

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20 Things I’m Thinking About

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com Last year, I wrote an article titled 28 Things I’m Learning. The key point being that I’m always learning and very few things in life are definite. My original goal for this piece was to write up 29 things I’ve learned since last year, since I’m a year older and (arguably) […]

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Mobility-Stability Continuum

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com Mobility and stability go together like peanut butter and jelly… spandex and cardio… Eric Cressey and Tony Gentilcore. Over the past few years, gentlemen much smarter than myself have been discussing the importance of mobility and stability at length. Stuart McGill, Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, Bill Hartman, and Eric Cobb all […]

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Row Right: Get More Bang For Your Buck

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com Big backs are way cool. Whether it’s the back of a bodybuilder like Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman, a powerlifter like Ed Coan, or an Olympic lifter like Pyrros Dimas, big backs are a byproduct of moving heavy iron for an extended period of time. You can’t pump and cramp your […]

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Olympic vs. Powerlifting Squats

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com There’s a rivalry in the iron world between the Olympic lifters and the powerlifters as to who’s stronger. This argument has invariably led to the two camps debating which one squats more and who has the better style of squatting. The reality is this is like the old cliché of comparing […]

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Mike Robertson’s Words of Wisdom

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com Packing our picks, shovels and tin pans, your dauntless editors went prospecting once again in the Authors’ Locker Rooms for more golden nuggets of wisdom. It took some digging, but we hit pay dirt big time. Mike “Ass Master” Robertson is always generous with his limited time and copious knowledge, and […]

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Blood on the Barbell

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com There are two types of powerlifters in the world: 1) Powerlifters who powerlift 2) Strength athletes who powerlift A powerlifter is someone who’s focused solely on increasing the bottom line: their total. This could be via strength gains, technical improvements, or simply getting more out of their gear. A strength athlete […]

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5 Guaranteed Ways to Break Through Plateaus

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com Plateaus in weight-training suck. Plateaus in fat-loss suck, too. Plateaus in our strength and performance? You got it — they suck! No longer do we need to fall victim to the plateau; throughout this article, I’m going to give you 5 GUARANTEED ways to analyze and break through your lifting plateaus. […]

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Hips Don’t Lie

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com Do you know what you’re doing when it comes to writing your own programs? Are you sure? Is your programming improving your posture? Improving your strength? Most importantly, is it keeping you healthy and allowing you to achieve your goals? With smart training, not only should your lifts go up, but […]

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Perfecting The Romanian Deadlift

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com The Romanian Deadlift, or RDL, is an excellent lift for developing strength and muscle mass in the posterior chain. Whether your goal is a great physique, a bigger squat or deadlift, or to run faster and jump higher, the RDL can help get you there. Unfortunately, the RDL is one of […]

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Hardcore Lunge

Originally posted at www.t-nation.com The lunge is one of the best exercises you can do in the gym. Unfortunately, the performance of the “lunge” by your average gym-goer is about as baffling as nipples on men. Some things just don’t add up. Whether your goal is improved performance, wheels of steel, or a bigger total, […]

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