This is the first piece of many that will pertain to MMA conditioning, nutrition, recovery, etc…  In this first blog we are taking a look at a conditioning class that I put the guys through earlier this week. Dynamic Warmups* -          Hip Flexor Rockers -          Front Rolls -          Crunch Pull Throughs -          High Knee Walks...Read More

Yesterday we talked about improving our breathing habits, and worked on a couple of drills that promote more efficient breathing.  Hopefully you started using the drills and have seen some results.  If not, what are you waiting for?  Today, we’re talking about sleep.  Most of us don’t get enough of it, and the quality sucks,...Read More

Sleep and breathing; two functions that are absolutely necessary to sustain life, yet so many people neglect to make sure they are doing either one properly.  Sure, everyone does both because there is no choice in the matter.  However, quality and quantity are issues for both.  Take a deep breath.  Did your shoulders rise?  If they did...Read More

This week’s video is of the man, the myth, the legend: Dustin Pague.  Dustin is on a fast rise as of late, even though he’s been in the sport of mixed martial arts for more than six years.  His last five wins have been over top competition in two weight classes (135 & 145), with...Read More

We have a new addition to the Beyond Strength Performance team of original article contributors!  His name is Chris Gingrich and I know from personal experience that he is a gentle lover of women and also a broad shouldered enforcer of all things right and just!  Seriously, Chris is a great guy with a lot...Read More

During the first part of this two part blog installment, we talked about pre-workout nutrition. Since the title of the post is “Pre- and Post-workout Nutrition”, we’ll talk about post-workout nutrition this time. When dealing with post-workout nutrition there is still a window of opportunity to get nutrients into the body. Different research suggests different...Read More

So, the blog post about the video of the week comes a day late.  Sorry, I had to travel all day yesterday.  The video captured my training partner Jeff and me during one of our repetition effort days for our experimental pre-combine program.  Even though the day was based around training for reps, we added...Read More

Simple question, simple answer.  Right?  Think about all the times you have been asked if you are hungry over the span of your life time.  One of those occasions might have been last Tuesday when you were sitting in your dorm, or apartment, with your buddies.  Someone says, “Dude, are you hungry?  Let’s get some pizza.”  You...Read More

A while back Chris and I sent out a request on facebook for material that readers of the Beyond Strength blog would be interested in reading.  Well, this two-part blog is an answer to a request sent in by one Ms. Allurie Kephart, hailing from State College, PA.  In part one, we’ll focus on pre-workout...Read More

This week’s video of the week involves three ideas for shoulder prehabilitation from three different categories, or types of work. The first clip on the video is a myofascial release exercise for the rotator cuff, mainly the infraspinatus…  I am using a tennis ball in the video and leaning up against a wall- however, you could...Read More

Hey guys (and gals), So Todd and I get asked pretty often about what WE do…  Well, right now (the last two weeks), I am experimenting with concentric pull-ups, hang cleans, and single arm dumbbell snatches.  I know that a lot of people out there kind of hate on the snatch, but there is something about...Read More

The current installment of our video of the week features the concentric pull-up.  Chris and I love these for training the back explosively, as well as adding to pulling volume without making your lats feel like garbage all week.  Just be sure to keep your form and not push off with your feet to start...Read More

Self-myofascial release is a must in every program, and it is involved in some form or another in every program that Chris and I write.  Foam rollers, lacrosse balls, baseballs, tennis balls, tiger tails, rolling pins–there are a ton of possible implements to use.  But, what happens when it seems like your foam roller just isn’t...Read More

In our first “Video of the Week” post I decided to address a component of the athletic stance: setting the shoulder blades, also commonly referred to as “spreading the chest.”  In my opinion, this is one of the most common concepts that some people just can’t seem to grasp (maybe second to maintaining neutral spine-...Read More

The Corn Refiner’s Association of America has been running a lot of commercials lately stating that high fructose corn syrup is just like every other type of sugar and that it doesn’t have the negative effects on health that it gets a wrap for.  This, my friends, is a bold faced lie! As some of...Read More