PLT4M podcast: Chalk Talk is now live! If you have a passion for fitness, strength and conditioning, or just working with students and athletes, this is the podcast for you.
Widely used and often the focus of hot training takes, SMR (or Self Myofascial Release), is a mobility and recovery mechanism we believe in here at PLT4M.
The Warm Up. It’s the least exciting part of training. It lacks the competition and the intensity of the rest of the workout. The warm up, though, is one of the most important components of any training program.
A great combination of activation and single limb balance, this drill is much like a SL RDL in that it is unilateral flexion and extension of the hip. Here, though, we are adding the element of a high knee drive during extension and our focus is on slow, smooth movement and perfect balance without a counterweight.
Back as a first year PE teacher and high school strength coach, one thing that surprised me most was the inability of many students and athletes to jump rope. I had assumed that jumping rope was a universal skill kids picked up along the way during childhood. Turns out, that’s not necessarily the case. Again…
We teachers and coaches are constantly faced with the challenging task of introducing new and inexperienced students and athletes to what many may call “the basics.” It is this foundation that we lay when they first walk into the gym, that serves as the basis for their long-term fitness and performance. Our responsibility, then, is to demonstrate and instill mastery of these basics within each and every athlete.
The Thruster. Arguably one of our favorite movements, as well as one of the most challenging in almost any training scenario. The thruster is a true full body movement that combines a full-depth squat with a press to lockout overhead. It is a serious “bang for buck” movement when it comes to athletic development.
One of the 3 most common loaded variations of our standard air squat – the Front Squat is widely regarded as the most “athletic” of the weighted squat movements. When attempting the Front Squat for the first time, there are a few main coaching points to keep in mind.
One of our very favorite movements here at PLT4M, the overhead squat is a must-have in any athletic training program. Here’s how to teach your athletes the overhead squat.
Once our athletes have mastered the foundational air squat (and only then), the first loaded variation we introduce is the “High Bar Back Squat”. The back squat, along with the bench press and barbell deadlift, is one of the 3 “Power Lifts” and is widely considered one of the best tools for developing raw strength.