In many training rooms, athletes get high praise for hitting a high one-rep max, often in competition with others where a leaderboard is posted prominently for all to see. Such an artificial record is meaningless when it comes to actual success in a sport. It can distract from the broader training required, or even practicing... Continue Reading →
Exercise Caution Online
The personal trainer on the YouTube video promises that her curtsy lunge with dumbbells is the secret to “a beautiful butt,” then conducts a very enthusiastic series of deep curtsies with the legs thrown back – right, left, right, left – arms by the sides, back straight, head up. In reality she probably stands a... Continue Reading →
Too Many Machines?
Weight machines, developed for bodybuilders 50 years ago and useful for targeted physical therapy after an injury or surgery, have gained an outsized place in many training rooms. Considering that most people imagine a bodybuilder’s body when they think of a strong athlete, this isn’t surprising – but it’s wrong. The bulging muscles of a... Continue Reading →
Practice Makes the Perfect Squat
Straight bar squats can produce strength and power in the legs that enhances performance in nearly any sport, but the athlete must exercise patience during an extended, gradual process to perfect the squat safely and effectively. Taking shortcuts or rushing to strenuous weights without adequate coordinate, flexibility, range of motion, and technique risks serious, sidelining... Continue Reading →
Simply Power Up
Don’t let the complex power/hang clean consume time and attention in the weight room One of the biggest mistakes in youth sports training rooms is the excessive use of power/hang cleans. The Olympic lifts deliver explosive energy when practiced correctly. However, beginners need conditioning and experience to work up to the power/hang clean, the necessary coaching... Continue Reading →