Why do people go to the gym? Generally when you ask someone why he or she exercises, trains, works out…whatever you want to call it, you’ll get a pretty simple answer. People usually exercise to: Lose weight Feel better Look better naked Get stronger Improve cardiovascular health Improve quality of life Prepare for a sport (athletic performance) It’s fairly … Read More
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Wall Sits Stink {and What to do Instead}
The wall-sit is a very common exercise used by athletes and coaches as a regression to the squat, or as a lower body strengthening exercise. You won’t see me selecting wall-sits for my athletes at Skill of Strength. Today I’ll share with you why I have beef with wall-sits and what I use instead! Frankly, I … Read More
Double Kettlebell Concentric Box Squat
Every once in a while you find or come up with a drill that works well for just about everyone. Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite squat variations, the double kettlebell concentric box squat…one of the rare drills that works well for {nearly} all people! The double kettlebell concentric box … Read More
10 Random Thoughts on Alactic Training
Energy system development is a hot topic these days. I spent the last few years researching and applying various protocols and paid specific attention to energy system development for MMA fighters. For this post, I won’t delve too much into what exactly alactic training is. If you want to start with a description of alactic training … Read More
3 Reasons You Should Train with a Heart Rate Monitor
If you exercise regularly, it’s safe to say you have a training goal. Whether you are looking to lose weight, build some muscle, look better naked, perform better in your sport or maybe simply get a bit healthier, a heart rate monitor may help you achieve your health and fitness goals more efficiently. Your training goals will … Read More
Sports Performance Training – Part 2
Did you miss part one where I shared some updates and feedback from Skill of Strength athletes who are participating in fall sports. Today, we’re diving into my phone again to see some more recent text messages from SOS athletes and I’ll share a few things we can learn from some of our most successful athletes. Take … Read More
Sports Performance Training Part 1
Athletes worked hard day in and day out in our COMPETE Sports Performance Training program at Skill of Strength this summer preparing for bigger and better seasons this coming year. Summer is an off-season for nearly all sports and it’s easier for most athletes to dedicate more time to their strength and conditioning while they are on a … Read More
Training Advice
I posted this on my MMA Fight Prep Facebook page the other day, but really, these are not just fitness training tips for combat athletes, but training tips for nearly all athletes and most of these apply to all individuals all around! Ten Fitness Training Tips 1. Squat. I don’t care if you are training … Read More
White Belt Strength Coach
I spent the last few years training tons of fighters, but I always knew I was missing something. We’ve had great success preparing fighters to step into the cage, but I needed a greater understanding of combat sports. About a month ago I started my journey into BJJ. I’m training at Fenix Brazilian jujitsu under Raphael … Read More
Conditioning for Fighting: Aerobic Fitness
In part two of Mike’s interview with Craig Marker at Breaking Muscle, Mike shares that designing fighter’s training based on the length of rounds is important, but it is not the only way to train. “In fact, if we can build the other energy systems, we will make the conditions of the fight seem even easier.” Conditioning … Read More