A RARE SUNDAY RANDOMNESS POST I don’t do random posts often, but when I do, I post ’em on Sundays. So Dustin had back surgery to shave a bone spur at L5-S1 last Monday (the 1st of October) and is recovering amazingly well!  You will see him in a video below (prior to surgery).  He...Read More

Planks, ab wheel, pallof presses- all of these things and more, can, and will be used to rock your core.  However, we can all be guilty at times of doing too much of the same.  I’m here today to show you thirteen anti-extension drills that you probably haven’t seen before.  And if you have, well,...Read More

Can you believe that I opened my gym one year ago, today!!  It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t trade a thing.  I have learned so much from the good, but even more from the bad.  For those of you that don’t know, I have made the tag-line for my training “Progression Through Perseverance.” ...Read More

Todd placed a picture of Dustin on our Facebook page earlier today that struck up a lot of talk about how shredded my best friend and athlete, Dustin Pague, is.  Most of the comments resort to shock and awe, merely wishing that one could attain the shred factor that he has acheived.  Well, today I...Read More

Chris is a tough act to follow this week–his post on Progressing the Squat for MMA is outrageously detailed. I think he’s trying to make me look bad–especially in his super-cool Sgt Slaughter-esque, Army issue, black tank-top. Dang dude, you bad.   What a jerk. (I’m kidding. Chris is a sweetheart. For those of you...Read More

I want to first start off by apologizing for my absence from the blog the last few weeks.  As some of you may know, I had been training up Dustin Pague for his UFC bout with Jared Papazian back on June 8th (which he won by first round submission).  However, he was immediately called up...Read More

Synthesizing information into something that is usefully directed is a big part of getting better as a coach. Honestly, focusing my brain and avoiding the oh, there’s something shiny effect can be tough for me. It’s my struggle, but I think I’m getting better. I think today’s post is a good example of my progress.  ...Read More

The measure of a good teacher is how well he or she can take complicated topics and narrow them to the point that anyone can understand them. It’s not about looking smart–it’s about being effective. When it comes to coaching cues less is always more. Too bad we can’t say the same for this gem...Read More

You want a shock? I think the overhead press is the best upper-body exercise. Disregarding the categories of push and pull, the overhead press delivers more for your effort than any other upper-body movement. It is, however, an intimidating lift. The thought of pressing a loaded barbell over one’s cranium can be nerve wracking. It’s...Read More

I don’t usually do this, but I am going to start this article off with a quote. Here goes, “Strength is like pudding–the proof is in it.” This gem comes to us from none other than the grand master of badassery herself, Kathy “Hot Kath” Traxler. For those of you that don’t know Hot Kath, it’s my mom. She...Read More

Unconventional exercises are the bees knees. They are a great way to break a mundane training cycle, as well as break the typical linear patterns we are all so used to training in. After the basic movements are mastered, adding in unconventional movements is necessary for helping your body adapt to chaos and bridging the gap between the weight-room...Read More

Hello world!  I’m back again with another edition of “Heard of this?”…  this time around I’m going to  shed some light on a commonly performed exercise, only with a slight twist involved.  The barbell rollout is a pretty simple exercise, and most often it is performed with a plate on each side of the bar...Read More

Week number two of Awesome Research Thursdays is here! I feel like screaming that from a mountain top, but I live in Pennsylvania and it’s cold in the mountains. I did, however, yell it in my car as I drove to work this morning. Does that make me weird? Absolutely. But Veronica (my car, it’s...Read More

Today I’m going to test drive something here on the blog. Chris and I are cooking up new ideas for a regular blog schedule for 20120 (yep, it’s three weeks away), so I’m going to hit you ladies and gents with a few ideas, take your feedback into account and keep what sticks. Our first...Read More

A couple of the athletes that I train are also required to train at the varsity weight-room of a large, Division 1 university. I won’t name names, but I live in State College, Pennsylvania. This university also has one of the largest, and most reputable kinesiology departments, in the country. It’s amazing how classroom knowledge can...Read More