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SNATCH MOBILITY PREP. I've received a lot of questions recently about my thoughts on following passive mobility techniques up with loading so thought I'd share an example. After focusing on powerlifting for a while my shoulder mobility has stiffened a bit so prior to snatching I did this warm up: ➡️Overhead Opener as a passive stretch of the shoulders and thoracic spine. ➡️Squat Y's for loading into this newly acquired range of motion and for some upper back strength work (this is much harder than it appears). ➡️Finished with behind the neck sotts press for a bit more movement specific prep work. #CrossFit #mobility #fitness #weightlifting #functionalmovement #charlottefitness #thebarbellphysio #BulletProofMobility #heavysquatsfixeverything #masterthesquat #physicaltherapy #physiotherapy #ClinicalAthlete #cltcrossfit #olympicweightlifting (at Charlotte, North Carolina)

#bulletproofmobility #physiotherapy #olympicweightlifting #cltcrossfit #crossfit #functionalmovement #thebarbellphysio #heavysquatsfixeverything #physicaltherapy #weightlifting #clinicalathlete #charlottefitness #masterthesquat #mobility #fitness

Scaling The Pull-Up

The best fitness professionals have a plethora of exercises they can pull out at a moment’s notice to scale a movement based on a client or athlete’s needs. Unfortunately, far too often we see programming without sufficient scaling options to ensure safe and effective workouts for all gym members. Join Dr Zach Long (The Barbell Physio) and Dr Andrew Millettin this series on scaling exercises to…

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Scaling the Overhead Press

The best fitness professionals have a plethora of exercises they can pull out at a moment’s notice to scale a movement based on a client or athlete’s needs. Unfortunately, far too often we see programming without sufficient scaling options to ensure safe and effective workouts for all gym members. Join Dr Zach Long (The Barbell Physio) and Dr Andrew Millettin this series on scaling exercises to…

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The Best Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility Exercises

Big shocker coming….ankle dorsiflexion mobility is very important for optimizing movement in athletics. Okay maybe that isn’t the most shocking news. But perhaps no-where more than Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit is ankle mobility crucial to performance. So here are my five favorite ankle mobility movements!

DO YOU NEED TO IMPROVE YOUR ANKLE DORSIFLEXION?

Before hammering away at your ankle…

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The Psoas March – The Key to Strong, Flexible Hip Flexors

The psoas march is among my favorite corrective exercises to prescribe for athletes needing improved lumbopelvic control. This exercise has helped athletes with everything from psoas strains, low back pain, squat technique, and even “tight” hip flexors (because often weak muscles become tense). If you are ready for a stronger core and better control then give the psoas march and its variations a…

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Scaling The Squat

The best fitness professionals have a plethora of exercises they can pull out at a moment’s notice to scale a movement based on a client or athlete’s needs. Unfortunately, far too often we see programming without sufficient scaling options to ensure safe and effective workouts for all gym members. Join Dr Zach Long (The Barbell Physio) and Dr Andrew Millettin this series on scaling exercises to…

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Individualization of Squat Technique - Sports Demands

Individualization of Squat Technique – Sports Demands

We’ve covered how specific mobility limitations, hip socket alignment, and bone lengths can impact squat performance in the last three parts of this series. In this final installment of individual differences affecting squat technique we will discuss sports variations. Let’s begin by looking at Olympic weightlifting where athletes must perform the snatch and the clean & jerk. For these two…

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Femur Length and Squat Technique - How Individual Differences Impact Squat Performance

In Parts I and II in this series on how individual anatomical differences can impact squat performance we covered the effects of various levels ankle mobility, hip mobility, and hip boney anatomy. These two articles provide a significant amount of evidence for the need to individualize our squat technique prescription to every athlete that we work with. This week’s article will further…

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Hip Sockets and Squat Depth – How Individual Differences Impact Squat Performance

Last week in Part I of this series on individualizing squat technique prescriptions, we covered how an athlete’s hip and ankle mobility (or lack thereof) can impact their squat form. These variations in individual anatomy mean that many of the “rules” for what a proper squat should look like are false. So many of the popular things coaches say such as point your toes forward will actually…

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Movement Control and Mastering The Basics

I was fortunate enough to sit down with Jeff Tucker, head of CrossFit Gymnastics, to have a great discussion around movement mastery and techniques to improve athletic performance.

As you’ll see Jeff is an amazing resource on improving human movement and function and this interview is full of great information no matter what your movement background or training!

Be sure to also check out Performa…

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Individual Differences In Squat Performance – Part I Mobility

One of the biggest misconceptions I see and hear when working with various fitness coaches is that there is a certain way to squat. Knees must be positioned in a certain spot, feet must be pointed a certain direction, and coaches try to force their athletes to squat in these exact positions.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen this wreck serious havoc on the health and performance of so many athletes whose…

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Are Tight Hip Muscles Limiting Your Squat?

Performing a deep squat is a common goal in many training environments. While squat depth may be predetermined by bony anatomy that dictates hip ranges of motion, a majority of people (if not all) have the appropriate hip structure to squat to at least parallel. However, this goal is often challenged by muscle tightness in the hips. Some blame the hip flexors, others say the hamstrings, so which…

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Training Smart Through Pregnancy

As a BIRTHFITRegional Director, chiropractor, and mom, I am all for women exercising during pregnancy. I have reaped the benefits of exercise through two pregnancies and have seen plenty of patients experience the same benefits. A few of these benefits include decreased musculoskeletal complaints throughout pregnancy, improved body mechanics and posture, prevention of gestational diabetes and…

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The Best Mobility Technique You Are Not Using

We’ve all used foam rollers, stretching, band joint distractions, lacrosse balls and a variety of other tools to improve mobility. But there is a big gap between having the available range of motion and being able to express that available motion in functional patterns such as the squat. Eccentric isometrics for mobility

As a physical therapist / strength coach hybrid, it is rare to find athletes…

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The Biggest Lies Your Doctor, Physical Therapist, & Chiropractor Have Told You

There have been some amazing advances in the medical world to provide life-saving treatments….on the opposite end of the spectrum we’ve got too many doctors, PTs, and chiropractors spewing BS to patients on a daily basis! Here are the five biggest lies you’ve been told!

Rest

This one drives me nuts! When we completely rest, the body’s response is to decrease protein synthesis meaning you’ll lose…

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Better Way to Build Pull-up Strength

The pull-up is a foundational movement for the fitness athlete and is often underestimated in its importance. Requiring back, core, and shoulder strength, this movement is fantastic for any athlete. The major problem with the pull-up is that many athletes struggle to build the foundation of a sound pull-up or set themselves up with appropriate progressions for long term development of pull-up…

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Zach Long, DPT, PT, PES