During the fall, high-frequency upper-body training wrecked my already football-ravaged shoulders. I ended up with a twinge of impingement syndrome in my right shoulder and an accident while overhead pressing gifted me a minor glenohumeral separation/dislocation/that shit really hurt for a while. To remedy the errors that I made, I backed down my pressing volume, had manual...Read More

If you were to ask me the most common question that I receive on the regular,  “why am I doing this?” tops that list (right after, “how is your beard so freaking marvelous?”). Hey guys/gals, Chris here- listen, I’m no English major, and I’m pretty sure that the above sentence structure is a wreck… so...Read More

Well, it’s that one time of year where we Americans show our thanks by over-eating and then zoning out on the couch to our favorite TV movies and sports.  All of this before we rush the stores and trample each other for the “best deals of the year.”  But hey, in all honesty I’m doing...Read More

I’m not going to turn this into a post about how deadlifting gives you dat booty. We met our quota with those when the first one was published/posted/put on the internet. However, in 1992 Sir Mix A Lot, without conscious effort and through his lyrics, described the deadlift in one curt line. “I’m long, I’m...Read More

If you had walked up to me on the street two years ago and told me that in 2012 I’d be the co-head presenter at two seminars, I’d have looked at you cross. Not because I wouldn’t have believed you, but because I would have been creeped out. Stranger danger isn’t cool and I don’t...Read More

Hey guys, coach Chris here!  The Turkish get-up is an awesome test of overall strength and mobility.  When performed properly, it is a beautiful thing.  However, it’s not an exercise that one runs out and masters on day one. One of my strength coach buddies, Nico, up in NY hit me up today to ask if...Read More

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

We have all had those moments in life where someone tells us that we should do something- or even better, we have to do something.  Many of these moments happen in childhood, and the message came from our parents.  It wasn’t really rebellion that led us to ignore their guidance, rather a sense of, “I...Read More

The good ol’ push-up- a staple of bodyweight training, and yet, butchered oh so often. A quick search of the term “bad push-up form” resulted in the following pictures: We do a basic push-up test in our assessment at Beyond Strenth Performance NOVA.  No, not how many you can do in one minute- we simply want...Read More

A few moons ago I was a football player, and made it through every pre-season camp, from junior high through college, unscathed. Well, except for my sophomore year of college when I snapped my hamstring on the first day of two-a-days. But we don’t need to talk about that. (I’m still chagrinned!) To help you,...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