The Most Overlooked Training Variable: Training Volume 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 is training volume. Often athletes will blame their...

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...

You’ve probably heard other athletes attempting to “break up adhesions” or “realign fascia” in the name of self-care and recovery. There’s no doubt that foam roller and lacrosse ball sales have skyrocketed now more than ever. However, what if we told you that you’re foam rolling for all the wrong reasons? What if you’re not actually optimizing your performance with...

Hip mobility is crucial to the fitness athlete wanting to perform optimally. When working on mobility, we want long-standing improvements in hip joint mobility that also translates to improved performance. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with these eight hip mobility drills. If you want a done-for-you hip mobility program, check out our HIP MOBILITY OVERHAUL. This is a four-day...

achieving a solid overhead position won’t be possible making overhead pressing, snatches, overhead squats, and efficiency suffer. Far too often, athletes waste time foam rolling and performing band distraction drills that only temporarily improve their range of motion. Then the next day they must repeat the process again, never seeing the long term improvements they want in their performance. The...

The psoas march is among my favorite corrective exercises to prescribe for athletes needing improved lumbopelvic control. This exercise has helped athletes with everything from: Psoas strains Low back pain Squat technique Hip impingement pain “Tight” hip flexors (because often weak muscles become tense) If you are ready for a stronger core and better control then give the psoas march...

In Parts I and II in this series on how individual anatomical differences can impact squat performance. We covered the effects of various levels of ankle mobility, hip mobility, and hip boney anatomy. These two articles provide evidence for the need to individualize our squat technique prescription to every athlete that we work with. This week’s article will further investigate...