Blog
In the Lab – When and What with Isometrics
One area I think a lot about is the usage of yielding versus overcoming isometrics. In this blog post, let's break down when and what we should do when deciding the usage of either yielding or overcoming. First question: when? Yielding Isometrics are best for:...
Strength Coach Chronicle – Replacing Key People
Change is inevitable and we need to accept that. I have a motto: good coaches will have opportunities, but bad coaches will not. Find a way to replace the bad and keep the good. One message I discussed in How to Become a Strength Coach was the concept of your...
In the Lab – Vector Based Training Program Design
Vector-based training is an underrated aspect of program design. We often get locked into a muscle group or movement pattern-based training splits, but what is usually lost is the impact on controlling and producing force in a specific direction, AKA vectors such as...
Strength Coach Chronicles: 2024 in Review
Podcast performance Health Podcast is how I started! It only makes sense I open with the podcast and what we talked about! We did 40 episodes this year broken up over 4 seasons. I shifted from interviewing guests to doing more monologue/roundtable style with Corey...
Strength Coach Chronicles – Starting New
I wrote this blog last month, Stay Low and Look Forward. It was a look into the inevitable future for Strength Coaches in November. Change is inevitable and learning to manage that transition is paramount to success. It made me think of starting new. You are either...
What I Am Reading – Keys to the Inner Universe, Bill Pearl
“I wish I had this book when I started my career!” We finished Bill Pearl’s seminal resource Keys to the Inner Universe with our Collective Group. The response was pretty remarkable. I read this book, I guess 15 years ago. I remember thinking it was extremely comprehensive.
What I Am Reading – Muscle Smoke & Mirrors Volume I, Roach
There are some books that you come in contact with in your life that change you. My top ones in no particular order are Tuesdays' with MorrieThe Last LectureGreat Mental ModelsFountainhead1984Angela's AshesFunctional Training For SportPoliquin PrinciplesStrongest...
Strength Coach Chronicles – Stay Low and Look Forward
It is that time of year, the end of October. The leaves turn colors, the air becomes crisper, and text messages "Hey just checking in" start going out. We all know what that text means. It means 'I might be out of a job, do you know of anything?'What a nerve-racking...
In the Lab – Nicotine, A Strength Coach’s Guide
Disclaimer: I have been well ahead of the curve with Nicotine as a stimulant and cognition-boosting aid. I have receipts too. The first Muscle Mentorship in 2017, previously known as Muscle Camp until that name was used elsewhere, I advocated for nicotine use. I first...
Strength Coach Chronicles – 2 Most Important Questions
What are the two most important questions? Well, that kind of depends. How's that for burying the lead? But there are some foundational characteristics we need to find out when we work with our athletes. One is do they have something to share that will dramatically...
What I Am Reading – The Molecule of More (Lieberman & Long)
Let’s start off by saying this book was average. I know this is harsh, but it’s true. I did not love the book for a multitude of reasons. The information was fine, and the writing was good, but nothing about it was overly special. I found it was loaded with anecdotes and stories…
Strength Coach Chronicles – Doing HIT with James LaValle
If you are unfamiliar with HIT (High-Intensity Training), you should be. It was invented by Arthur Jones and perfected by Mike Mentzer, Ellington Darden, Kim Wood, Casey Viator, Boyer Coe, and Dorian Yates. The central theme is the training economy—getting more from...