Training for athletic performance involves utilizing barbells, moving heavy weight, and bringing a warrior-like intensity to the weight room every day. And as much as I love writing about all of those things, there is another particular training method that deserves its day in the sun. Bodyweight training.
Read MoreThe thing: the Internet is chock full of funky advice to females on how to be fit—much of which tells us that our aesthetic appearance is the end-all, be-all of our overall health and fitness. So now—just in time for Christmas!—the Volt team would like to give all the ladies out there some concrete reasons why we SHOULD lift, reasons that AREN’T all about looking cute in a bikini. Because, let’s face it: there is just SO MUCH MORE to life than looking cute in a bikini (especially when you live in the Pacific Northwest, like me, where hot, sunny days are few and far between).
Read MoreIn the #MentalSweat series, I want to explore some of the awesome research that appears in many of the sports performance and physiology journals that show up on my desk. There is always tons of great insight into the theory and application of many of the principles that we base our training methods on. Hopefully, it sheds more light into why our programs are so effective and how we utilize these principles across different sports, phases, and movements.
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 MoreIt’s no secret that an athlete needs to train differently than someone just looking to get a little healthier, or gain a little muscle. And no one is surprised when I say that a soccer player needs to train differently than a football player. This all boils down to the fact that every sport has specific demands: both on movement (kicking a ball, swinging a bat, blocking and tackling, etc.) and on the metabolic energy pathways used for that movement (explosive with lots of rest, varied sprinting and jogging, etc.).
Read MoreGet ready, because the concept of torque is about to change your life! (Well, the part of your life you spend in the weight room, at least.)
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The 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.
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