The muscle snatch is a useful tool for a couple of reasons. First, it is a great technique to use if you have a weak second pull. Second, it is a great exercise for fine tuning your turnover mechanics. If you tend to lift the bar too far away from your body after the pull during the catch, then you may benefit from incorporating this drill into your snatch regimen. STARTING POSITION: Reach down and grab the bar. Choose a grip wide enough for the bar to settle in your hip crease while standing. Shrug your shoulders up and pull them back, then rotate your elbows inward to engage your lats. Relax your arms, tighten your abs, and squeeze your glute. In the starting position, your shoulders should be just out in front of the bar, and the bar over your mid foot. EXECUTION: Stand up, making sure that your torso angle does not change until the bar clears your knees. Extend fully through your ankles, knees, and hip, pulling the bar into your hip crease with your lats. Lift your elbows up and out to the side. Then in one sweeping motion, rotate your elbows underneath the bar and press the bar overhead using your shoulders. The bar should stay close to your body throughout the entire technique.

The hang muscle snatch is a useful tool for a couple of reasons. First, it is a great technique to use if you either do not fully extend your hips during the second pull, or if you have a weak second pull. Second, it is a great exercise for fine tuning your turnover mechanics. If you tend to lift the bar too far away from your body after the pull during the catch, then you may benefit from incorporating this drill into your snatch regimen. STARTING POSITION: Choose a grip wide enough for the bar to settle in your hip crease while standing. Shrug your shoulders up and pull them back, then rotate your elbows inward to engage your lats. Relax your arms, tighten your abs, and squeeze your glutei. EXECUTION: Bend your knees and hips until the bar is just above your knee caps with your shoulders hanging directly over the bar. Make sure that in this position you are still looking forward. Extend fully through your ankles, knees, and hip, pulling the bar into your hip crease with your lats. Lift your elbows up and out to the side. Then in one sweeping motion, rotate your elbows underneath the bar and press the bar overhead using your shoulders. The bar should stay close to your body throughout the entire technique.

The tall muscle snatch is a useful tool for a couple of reasons. First, it is a great technique to start with while first learning the snatch. Second, it is a great exercise for fine tuning your turnover mechanics. If you tend to lift the bar too far away from your body after the pull during the catch, then you may benefit from incorporating this drill into your snatch regimen. STARTING POSITION: Choose a grip wide enough for the bar to settle in your hip crease while standing. Shrug your shoulders up and pull them back, then rotate your elbows inward to engage your lats. Relax your arms, tighten your abs, and squeeze your glutei. EXECUTION: Lift your elbows up and out to the side. Then in one sweeping motion, rotate your elbows underneath the bar and press the bar overhead using your shoulders. The bar should stay close to your body throughout the entire technique.

Weightlifting movements are, in my opinion, the holy grail of power-based exercises. They allow you to move a lot of weight (force) fast (speed), making them the perfect exercises for optimizing power output (force x velocity). Unfortunately, barbell-based weightlifting techniques are extremely complex and require proper coaching and a ton of practice to perfect. For this reason, I recommend kettlebell and dumbbell-based variations of the clean and snatch for those of you who do not have access to proper coaching. With that said, here is how to properly execute a power clean. STARTING POSITION: with your feet hip to shoulder width apart and your toes point forward or slightly out, position your hips so that your shoulders are just slightly out in front of the bar, with the bar over your mid foot and 1/2-1 inch away from your shins. You may have to play around with your hip height and torso angle to find the position that is best for you. Your back should be flat/neutral and your abs engaged. Grab the bar using a hook grip. That is, with your thumb wrapped around the bar first, with your other fingers over your thumb. Make a double chin and extend your neck so that you are looking forward up. FIX YOUR EYES ON ONE SPOT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT! Loosen your arms and hold onto the bar with your lats and upper back (pull your shoulders back and turn your elbows/upper arms inward) FIRST PULL - from the ground to your knee. Pull your shins back so that the bar can travel straight up (and not forward). During the first pull, your torso angle should not change much. Make sure to not pull your knees so far back that you create a ton of extra space between you and the bar. This part of the movement should be performed as fast as you can control. SECOND PULL - From your knees to your upper thighs/hips. Aggressively pull the bar into your mid to upper thigh using your lats. Extend powerfully through your ankle, knee, and hip until your body forms a straight line from your ankle through your shoulder. You might extend through your lower back a little bit, but avoid hyperextension. Shrug your shoulders. You will have created enough power through your legs for the bar to float upward. CATCH- while the bar is floating through the air, move your feet from hip to shoulder width apart (or slightly wider). Pull up on the barbell with your arms to drop your body downward underneath the bar. Drive your elbows upward towards the ceiling and begin rotating your hands around the bar. You should receive the bar on the front of your shoulders with your elbows up and in, your knees bent, and your torso upright (for the most part) RECOVERY- Engage your leg muscles and stop the downward momentum of both the barbell and your body by pressing up against the bar. Drive upward and stand, keeping your elbows, eyes, and torso upright throughout.

The hang power clean utilizes a shorter range of motion than the clean, forcing you produce force more quickly. The rate at which you produce force, referred to as rate of force production or RFD, is important for performance in sports that require explosiveness. Additionally, cleaning from the hang position is great for reinforcing your pulling mechanics. The hang power clean is the fastest of all of the cleaning variations, and while you may not be able to lift as much weight compared to a hang clean, it is a great way to increase RFD without taxing your knees and .quads eccentrically If your clean pull is subpar, then consider adding the hang clean to your regimen. STARTING POSITION: While standing with your feet hip to shoulder width apart, grip the bar loosely, relaxing your arms and squeezing your traps and mid back to hold onto the bar. Pull the bar into your thighs using your lats. EXECUTION: Bend your knees and hips and lower the bar to just above the top of your knee caps. Your shoulders should be directly over the bar with your chin up and your eyes fixated on an object directly in front of you. While keeping your arms straight, extend fully through your ankles, knees, and hips, and pull the bar into your upper thighs with your lats. Once you have fully extended, shrug upward, and use your arms to pull your body underneath the bar. Your elbows should lift up and out to your sides as your body drops downward. Rotate your elbows around the bar and receive the bar across the front of your shoulders in a stable front rack position. Drive upward and stand. Only drop down as low as is necessary to recover from the weight of the bar pushing down on your shoulders. Dropping down into a full squat is not necessary . In order for it to be considered a hang power clean, your upper thighs cannot drop down below parallel to the ground. With perfect mechanics, this will limit the amount of weight that you can lift.

The hang clean utilizes a shorter range of motion than the clean, forcing you produce force more quickly. The rate at which you produce force, referred to as rate of force production or RFD, is important for performance in sports that require explosiveness. Additionally, cleaning from the hang position is great for reinforcing your pulling mechanics. If your clean pull is subpar, then consider adding the hang clean to your regimen. STARTING POSITION: While standing with your feet hip to shoulder width apart, grip the bar loosely, relaxing your arms and squeezing your traps and mid back to hold onto the bar. Pull the bar into your thighs using your lats. EXECUTION: Bend your knees and hips and lower the bar to just above the top of your knee caps. Your shoulders should be directly over the bar with your chin up and your eyes fixated on an object directly in front of you. While keeping your arms straight, extend fully through your ankles, knees, and hips, and pull the bar into your upper thighs with your lats. Once you have fully extended, shrug upward, and use your arms to pull your body underneath the bar. Your elbows should lift up and out to your sides as your body drops downward. Rotate your elbows around the bar and receive the bar across the front of your shoulders in a stable front rack position. Drive upward and stand. Only drop down as low as is necessary to recover from the weight of the bar pushing down on your shoulders. Dropping down into a full squat is not necessary .

If your shoulders slump forward, or you have issues expanding your chest to take a deep breath of air in, then this technique will likely benefit you! STARTING POSITION: To target your inner and upper chest, use a lacrosse ball or a baseball. To target your outer chest near its insertion site on the arm, use a PVC roller. Lay on your stomach, with your arm directly out to the side and your palm facing down. Prop yourself up with the arm that you are not rolling out. TECHNIQUE: Most of your tender points will be near insertion sites. That is, near the sternum or the clavicle. Roll very slowly, through the muscle belly hunting for tender spots. Hold on each painful area until it no longer hurts, then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness

STARTING POSITION: While laying on your back, position either a lacrosse ball/baseball or a PVC roller in-between your shoulder blade and your spine. Hug yourself to pull your shoulder blades further apart and lengthen your rhomboids, and lean to the side that you are targeting. You will use your legs to push and pull your body up and down the roller. TECHNIQUE: Your target area is fairly small (the height of your shoulder blade and inward towards your spine). Roll very slowly, hunting for tender spots. Most of your tender spots will be along the inside border of your shoulder blade. Hold on each painful area until it no longer hurts, then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness.

STARTING POSITION: Position the edge of the roller in-between your legs, with the roller underneath the top of the achilles on your target leg. Prop yourself up with your hands. TECHNIQUE: Roll from the top of your achilles to just below the back of your knee. Rotate your leg inward/outward to target your inner and outer calf. Cross the leg that you are not rolling over the leg that you are rolling to intensify the technique. Move very slowly around the target area, holding on tender spots until they are no longer painful. Roll each side for 2-4 mins, based on the severity of your tightness.

Tight quads can wreak havoc on both your knees and hips. Since your rectus femurs is a inarticulate muscle, it can influence the positioning of your pelvis, pulling your pelvis anteriorly when it is tight. Similarly, tight quads can pull up on your patella, causing mayhem at the knee. STARTING POSITION; With the edge of the roller in-between your thighs, position the roller underneath your target thigh just above the knee. You will support the weight of your body through both your arms and the leg that you are not rolling. TECHNIQUE: The quad is a very large muscle that spans from just above the knee to just below the bony prominence on the front of your hip. Roll very slowly up and down, inward and outward over the entire target area. When you find a tender spot, hold on that spot until it is no longer tender then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness

No equipment? No problem. This tricep variation is both scalable and requires nothing to complete! STARTING POSITION: Get in a plank, with your elbows beneath your shoulders. If performing the movement with your elbows underneath your shoulders is too easy, then lower them so that they are slightly closer to your feet. Your body should form one straight line from the outside ion your ankle to your ear. Make sure that your neck is relaxed, and your shoulders are active. That is, use your "armpit" and shoulder muscles to actively push your body away from the ground the entire time. EXECUTION: Extend your elbows, its that simple. Make sure to extend through both elbows evenly. Do not press more with one than the other. AVOID: Do not allow your hips to sag. DO not strain your neck, shrug your shoulders, or press more through one arm than the other. If you cannot perform this technique without compensating, then drop down to your knees.

Widely considered the holy grail of horizontal pulling movements, the pendlay row forces the hamstrings to work hard to stabilize the body in a good position for the upper back muscles to operate. If you do not have adequate mobility to achieve a good starting position, then perform a barbell bent over row instead. STARTING POSITION: shift your weight onto your heels, and position your hips so that they are in line with or just below your shoulders with a neutral spine (flat back and neck). The barbell should be out in front of your shins and in line with your shoulders. EXECUTION: With a shoulder width grip, break the bar so that your elbow creases point forward and pull the weight up and in towards your belly button. To target your rear delts, grip the bar wide, flare your elbows, and pull it up towards the center of your chest.

Every kettlebell swing variation- American, Russian, knee dominant, hip dominant, full reset, or any combination of these and more - has its utility. Application is key! The American swing is great for improving overhead stability and eccentric control (lowering mechanics). If you wish to optimize your power output from a stand still, then resetting in-between reps is beneficial. You can perform this movement with a heavy household item, a dumbbell, or a kettlebell. Here’s how: EXECUTION: position the kettlebell so that it is comfortable when you are bent over with your hips back, your torso parallel to the ground, and your arms fully extended. Forcefully pull the kettlebell into your body and between your legs. Next, drive your feet into the ground, squeeze your glutes and thrust your hips forward as quickly and as forcefully as you can. Try to generate enough momentum for the kettlebell to float upward. While overhead, flex your wrists so that the kettlebell doesn't hit the back of your wrists. Control the descent by following the same pattern downward, and reset to your starting position. Repeat! Be aggressive! AVOID: Do not hyper extend your lower back as you thrust your hips upward. Use your glutes and abs to generate force, not your back. MODIFICATIONS: if you would rather focus on staying tight while stringing a bunch of reps together, then simply do not reset in-between reps. As soon as the kettlebell has descended as is in-between your thighs, thrust upward!

The lunge is a lot more complex of a movement than meets the eye. It requires that both of your legs do two opposite functions simultaneously (flexion and extension) while maintaining a stable midsection and not falling off balance. Follow this progression to master your lunge, and you'll instantly perform better...I guarantee it. During each of these movements, make sure that, 1) your back foot doesn't flatten out, 2) you do not fall off balance, 3) your lower back does not arch, 4) your torso doesn't collapse forward. Only once you have mastered the movement without any of these occurring should you progress to the next. 1) Split squat (bottom up) 2) Split squat (top down) 3) Reverse lunge (bottom up) 4) Reverse lunge 5) Reverse lunge to balance 6) Perform 3-6 with the forward lunge 7) Forward walking lunge 8) Retro lunge Only once you have mastered your lunge should you increase load or speed...that is, holding dumbbells or a barbell, or jump!

STARTING POSITION: Using a small ball (either a golf ball or a lacrosse ball), lay face down, positioning the ball directly on the tiny muscles in-between your ribs. Since your ribcage is large and fairly exposed, your target are is large. You can best access your intercostals on the front and side of your ribcage, inferior to your pecs and anterior to your lats. You may have to adjust the position of your body to or from sidelying to prone, and vice versa based on the specific area of emphasis. TECHNIQUE: Since your target area is large, scan the area for tender spots or areas of restriction. If you find a spot that makes breathing more labored/painful than normal, focus on that spot! Once you have identified an area, pinpoint it. Hold on each painful area until it no longer hurts, then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness.

If you have tight AND short hamstrings, then add this technique to your daily mobility regimen to give them some slack. If they are "tight" and long, then you are probably better off targeting the muscles on the front side of your hip and strengthening your core. STARTING POSITION: Position the edge of a PVC pipe in-between your legs. Place the roller just above the back of your knee. Prop yourself up with your hands. If you want to focus on the hamstrings proximal insertion site, then use a kettlebell. TECHNIQUE: Roll from the back of the knee to the hamstrings insertion at the ischial tuberosity. The ischial tuberosity is the bone that you sit directly on when you sit on a hard surface, and is where most of your tender spots will be. As you make your way up to the "butt bent", rotate your leg inward and outward to target your medial and lateral hamstring muscles. Roll very slowly, hunting for tender spots. Hold on each painful area until it no longer hurts, then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness.

The chin up should be a staple in any strength training program. It is the pinnacle of vertical pulling movements, and a true test of your overhead pulling potential. You can perform a chin up with a band for assistance, with a dumbbell for resistance, or with just your bodyweight. STARTING POSITION: The set up is key. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart. Simultaneously push your hips forward by squeezing your glutes and pull your ribs down by tightening your abs. Your feet should be just out in front of your hips and in line with your hands. In the starting position, your body should form a crescent "half moon" shape. Maintain this position throughout your body during the execution of the movement EXECUTION: With an underhand grip, rotate your hands as if you were trying to break the bar by pointing your elbow creases backwards. This will ensure that your elbows stay tucked as you initiate your ascent. Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back to stabilize your shoulder girdle. Use your upper back muscles to pull your body up until your chin is over the bar. Do not reach with your neck. Keep your upper back muscles engaged and return to the starting position slowly. You may also feel your biceps working. AVOID: Do not sway or rock, arch your lower back, extend your legs behind your or your chin upward at any point during the movement

For different reasons, a lot of individuals experience more tightness in their lateral quad and hamstring than their medial quad and hamstrings. No, this is not a technique for your IT band. Your IT band does not need to be rolled out. It is a dense piece of connective tissue that will not respond to rolling the same way muscle do. If you are interested in giving slack to your IT band because you are experiencing lateral knee pain, then roll out your TFL, your gluteus medius, or your gluteus Maximus. STARTING POSITION: While laying on your side in a modified side plank, position the roller just above your knee either in front of or directly behind your IT band. TECHNIQUE: Roll from just above your knee to either the bony prominence on the front of your hip (your ASIS, in which case you would have also rolled over your TFL..not a bad idea), or your glute. Move very slowly around the target area, holding on tender spots until they are no longer painful. Roll each side for 2-4 mins, based on the severity of your tightness.

Hopping is a requisite for athletic performance in most sports. Not only must you be able to balance on one leg, but you must perform quick powerful movements on one leg or both to move swiftly across the field and past defenders. For that reason, hopping is foundational movement in most strength and conditioning programs. But don't be fooled. Hopping isn't what you may think. By definition, a hop is when you take off on one leg and land on that same leg. Most athletes confuse the term "HOP" to mean a MINI JUMP. STARTING POSITION: to balance on one leg, shift all of your weight onto one foot. Use the inner thigh of your stance leg to pull your body into that hip. Create a tripod with your foot by distributing pressure evenly through the padded area at the base of your 1st and 5th toes and your heel. EXECUTION: bend your knee, hinge at your hip, and swing your arms. If you are on your left foot, then your right arm will swing forward and your left back during the countermovement. In one sweeping motion, jump as high as your can, extending fully through your ankle, knee, and hip joints. Your arms will swing in the opposite direction to optimize hop height. PROGRESSION: Once you have mastered the hop, you can perform the hop in a sequence of movements. Refer to my SINGLE LEG PLYOMETRIC PROGRESSION video for ideas.

The skull crusher is a great technique for training your triceps. You can perform this exercise on the ground or while laying on a bench, and with a cambered bar or dumbbells. STARTING POSITION: You can hold a cambered bar using a wide or narrow grip. Regardless of the grip, position your arms so that your elbows are fully extended and directly over your shoulders. EXECUTION: Bend your elbows, lowering the bar towards your forehead. Use your triceps to lift the weight back up to the starting position, making sure to fully extend your elbows until they are almost locked out. AVOID: Do not let your upper arms move forward or backward throughout the technique.

This drill improves your balance and coordination. Because you're feet are moving through space and not planted to the ground, this drill can be considered a progression for the PASS OFF. IF this technique is too difficult for you to perform, then regress to the pass off and start there. STARTING POSITION: to balance on one leg, shift all of your weight onto one foot. Use the inner thigh of your stance leg to pull your body into that hip. Create a tripod with your foot by distributing pressure evenly through the padded area at the base of your 1st and 5th toes and your heel. EXECUTION: With a dumbbell or a kettlebell in one hand, step laterally and shift all of your weight onto your non stance leg. Alternate back and forth, then switch arms.

The piriformis is a small muscle that can be difficult to target because of its location underneath the larger gluteal muscles. Pay very close attention to both the location of the ball and the position off your leg to get this technique just right. STARTING POSITION: Sit on the roller. Find the top of the bony prominence on the outside of your thigh and work your way inward towards your sacrum (the lower portion of your spine that is level with your butt). The piriformis is located at that level between these two structures. Lean towards the side that you are targeting, and cross that leg over the other. Using your opposite arm, pull that leg across your body. You will be supporting yourself through both feet and your one free arm. TECHNIQUE: Roll very slowly up and down, inward and outward over the entire target area. When you find a tender spot, hold on that spot until it is no longer tender then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness

The gluteus medius is partially responsible for stabilizing the body in single leg stance, as well as preventing the body from tipping over during the stance phase of gait. With so many roles, it is important to make sure that this muscle is always functioning properly. If your "side butt" feels tight, then give this technique a try. STARTING POSITION: Sit on the roller, lean to one side, cross your leg. If you are targeting your right gluteus medius, then you will lean to the right, and cross the right leg over the left. Push your right knee towards the ground with your left arm, and prop yourself up with your right hand and left foot. Do the exact opposite to target the left glute. TECHNIQUE: The gluteus medius is commonly referenced the "side butt muscle". Find the top of the bony prominence on the side of your leg. From there, move up and inward towards the "dent" or "dimple" in the side of your butt. This general area is where the gluteus medius is, deep to the larger gluteus maximus. It is easily accessed here. Roll very slowly, hunting for tender spots. Hold on each painful area until it no longer hurts, then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness.

Do you suffer frequent tension headaches? If so, then give this technique a try! STARTING POSITION: While laying on your back, position a small ball (either a golf ball or a lacrosse ball) against the base of your skull on either side of your spine. The majority of the ball should still be on your neck, with part of it digging into the base of your skull. You can bridge your hips upward to increase the amount of pressure that you apply to the area. TECHNIQUE: Your target area is extremely small. Track inward and outward along the base of your skull, making sure to not roll over your spine. Hunt for tender spots. Hold on each painful area until it no longer hurts, then move on. Spend 2-4 mins on each side, depending on the severity of your tightness.

STARTING POSITION: While on your elbows with your target leg out to the side, bent, and rotated inward, position a roller underneath and perpendicular to your thigh, just above the knee. TECHNIQUE: Roll along the entire length of the inner thigh, from just above the knee to the groin. Move very slowly around the target area, holding on tender spots until they are no longer painful. Roll each side for 2-4 mins, based on the severity of your tightness.

Tight lats can wreak havoc on your upper body mobility, causing compensation down the kinetic chain through the ribcage and low back. If you have a hard time lifting your arm directly overhead without arching your back, then this technique is for you! . STARTING POSITION: While laying on your side with your top leg bent and your foot flat against the ground, position the roller in your arm pit. Your target arm will be overhead with your thumb pointing upward. TECHNIQUE: The lat is a large muscle, spanning from the shoulder joint to the lower back. Make sure to roll the entire length of the muscle. As you traverse down the ribcage, stay just behind the ribs, attempting to "peel the lat off the ribcage". Move very slowly around the target area, holding on tender spots until they are no longer painful. Roll each side for 2-4 mins, based on the severity of your tightness.

Use this technique to improve your rotational capabilities! You should feel your arms, quads, and core working hard to both keep your upright and rotate your pelvis. STARTING POSITION: Get on all fours, positioning your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Lift your knees off of the ground about 1 inch. EXECUTION: rotate your pelvis to the right until your left glute grazes against the ground. Simultaneously straighten your left leg to stretch the outside of that leg. Return to the starting position and rotate to the opposite side. Make sure to always reposition yourself (if necessary) before starting your next rep

By learning how to minimize the amount of time that you spend on the ground in-between movements, bounding is a great tool for maximizing power, speed, and quickness. The video is sequenced in order of difficulty. That is, alternate leg bounding is demonstrated first, and is the easiest to perform. Followed by double leg bounding and single leg bounding. When you bound, make sure that you take as long of strides, jumps, or hops as possible, using forward momentum and triple extension through the ankle, knee, and hip joints to maximize your distance. DISCLAIMER: Before you double leg bound, master the broad jump first. Before you single leg bound, master both the hop and broad hop first! AVOID: Never let your knees collapse inward or your toes to turn out