By Joe Eisenmann, PhD โYou canโt fire a cannon from a canoe.โ โDon’t build on sand.โ โBuild the foundation of the house before you put up the walls.โ In the context of athletics, these analogies highlight the importance of lower body strength as a foundation to athletic performance. Indeed, several studies have shown that lower […]
The lifting platform, like the rack, is a staple in most weight rooms. The platform provides a dedicated space for the deadlift and the Olympic weightlifting movements (clean, jerk press, and snatch) and their derivatives (clean high pull, jump shrug, etc.). These platforms are often above ground but more recently facilities have begun installing inlaid […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS The ability to run fast up and down the basketball court is a game changer when it comes to the offensive transition game, and adequately defending an โup-tempoโ, transition style team.ย Linear speed on the basketball court, especially with the basketball in hand, has been personified by the likes […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS Lateral movement in the game of basketball is essential for defending ones opponent both on and off the ball.ย The ability to anticipate and โbeatโ the dribbler to a specific spot requires conditioning, technical repetition, and court awareness.ย Basketball coaches usually cover the latter two aspects by consistently implementing […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS There will most likely never be a magic pill or potion that miraculously makes humans rich, good-looking, athletic, thin, or famous.ย But, can there be a magic โtoolโ to make humans run faster?ย Most likely NOT, but the question has been contemplated since the first Olympic Games in […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS Olympic weight lifting has been utilized in most resistance training venues catering towards improvements in athletic performance.ย Often referred to as the most sophisticated and technical resistance training exercises, Olympic weight lifting tends to be assigned to athletes with many years of resistance training experience who are under the […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS An automobile with no brakes is literally an accident waiting to happen. This holds true for athletes and athletic performance involving any sport or activity that involves sprinting, agility, and change-of-direction (COD) movements.ย All athletic movement depends on two fundamental practices โ starting and stopping.ย Whether this involves […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS The Deadliftย is one of the most implemented weight lifting movements for improving strength and power. The muscle groups of the low back, glutes, and hamstrings, commonly known as the โposterior chainโ, have numerous effects on the majority of athletic movements and are deemed key training areas for […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS Concepts and equipment within the landscape of the weight room change constantly, unfortunately the budgets associated with most weight rooms, donโt.ย Adding resources not only for better training, but also to support large teams and diverse physical education (PE) classes, can be an expensive and time-consuming process.ย As you […]
By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS In relation to the previous performance blog post on variable resistance and the squat, the bench press movement is probably the second most popular exercise in the strength and conditioning field.ย Optimal development of upper body strength is dependent on high force production using pushing movements, and many will […]
