The Rip trainer by TRX has become a staple in my client workouts. When the objective is to strengthen the core I typically think of various ways you need to brace the spine against resistance. I never did much in regards to asymmetrical loads to the body. The Rip trainer makes this easy to do. Today I perform a chest press while maintaining a neutral spine with the Rip trainer. Chest & core in a single movement. Now for the record, the load you're using will be lightened dramatically compared to what you may use on a standard chest press machine, but my argument is that you should only be using a load for chest presses that you can use while stabilizing your spine anyway. My goal is to build for "Go", not just for "Show". Read More

I'm a big fan of agility ladder, hurdles, and cone work to improve foot quickness. But another tool I like to use is the slide board. It challenges you in the frontal plane which has a good carryover to most sports. It's a form of unilateral exercise. And finally, to be efficient at it you need to have a good initial burst step. The obstacles that most experience with the board is having access to one, or the fear of falling when trying to perform the slides. Well, get over your anxiety, and get on it! They're great, and provide a good challenge. Even if you're not training for the NFL combine, you can add a good aerobic workout to your routine. This is a nice change of pace exercise for a metabolic circuit. Again, give it a try, and let me know how it goes. Read More

If you really want to learn how to draft up your workout routine watch a baby learning to walk for the first time. No seriously. They start from the ground and typically get up from a crawl or kneeling position. This requires mobility in the hips, and muscle flexibility. They then drive up from this position like a lunge, and typically work to maintain there balance, while maintaining enough strength to stay up. Isn't that how we should workout? Combine strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility all into a single exercise. That's why I value the Turkish Get up as one of my favorite movements. Because it does exactly that. We need to start combining things as opposed to separating our modalities. Watch this video, observe what I mean, and I urge you to strongly consider mixing TGU into your routine. See you in the gym. Read More