Mike's Blog:

11.21.06 - M2 E-Manual Ready and the Fitcast

The M2 e-manual is ready to go; if you've purchased the DVD and didn't get an e-mail regarding how to purchase it, drop Eric a line at ec@ericcressey.com and he'll get you hooked up.

As well, I was on the Fitcast this past weekend with Kevin Larrabee; we covered an array of topics including the future of my powerlifting career, how to rehab ankle sprains, my home gym set-up, etc. If you're interested, be sure to head over to The FitCast homepage and download it today!

Speaking of the home gym, I got a ton of work done this weekend and we're almost all set. The powerblocks and stands are put together, the platform is almost complete, and I get my power rack from UPS tomorrow. Stay tuned for pics once it's all put together - I'm getting PUMPED to have a real place to train!

Have a great Thanksgiving, and don't forget to be thankful for all that you have!

Best

Mike

11.10.06 - New Article UP and Big Things Coming!

In case you missed it, T-Nation released a new article by yours truly yesterday; here's the link:

On-the-Go Nutrition

Sure it's a little out of character for me, but it's easily applicable stuff that everyone can use. Check it out!

As well, I've been very busy lately, and me and my cohorts are about to release a ton of cool new stuff in the coming weeks. Here's what you have to look forward to:

- A companion e-manual to the Magnificent Mobility DVD (Eric Cressey and myself)

This will only be available to people who have purchased either the Magnificent Mobility DVD or the Monster Mobility pack. However, it's going to give you a copy so that you can print off your favorite M2 exercises and take them to the gym with you to even further improve your performance!

- The Building the Efficient Athlete 8-DVD Set (Eric Cressey and myself)

After much anticipation, we're getting close to releasing this huge package. We're in the final stages of editing, and we're hoping to have this ready to go by early-December. Here's a sneak peek of the cover art, for those who are interested.

- An EXCLUSIVE special report only for people who have purchased M2, I/O, or the Mobility Pack (Bill Hartman and myself)

For those who have purchased the Inside-Out, Magnificent Mobility or Monster Mobility products, you're soon going to receive a FREE special report that will help you evaluate your mobility, your areas of concern, and how to address these. If you haven't purchased these products yet, what are you waiting for? If you don't have them, you won't receive the special report - follow the links below to purchase them today!

Purchase Magnificent Mobility

Purchase Inside-Out

Purchase the Monster Mobility Pack
(this includes the Magnificent Mobility and Inside-Out DVD's, Inside-Out Print Manual)

All sorts of stuff on the way - stay tuned!

11.5.06 - Training

Just thought I'd do a little recap on the recent training; the knee is feeling really good and as many of you know my goal right now is to regain symmetry between sides in my major movements (squats, pulls, etc.).

As well, I'm also focusing on getting my connective tissue strong and regaining some lost athletic ability, but the primary goal is to get myself ready for my big return to the platform in the spring of '07. Here's a quick recap of my last two low body workouts:

Tuesday

Squats, 3x3@315 (felt really good and strong - slowly building volume/GPP back up and left medial thigh getting stronger)
RDL's, 6x275, 2x295
Glute-Ham Raises, 3x6

Saturday

Sumo Pulls, 2x1@405 (again, felt really good - glute activation/strength improving)
Single-Leg RDL's, 3x6@55
Walking Lunges, 3x8@30 (glute activation improving and left medial thigh getting stronger)
Pull-throughs, 3x8 w/the whole stack
Kneeling Cable Punch, 2x6@40

All-in-all, it was a good week of training - just a few more weeks until that home gym is complete!

Stay strong

10.26.06 - Like A Kid On Christmas Day...

Seriously, that's what I've been like since I got back from the Ryan Lee Bootcamp.

Not only did I get to fraternize with tons of amazing coaches and trainers, but I came away with some SERIOUS loot, too.

All in all, here's what I came back with:

Combat Conditioning Secrets Manual - Jason Ferrugia

Designing Strength Training Programs and Facilities - Mike Boyle

The Complete Evan Osar Training Set, this includes:
- Form and Function
- Complete Hip and Lower Extremity Conditioning
- Complete Shoulder and Upper Extremity Conditioning
- Program Design Manual

Foundations of Kinetic Chain Dysfunction, Corrective Exercise and Training - Bill Hartman

I'm only through about 1/3rd of it, but these are some seriously powerful materials that I know will make me a better coach, trainer and athlete. I'm going to give a thorough review of the first two in my next newsletter, so make sure you sign-up so you can get the inside scoop!

EDIT: Jason just e-mailed me and said that his manual is going to be on sale until November 1st, and then the price is going to get jacked up. If you're interested in purchasing this manual, be sure to order it now!

Until next time, train hard and have fun!

10.21.06 - Putting the Home Gym Together!

Well the order is in and now it's just a matter of time before I have my home gym ready to rock!

All in all I purchased an R3 rack from Elite Fitness (minus the platform in front), along with a Texas Power Bar and a set of Powerblocks. The Powerblocks arrived Thursday, and last night I set into building my platform. I had used the materials once for a powerlifting meet (3/4" plywood stacked two deep to make an 8'x10' platform), but this time I'm making a slight modification - I'm using stall mats to cover and protect the plywood, hopefully keeping it in better condition for a longer period of time. In platforms I've built in the past, if you used only the wood, after a few weeks of heavy deadlifting you created some serious dents in the wood. We'll see if this doesn't work better. Once all that is completed, I'm going to lay carpet over the top to give it better traction and make it look more official

Once it's all said and done, I'm going to write up an entire piece for Elite Fitness; from what I did to build my platform, to why I purchased the equipment that I did. Now the sooner I get that rack, the better!

Have a great weekend
MR

10.11.06 - miscellaneous Rambling

I've got quite a few different things on my mind, so here goes:

Training

Got a good (but quick) session in last night in-between clients. The knee is feeling better all the time, and the more I train the more I realize that just getting stronger and staying up-to-speed on soft tissue work is what I really need. Anyway, here's what I did:

Magnificent Mobility warm-up

DB Snatch (never done these before), 3x30's, 40's, 50's
Back Squat, Worked up to an easy triple at 315 (felt pretty damn good, too - both sides are firing!)
Single-Leg RDL, 3x6@40's

Colts Strength Coach Meeting

Yesterday I was lucky enough to sit down with head Colts Strength and Conditioning coach Jon Torine for a few hours and talk shop. Needless to say, this guy is a class act!

We talked at length about using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), how to individualize training with a large number of athletes, and how to organize and plan training for bigger groups. Jon was really gracious to have Craig Rasmussen and I into his facility, and it was also pretty cool seeing some of my favorite players come in and train. I was pissed, though, when I found out my favorite player Bob Sanders came in after I left though! I guess Bob will have to wait a little while longer before he meets me ;)

Well, that's about it for today - until next, time train hard!

10.9.06 - Weekend Training and Fitcast download

Got a decent session in on Sunday - just trying to keep my strength up until things slow down a bit.

Sunday

Supine Pull-ups, 3x8
DB Bench, 3x5@90
Rope Pulls to Face, 3x8@70
Adducted Band External Rotation, 2x15
Dead Bug, 2x10

As well, Kevin Larrabee, Bill Hartman and myself finished up the FitCast last night - if you're interested in downloading the show, be sure to follow the link below. We covered why we produced the Inside-Out DVD, some of the theory behind it, and a bunch of listener questions. Be sure to check it out!

The FitCast

Stay strong

10.6.06 - Training and Home Gym Update!

Training has been good this week, if not a little sparse. Here's what I did:

Tuesday

Magnificent Mobility warm-up

Box Squats, 5x2@225 (working on getting both wheels firing equally here)
Conventional Deads, Worked up to a single at 405
Glute-Hams, 2x5

Not a bad workout, but energy wasn't there after a long weekend and training clients early.

Thursday

Inside-Out warm-up

Bench Press, 3x3@225
Chins, 2x6
Seated Rows, 3x8 heavy

Pretty short workout as I had a ton of stuff going on today. I can't wait until my schedule slows down a little and I can focus on training heavy again!

Along those same lines, the home gym is getting close to being a reality. My wife and I have talked about this for several months now, and our local gym is becoming more and more frustrating. Who does reverse curls in the power rack with just the bar?

Your guess is as good as mine - I'll post some pics of that gym when it becomes a reality!

Stay strong

10.2.06 - The Blog is Being Revived!

Now that things have FINALLY settled down a little bit, it's time for me to get this blog rolling again. I'll do my best to keep you up to speed on my training, as well as how things are going in general. I have some really cool projects in the works, so be sure to check back frequently and I'll do my best to keep writing frequently ;)

Stay strong

6.20.06 - What's New at Robertson Training Systems

As I stated below, it's been a hectic couple of weeks here at RTS, but hard work means big payoffs! I've had a lot of e-mails asking me about various projects, so here's what I've got on tap and coming soon.

Inside-Out (I/O): The Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up

This project has been ongoing for several months now, but it's finally starting to get wrapped up. Bill and I shoot the DVD material tomorrow, and then it's a matter of cleaning up the manual/e-book for release. If I had to guess, we're looking at a late July or early August release date. Stay tuned for this - it's going to revolutionize the way you look at warming-up and training the upper body!

The Knee Articles

Since EC's "Shoulder Savers" series was such a huge hit, I felt the need (no pun intended) to pull together everything I currently know about fixing up knees. In this 2-part series, I'm going to cover everything from soft-tissue technique, proper training, and even how diet and supplementation can help your knees feel great.

Whether you've got great knees or terrible ones, you're going to get something out of these pieces.

Building the Efficient Athlete Seminar

With all the other things going on right now, this seminar has kind of been lost in the mix. However, this seminar is basically going to be a culmination of everything Eric and I know about testing and training the human body in the most optimal fashion. Whether you're a strength coach, personal trainer, or simply someone who wants to get the most out of your training, you don't want to miss this seminar!

As you can see, I've got a few things on the table right now - but I absolutely love it when I'm creating new material and helping people achieve their goals.

I'll be on vacation next week so don't berate me if I don't get any new blog sessions up!

Stay strong

P.S. Almost forgot - When I get back, I'm going to be keeping a knee rehab log for the next 2 months. It's going to utilize and expand upon the concepts I cover in the articles, but I'll talk about that more when I get back!

6.8.06 - New Article up and Hard at Work!

It's been a hectic couple of weeks, as school's are getting out and people are hard at work getting in shape for the summer. I have a really busy couple of weeks, then finish out the month with my first vacation since my honeymoon. Woo-hoo!

As well, I have a new article up this week at T-Nation; if you haven't checked it out yet, follow the link below:

High Performance Core Training

Finally, Bill and I are hard at work completing the script for our Shoulder DVD. For those of you who've followed my blog, the official title is going to be "Inside-Out (I/O): The Ultimate Upper Body Warm-up." I think those of you who have purchased Magnificent Mobility are going to really enjoy this product, as it's a great parallel and really delves into superior performance for the upper body. We're set to shoot June 21st, so we're looking at late July for a release date. Stay tuned!

Have a great week and great training!

Stay strong

5.23.06 - Slacking Off!

Been a whirlwind couple of weeks, as clients are gearing up for summer, I've been at seminars two out of the past three weeks, and I have several projects coming to a head. Needless to say I'm looking forward to this weekend to catch up and do a little relaxing!

G-Flux Seminar

Mike Bystol and his crew at the PPC Chicago did an excellent job of bringing this seminar to together - it's pretty rare to have two huge coaches such as John Berardi and Charles Poliquin in the same room for an entire weekend.

The seminar covered a ton of topics, but the primary focus was on the G-Flux principles: Increasing your training volume and caloric intake to raise basal metabolic rate and induce favorable changes in body composition. John and Charles did an excellent job of showing EXACTLY what you need to do if you want to achieve your ideal physique. As well, even though I've seen JB talk a number of times now and have reviewed virtually all of his products and articles, I always take something new away from his work. Whether it's better information or simply ways to become more proficient at applying it, it's no wonder JB is at the forefront of his field.

Sign-up for the newsletter!

Our next newsletter should be really great, with a review of Mike Boyle's "Functional Strength Coach" DVD series, and an interview with strength coach Zach Even-Esh. As well, I'll be discussing my upcoming projects and schedule. Don't miss out!

Stay strong

5.9.06 - Long Week and Southside Gym

WHEW!

This past week was a long one to say the least. However, Eric and I got a ton of work done on the "Building the Efficient Athlete" seminar this past weekend, so I think those who attend will really get a ton out of it. We'll cover the entire spectrum at this seminar, so if you're in the New York area, be sure to get there!

As well, I had the pleasure of training at Southside Gym as well - needless to say, these guys are hardcore! I'm still sore from workouts that I had on Friday and Sunday, so I think the training intensity was sufficient to say the least. The amazing thing about a place like that is the attitude that every lifter has; it's no wonder guys who train in that environment see great progress. In essence, there's just no way you can't succeed; you're always being pushed to meet or exceed your best on any given day. Hell, I hadn't done a board press since I left Ft. Wayne almost a year ago and I still hit a PR on my 3-board! I'd love to ring that up to training, but the attitude and the environment were definitely important as well. I'm going to make it a goal of mine to bring something like that to the Indianapolis area very soon. Thanks to the whole Southside crew and staff for letting me train with them and help re-kindle the training flame.

Ok all - have a great week and I hope to have more content for you very soon!

Stay strong

5.2.06 - Academic Quarantine and a Formal Announcement

Ok all, I apologize for not keeping up on the blog lately, but I've put myself in academic quarantine to try and get some articles off my plate. Not to mention the fact that Eric and I have a full weekend of work ahead of us this weekend in lieu of the "Building the Efficient Athlete" seminar that's coming up in July.

Building the Efficient Athlete - July 22nd and 23rd

Well it's taken a while to sort out all the details, but the "Building the Efficient Athlete" seminar is officially set for July 22nd and 23rd at Peak Performance in New York City. Nothing like turning a country-boy loose in the big city!

This intense 2-day seminar is going to be amazing; here's a quick look at the outline:

Day 1

AM (9:00-10:30AM, 10:45AM-12:15PM)
-Interactive Functional Anatomy
-The Myth of “Isolation” in Function

PM (1:30-3:00PM, 3:15-4:45PM)
-Static and Dynamic Assessments
-An Overview of Common Kinetic Chain Dysfunction

Day 2

AM (9:00-10:30AM, 10:45AM-12:15PM)
-Troubleshooting Exercise Technique in the Face of Kinetic Chain Dysfunction

PM (1:30-3:00PM, 3:15-4:45PM)
-The Art of “Hardcore” Corrective Training
-Manipulating Acute Program Variables and Lifestyle Factors for Optimal Progress
-“Neanderthal No More” Revisited: Reviewing our own Mistakes Two Years Later

*Eric and Mike will be available for Q&A at the end of each day’s sessions.

There are only going to be 25-30 openings for this exclusive event, so be sure to sign-up NOW if you want in. Questions can be directed to Eric Cressey at ec@ericcressey.com

Stay strong

4.28.06 - Training and Holy Cross Seminar Next Weekend!

Training

This has been an unload week, and things are still coming along nicely. I feel like I'm getting to a point where I can start adding in some more load to these exercises as the body is firing in a much more optimal pattern; now it's time to get a little strength in those activated muscles!

As well, the symmetry of my movements has improved quite a bit as well; as many of you know I played a lot of unilateral dominant sports growing up, so undoing 22 years of sporting excellence takes a little while (please note the heavy sarcasm when I say excellence!) I think with another month of serious mobility work coupled with some very specific soft-tissue work and I'll be ready to start rebuilding the machine.

Holy Cross seminar next weekend

Brijesh Patel and Jeff Oliver and hosting Jay Schroeder next weekend at Holy Cross university, and needless to say I'm excited to hear what he has to say. Jay has been highly touted for taking Adam Archuleta from relative no-name to a 1st round pick in the NFL draft. I'm very excited to hear what he has to say and what kind of techniques he's implementing into his programs.

Finally, Eric and I are going to use the rest of the weekend to train and go into academic quarantine to prepare for our "Building the Efficient Athlete" which is coming up in July. We'll have a formal announcement up for that soon, but if you're interested shoot us an e-mail ASAP - it's already more than half way filled!

Stay strong

4.24.06 - Weekend Training and Indy T-Cell Meeting

Low Body Training

Well, I'm finally starting to see the benefits of all the movement training I've been doing lately. As I was gearing up for training Saturday, I had this "physical epiphany" so to speak; I had done all my mobility exercises, foam rolled, and performed my activation work, and as I was moving it as amazing how things felt so EFFORTLESS. Movements where I would've gotten a stretch, nothing. It was amazing how efficient everything felt; like things were at the length they need to be at, the muscles that supposed to fire were, etc. It was a beautiful thing.

So, I decided to get a little deadlifting in. As you all know, the focus was on proper stabilization of the lumbo-pelvic region, along with really getting those glutes to fire. All I know is I worked up to about 60% of my max for an easy set of 5 and my glutes are still hurting two days later! I think things are getting there; it's a long way from efficient and techically perfect squatting, but it will come.

Indy T-Cell

We had our second T-Cell meeting this past Saturday, and it was another great session. Topics ranged from long-term planning to where to get the best training equipment. Look for our next session to be sometime in July; stay tuned and I'll post the info as soon as I have a date and location set in stone!

Stay strong

4.21.06 - Thursday Training and Lots of Travel Coming Up

Got my ME upper body session in yesterday, and since it was incline I've switched things up to try triples instead of singles. The first rep is always the most difficult for me (probably because it's been quite some time since I've trained incline consistently), so we'll try this for a few months to see how things work out. Felt much better yesterday that in weeks past, though.

I'm also in the process of gearing up for quite a bit of travel in the next couple of months; I've got the Jay Schroeder seminar at Holy Cross the first weekend in May, the John Berardi/Charles Poliquin G-Flux Seminar coming up the 3rd weekend in May, and then Eric and I's "Building the Efficient Athlete" seminar at Peak Performance in New York in June. Needless to say, I better rest up this weekend and next to prepare!

I hope everyone's training is going well!

Stay strong

PS I've just completed the May Newsletter, and if I can toot my own horn, it's going to be far-and-away the best I've ever done. If you haven't signed up, do it today!

4.18.06 - Training and Indy T-Cell Meeting this Saturday

Training

Another great low body workout today; after meeting with Bill yesterday I've got a little renewed enthusiasm for all the work I'm putting in. I can tell that when I do start training heavy again, my body's going to be firing like a well-oiled machine. My movement and mobility are becoming almost effortless, something I haven't had for quite some time (at least since getting injured). I'll keep you posted!

Indy T-Cell Meeting this Saturday!

For those of you in or around the Indianapolis area, we are having our 2nd Indy T-Cell meeting this Saturday at 1 p.m. Last time we chatted for almost 3 hours on the topics of training, nutrition, recovery and everything in between. If you are in the area, get your butt over here and talk shop!

Have a great day!

Stay strong

4.16.06 - Newsletter update and training

Newsletter Update

In case you didn't know, I'm in the process of updating the Robertson Training Systems newsletter, and I need your help!

If you enjoy reading the site and the articles, the newsletter is another great FREE resource that I offer to those who are interested. All you need to do is go to the "Home" page linked above, type in your name and e-mail address, then start getting a quality newsletter in your inbox each and every month. Even if you've signed up before, I need you to sign-up again as the new version will give me full HTML capabilities, and therefore a more appealing and personalized newsletter.

Finally, the newsletter is ONLY available to those who sign-up; it will no longer be a stand-alone web page on my site. So if you want this great resource, you need to sign-up now!

Training

Had a great training session yesterday, and I'm just now starting to see some signs that my low body is getting with the program. Glute activation is slowly but surely coming around, and the mobility in my T-spine, hips and ankles are getting better as well.

I had a great session lined up for today, but lo and behold I get to the gym and they were closed! Now I'm all for celebrating holidays, but at least post a sign and let us know the gym isn't going to be open so we can plan accordingly! Guess I'll have to do some bodyweight stuff around the house along with my mobility circuit later tonight.

Have a great Easter Sunday and make sure to sign-up for the newsletter if you haven't already!

Stay strong

4.13.06 - Training and Program Design Bible Review

Training

Had a great workout today, hitting a PR on the decline and even meeting an ex-powerlifter at the gym! It was great having a solid hand-off for my heavier attempts, and hopefully this guy will be around more often to help out.

Review of Alwyn Cosgrove's "Professional Fitness Coach Program Design Bible"

Are you a new trainee that wants to get started the right way? A seasoned veteran who thinks they know everything about setting up routines? Or a personal trainer who wants that edge over the competition?

If you answered "Yes" to any of the questions above, this product is for you!

I've been around the block a few times when it comes to reading program design manuals, but this one is far and away the best of it's kind. It covers every aspect of designing training programs: Sets, reps, time under tension (TUT), rest periods, how to choose the right exercises, how to periodize and manipulate intensity, the list goes on and on. But here's the thing I like most about this manual (and where most go wrong): It helps you bring it all together! This is always the hardest part of any program; most people know enough to write solid programs, but when the rubber hits the road, they can't pull the program together. This manual will help you do just that.

And, as if that's not enough, there's over 100 pages of exercise descriptions as well! Not only do you have pictures and descriptions of some of the most basic exercises that EVERYONE should know how to perform (and coach!), but there are some unique variations as well that even I hadn't heard of before. Finally, all the exercises are broken down into specific categories (e.g. quad dominant, hip dominant, vertical pulling, vertical pushing, etc.) so you can be sure that the exercise you choose is in-line with your desired training effect.

No matter how long you've been training or coaching, this is the most complete reference on the market today with regards to setting up and designing great programming. Great work!

If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the manual, please follow the link below:

Program Design Bible

4.12.06 - interview up at Ericcressey.com

All -

A recent interview that I had for EC's newsletter just went up this morning. Be sure to check it out, as I think it's some of my better work!

Mike Robertson Interview for EC

Had a great training session yesterday, and I think my body is finally starting to get with the program. The glutes are firing better, the core is stabilizing in a more optimal fashion, and my mobility is starting to come around in the problem areas. I'm still a ways off, but at least I'm seeing some improvements!

Stay strong

4.10.06 - Great Weekend

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days; I went down to celebrate a good friend's 30th birthday in Nashville and haven't been too good about keeping up with the blog.

I'll be getting back up to speed this week, so be sure to check back and I'll get things updated!

Stay strong
MR

4.5.06 - Slow Day

Pretty slow day today; I can't wait until next week when all our clients get back from Spring Break!

Got some work done on my knee today; I have to give a shout out to my massage therapist Randy Presslaf over at Body in Balance. Randy is an amazing person to begin with, and she's really done some great work to get my knee and thigh back in action. Randy has actually developed her own tools very similar to Graston, although I consider them to be far superior.

As well, I got some time to work on several new articles for Elite and T-nation; hopefully I'll have some time in the coming weeks to finish them up.

Finally, I'll be in Nashville this weekend to hang out with an old friend who turns 30 this year, so if I'm not around you know why!

Stay strong

4.4.06 - updated training program

As promised, I thought I'd get my training program out there in the open. Feel free to hit me up with any questions as to why I'm doing certain exercises, program goals, etc.

Low Body Program Goals

1. Improved mobility in the left ankle, hips and thoracic spine
2. Improve glute activation, and later gluteal strength
3. Improve core stability in all three planes
4. Increase length of rectus femoris bilaterally

Daily Mobility Circuit

Foam Roll T-Spine
Side Lying Rotation with Internal Shoulder Rotation
Split Pec Stretch
In-Line Lunge with Rotation
Reach Roll and Lift
Toe Touch w/Heels Elevated
Heels elevated deep squat and reach
Piriformis Stretch
Left ankle mobes
Band Overhead Squat

Tuesday

Magnificent Mobility Circuit

Activation Work

Glute Bridge
X-Band Walks
Supine Clam

Iron Work

Plate Squat
Single-Leg RDL
Single-Leg Squat
Rotational Twist + Serratus Punch

Friday

Magnificent Mobility Circuit

Activation Work

Glute Bridge
X-Band Walks
Supine Clam

Iron Work

Romanian Deadlift or Deadlift Variation
Plate Squat
Glute-Ham Raise
Pillar Bridges

Upper Body Program Goals

1. Improve connective tissue strength in upper body
2. Improve forearm/grip strength
3. Improve external rotation strength

Thursday

Activation Work

Blackburns
Push-up Plus
Med Ball Stability

Iron Work

Max Effort Bench
Supine Row
Hammer Curls
Plate Holds
Captains of Crush Gripper
Dead Bugs

Sunday

Activation Work

Scapular Wall Slide
Push-up Plus
Clock Exercise

Iron Work

Supine Rows
DB Incline
Single-arm Military
Skullcrushers
Double Leg Lowering

So there it is, all laid out and ready to go. Now I just have to keep the motivation up! Today wasn't the best day in the gym, to be quite honest; last month I felt like I was a few good training cycles away from getting back on the platform, and today it felt like I was a good year away from being ready. I've just got to stay focused and remember that the end result will be worth it.

Have a good night and see ya tomorrow!

Stay strong

4.3.06 - Big Update tomorrow!

Well I was going to post something pretty big today, but it's going to have to wait until tomorrow. I've been working on the layout for my updated training, so hopefully it will be worth the wait!

See ya tomorrow!

Stay strong

4.2.06 - Weekend Training

Didn't get around to posting my workout yesterday, so here are the last two days workouts:

Saturday

Dynamic flex/mobility work (~30 minutes)
Glute activation

Plate loaded front squats, 3x10
Single-leg squats, 3x5

Dead Bug #3, 3x10

Sunday

Mobility work
Upper body activation/dynamic flex

Supine Rows, 3x8
DB Incline, 2x6@75
Tricep Pushdown, 2x8@70
External Rotations, 2x8@15

Hanging Leg Raise, 3x8

Again, both pretty good workouts. This was an unload week (at least for upper body), so I'll be adding in new stuff next week on the low body workouts and cranking up the intensity on the upper body stuff.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Stay strong

3.31.06 - New articles, New newsletter, and new insight

I already mentioned this on the index page, but I've got all kinds of new material up on the site and on the web. Check out all my new material via these links if you haven't already:

April Newsletter

Core Training for Smart Folks

Understanding Supplemental Exercises: The Deadlift

As well, I've spent most of today reviewing the first DVD of Mike Boyle's Functional Strength Coach DVD Series.

After reviewing his book in the past, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I can honestly say that book does Mike no justice whatsoever. In the first DVD alone he has given me new insight into my current movement screen, as well as some things I'd really like to add in the future. Between Mike and Bill Hartman, I really like the Functional Movement Screen that Gray Cook has come up with, and I think I'll like it even more when I pair it with the evaluation tools I'm already using. This will give me an even more respective idea of what's going on with each individual athlete, as well as how to integrate proper training so they are healthier and perform better. Once I get through the whole thing (I'm only on DVD #2 of 10, so give me a little time!), I'll be sure to write up a full recap.

I'm getting a session in tomorrow along with trying to get some work done, so have a great weekend!

Stay strong

3.30.06 - Training, recovery work and Gym Rant

Training

Today was part of an unload week, so it wasn't anything too intensive for the upper body. Here's the workout:

Bench, 3x3@225
Supine Pulldowns, 3x6@160
DB Hammer Curls, 2x5@40
Pinch Grip Holds, 2x30 sec. with 45's
Pillar bridges (front and sides), 2x30 sec.

Recovery Work

Since I started the blog (and even before), I had quite a few people ask me about what I do as part of my recovery work. While it's even more intensive now, here's what I do on a weekly basis:

Massage or Myofascial Release, 1x/week or bi-weekly
Dynamic flex/mobility work, 4x/week (currently on a daily basis to iron-out some imbalances)
Static flex and myofascial release on a foam roller, 4-5x/week
Active Release Technique, 1x/week

As you can see, I'm a pretty firm believer in the fact that you have to RECOVER just as hard as you TRAIN. I'm sure that some of you will have questions on the topic, so if you want me to cover them shoot me an e-mail and I'll either answer here or via e-mail. Thanks!

Gym Rant

So as some of you know I've been training at a commercial facility on my upper body days, and I'm not sure how much longer I can deal with it!

I could go on and on about some of the morons that train here, but just today I saw a kid with a shirt on that better resembled a wet suit (this thing was freaking tight!), a guy whose upper arms rivaled the size of his upper thigh, and a host of other things I hope I can quickly put out of my mind. I can tell you right now I'll never reach my potential if I don't find a place where stronger people train at.

I guess I need to work a little harder so I can get that Elite Fitness power rack in my garage; I'm ready to go underground!

Stay strong

3.29.06 - New Product announcement!

I mentioned a few days ago about a "potential" new product that Bill Hartman and myself would be working on in the near future.

Well, after some serious brain-storming this morning, we're a lot closer to bringing this to the table!

Now, while I'd really, Really, REALLY, like to get into what we're going to do, I can't spill the beans just yet. Needless to say, we're thinking along the line of a 2-DVD set with a training manual to boot. Simply put, we'll give you all the tools and descriptions via the DVD's, and then you'll have an actual manual that you can take to the gym with you to ensure you're doing the movements properly.

Needless to say, not only is this product going to help you have KILLER workouts, but it's also going to subscribe to our theme of healthy, functioning bodies. A real-life double threat, if you will.

If all goes well, we'll be shooting in the next month or so, with a possible release date in June or July. Keep checking in and as things get closer, I'll be sure to spill the beans!

Stay strong

3.28.06 - training

Today I got a pretty decent low body workout in. I've added in a ton of mobility drills for my thoracic spine, hips and left ankle. Here's how the workout went:

Dynamic flex/Mobility drills

Pin pulls, 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3 (this was not a max effort, just working on getting some weight in my hands and really getting the glutes to fire at the top of the lift)

Plate loaded front squats, 3x8 w/25#
Glute-hams, 3x5 (again, working on keeping the hips extended and getting them into the lift)

The new mobility work took forever, but it should speed up once I'm more comfortable with the movements and routine. I'm actually going to be working on those daily to iron out some of the imbalances and improve the symmetry of my movements.

Stay strong

3.27.06 - new article up!

For those of you that are interested, I had a new article go up on T-Nation today. You can link to it here:

Core Training for Smart Folks

This is an area that I don't think a lot of people understand; they figure that all "core" training is equal, whether it's trunk flexion, lateral flexion, rotation work, etc. As with anything else, the work that we need and the work we actually do often aren't one and the same!

Hopefully this article will help you understand the function of the "core," as well as how intelligent core training can benefit both your strength and physique.

Stay strong

3.26.06 - weekend training

Got 2 training sessions in over the weekend; both went really well, so here's the recap:

Saturday

5 minute general warm-up on treadmill
10 minutes of dynamic flex from the Magnificent Mobility DVD

1A) Hip flexor stretch, 3x30 seconds
1B) Prone hip extension, 3x10
2) X-Band Walks, 2x10
3A) Ankle mobilizations, 3x10 (forward and lateral)
3B) TKE's, 3x10
3C) Band resisted overhead squats, 3x8
4A) Ankle mobilizations, 3x10
4B) Plate loaded front squats, 3x10
5) Single-leg squats off bench, 3x6
6) Low Box Step-ups w/ exaggerated hip extension, 3x10

This was a pretty good workout overall. I'm really trying to get my glutes into my squat, as well improving that left ankle mobility. Finally, I wouldn't be upset all if my left VMO/VM would get a little stronger!

Sunday

5 minute general warm-up on treadmill
5 minutes of upper body dynamic flex and activation work

1) Supine Pull-ups, 4x8
2) DB Incline, 3x8
3) Single-arm DB military, 2x6
4) Skullcrushers, 3x8
5) Hanging Leg Raise, 3x8
6) High-Low Woodchopper, 2x8
7) Seated Scap Plane External Rotation, 2x10

Had another really good workout today. However, since I've changed my ab work up quite a bit lately, I swear they've been sore for a week straight!

It's been a long weekend, so that's it for tonight. Have a great week and train hard!

Stay strong

3.24.06 - New Projects and Seminars on the Way!

No training today, so I figured I'd get you all up to speed with what's going on in the World of Robertson.

Since I finally got a few of these articles off my "To-Do" list, I'm turning my attention to some bigger projects. In the near future, stay tuned for a possible DVD co-produced by Bill Hartmann and myself. Let's just say it will have you reconsider a lot of things when it comes to your training. I can't say too much yet as the idea is still in its infancy, but it will be cool, I promise!

Next, Eric Cressey and myself are working on putting together a mega-seminar in New York in June. If this comes together, it's going to be THE SEMINAR with regards to fixing postural flaws and getting your body working smoother than it ever has. Whether you're injury prone or just want to add more pounds to your lifts, this will be the seminar for you!

I'll be back under the iron tomorrow - have a great weekend!

Stay strong

3.23.06 - Training and New Stuff

Things are a little slow right now as I have a lot of clients on Spring Break. In fact, things will be slow the next couple of weeks since I have clients from multiple schools all going at different times. Hopefully this will allow me some time to get a few projects off the ground.

Training

I had a decent session today, although definitely not the best. I'm beginning to wonder if the barbell incline is a good indicator for me or not; my decline and flat bench have been consistently going up, while I've made very little progress on the incline over the past 2 months. I'm considering taking it out and alternating one week of full-ROM lifts with one week of board pressing, but we'll see how the next incline session goes before I make a decision.

Anyway, here's the workout:

Incline Bench, Worked up to a single
Supine Pulldowns, 3x6
Hammer Grip Curls, 4x6
Plate Holds for Time, 3 max holds
COC #1, 4x8

I finished off with some thoracic spine and ankle mobility work, as well as some dead bugs. As you can tell, I'm really working to bring up my forearm/grip strength after hearing Joe DeFranco talk about it in his audio interview on T-nation. I had fallen into a rut of just trying to do more and more horizontal pressing/pulling, and that wasn't getting the job done. I've only done this 2 weeks, so if nothing else at least I should have some jacked arms at the end!

New Stuff on the Way!

I had been slacking off a little bit since the PPC Seminar on my Continuing Ed, so I went out and purchased several new items this week. Today I received two new books:

Muscles: Testing and Function - Kendall, McCreary, Provance, Rodgers and Romani

I'm always interested in revising my current protocol for assessing people, and while I'd scanned this book before, I figured it was a solid purchase. Hopefully I'll learn some new tips and tricks along the way. I also purchased Mastery of Hand Strength by John Brookfield.

However, I've still got a ton of cool stuff coming. Here's the rest of the list (along with links in case you want to check them out):

Functional Strength Coach DVD Series - Michael Boyle

Professional Fitness Coach Program Design Manual and Afterburn E-book - Alwyn Cosgrove

Fitness Information Products - Ryan Lee

Don't worry, I'll make sure to write up a thorough review once I've looked through it all. It may take a little while, though; that's a lot of info!

That's about it for today; pretty soon I'll start discussing my supplementation schedule and recovery modalities, since I've had several people ask me about it via e-mail. Hopefully I can get to that in the next couple days!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at mike@robertsontrainingsystems.com, or drop me a line in my thread at T-Nation.

Take care

3.22.06 - Busy Day!

Ok people, I'm 2/2 so far on blog posts - now I just have to make this routine!

I've had a very productive morning thus far; 2 new articles submitted (one to T-Nation, and one to Elite), as well as getting the site cleaned up and ready for an overhaul here in the upcoming weeks. You'll have to stay tuned; I can promise it's going to look even better!

No training on the board for today, though. My upper body is STILL sore from the beating I put on it Sunday, and my legs are starting to get nice and tight from all the new exercises I've incorporated to get any imbalances/mobility restrictions ironed out. Tomorrow is my Max Effort upper body day, though, so I won't be missing that one!

Have a strong day,

3.21.06 - Training and First Blog Post!

Welcome to the first edition of my blog!

I'm going to do my best to keep it up-to-date and running consistently. If I don't, feel free to shoot me an e-mail and let me know when I'm slacking off!

In my blog, I'm going to keep you updated on my current training (it's definitely not what you think!), along with product reviews, "shop talk," and some of my rants when need be. In other words, you'll want to check back frequently to see what you've missed!

Let's start this off with a little bit about my current training. As some of you know, I've been working quite frequently with Bill Hartman in order to clean myself up after my knee surgery last June. Needless to say, things had been going great! My low body strength was at or above where it had ever been, and I was feeling pretty good about myself.

That is, until old Billy boy told me no more squatting!

Problem was, even though I'd been busting my hump to get my body back in order and working the way it should, I was still a ways off. Unfortunately, powerlifting teaches your body to do some funky stuff, and after 5 years of training, I needed to make some modifications to my training.

The goal is simple: Get my low body symmetrical and firing optimally. Not only will I be far better off from an orthopedic standpoint, but when I'm done, I should also be quite a bit stronger to boot. While taking "time off" doesn't sound like fun, neither does rehabbing another injury. I'm going to get things sorted out now so I'll be that much more prepared going forward.

Last night we ran a functional movement screen on myself, and here are just a few things I'm going to be work on:

- Improving mobility around my left ankle (it's very tight from years of sports where I only jumped off one leg)

- Improving hip mobility

- Improving gluteal recruitment (especially on the right side)

- Strengthening the connective tissue around my knee

It may sound like a pansy-ass workout, but it kicked my ass! Here's what I did today:

5 minute general warm-up on treadmill

10 minutes of dynamic flex from the Magnificent Mobility DVD

1A) Hip flexor stretch
1B) Glute Bridge

2) X-Band Walks

3A) Ankle mobilizations
3B) Band resisted overhead squats

4A) Ankle mobilizations
4B) Plate loaded front squats

5) Low-box step-ups

6) Single-leg squats off bench

No ab work today as I'm totally smoked from killing my abs the last 3 days.

That's it for today; if you enjoy the blog, shoot me an e-mail at mike@robertsontrainingsystems.com and be sure to sign up for my Newsletter on the main page!

Stay strong