People are always looking for ways to make planks harder, and today’s Technique Tuesday will show you how to do exactly that. And we’re not going the obvious route of adding weight or increasing the time of the set. Instead, we’re attacking three less-talked-about areas to increase the difficulty of the exercise. We’ll look at: …
Single leg exercises are a staple in our programming at Cressey Sports Performance. Whether you’re a baseball player, powerlifter or just want to move better, single leg work builds coordination and stability where you need it most. The 1-leg Romanian deadlift (1-leg RDL for short) is one of our favorites. But learning the 1-leg RDL …
Technique Tuesday: Troubleshooting the 1-Leg RDL Read More »
Gripping a barbell is simple, but you’d be surprised how many lifters I coach who don’t know how to hold a kettlebell. This week’s Technique Tuesday explains an extremely common kettlebell grip mistake and how to fix it to improve your: Front rack position Cleans Presses Snatches Watch this video to learn how to hold …
If there’s one thing that great lifters have in common, it’s the ability to attack the barbell with controlled violence. This lost art of focused aggression is often what separates the pretty strong from the insanely strong. Watch some of the best lifters in the world today, like Eric Lilliebridge, Dmitry Klokov and Jen Thompson, and …
Usually I prefer to cry in the corner by myself between sets of deadlifts (it’s historically been the most challenging of the powerlifts for me), but this week’s Technique Tuesday covers what to do between sets of heavy pulls. Our primary goals between sets of the deadlift are to: Mobilize the hips Activate the abs and upper …
Technique Tuesday: What Should You Do Between Sets? (Deadlift Edition) Read More »
The squat may be the king of all lower body exercises, but if you’ve ever squatted heavy, you know that it’s extremely taxing on the upper body too. So taxing, in fact, that many people experience shoulder pain during squats at one point or another. That nagging feeling in the front of your shoulder makes it …
Last week’s Technique Tuesday discussed what you should do between sets of squats, so naturally, this week focuses on the bench press. Remember, your “A2” exercise should do one of three things: Mobilize (in this case, thoracic spine mobility) Activate (lat tension) Excite (explosive pressing movement) Watch the video below to see what exercises I …
Technique Tuesday: What Should You Do Between Sets? (Bench Edition) Read More »
One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “What should you do between sets?” Besides just sitting there and resting (which is totally fine), you can make good use of your rest periods by focusing on one of three things: Mobilization Activation Excitation This week’s Technique Tuesday explains how to attack these three areas between …
Technique Tuesday: What Should You Do Between Sets? (Squat Edition) Read More »
This week’s Technique Tuesday answers a common question: how wide is TOO wide for squats and sumo deadlifts? One might assume that wider is better because it reduces the range of motion and means you can lift more weight. That’s kinda true, but once you get too wide, there’s a point of diminishing returns. This …
Technique Tuesday: How Wide is Too Wide for Squats and Sumo Deadlifts? Read More »
Learning to creative active versus passive stability is an important concept for any lifter. Most people create passive stability, meaning they rely on an end-range position or the bar to create tightness (not always a good thing). From a performance and health standpoint, it’s often better to create active stability, where you brace/contract certain muscles …
Technique Tuesday: Active vs. Passive Stability During the Squat Read More »
