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 mobility drills create far more significant and permanent changes than what they’ve been wasting their...

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 new eBook THE PHYSICALLY PREPARED WEIGHTLIFTER. . For more help improving your mobility,...

Good coaches have an excellent eye for watching an athlete move and knowing what needs to be corrected. Excellent coaches take that a step further by then giving that athlete great cues that produce the desired outcome rapidly. We’ve all heard the cues “sit back” and “screw your feet into the ground” but having a more diverse set of cues...

The overhead squat provides a significant challenge to many athletes. The combination of lower body power, core stability, and overhead strength can humble many respectable athletes. If you practice the Olympic lifts or CrossFit, then this is a skill set you must master for optimal performance. Before we dive into some of my favorite drills to improve the overhead squat,...

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 improving their performance. BUT more often than not, the mobility work they are using isn’t good enough to...

Commonly when lifting weights, we see the body choose to move in such a way as to bias its strengths and protect its’ weaknesses. That is because the human body is an efficient organism trying to complete any task using the easiest available route. The good-morning squat is a great example of an athlete moving is this manner. Note: for...

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 address your specific problem areas! Note: for more details on diagnosing squat weaknesses, check out...

A hamstring strain can be one of those stubborn injuries that far too often become recurring injuries or a more chronic strain. Their high rate of recurrence is usually due to a lack of careful rehabilitation and training following the injury. If you are experiencing chronic hamstring strains, there is a specific and well-understood way to begin to exercise the...

Back pain and injuries happen when you’ve trained hard and long enough. While I will be the FIRST medical professional to tell you that he,avy training should not be avoided and that long term back strength is great for your health, there are times where athletes need to alter training to decrease loading on their low back. But what if...