Top My Workout Blog
The Joint By Joint Approach: Why Proper Movement Matters for Lifting
Posted by Chad Seltzer on
By Tommy Staup, MS, USAPL, USAW Skyscrapers are quite an architectural feat and can take just over a year to construct - depending on size of course. While we may not fully understand who may be operating inside those doors or what their purpose might be, we have a general understanding that the purpose of the structure itself is to physically support any business, organization, etc. that chooses to operate inside. If any one piece of that building is missing or lacks integrity, it may not last long or need repairs more often - it essentially is not a safely...
The Education of a Weightlifter, Part 1: Position, Rhythm, Speed
Posted by Chad Seltzer on
By Coach Mark Acosta, BS, USAW Introduction If you’re reading this, you care about weightlifting, are an athlete, coach or aspiring to become one or both of these. In any case, adopting and maintaining a beginner’s mindset is necessary to the continuous growth and journey of a weightlifter. This journey, or as I will commonly refer to it, “The education of a weightlifter”, begins with wide eyes, a daring spirit, and a mind like a sponge, ready to soak up everything Coach teaches. As a coach, it is necessary to understand that these wide eyed and daring beginner athletes, no...
Pain from the Back Down and What Might Be Causing It
Posted by Chad Seltzer on
An Article from the Catalyst Athletics Performance Menu By Chad Seltzer, MS, USAW2, PES, CES, Pn1 We have all experienced some sort of back pain. Some of us are fortunate enough to return to a pain free or almost pain free state after sleeping funny, sitting in a weird position for a little too long, or a slight shift or breakdown in form during weightlifting/powerlifting movements. The other side of the story is when you have ongoing back pain from a chronic condition or acute injury and it just won’t let up. Here is where we dive in to the...
Think Your Shoulders are doing the Work? You May Be Breathing Your Way to a Shoulder Injury.
Posted by Chad Seltzer on
An Article from the Catalyst Athletics Performance Menu By: Chad Seltzer, M.S., USAW2, PES, CES, Pn1 If you tuned in to last month’s Performance Menu, you may have noticed an article on breathing technique and bracing for bigger lifts. What you may not know is that breathing technique goes far beyond bracing and increasing internal pressure to help your squats and other bigger lifts. In fact, breathing technique and bracing can help during any lift where you are loading your spine with weight. This includes shoulder presses and other overhead movements. Information delivered here will relate more to your accessory...
Breathing Technique for Better Lifts
Posted by Chad Seltzer on
An Article from the Catalyst Athletics Performance Menu by Chad Seltzer, M.S., USAW2, PES, CES, Pn1 There is so much information about breathing technique online. You may have come across it an article by your favorite weightlifting authority, a post by someone you follow on Instagram, or a friend who heard it from a guy at the gym whose coach said he can have a better squat, deadlift or Olympic lift if he follows various steps to brace his core. What is the best way to brace your core, though? Everyone learns and feels cues differently, so let’s start with theory...