This series will illustrate some of the most common mistakes we see sport coaches make in the weight room. If you are a strength coach reading this, you will very likely cringe/laugh/cry because you have seen all of this stuff too many times already. If you are a sport coach making these mistakes…well, you’re very likely to be offended. Sorry (a little bit)! But enough with the prefacing…on to the first mistake!
Read MoreIf you do not own a pair of weightlifting shoes, LISTEN UP—because this might just blow your mind. Training on a Volt program means that you will be performing squats (hell yes), Olympic lifts, and a downright plethora of multi-plane, free-weight movements. And believe it or not, standard running or basketball shoes are NOT optimal footwear for this type of training. Do you know what type of footwear IS optimal?
Read MoreTime to beat a dead horse. Half-squats are bad. If you are serious about training, your squats should be breaking parallel every time . It's a matter of efficiency and even safety. I'm not assaulting your character if you lack the mobility required for the hips to reach necessary depth, but if you aren't taking the steps to improve that mobility then you're probably not invited to my birthday party (it's okay, no one shows up anyway).
Read MoreAh, the age-old discussion of why girls don't (or won't) lift weights. If I had a nickel for every time one of my female clients or friends has asked, “Why should I lift weights? Won’t lifting weights make me bulky?”
Read MoreThe Olympic lifts (snatch and clean and jerk) are fundamental movements in most S&C programs, but can be difficult to learn. Read on to learn why these demanding lifts are worth the patience, as well as specific movement progressions to help athletes perfect their technique as they progress into Olympic lifting.
Read MoreMost athletes on a legitimate strength & conditioning program WILL be squatting. But when it comes to bar placement during the squat, there are two schools of thought: high-bar (favored by Olympic-style weightlifters), and low-bar (often favored by powerlifters). BOTH are effective at developing strength and power, but which one is better for athletes?
Read MoreThe barbell is arguably the single most important tool you can have in your weight room. Any serious strength and conditioning facility will be outfitted with a surplus of good Olympic bars. Some gyms have different bars for men and women (of different weights, lengths, and thicknesses) but the standard 45-lb bar is suitable to for both men's and women's programming. Barbells set the foundation for any program that focuses on developing speed, strength, and power.
Read MoreJoin a community of over 2 million athletes, coaches, first responders, and anyone dedicated to pursuing peak athletic performance.
