Training the core (midsection) muscles isn’t as complicated as most make it out to be. Let’s start by first saying that your spinal column was designed to bend, rotate, flex, extend and move, in general. Some seem to have a train of thought that disallows spinal flexion or fear mongers when an athlete extends their spine. None of these movement patterns of the spinal column are dangerous or harmful for long-term …
Matthew Ibrahim
How to Navigate Instagram by Finding Quality Accounts to Follow
Instagram is action-packed with information, news, updates, media, posts, etc. Quite frankly, it can become overwhelming at times, which makes it important to be able to sift through and find what is most useful to you. If you’re a personal trainer or strength coach, I’d imagine that you use Instagram primarily for two reasons: to learn more about other people doing awesome stuff in the field and to have a …
3 Keys to Keeping Clients Engaged in Online Training
Online training is a completely different universe than what we have all become accustomed to within the in-person training format inside of a gym. Not only are you and your athletes essentially stuck behind a screen, but you also lose out on the in-person interactions that keep everyone engaged. Let’s face it: the virtual space is here to stay, and although coaches have jumped back into in-person training to a …
5 Tips for Efficiency When Coaching Through the TrueCoach Platform
Let me start by stating the obvious: training in an online format is a whole lot different than training in-person. But that doesn’t mean you should skip any steps, and it certainly doesn’t give you permission to leave any stones unturned. TrueCoach has been the special sauce—the je ne sais quoi—that has positioned each coach in the driver’s seat on the path to success. The TrueCoach platform has helped athletes …
Presentability, Professionalism & Accountability as a Coach
Flip roles for a moment. You’re the athlete now, and no longer the coach. What are some things that you would look for in your coach? How would you want him or her to coach you? What would your expectations be? These are just a few of the common questions and thoughts that run through the mind of each and every athlete that you end up coaching. They’re all thinking the same things, and to a certain …
A Step-By-Step Push-Up Progression List
The push-up is a classic exercise and a staple in nearly all training programs. It’s easily one of the most popular upper body exercises of all time due to its simplicity and effectiveness. The problem is that most people tend to bypass many of the necessary steps in the process of building a pristine push-up from start to finish. There are several ingredients that go into push-up mastery, so it’s important to …
Building Single-Leg Strength from the Ground Up: Part 2
Single-leg strength is a highly-coveted physical quality when it comes to advancing your health, fitness, and performance. It’s important to build durability in single-leg exercises so that your lower body can be strong enough to withstand the demands of playing sports, going for a run, and lifting weights. We are going to break down single-leg strength with respect to the deadlift (hip hinge) pattern …
Building Single-Leg Strength from the Ground Up: Part 1
Being strong and durable on one leg bodes well for all aspects of health and performance. Whether you’re an endurance athlete who runs a lot, an athlete in a field or court-based sport, or just looking to get stronger on one leg in the gym, this information is for you. In part 1, the focus will be on building single-leg strength with respect to the single-leg squat pattern. Then, we will tackle the single-leg …
Programming Strategies: Eccentrics, Isometrics, and Tempo
Coach: “Hey, [insert athlete’s name], let’s slow those down a bit.” Athlete: “I am going slow, Coach.” Coach: “Your training program calls for a five-second eccentric. You’re doing more of a two-second eccentric.” As a coach, I bet you’ve been here before. I bet there’ve been times, too, when you’ve questioned the why behind using eccentrics, isometrics, and tempo in your training programs. Let’s be …
Career Path Advice for the Up-and-Coming Coach
Every up-and-coming strength coach or personal trainer I come in contact with seems to be in a rush. Why? I can never understand this. They want to go to every course and seminar offered, obtain every certification, and achieve instant success. Nothing is wrong with wanting to educate yourself and improve. But there’s no need to rush it. I hate to burst your bubble, but success is neither instant nor easily …