As with any area of training, when it comes to training the legs we often fall back to our same training routines and exercises. That’s a shame since it is one of the most fundamental aspects of training. We wanted to help coaches get out of that rut this month by exploring some different ways to train the legs. Through the month we published 12 new articles, 2 new videos, and 1 new podcast on the topic from a 9 different contributors. Read more
Some exercises are built for load, and some are built for athleticism. I see a lunge as an area for improving coordination, mobility and co-contraction in all planes of motion. What it is not, for me, is a movement pattern that invites heavy resistance. I feel as though when it comes to lunging variations and progressions a lot of coaches and physios divert down the resistance path to the detriment of the other qualities I mentioned above. Read more
I have been using Spectrum Squats for so long now, I take them for granted. It has been 13 years since Vern Gambetta first posted about Spectrum Squats. Its sister workout, the Gambetta Leg Circuits, have gained a lot of traction in the athletic development community. But Spectrum Squats remain unknown in many circles. In the article below I reintroduce the concept and explain how I put them into practice with my own athletes and patients. Read more
Usually any injury negatively affects movement patterns in the short term and, if left unaddressed, indefinitely. Whether it be due to pain, inhibition or central motor control changes these alterations in movement need to be addressed early, consistently and progressively in a rehabilitation program. Good quality, simple movement in rehab is the cornerstone to regaining function. Read more
As Jocko Willink says “all excuses are lies.” Therefore, health issues aside, someone not being able to train because of the coronavirus is not only an excuse, but also a lie. When the current pandemic presented itself I knew right away that school and training had a high probability of being postponed or canceled. So the final eight weeks of our season would go down the drain if we were unable to find a way to keep the routine going by some means. So I put together a three-pronged approach to supporting my athletes. Below are examples of a typical workout (option 1), a substitute workout (option 2), and a workout with no tools (option 3). Read more
This article was co-authored by Peter Colagiuri with the help of Leigh Egger, colleagues at BioAthletic. Colagiuri will release an app for sports injury diagnosis later this year. You can learn more at Sports Injury Online.
There are various components required to create power in the context of athletic performance. Single leg power tasks include cutting or agility during running, jumping for a ball while running and during sprint take off. These tasks are integral in most sports yet a significant portion of our gym based strength training focuses on double leg strength and power. Squats and deadlifts are great for building muscle function but don’t provide a comprehensive platform for athletic function. In order to successfully train and rehabilitate athletes to full athletic performance, we need to ensure that all aspects of performance are adequately addressed. Read more
Every June, we both make a trip to Houston for Vern Gambetta’s annual GAIN conference. With faculty included strength coaches, sport coaches, physical therapists, trainers, academics and sports scientists from a variety of professional and amateur sports, it provides a chance to learn and share. On this week’s podcast we broadcast live from the event and recap the key lessons learned on each day of the event. Read more
Coaches need a lot of tools in their toolbox. If all the strength coach knows is the barbell, then they are limiting their ability to solve more complex problems. Therefore for the site theme in April we chose going beyond the barbell, bringing together 3 new videos, 2 podcasts, and 5 articles to look at different ways coaches can solve problems with other training methods. All the links are below, but first I wanted to share a few ideas that crystallized in my mind this month. Read more
Last month on the podcast, Martin and I discussed some of the various training methods we use to target leg strength. As this month’s HMMR Media site theme is “beyond the barbell” it made sense for us to dig a little deeper into the methods we use outside the weight room and what options are available to coaches in this regard. Read more
Strong legs are a critical factor in nearly every sport. And as the legs are involved in so many types of movements, there are many ways to train them too, both traditional and non-traditional. Some debates online recently have been critical of different training methods, so we thought it would be good to lay out our approach. On this episode we talk about how and why we use various training methods for legs, and how we progress and combine the methods. Read more
