We’ve all used foam rollers, stretching, band joint distractions, and lacrosse balls to improve mobility. But there is a big gap between having the available range of motion and being able to use that available motion. Eccentric isometrics fix that! It is rare to find athletes...
An unassisted pull-up is a foundational movement for the fitness athlete. This movement is often underestimated in its importance. Requiring back, core, and shoulder strength, this movement is fantastic for any athlete. The major problem with the pull-up is that many athletes struggle to build the...
I realized a terrible truth this week...
One of the most frequent questions I receive from athletes is what my favorite soft tissue mobilization tools are. I’ve got a few below that I’ll share, but first, you need to know this about all soft tissue tools. I don’t believe ANY soft tissue tool...
Training With Shoulder Pain Shoulder pain is the most common complaint I treat in the CrossFitters, Olympic lifters, and powerlifters that I treat in my physical therapy clinic. Often these athletes have completed stop training shoulder based movements due to their pain, but the following exercises...
We all have training biases that ultimately can lead to muscle imbalances. If left unchecked, these imbalances can impact performance and lead to an increased risk of injury. I asked nine of the best rehab and fitness professionals I know to share what they use...
Most people don’t think of the upper body when performing a back squat. It’s generally thought of as a lower body strength training movement. But if you don’t have certain pre-requisites of squat upper body mobility, it can lead to shoulder, low back, and lower...
The bird dog, traditionally programmed for people who either are doing some low back rehab or trying to work on some spinal stability, can be one tough exercise. Rotary stability, glute activation, anterior core control, scapular stability, and lower trap development. Very few athletes, coaches,...
The muscle-up is a CrossFit skill that often takes athletes a long time to develop and perfect. I've previously published two articles (1 and 2) to help you create a framework for developing this movement. The drills give you a great progression to get your...
Weightlifting Mobility Needs As much as any other sport, Olympic weightlifting requires incredible mobility if an athlete is to perform the lifts with proper technique and lift maximum weights. Without enough mobility, athletes will lack full depth and positioning, as well as expose themselves to potential...