Joe Lopez

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Joe Lopez, CSCS, works with many different athletes at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, N.J. His expertise is in track & field, baseball and golf. He has worked as a personal trainer for more than seven years. Follow him online at jerseystrong.wordpress.com or on Twitter.

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4 Running Form Fixes for Beginners

May 4, 2013 | Joe Lopez

Running seems like an easy skill. However, running with no concern for form will limit your chances of competing in a race. Correct your running form before it's too late for a long-distance event. Correct Your Posture A tall upper-body posture will...

The In-Season Workout for Baseball Pitchers

March 18, 2013 | Joe Lopez

Spring is here and pitchers have to get in shape for baseball season. Unless you do, you will be unable to stay strong and healthy over a grueling season. (Watch Justin Verlander's full off-season workout.) During the pre-season, pitchers commonly run...

How to Optimize Your Stretching Routine

March 12, 2013 | Joe Lopez

Stretching conjures up thoughts of holding a muscle in a stretched position to improve flexibility. This "gym-class" style of stretching remains an important way to improve flexibility; however, other types of stretching may offer more benefits to athletes. (See Can Stretching...

Golfers: Prevent Common Injuries With These Exercises

February 16, 2013 | Joe Lopez

Golf isn't often associated with major injuries, but the explosive nature of the swing can take a serious toll on the body. To prevent injury, you need to improve your ability to decelerate the club from max velocity. The swing is...

Plyometric Exercises for Runners

February 3, 2013 | Joe Lopez

Picture yourself on the starting line of a race. You’re in the blocks. You pull back to create eccentric motion in the lower leg before firing forward to victory. Now imagine yourself being able to shoot off even further. Want...

The Ripped Lower-Ab Workout

December 21, 2012 | Joe Lopez

To get a true six-pack—one where even those hard-to-define lower abs look nice and cut—you need to work your abs in more ways than one. Standard flexion exercises, like Crunches and Sit-Ups, aren’t going to cut it. While these movements...

12-Week 5K Training Program

December 18, 2012 | Joe Lopez

5K runs are becoming increasingly popular around the country, whether for charity or competition. Some might be apprehensive about embarking on their first 5K, but worry not. This training plan will get you ready for a 5K in only 12...

Gain 4 Pounds of Muscle in 10 Days

December 4, 2012 | Joe Lopez

Young athletes often tell me they want to gain as much muscle as they can as quickly as possible. While this is an understandable goal—people equate muscles with strength, and strength with better performance—muscle mass alone isn’t necessarily the best...

Get Serious About Improving Your Golf Swing with Core Exercises

December 1, 2012 | Joe Lopez

The latest training industry buzzword, the "core" holds one of the secrets to improving performance on the golf course. Anybody who's anybody is searching for the best way to work his or her abdominals. But for a golfer, the core...

3-Step Approach Guaranteed To Build and Protect Shoulder Muscles

November 16, 2012 | Joe Lopez

If you want to build shoulder muscles, you need to understand how the shoulder works. One of the most complex joints in the body, the shoulder is the junction of three major bones—the clavicle (or collarbone), scapula and humerus—which together...