As a coach who works with lots of youth athletes, I can tell you that they all want to do the Bench Press—perhaps because it works big upper body muscles like the pecs, deltoids and triceps, or because the “get...
Rarely do I work with an individual who is not, in some way, concerned about body weight. Although I usually counsel people to ignore numbers on the scale, size does matter—just not in the way you probably think.
Power-to-weight ratio (PWR)...
Go to your local gym, and you’ll find countless people trying to mold a six-pack with traditional Crunches. Training your core shouldn't be as mundane and generic as washing the dishes. Core training needs to be performance-based, implemented in many...
When it comes to training for sports, not all exercises are created equal. This is especially true for a sport like football, which relies on an athlete's explosive power. Power is different from strength. Power is strength plus speed—how quickly...
Are you having trouble taking your athletes to the next level? Are their training gains not translating to on-field performance improvements? If so, I recommend reading Triphasic Training: A systematic approach to elite speed and explosive strength development, by Cal...
STACK Exercise of the Week helps you improve your overall sports performance—including strength, speed, conditioning and flexibility.
The Exercise
Skater Jumps
Who Does It
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks Defenseman
Sports Performance Benefits
This exercise increases your leg power when pushing out to the side, creating a...
News flash! Fancy equipment isn't necessary for a challenging workout. You could shell out hundreds of dollars for high-end training equipment or an elite gym membership. Or you could try this effective routine that uses a single weight plate. (See...
It's no secret that bodyweight training is a valuable exercise technique. It effectively challenges your muscles anywhere and anytime. However, if you don't know how to target your shoulders, it can be challenging to build them with only your body...
Building the chest and back is essential for performing better in almost every sport. The chest muscles are involved in pushing movements in sports such as football (blocking), wrestling (pushing away an pponent), basketball (passing and shooting), ice hockey (pushing...
Plyometric training is crucial for a basketball program to be successful.
Coaches who correctly implement plyo exercises help their players improve nearly every aspect of their performance. Those who don't usually produce less than stellar results. (See Effective Plyometrics for Basketball and Best...
