I'd like to preface this blog by letting you know that I'm not a big supplement guy. I love reading all of the research and trying to find ways to help my clients and athletes gain a legal competitive edge, but the industry creates far too much hype. Rarely does a supplement really stand out and offer something that food can't provide you in the first place. After all, magnesium and other supplements usually provide something that you need in pretty trace amounts (aka micr

It's no secret that there is a definitive link between agility and quickness (change of direction), acceleration, top speed, and vertical jump capacity. 2 A real-world example of this can easily be seen at the Annual NFL Combine each and every year. Top performers routinely turn out great performances in all 3 skill types in skill players. Of course, there are the exceptions and some differences, but as a norm, there is more similarity than difference. Obvious reasons for

Like too many other topics in the fitness industry, the debate on what protein source is the best remains at the top the list. There are so many claims floating around these days, and that's why I love writing, because credible research, science, and common sense always clear things up for people. So without further ado, is there in fact a specific type of protein, plant or animal, that is superior to another across the board? Let's look at various things now, and you'll s

Youth training is and always has been one of the most popular markets in the training industry, and rightfully so. What youngsters practice at a precious young age will literally set the stage for what happens later on, not only in athletics, but also potentially later in life as well. 1 So here are the 5 rules any coach or trainer should take into account and follow for getting the most bang for their buck with youth athletes and children alike. RBS' 5 GOLDEN RULES FOR YOU

Even though all supplements in themselves have very limited effects in the body, they are a blast to research and study. Also, if you can locate a few that work in harmony, then "supplement stacking" can create an effective synergy for you that is better than any single one alone and definitely may be worthwhile. We live in a very stressful world and "Fight or Flight" is all too common. Not to mention chronic stress's link to various types of potential disease. So, if some

Sometimes during this wonderful journey of learning and growing as a coach, you simply miss or underrate training concepts or exercises that you should have been doing. Fortunately, if you are reading this, then I'm going to be providing you with some valuable insight that has somehow managed to stay under the radar for all these years. I should have connected the dots, and usually do when it comes to the practical application of training theory and research, but for some r

Now I'm sure many of you have heard of the three hip flexors which comprise the Iliopsoas muscle group (Psoas Major and Minor, and Iliacus). Right now we are going to cover this very powerful and still misunderstood muscle group thoroughly. T he reality is that if you want to become your best athletically and remain healthy, then you need to emphasize the Iliopsoas in your training program regularly. Reports from elite coaches years back showed greater cross-sectional areas o

I can still remember when I began this profession nearly 20 years ago. Corrective Exercise was a relatively new term at the time that was initially intended primarily for trainers to help bridge the gap from rehab to performance work. Naturally, trainers do not possess the qualifications and typical knowledge of doctors and therapists, so it makes sense for the latter to provide proper instruction and progression to support and hopefully sustain their treatment efforts. Si

If you or someone you know is an aspiring athlete then you may very well be wondering whether or not meal frequency, or how often you eat, plays a role in your outcome-based goals. Fortunately for you, meal frequency is a secondary factor that can benefit you, but conversely, it will not break you or prevent you from reaching any of your goals according to science. Below are the common focus points related to meal frequency. #1-Metabolic rate/fat loss #2-Muscle Building and P

THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION OF THE WARM­UP I’m sure many of you can vividly recall going through traditional calisthenics, or sport stretching routines prescribed by your coaches and physical education teachers. Do you remember the laps upon laps of light jogging, loads of slow static stretching, countless jumping jacks and pushups, and the other staples of the traditional warm­up? It was probably evident to many of you that what you were doing at the time was a hand me­ down

When it comes to staying healthy and performing at an ultra-high level, regardless of the type of sport you compete in, there is zero doubt that being able to decelerate properly will make or break your performance. Look at the likes of Stephen Curry, Lionel Messi, Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, and countless others, and you'll quickly notice that it's all of these individuals' innate and or acquired ability to stop on a dime and gain separation that provides the freedom to contro

I thought it would be helpful to coaches, trainers, athletes, and general gym goers if I disclosed my top go-to sled training drills. The sled can seem a bit bland and limited if you look at the web, and it can be difficult to identify variations that satisfy the purpose outside of just pushing and sprinting a loaded sled. Fortunately for you, there are some applications that you can implement with anyone to immediately develop or sustain several training skills which I wil

An introduction to the benefits healthy fats have on athletic performance and other associated factors that affect performance is long overdue. Like its counterparts of carbohydrates and protein, fat plays a vital role in the human body. Without its presence in the proper amounts, every type of athlete will be rendered far less capable when the time comes to compete. Below, you will be provided with 4 key pathways that contribute to your athletic success, or a lack thereof. *

The Core is, without a doubt, still one of the most popular topics in the fitness industry today and probably always will be for various reasons. Before we can discuss anything related to the core, it’s important to first define what the core is according to science. The core musculature is centered around the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. It consists of over two dozen muscles attaching throughout the region at different origins and insertion points. According to movement science

What are micro-progressions, and how can they help you achieve your goals? You may have heard the term “Micro-progression” utilized before when it comes to subtly advancing an exercise. You may have also just sub-consciously dismissed the notion and brushed it off since current exercises were accomplishing exactly what you wanted at the time, or you embraced the concept because you were stuck in your training program when all other variables seemed to be in order. However, r

When it comes to testing maximal strength in athletes, industry advice often attempts to differentiate between training populations. Collegiate and professional players should test differently from high schoolers, and high schoolers should be separated from youth testing. This may be a viable option if done properly and according to the physical demands and needs of each level of athlete, but there is nothing wrong with simplifying and using a "one size fits all" model when

Beta-Alanine is one of those supplements that has flown under the radar compared to the common, predictable supplement trends. How does beta-alanine work? The notion is pretty simple. Beta-alanine converts to Carnosine in the body and is a major contributor to buffering hydrogen ions from lactate production that inevitably accumulates during intense, continuous exercise in the 1-3 minute range. This information would apply to a certain type and percentage of athletes (400m r

Let's take a look at the remainder of the upper half of the human body and identify which areas need stretching, and vice versa. In part #1, you were introduced to a foundational stretching principle and gained valuable practical insight into how to go about selecting stretches for specific joints of the lower body. Recall that some areas are designed to be stretched, while others are naturally geared towards stability and not so much stretching. Next, we are going to look a

Timing your nutrient intake is crucial. This refers to the specific timing of nutrient intake- aka nutrient timing- before, during, and after your workout (i.e. Peri-Workout Nutrition). The proposed idea historically is that if you eat certain types of foods at certain times, you can effectively maximize training responses and adaptations, which are vast in number and benefit the athlete in one way or another over time. Science even suggests that regular practice of peri-wor

I'm sure that if you have been reading research or are a fitness enthusiast, you have heard Citrulline advertised all over the supplement market as of late. The next obvious question is what it does and whether it is worthwhile for any of your training goals. Understand that much of the potential benefit of Citrulline centers around general health measures; however, research has aimed at looking at whether or not it has any merit when it comes to aerobic exercise and streng