The metabolism can be simplified and broken down into two distinct phases that occur simultaneously around the clock where one phase...

Glutamine, or L-Glutamine as it’s often called, is one of the more popular and hyped up sports supplements on the training market today. Moreover, Glutamine is often associated with false claims that Glutamine supplementation is essential and helps speed up the recovery and muscle-building process and is more related to performance outcomes. I’m here to hopefully offer some relief and provide you with a clear perspective on the supplement, how it applies to the research, and

This post was originally inspired by new sign-ups to build expectations and see who is serious about "training" and working hard, cause after all that is exactly what training is when you break it all down. As a coach, it's a way to remove any potential drama, put the ball back in the client's court, and hold your clients accountable. The Real Role of Your Trainer Contrary to popular belief, the real role of a personal trainer is to not babysit and coddle you emotionally, a

If you are reading this and under the impression that "fat loss" is a rapid process, then you are sadly mistaken. Fat loss is difficult and takes time just like anything worthwhile in life, but the upside is that you will be rewarded indefinitely at the end. Not just through a better state of health, since excessive body fat is linked to every human disease state, but fat loss is a numbers game. Here are some interesting body weight facts for you to consider: 1 lb. of fat

No-nonsense approach to muscle building Everyone meet Skylar Schroeder. Skylar was just your skinny young teenager with strong aspirations of becoming his biggest and best self. Fast forward 6 months later and he had gained 35 lbs. of raw muscle mass following sound nutrition and training advice that included an effective workout plan with set, rep, and tempo guidance. But that is neither here nor there. If you're interested in the collective approach Skylar used then fe

If there is one exercise that even the top coaches tend to shy away from it would be overhead pressing, and with good reason. In order to be successful with the movement there is so much that has to go right from head to toe to elicit proper shoulder mechanics, rhythm, and functioning, otherwise injury is a certainty. If the hips, core, low back, upper back, or shoulder joint itself are dysfunctional in any shape or form it can affect the shoulder in a negative fashion result

It’s hard to come by a unique way to perform arguably the most classic upper body exercise aside from bench pressing this day and age. And anytime that a new exercise is brought to the forefront it should definitely serve a strong purpose in the training program and ultimately contribute to your success. The Foam Roll Press does exactly that and affords you a unique way to challenge your pushup ability to help keep your shoulders healthy, stronger, and bigger if you match the

For as long as I can remember now, coaches in any sports realm have been advocating keeping the elbows tucked to run faster. Unfortunately, this information is both misleading and counterproductive when the goal is to get faster. Last night, I had the mom of an athlete I train encourage her daughter to practice an elbow tuck, per the request of her club track and field coach. Suffice it to say, I'm still amazed that this kind of misinformation is being passed around, and ri

In the world of agility and quickness training it is suddenly becoming increasingly difficult to search for and identify original techniques that can benefit an athlete in improving their change of direction ability. Fortunately, I've integrated a series that you can adopt with your athletes that cover a majority of the training need when it comes to agility and quickness development. Remember that after the initial cut or first step strategy the remained of movement is goi

Ever since I took my first trainer certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the debate between performing a draw-in maneuver, versus bracing the core, or attempting to tighten and firm and generate a rigid spine has existed. And unfortunately, the topic is still emphasized in training culture today. I’m not sure if people keep ongoing discussion out of pure boredom, or if they don’t know what the real answer is on the topic, but this seems pretty straigh

The reality is that people will often tell you that you need to be stretching and performing some form of manual therapy or soft tissue work to the Illiopsoas group. But what they wont tell you is that your Psoas is more than likely weak, and could use some extra focus in training. Drills like the one below along with sled sprints, prowler sprints, deep squats, mountain climber progressions, and single leg work with and without deficits will all recruit the psoas more and ens

Assisted speed training comes in many shapes and forms, and some methods have been studied more so than others, but each technique carries with it some benefit when implemented appropriately in an athlete’s overall training program. Remember that there isn’t just one specific exercise that is going to make you or your athletes faster, but rather a “collection” of drills strategically programmed over time that creates a potent combination resulting in faster running speed. T

The glute bridge has been a staple for quite some time now, and there are plenty of variations of the exercise to go around. Initially, it was promoted to increase activation of the glutes and minimize overuse of the hamstrings and other surrounding muscles, but the bridge can offer more benefit if you get creative and start to think outside of the box a little. One of the more significant challenges as a competing athlete or someone that trains hard regularly is being able t

As trainers and coaches, we are always looking for new and improved ways of delivering training for our clients. This approach helps to make sure that athletes and clients stay engaged in the program, and there seems to be a strong psychological component to rotating drills to help keep things exciting and fun. Conversely, you could also elect to keep your program consistent with very little change for an indefinite period of time and still make progress without any plateau o

If you refer back decades and even well over one hundred years ago you will notice that pretty much every culture practiced some form of cold water immersion therapy at one point or another. Aside from making you feel much more alert and invigorated, there is definitive evidence that shows submerging in a painstakingly cold ice bath or dousing yourself under freezing cold water, or exposing yourself to very cold temperatures outside with light clothing will effectively boost

You will routinely hear about all types of quick fixes and ways in which you can shed fat and weight extremely fast. Unfortunately, a single pound of fat tissue houses a vast amount of energy at 3500-4000 calories! So ladies and gentlemen, no you will not be able to rid your body of unwanted fat on a daily basis no matter what any trainer or popular media sources proceeds to tell you. With that being said though, there are definitely small and impactful ways in which you can

The rotator cuff muscles serve as part movers of the shoulders through various actions occurring at the shoulder joint, but most importantly, they’re critical to primarily maintaining “stability” and control at the shoulder while the outer, more prominent, and more powerful perform a majority of dynamic motion. Failure to properly “centrate” or center the ball of the humerus inside the Glenoid Fossa (socket) will render eventual injury to either the labrum, capsule, and or v

The benefit of lifting to gain strength, speed, and power is tenfold if you’ve never performed any resistance training before. This fact couldn’t apply more so than with youth athletes who are still growing into their bodies, and the vast majority have never seen or been inside an official weight-room. With this information in mind, the harsh reality is that even young athletes are going to be very limited in their quests to build more size, strength, and athleticism. Most

There is plenty of discussion surrounding various training and nutritional methods, and the best supplements money can buy these days. ...

The idea of only squatting to approximately 50-75% may seem absurd too many, but there is definitely some benefit to be had if the goal is to get faster via sprinting. If you analyze the landing position and the phases throughout each stride during a sprint you will notice that the ranges of motion are actually quite limited just like with quarter squats performed with a barbell. So logically there will be similar recruitment pathways seen between the two and a large degree