We’re bringing back an oldie, but goodie today! If you’re trying to improve your pistol squat, this mobility drill is for you! The pistol is one of those exercises that people often attempt, but few get right. I’ve seen coaches attempt copious amounts of ankle mobility drills with no avail. I’ve also seen experienced coaches performing various … Read More
Coaching
Three Tips to Get in Shape This Summer
Oh the start of summer… High school students everywhere have been dreaming about everything they want to do over the next couple of months. On the list may be things like building an energy-efficient tree fort, striving to get a tank top tan, learning to surf and eating at Chipotle as much as possible. Joking aside, the summer … Read More
How to Improve Overhead Shoulder Mobility
Today I’m going to show you a new drill to help clean up your overhead shoulder mobility. I train people with various backgrounds every day. Time and time again, I see people struggling to achieve a healthy overhead position. Why Do You Have Poor Shoulder Mobility? Whether it’s years of poor lifting, poor posture or simply neglecting … Read More
5 Things You’ll Gain by Hiring a {Good} Personal Trainer
Starting a new training and/or nutrition program is usually really exciting. In the beginning you’re super duper motivated and ready to commit for life. Okay, or at least for the 21 days of the “fix” or 8 weeks of boot camp, right? For the first week, or maybe even a few weeks, you’re feeling awesome, … Read More
Get a Stronger Deadlift
Over the last few years I’ve spent a ton of time writing programs for athletes who play various sports. I’ve worked with high school and collegiate athletes, professional fighters and some incredibly strong people at my gym, Skill of Strength. Twice a year we host an event called the tactical strength challenge or TSC. I love preparing … Read More
Active Straight Leg Raise Correction
Today we’ll go over my favorite active straight leg raise correction (ASLR). I’m a huge fan of the functional movement screen. My first FMS certification was at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston around 2008. Since then, I’ve been using it with all of my clients. We utilize the entire screen at Skill of Strength, but … Read More
The Trendy Strength Coach
This post could also be called, how to find a strength and conditioning coach who knows what he/she is doing! Today’s post is inspired by something that happened last week. An athlete we just started working with told me about a guest strength coach who came to his school to take his football team through … Read More
Five Reasons to Stop Comparing Sports Performance Training to Working Out
It’s been my experience that a lot of people misunderstand sports performance training. You may be thinking, what’s to misunderstand? Isn’t sports performance training just a fancy way of saying you are an athlete working out so you’re not completely out-of-shape when the season rolls around? Kind of, but not really. Here’s the issue. Many people view sports performance … Read More
Skill of Strength Kettlebell Workshop at Puma
Last week, we were able to host a kettlebell swing workshop at Puma North America in Westford, Massachusetts. We worked with our awesome HR contact over at Puma to set up a 45-minute kettlebell swing workshop for any interested Puma employees. Luckily, it was a gorgeous day so we got to have the workshop outside which … Read More
Shoulder Mobility for Overhead Lifting
Every so often I work with a client/ athlete who has incredibly restricted shoulders. Whether due to injury, poor training habits, or postural issues, the restrictions and decreased range of motion can make for some grumpy shoulders. A common theme I’ve seen with these clients is that they don’t respond well to traditional mobility work. They … Read More