Without a doubt the most common complaint I hear from athletes is that they have "tight hip flexors". Most of the time they've spent months stretching and foam rolling with no effect. Most of the time, performing combinations of core strength, hip flexor strength, and loaded...
Front and side planks are great for teaching core positioning and beginning to develop strength. But quickly they become more of an endurance exercise than a trunk & core strengthener. If you want to build serious strength, then you are going to need to up...
James Tatum joins me this week to discuss improving positioning in the snatch for optimal performance and decreasing excessive strain on the body.James has won three national championships in weightlifting and has extensive knowledge in prepping athletes for maximal strength.I highly recommend checking out his...
Well, you MAY have seen these squat cues before, but they are definitely underused these days. Working with athletes in both the gym and physical therapy clinic, I have seen countless athletes squat, and no one cue works well for all of them. So having...
In sports and fitness, the ability to get your body into proper positions is incredibly important to properly executing movements with efficiency to maximize performance. Fortunately, most athletes and coaches understand this principle and are programming mobility work with the hopes of improve their performance.BUT...
When athletes exercise or coaches program training plans there is no lack of attention to sets, reps, variation in exercises, and providing sufficient stimulus for adaptations to occur. But the most overlooked training variable I see both from a performance standpoint and an injury factor...
The back squat is considered by most in the strength & conditioning world to be the king of all lifts, BUT what do we do when our squat progress stops? How do we address our specific weak points limiting progression? Try these squat variations to...
Back injuries happen when you’ve trained hard and long enough. While I will be the FIRST medical professional to tell you that heavy training should not be avoided and that long term back strength is great for your health, there are times where athletes need...
Thoracic spine mobility is crucial to overhead lifting and mobility and one of the most commonly limited areas in the fitness athletes that I work with. Here are my favorite drills to improve mobility of the upper back.For a done-for-you thoracic mobility program check out...
By Chris Gai and Madison Franek (Evidence Based Movement)If you’re on this site you’ve probably heard of, seen, or maybe even been that athlete, attempting to “break up adhesions” or “realign fascia” in the name of self-care and recovery. There’s no doubt that foam roller...