It's been a long time since I've done a Random Thoughts post, but it seemed fitting today. 1. I turned 27 yesterday, and I had a hell of a day. Frankly, it’s felt like one long party since Saturday, which has made it even cooler. I’ve done fun things and eaten some terrific food, but to me, it’s always more about the people than anything, and I’ve been lucky to spend time with family and friends, which trumps everything else. I want to thank everyone for all the nice birthday wishes, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. It’s honestly [...]

I normally make these posts on the weekend but I’m going to be tied up this weekend and don’t want to leave you hanging this week. So here are a bunch of awesome articles and podcasts from the past week. In case you missed my blog post earlier in the week, I have a few spots open for online training. Actually, two spots. Let me know if you’re interested. Online Training Spots Available And here is an article I had on T-Nation yesterday sharing knee-friendly ways to build up your legs. Knee-Friendly Quad Builders Now for the best of the [...]

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I actually got quite sick on Saturday, and while I’m feeling better, I’m not back to 100% yet and I’m behind on a few things. Anyway, enough whining. I just wanted to announce that I have three online training slots opening up. If you're interested, please send me an e-mail here with the subject: "Online Coaching Inquiry." In the message, please write a paragraph describing your goals and a little bit about yourself. If I think we are a good fit, we can discuss rates and when we'll get started. Please know that [...]

Yo yo. I’ve got a great list of articles from the past for you. I’m going to be brief with the intro because I’ve got a wicked cold coming on so I’m not feeling great, and I’ve got to tend to a bunch of fun things like fixing a flat tire, going grocery shopping, and probably a few more awesomely fun things I’m forgetting (Home Depot maybe?). Here are a few blog posts you may have missed during the week. Sliding Single Leg RDLs Overcoming Fear And here are the articles. Enjoy! There and Back Again by Max Shank The [...]

Today I want to share Sliding Single Leg RDLs. They can be done using a Valslides, a slideboard, or really anything that allows your foot to slide along the ground. Here’s what it looks like. I really like single leg RDLs, but many people find that the stability aspect is very difficult, sometimes to the point that they don’t feel as though they can adequately work the posterior chain because they are too busy try to balance. I think there is value in learning the movement on one leg, but at the same time, I think it’s important to have [...]

I consider myself to be very lucky in a number of ways, but the biggest is that my mom doubles as my best friend. I’m a “momma’s boy” through and through, and I’m damn proud of it. My mom is a remarkable lady, and today’s blog is about her. This weekend my mom launched her own website, and I’m very proud of her. She has always been very interested in art but never got into it until just under two years ago. She has poured herself into it though, taking lessons and practicing for hours a day. Every day. She [...]

It’s been a busy week again so I apologize for being spotty with the blog posts, but I’ve got another great list of articles for you to peruse, so fear not. I actually two articles up on T-Nation this week, so check those out if you haven’t already. Glutes Gone Wild: Part 2 7 for 27: Random Thoughts and Tips And here is a great guest blog post that I posted earlier in the week. Tips For Your Strength and Conditioning Internships by Kyle O’Flaherty On Wednesday I also read Jon Goodman’s new book called The Race to the Top. [...]

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a random thoughts post, so I figured it was time. I enjoy writing these types of posts, so hopefully you enjoy reading them. My thoughts were published on T-Nation yesterday, and I’d love to hear your feedback either in the comments here or in the comments on the article itself. Here is the article: 7 for 27: Random Thoughts and Tips Thanks, and as always, please feel free to give me any feedback on things you’d like me to address in future blogs and articles. Keeping in line with the random idea, [...]

Today’s blog is a guest post from Kyle O’Flaherty. Kyle is a student at Springfield College and is currently doing an internship at Cressey Performance. Last week he sent me a great write-up about important lessons he’s learned during his internship, and I think it’s really good stuff so I want to share it with y’all. If you’re looking to become a strength and conditioning coach and/or a personal trainer, I can’t recommend interning highly enough. I learned so much during my internship at MBSC it’s not even funny, and any time anyone asks me for advice on how to [...]

Hey y'all (yes, I said y'all and I'm not from the South). Hope you’ve had a good week. My favorite meal of the week is weekend brunch and I’m on my way to hit up possibly the best brunch spot in the entire world in a couple minutes and then go chill at the beach for a bit, so I’m not feeling much for chit chat right now. Instead, I’ll get to this week’s awesome list of articles. Real quick though: my Facebook page has been maxed out so I can no longer accept any more friend requests. With that [...]