Top 5 Explosive Upper Body Exercises

While the lower body is of the utmost importance to athletes who want to run faster, jump higher and be more explosive, a powerful upper body is extremely important for combat athletes and others who require hand speed, upper body power, and, well, just want to look better at the beach. Think about a football lineman blocking a defensive end coming off the line of scrimmage or a wrestler trying to avoid a compromising position. Or an MMA fighter in the second round looking for a takedown. Or even a baseball player looking to improve his power numbers. Upper body power is important for all of Read more

Neural Charge Training for Baseball

I first learned about neural charge training a few months ago when I read, Neural Charge Training by Christian Thibaudeau. This article  changed my perspective on training frequency and since then I have experimented with neural charge workouts in my own training and the training of my athletes. Here are the major points I took away form Thibs article and my experimentation. All exercises need to be explosive in nature (jumps, plyo push-ups, throws) Alternate between lower body exercises with upper body exercises Keep the workouts under 20 minutes Every set you should feel more explosive Read more

Your Knee Injury Isn’t About Your Knee

As a strength and conditioning coach my first goal is to keep my athletes healthy. For the past 3 months I have been dealing with knee pain and referred to Anthony Mychal's manual for help. This is a guest post by Anthony Mychal. Feel free to drop him a question below.  Ignoring pain and injuries is normal in the quest for athletic dominance. When it comes to chronic knee pain, despite the baggage knee injuries carry, it's no different. Chronic knee pain is one of the easiest injuries to ignore. Since most athletes will—at some point—have it, it doesn't scream of being a major problem. Read more

Training Update

Check out the video below.... Here is my workout from last night Bench Press- 5/3/1 *Worked up to 255 and hit it for 12 easy reps* DB Incline Press 3 X 10,8,6 Chest Supported Rows 4 X 10,8, 6,6 Today I hit some upper back volume work because I wasn't able to get it in last night 3 X 10-12 reps 1A)Underhand Barbell Shrugs 1B)Ring Facepulls 1C)DB External Rotation 1D)BPA Read more

5 Awesome Lower Body Exercises for Baseball Players

One of the biggest mistakes I see baseball players make is in their off season training program. I've talked to many coaches and parents who believe that running is the key to building strong legs. If you have read any of my articles on baseball training, you know how I despise long distance running for baseball players, especially pitchers. The lower body is of the utmost importance for baseball players and in order to build a strong and powerful lower body there are certain exercises that all baseball players need to include in their off season training. These exercises should target the muscles Read more

How Did I Put 40 lbs on my Bench Press in 6 Weeks?

For the past 6 weeks I have been following a training program unlike anything I have ever done before. I decided that it was time for a change and I wanted to do something totally different than what I have been doing. This happens from time to time-in the sumer I decided to follow a modified version of the warrior diet for 3 months. This type of lifestyle was on the exact opposite end of the spectrum from what I was doing for the previous few years-eating 6 meals a deal. As a performance coach and somebody who loves lifting heavy weights, I am constantly experimenting on myself to see what Read more

Top 10 Posts of 2011

With the New Year upon us, I wanted to share the top 10 posts from this past year. In case you missed any of these, make sure you check them out below. Remember to drop a comment and hit the "like" button if you enjoyed the article. I love getting feedback so don't be shy :) 1. How to Squat Deeper Most athletes can't squat to proper depth without rounding their lower back, having their chest cave in or feeling like their hips are going to explode. This article shows you how to squat deeper and pain free. 2.The Juggernaut Method Interrogatory with Chad Wesley Smith After following Read more

5/3/1 Vs. Juggernaut Method

Hey Joe, First of all I'd like to say what a fantastic website and articles you put up, they've really stepped up my lifting to a new level. I watched your interview with Chad Wesley Smith (great interview btw) and I learnt so much, in the interview you said that you yourself did juggernaut, and I'm wondering what kinda results you got and stuff and just your general experience with it, because I'm looking into doing it myself. However, I read the comments of the interview, and in it you said you mostly do 5/3/1 with your athletes, is there a reason you do this instead of juggernaut? Some Read more