5 Tips to Improve Your Hang Clean

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5 Tips to Improve Your Hang Clean

Hang cleans can be tricky business for athletes who are just starting a legitimate strength training program. Without a good strength coach on hand, getting the clean technique down can be a daunting task. But the good news is that the learning curve is relatively steep and once you start getting the proper feel for the basics, it won't be long until you're ready for more complex variations and higher weights. This article is intended to call out five important elements of a good hang clean. Take them to heart and you will be on your way to cleaning up your technique (see what I did there???).  

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Fit for the Frontline: Adapting Sports Training Principles for Tactical Performance

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Fit for the Frontline: Adapting Sports Training Principles for Tactical Performance

Athletes in traditional sports rely on strength and conditioning to boost performance and reduce injury risk. Tactical athletes, like those in the Military, Police, and Fire and Rescue, also need physical fitness—but tailored to unpredictable, high-stakes environments.

Here are key challenges and needs unique to tactical athletes—and actionable ways coaches and leaders can empower them to stay prepared and resilient in the face of these demands.

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What is Functional Strength Training?

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What is Functional Strength Training?

Functional strength training is revolutionizing the way athletes and fitness enthusiasts approach their workouts. In our latest blog post, we delve into what functional strength training is and why it's essential for anyone looking to improve their overall fitness. This approach focuses on exercises that mimic real-life movements, enhancing your ability to perform daily activities with greater ease and efficiency. Learn about the key benefits, including improved balance, flexibility, and injury prevention, and discover some of the best functional strength exercises to incorporate into your routine.

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More Than Just "Working Out." Three Simple Periodization Tactics for Lifetime Fitness

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More Than Just "Working Out." Three Simple Periodization Tactics for Lifetime Fitness

Many good-meaning people engage in some form of random ‘working out’ that is loosely focused on ‘strength’ or ‘cardio’. While well intentioned, human psychology is a tough nut to crack, and the majority will cease exercise for reasons that include a lack of variety, a lack of priority, or just simple boredom. It is time to re-think how you are going about your fitness.

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Are You Ready for the ACFT?

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Are You Ready for the ACFT?

October 2020 will mark a serious shift in the fitness culture of the U.S. Army. The APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test), the Army’s relied-upon physical fitness test for all soldiers, will officially be retired and replaced by the ACFT (Army Combat Fitness Test). Since 1980, soldiers needed only a pair of running shoes to prepare themselves for their assessment of physical readiness. The days of simplistic running, push-ups, and sit-ups are coming to an end. Read on to learn about the new ACFT and why it’s revolutionizing how the U.S. prepares soldiers for duty.

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Tactical Athletes Need Specific Training Programs. Period.

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Tactical athletes are in need of specialized programming considerations to ensure their training is fitted for long-term success. While a majority of the needs of tactical athletes and sport athletes are similar, tactical athletes have intrinsic differences and circumstances that make their training needs incredibly distinct. Therefore, they deserve the attention and dedication through programs that are designed with those factors taken into consideration.

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Examining Movement Strength Ratios: How Data Science is Changing the Landscape of Strength and Conditioning

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Successful strength programming requires the balance of scientific principles and practical real-world methods. While scientific inquiry drives our understanding of training and injury prevention, it is the coach’s ability to implement that science that determines how effective a training program is. The balance between the two is what allows coaches to make the greatest impact possible. Often, the use of practical shortcuts is necessary to make training effective in constrained environments. The demand for strength coaches to be economical with time and energy makes the use of simple heuristics necessary. Volt was built utilizing many of these same strategies, but with the integration of our performance training AI, Cortex, Volt can help bridge the gap between science and practice in remarkably new ways.

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Building the Habit: Four Strategies for Improving Training Consistency

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Getting athletes to take lifting seriously is often easier said than done. Without any interest in the process, there is little you can do besides patiently wait for their minds to change. Making athletes do something they don’t want to do only leads to a stronger aversion to that specific activity. The introduction of training places a challenge on pre-existing habits and routines, and can be frustrating to break if they aren’t conducive to the new demand of training. The creation of new habits, routines, and environments will be necessary for the success of your training program. Inside, you’ll see four strategies to help athletes build habits that support consistent and committed strength training.

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3 Performance Habits You Need To Do Daily

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3 Performance Habits You Need To Do Daily

It's sometimes easy to find good reasons to take some time away from training. But vacation or your daily routine doesn’t have to derail your athletic performance. To get the most out of your down time without allowing your performance to slip too far off-track, practice good habits that can help you get a head start after the holidays. Prevent poor performance on the field with these 3 good habits that help keep your body finely tuned—even when you’re on break.

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