Coaches are always looking for ways to add fun competition workouts to their programs. In my experience, competition workouts are a great way to break up the monotony of training and can result in team building too. Athletes are competitive by nature, so they enjoy testing their mettle with fun challenges or finishers in group [...]
Weightlifting belts have been a staple in the weight room for many years, especially for athletic populations. They are extremely popular in power lifting and often used in Olympic lifting as well. The main reason they are used is to increase intra-abdominal pressure, forming a strong core that supports and stabilizes the inter-vertebral disks. This [...]
As strength coaches, we are always seeking out training equipment that can maximize training efficiency. One of the best Jack-of-all-trades tools to accomplish multiple fitness goals simultaneously is the farmer’s walk bar. The farmer’s walk bar will efficiently: Increase grip and upper trapezius strengthIncrease core strength (particularly the quadratus lumborum and the internal oblique)Strengthen the [...]
Using a repetition range training system for high school athletes is a great way to increase strength performance. In addition, it establishes the proper training mindset. Through systematic goal-setting and periodization of workouts, athletes can focus their workouts on effort. But it isn’t just about max effort—it is about the work that goes into the [...]
If you’re looking to help your clients/athletes develop speed a great assessment to use to establish a programming baseline is the Standing Long Jump Test. The Standing Long Jump (also called the Broad Jump) test measures lower-body horizontal explosiveness and/or power. For this test you would usually have to lay down tape in your facility [...]
The Gopher Performance Detonate VariBar multi-grip bar is a great accessory bar that pronates the lifter’s grip 90 degrees so the palms face each other. This rotated grip takes stress off the shoulders during presses, bent-over rows, and more, reducing the chance of injury. It involves the hands and wrists more as stabilizers for most [...]
The inverted row is a classic back exercise that has been shown to be a very efficient, all-around exercise to hit the back muscles, including the Latissimus dorsi (lats), rhomboids, trapeziuses, and biceps depending on hand grip. It's a great way to help balance out a typical workout that is chest or pressing heavy. The [...]
It has been said that speed kills, but what kills speed? Fatigue kills speed. You may be the fastest skater, but if you get tired faster than other players, you will soon be the slowest. You may be the most powerful athlete, but when you get tired, you will be the weakest. This allowed Muhammed [...]
“How can I increase my vertical?” I get this question all the time, typically at the beginning of class when all our physical education students are assembling in the gym prior to taking attendance. It’s usually the freshman boys, as they all take turns trying to jump up and touch a basketball rim. There are [...]
Speed and agility classes are some of the most common fitness classes you’ll find in commercial performance facilities across the country. But the speed and agility discipline is also one of the most abused, misunderstood, and incorrectly coached in the athletic development industry. This trend is primarily driven by scores of parents looking to make [...]