Todd Bumgardner
We Stand on the Shoulders of Giants
The following post is an exerpt from the Supreme Strength Manual. Conversations about the classic men of strength and sports training commonly include names such as Siff, Zatsiorsky, Hackenschmidt and VasilyAlexseyev. Mel Siff and Vladimir Zatsiorsky have gone to great lengths to improve other’s understanding of the science of strength. Hackenschmidt and Alexseyev have shown [...]
Goal Setting
The following post is an excerpt from the Supreme Strength manual. To be strong and successful you must set clear goals and then hold yourself accountable to achieve them. Self-accountability is dependent on emotion. What Drives You? What do I want to change? Why do I want to change it? What outcome(s) do I see [...]
8 Questions with The Glute Guy
Encountering a true expert is rare these days. Many profess, but very few actually know. Bret Contreras, however, is a true glute training expert; in fact he is the glute training authority. Being the deadlift addict that I am, I’m constantly searching to learn more about training the posterior chain. I can’t think of a [...]
Why Strength Will Always Be King!
Speed kills and power punishes. Both statements share a bit of truth, spiced with hyperbole, and they’ve become mantras of strength and sport coaches all over the world. Does speed truthfully kill? In the case of a cheetah and gazelle, I would say so. Speed and power, for our purpose, though, mean a faster trip to [...]
What My 25th Year Taught Me
A few weeks ago I turned twenty-six–an arbitrary age that people tend to dismiss. However, the year that led up to putting twenty-six candles on a cake taught me a lot. Here are a few, hopefully applicable, lessons I’d like to share. 1) You are the Culmination of Your Choices: There is a widely accepted notion that our social and [...]
Don’t Forget about the Psoas: Why Hip Flexion is Necessary
Today’s post is a guest article from Joe Giandonato, CSCS, a great coach located in the Philadephia area. For the past few years, the glutes have stolen the limelight, so much so, that fitness professionals and researchers have dedicated a bulk of their time to investigating their impact on injury reduction and performance enhancement and [...]
Where’s Your Anger?
“Where’s your anger? Where’s your fuckin’ rage?” The lyrics above are from a song called “After the Eulogy” by BoySetsFire. My friend Joffy (his real name is Jonathan) introduced me to the song during the fall of our freshman year of high school. Every morning we’d blare the song in his sister’s car–torturing her as she drove us to [...]
Pull Your Shoulders Back!
”Stand up straight! Chest out!” I’m not sure if that’s what he is actually yelling–it seems fitting. But he has a lot of metal on his uniform and he’s missing his left canine tooth; I don’t think we should mess with him. Then again, he could be yelling, ” I want macaroni!” Let’s be on the safe [...]
My Nutrition and Supplement List
You know that saying, ‘if I had a nickel for every time I heard that I’d be rich’? Sometimes that’s how I feel when someone asks me about my current nutrition plan and the supplements that I take. If I had a nickel for every time I was asked per week I’d be stashing an extra [...]
Go Climb a Mountain
Traversing up the side of a ridge in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania there is a trail known as the Thousand Steps. Part of an area known as Jack’s Narrows, the steps were built in 1936 so that stone miners could get to work on top of the mountain. Every 100 steps there is a marker etched in the stone–counting [...]
New Bench Training: 2 Board Cluster Reps
In honor of National Bench Press Day, I thought I’d give you a new bench work out to try today. Unfortunately, I won’t be getting this one in with you today–I bench at the end of each week. I know; I need to get my priorities in order. None-the-less, I think you’ll enjoy this [...]
The Best Core Circuit Ever!
Ok, maybe not the best core circuit ever–that’s a bit of hyperbole. But, none-the-less, I have a great core circuit for you to try. It’s simple, effective and only consists of three exercises–rollouts, anti-rotation walk-outs and reverse crunches. Start with roll-outs–using a barbell, dumbbell or [...]
Sequencing Shoulder Soft-Tissue Release
Synthesizing information into something that is usefully directed is a big part of getting better as a coach. Honestly, focusing my brain and avoiding the oh, there’s something shiny effect can be tough for me. It’s my struggle, but I think I’m getting better. I think today’s post is a good example of my progress. [...]
NFL Linebackers, Core Training and Cut-off Sweatpants
No, I’m not crazy. I’m not playing mad libs, either. NFL Linebackers, core training and cut-off sweatpants are related. One of the coolest opportunties I’ve had as a strength coach is working with my best friend, Josh Hull. He is an NFL linebacker that played his college ball at Penn State and has spent the [...]
2 Cool Hip Flexor Activation Drills
Last week I got some questions in response to a previous blog article entitled, Activate Your Hip Flexors. Readers wanted to know what rep ranges to do the two drills within and if there were any other hip flexor activation drills worth doing. So I decided to put together my first video blog post. It’s brief [...]
