I’ve been coaching for roughly 14 years. I’ve trained professional athletes, weekend warriors, kids, teenagers, collegiate athletes and everyone in between. I have learned a ton along the way and love sharing my experiences in hopes that I can help younger trainers shorten the learning curve and become a better coach. Today I’m going to … Read More
Sports Performance
Why You Can’t Train In Season
At the beginning of each sports season, I find myself having similar discussions with parents, coaches and athletes regarding the importance of in-season training. I know why you can’t train in season, but it’s my job to teach you why you can train in-season. In-season training improves performance and generally keeps kids healthier. I’ve even … Read More
Are You Getting Better?
Why do people go to the gym? Generally when you ask someone why he or she exercises, trains, works out…whatever you want to call it, you’ll get a pretty simple answer. People usually exercise to: Lose weight Feel better Look better naked Get stronger Improve cardiovascular health Improve quality of life Prepare for a sport (athletic performance) It’s fairly … Read More
Essential Strength – Kettlebell Swing and Pull-up Program
I’m huge fan of simple. I’ve seen the best results in my training career when clients (or myself) adhere to a simple and progressive training template. Some Training Programs I Love Weighted Pull-up Training Program (a program I posted earlier this year) Fighter Pull-up Training Program (via Pavel) Kettlebells and Deadlifts (via Pavel) When I take a look back … Read More
Wall Sits Stink {and What to do Instead}
The wall-sit is a very common exercise used by athletes and coaches as a regression to the squat, or as a lower body strengthening exercise. You won’t see me selecting wall-sits for my athletes at Skill of Strength. Today I’ll share with you why I have beef with wall-sits and what I use instead! Frankly, I … Read More
Double Kettlebell Concentric Box Squat
Every once in a while you find or come up with a drill that works well for just about everyone. Today I’m going to share with you one of my favorite squat variations, the double kettlebell concentric box squat…one of the rare drills that works well for {nearly} all people! The double kettlebell concentric box … Read More
3 Reasons You Should Train with a Heart Rate Monitor
If you exercise regularly, it’s safe to say you have a training goal. Whether you are looking to lose weight, build some muscle, look better naked, perform better in your sport or maybe simply get a bit healthier, a heart rate monitor may help you achieve your health and fitness goals more efficiently. Your training goals will … Read More
Sports Performance Training – Part 2
Did you miss part one where I shared some updates and feedback from Skill of Strength athletes who are participating in fall sports. Today, we’re diving into my phone again to see some more recent text messages from SOS athletes and I’ll share a few things we can learn from some of our most successful athletes. Take … Read More
Sports Performance Training Part 1
Athletes worked hard day in and day out in our COMPETE Sports Performance Training program at Skill of Strength this summer preparing for bigger and better seasons this coming year. Summer is an off-season for nearly all sports and it’s easier for most athletes to dedicate more time to their strength and conditioning while they are on a … Read More
Training Advice
I posted this on my MMA Fight Prep Facebook page the other day, but really, these are not just fitness training tips for combat athletes, but training tips for nearly all athletes and most of these apply to all individuals all around! Ten Fitness Training Tips 1. Squat. I don’t care if you are training … Read More