The Position Statement: The RDL Position

This article is our second installment in our Position Statement series, which teaches our progression for the snatch, the clean, and the jerk. In this article, you'll learn everything you need to know about performing the snatch and the clean from the RDL position.

This article covers what the RDL position is, three set-up variations, specific benefits, programming tips, and more!

Read time: 12-15 min

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3 Steps to Improve Your Snatch Receiving Position

Image Source: Londonyouthgames / CC BY 3.0 / Cropped from original

This article shows you a proven combination of exercises to help you snatch and overhead squat more weight. Each exercise includes easy-to-follow instructions and a video demonstration, plus set/rep recommendations. And we'll teach you the best times to include each exercise during your workout and training plan.

Read time: 6 min

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Fixing the Split Jerk: A Case Study of Femoral Retroversion

Image courtesy of Danny Schlag, 6 for 6 Productions © All rights reserved.

Today's post is an interesting case study of a recent assessment and the implications of a key finding on fixing the split jerk.

This post will detail everything from the assessment process and clinical implications to, perhaps most importantly, the practical application of that information in the gym to develop, strengthen, and program the split jerk.

The clinical component details important information on hip function, and the practical application discusses useful strategies for all athletes who perform the split jerk.

Read time: 13 min

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Fixing the Youth Sports Problem - Part 2

Image Source: woodleywonderworks / CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original

In Part 1, I discussed the current problem with youth sports—less physically active kids and year-round sport specialization. The strategies in Part 1 focused on the psychology of how to keep youth athletes engaged and motivated to improve.

In today's post, I'm going to detail three coaching strategies to help you develop physical literacy. Combining these strategies with those in Part 1 will maximize the positive impact you have on your youth athletes' development.

Read time: 12 min

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Fixing the Youth Sports Problem - Part 1

Image source: Charlie Kindel / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 / Cropped from original

Decreased physical activity and our society's emphasis on year-round sport specialization contribute to poor physical literacy and overuse injuries.

If our kids can't move well or are plagued with injuries, they're not going to be going on to the next level. Neither will the kids who stay inside playing video games all day nor those who experience burnout after one or two seasons.

Today's post highlights three principles of applied sport psychology you should follow when working with youth athletes. These strategies will provide the framework for the specific coaching practices we'll present in Part 2.

Read time: 10 min

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Active Recovery, Athlete Monitoring, and Optimized Training

Recovery is a vital component of training and performance. In fact, it is necessary to improve performance. At the least, adequate recovery is necessary to prevent injury, stagnation, and overtraining.

Learn strategies for coaches and athletes to include active recovery and athlete monitoring to enhance recovery and maximize performance.

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How to RDL

Note: This tutorial first appeared as a guest article I wrote for Mike Robertson's website. You can view the original article here: Robertson Training Systems.

The Romanian Deadlift is one of the most important strength exercises out there and should be a staple in any training program.

Not only is the RDL great for developing glute and hamstring strength, but it complements the training effects of other exercises such as the Olympic lifts, squats, and deadlifts.

Learn how to perform or teach the RDL and how to use it to improve performance.

Read time: 12-15 min

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Positional Influence on the Scapula and Shoulder (video)

Figure 1. Shoulder elevation comparison.

In this post, we present a case study to highlight the effects of posture and position on scapula and shoulder function. After a brief introduction, the video reviews the fundamentals of scapula and shoulder anatomy, positional effects on joint function, and muscular function of the rotator cuff.

Read time: ≤5 min; Video: 7 min

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Ankle Mobility: Assessment and Corrective Strategies

Figure 1. A) Active and B) Passive ankle dorsiflexion.

With our recent articles on mobility, you hopefully have a clearer understanding of the different factors that can affect mobility. This article will reveal the components of our assessment process at Five Rings Athletics and how we identify these factors.

We'll use the ankles as a case study to bring these concepts to light. Plus, we'll detail specific strategies to improve ankle mobility. As you’ll see, it’s not always as simple as telling someone to stretch or roll out.

Read time: 12-15 min

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Influencing Posture

Last week, we examined how posture and position can affect one’s movement. As discussed in that article, Influence of Posture 101, excessive lumbar extension and anterior pelvic tilt alter the expression of hip flexion during movements like the squat (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Comparison of hip flexion with two different postures. A) Excessive lumbar extension and anterior pelvic tilt; B) Neutral spine and pelvic alignment.

This article details specific techniques, stretches, and exercises to address issues related to postural and positional, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and motor control factors that can contribute to a posture of excessive lumbar extension and anterior pelvic tilt.

Read time: 15-20 min

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