At the beginning of each sports season, I find myself having similar discussions with parents, coaches and athletes regarding the importance of in-season training. I know why you can’t train in season, but it’s my job to teach you why you can train in-season. In-season training improves performance and generally keeps kids healthier. I’ve even … Read More
When it comes to designing training programs for combat athletes, (and really, when designing all training programs) I always look for patterns! I ask myself the following five questions when designing training programs for athletes. What works? What doesn’t? What is the risk/reward? Is the exercise appropriate for the athlete at this time? Is the exercise appropriate … Read More
I started BJJ about four months ago. After training for a month I posted the article, White Belt Strength Coach so I figured it was time for a white belt strength coach 4 month update. After four months of BJJ, I’ve learned quite a bit and changed quite a bit as far as training programs for … Read More
One of my favorite exercises in the world is the Turkish get up. Most coaches agree the TGU a great exercise, but many times understanding each of the positions can be tough to a beginner. In fact, I’d argue one of the toughest things to teach people who are new to training is how to pack their shoulder … Read More
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
I’m huge fan of simple. I’ve seen the best results in my training career when clients (or myself) adhere to a simple and progressive training template. Some Training Programs I Love Weighted Pull-up Training Program (a program I posted earlier this year) Fighter Pull-up Training Program (via Pavel) Kettlebells and Deadlifts (via Pavel) When I take a look back … Read More
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
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
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
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