BCAA’s are another one of the most popular muscle-building/sports performance supplements on the market today. On paper, BCAA’s sound amazing. BCAA’s make up approximately one third of the protein content of muscle and include the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Unfortunately, research for BCAA supplementation in the presence of adequate protein intake for a referenced athlete or individual does not seem to promote a benefit.107 Another example can clearly be se

In the world of sports, speed is king. Athletes, parents, coaches, and trainers always ask me if different forms of balance training create noticeable improvements in running speed. And rightfully so, with all the information out there, that’s a great question. Instead of giving you just my opinion, I’ll give you the scientific research and facts that I have on the matter, but first I want to briefly discuss the definition of balance-stabilization-based training, and break th

We are all familiar with the classic phrase, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Well, it couldn't be more the case here, and it always applies when truth is being spoken. I rarely re-purpose content, and if I do, I'm adding in more information, but the advice below stems from a book I wrote nearly ten years ago. See here. What's not surprising is that literally the same advice being routinely advocated on social media platforms and across the web regar

Zinc and magnesium are two potential powerhouse supplements that can be difficult to get enough of from diet alone. Especially zinc with competitive athletes, since this micronutrient is excreted rapidly with higher sweat or perspiration rates.1 I want to warn you that this quick blog is just a simple "primer" on each of these supplements, especially Magnesium. As you may know, Magnesium is involved in hundreds of distinct and important reactions in the human body and would

Sprint timing technique was originally popularized by world-class speed coach Chris Korfist. I could bet almost no one reading the title above has heard of the word before, unfortunately. We will dive into the nitty-gritty here shortly, but in its simplest sense, you can view Sprint Timing as your total body"vertical" based posture during high-speed sprinting. Ideally, the body should remain tall at midstance once the initial acceleration phase is complete and an athlete bec

I truly and sincerely hope that gets people up in arms because it should, but I'm definitely not lying. Why is it that I've been able to develop top-notch athletes for two decades without integrating more than 5 percent of the entire program coming from static stretching? The reasons are many, and I discuss all of this in my stretching book here. If you happen to like what you read here, then I would strongly suggest picking up a copy of my book, and then you'll never hav

There is one type of training that can be a game-changer if it's being neglected. Calf training has been practiced for a long time by elite bodybuilders and individuals alike. However, the buck doesn't stop just there, as athletes or anyone looking to improve some aspect of their health and performance should not neglect this often-overlooked training method. The reality is that anyone can benefit from direct calf work in their training program if a few things are in order. T

If you are an avid reader of fitness and or performance training, then I'm sure you have witnessed the barrage of information regarding the ergogenic benefit of cryotherapy at some point. This is any exercise or modality that subjects you to very cold to freezing temperatures. No doubt there is a distinct benefit to be had with this type of therapy ( See Here ), but it's only fair to reverse course and consider the other side of the spectrum with heat exposure training for at

If you’re trying to lose weight and fat, it would be in your best interest to strive to select and eat foods that are lower in calories and higher in volume. This is yet another underrated aspect of fat and weight loss nutrition that somehow eludes mainstream media. Examples include vegetables, fibrous fruits, lean protein, and healthy whole grains, and minimal healthy fats. By eating higher volume/lower calorie foods, you'll feel fuller sooner and longer by stretching stom

If you were to select a particular technique that most coaches advocate for in the industry with their athletes, I'm certain that the arm drive would rank up there with the rest of them. Unfortunately, "Bongo Drills," and any other derivative seeking to enhance arm drive technique will not carryover to actual sprinting, especially with how it has been traditionally advocated. The aim should be to develop the associated arm muscles with specific strength training exercises t

Speed is found on the balls of your feet This key technique calls for a majority of our body weight to be concentrated over the front of our foot. The more forward our weight is over our feet, the more forefoot dominant we are, and vice versa. This technique encourages “leaning” while sprinting, but make sure you are not breaking at the hip. Below are a couple of training video progressions that will help you hone, reinforce, and effectively showcase this essential skill

If you happen to be reading this right now I challenge you to strongly consider what I'm about to share with you, as it goes against the grain of everything you've been taught when it comes to contemporary nutrition. I'm certain that just about everything that you have read up until this point, or will read surrounding vegan nutrition has been extremely positive, with very few opposing opinions. Please read that last word for me; "opinions." It's this word alone that is th

There is currently no shortage of exercises available on the open training market today. Like most things related to the training industry, it's more than safe to say that we have tipped the scales one way and offered arguably far too many exercises for physical development and athletic improvement purposes while simultaneously neglecting other viable options for other significant training factors in the process. One of those factors is "set type" training options. Below you

I suppose I may be guilty of a bit of clickbait with the title, but perhaps not, for a couple of reasons. First, people need to understand and appreciate the nature of valid research; also, exercise may very well be one of the best allies in treating depression. Enter Dr. Mark Hyman If you haven't followed his work or read his book, "Ultra-metabolism," then I would strongly encourage you to do so. Dr. Hyman is undoubtedly one of the best scientists when it comes to

Vitamin D undoubtedly remains one of the most hyped and popular sports supplements on the market today. In this blog, you will discover answers to some of the more common topics related to this sports supplement. To get things kicked off, here is a quick and very detailed primer that I contributed to over at T-Nation.com . It depicts how The Vitamin D pathway works in the body, along with some more evidence for athletes who may be lacking in the vitamin if you are intereste

As it stands, training status seems to play a significant role in whether nitric oxide will be useful to an athlete, and research has been limited to young males exclusively, so more work is needed to examine other training populations. However, in untrained or moderately trained individuals, NO may improve performance. With those who are highly trained, the benefits of incorporating NO are unlikely. 2 Let's Look at The Research A study found an anaerobic sprinting ben

This comparison was a topic of debate years ago among coaches, parents, and training practitioners. Some advocated one or the other, while others settled for a healthy blend of both. Like most things in life, the answer will ultimately favor the latter and land you somewhere in the middle. Let's quickly look at the benefits of each: The Pushup: *Moderate Press Strength p

The final acceleration workout option that hasn't been covered in terms of distance is the Transitional Acceleration phase. For many,...

The next phase after the sprint start would be the initial acceleration phase. This is where you really start to pick up some speed, or at least attempt to do so. Before we get started, though, make sure that you are performing a proper speed-based dynamic warm-up. Once complete, a very effective stimulation (PAP) drill can really benefit you. See below. The Sled Bound is a new age version of traditional bounds that intensifies and challenges bounding skill leading t

Hello everyone. Before we get started, it's vital that you perform a thorough dynamic speed-based warmup before performing any of the acceleration work to follow. Not only will this help facilitate speed gains, but it will absolutely help prevent any injuries from occurring as well. If you don't have a complete warmup system, you might want to visit the link below: https://thansen101.wixsite.com/website/product-page/rbs-warm-up-manual-for-athletes Now, after the warmup