In an athletic world where speed and power reign supreme, everyone wants to know how to Olympic lift, because power development is key. Olympic lifts have even taken the fitness industry by storm with the rise of Crossfit and other similar companies and exercise fads. It has been around as an Olympic sport for decades [...]

Unteachable speed is a trait that most coaches desire to see in their athletes. Having an individual on your team who has blistering pace that they were genetically blessed with is rare, but welcome when it does occur. However, being able to help all athletes make small improvements in their speed may be even more [...]

Being able to master the hip hinge movement pattern is crucial for lifters. All three major lower body movements: deadlift, trap bar deadlift, and barbell squat, require an athlete to be able hip hinge if performed correctly. In the squat movement pattern many athletes hyperextend their low back instead of using their glutes and hip [...]

Speed is one of the most desirable traits in an athlete, no matter the sport or position in that sport. If given the choice, an athlete will always want to be just a little bit faster. Unfortunately, there is no secret formula to make athletes faster, and most of speed is based upon genetics. It [...]

Internships have always been a crucial aspect of being successful in the workforce, no matter the field an individual is getting into. While obtaining a high level education at a college or university and earning a degree, or multiple degrees, in the field is important... there is no parallel to gaining experience by doing an [...]

There are a few athletes that come to mind when we think of unteachable speed: Deon Sanders, Barry Sanders, Darrell Green, and Bo Jackson are just a few. As strength coaches we may never get some of the true 'genetic freaks' that were born to run fast; however, we should be able to improve our [...]

The squat has been one of the most heavily used strength training exercises in athletics, fitness, competitive weight lifting, and exercise across the board for many, many years. No matter the goal of an individual's exercise - get stronger, increase athletic performancee, lose weight, etc. - squatting is a go to movement in all arenas. [...]

Power is defined as the relationship between work being done in a given amount of time. Mathematically, it is quite simply P = W/t. Work can be defined with the relationship between force and distance, as well as the angle of application of the work. As a mathematical equation it looks like this: W = [...]

John Shackleton is the strength and conditioning coach for Villanova Basketball and has been a part of successful sporting campaigns fueled by positive energy and supported by accountability. While the little things and everyday tasks are very important to him, Coach Shack believes that defining his role through a mission statement is a key element, [...]

The terms velocity and acceleration are two very different things. In the video below, Jim Kielbaso - President/CEO of the International Youth Conditioning Association - explains why understanding the difference between the two is of the utmost importance when developing speed in athletes. By definition, the term velocity refers to a fixed pace, unchanging for [...]