Articles

“Take a deep breath.” “Just stay moving.” “Two more breaths, then get back to work.” How often have you been in the middle of a workout and your trainer or workout partner says one of the above statements to you? We often overlook how important our breathing is, not only during the course of a...Read More

December is here again. It always seems to sneak up on us so fast. Great news is that this is the time to enjoy family, friends, and rich traditions. Be aware, it is also the time of year when tempting treats are everywhere we turn. Unlike other times of the year when the occasional wedding...Read More

My husband has heart disease. He is 51 years old and was diagnosed this year. Both of his parents have heart issues and have had bypass surgeries. He’s genetically wired for the same, but does that mean he will suffer the same fate? We’re not panicking, but we are dedicated to educating ourselves to prevent...Read More

Fitness is essential at all ages. As our bodies age, it is not a time to slow down or relive the glory days, it’s time to get real about movement and practical fitness. Based on the needs of the aging body, certain changes may need to be made, but strength and conditioning should continue to...Read More

In this article we will break down squat depth and discuss just how low is optimal.  Simply put, a squat is defined as an individual lowering their hips from a standing position down then standing back up. There are two depths we will define in this article, full depth and breaking parallel.  A full depth squat...Read More

I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about my experience in the Boy Scouts of America growing up. I was a scout all the way through high school when I got my Eagle Scout. I love the idea of young boys and teens developing life skills under the guidance of adult leadership...Read More

Competition can come in many forms. While not everyone who walks through the doors of the gym is looking to compete at the highest level, I believe it is important for everyone to find some level of competition in their health and fitness endeavors, even if that means simply competing against yourself. This month at...Read More

Today I would like to contribute to a topic that people have been fighting about on the internet since its inception: Nutrition. Every couple of years, a fad diet will emerge with its very own rules, restrictions, and claims of being the best way for all human beings to eat and live. We’ve seen Zone,...Read More

This past week I saw where someone posted on a local message board on Facebook that they were looking for some help with weight loss. There were a few suggestions for trainers or local gyms, a lot of suggestions for MLM products, several medical-related suggestions (ie gastric bypass), and one guy simply said eat less...Read More

Resistance band training can (and should) be added to your daily workouts. They can be utilized in many ways, from stretching through an increased range of motion, to performing high-volume work in your workouts. With high-volume resistance band work, you will strengthen connective tissue, which in turn will prevent possible soft tissue injuries.Greater storage of...Read More

Human beings are emotionally-driven creatures. Our emotions have a major influence on our decision-making and can even overpower our logic, coercing us into making decisions we know are not the right ones. This happens in our fitness and health decision-making as well. We see it every day as fitness professionals. Clients will have a bad...Read More

This is more fun way to make zucchini than in the pan, but a better alternative to potato chips that also can improve fruit and vegetable intake. Enjoy! Ingredients:  ‐ Cooking Spray  ‐ 2 Medium Zucchini (about 1 pound)  ‐ 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil  ‐ 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan (3/4 oz) ‐ 1/4 Cup Plain...Read More

In the New York Times Bestseller “Make Your Bed”, U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven discusses the importance of Teamwork, specifically the need to rely on others for help through difficult tasks. One difficult task that we face on a daily basis is our nutrition. With so much conflicting information available at our fingertips on...Read More

In recent months, as we review our workouts at the whiteboard together, we often discuss what our output effort during the conditioning portion should be, 75%, 85%, max effort.  We have also discussed “redlining.” I thought it would be a good idea to discuss what that essentially means, somewhat scientifically. If you go out too...Read More

Fruits and vegetables are often not the most palatable foods, however it is strongly recommended to make them a priority in diet. The truth is, they are not often the most enjoyable part of meal prep, however there are ways to get them in without excess prep. One of those ways is through smoothies, which...Read More

A recent article by the NY Post showed that American’s waste around $18,000 a year on non-essential expenses. Purchases such as cable, Netflix, eating out, music streaming, subscription boxes and impulse purchases slowly add up to take a large share of the average American’s spending power. This helps to show how the average household has a credit...Read More

Invariably when many of us, especially in our younger days, begin a relationship with someone, there is the initial bubbly “everything is good” phase where you and a partner are experiencing the very surface of each other, which is also the surface that most people see anyway – the common likes, dislikes, jokes, things that...Read More

Today marks my 10 year anniversary as a CrossFit coach. I was introduced to CrossFit in December of 2008. After having a membership at ATC for years, I needed a change.  I actually used my ATC membership and I had a couple of people I “trained” with and I really enjoyed the community, but I...Read More

Do you sometimes hit a wall during your training sessions? You know, that feeling when you are struggling with a weight that usually goes up much faster, or tapping out halfway through your intervals? Maybe you’re new to training or getting back in the swing of things and can’t seem to find your energy. Wherever...Read More

With Summer upon us, that means loads of fresh fruits and vegetables!! Here are some tips on how to save them from early death! Important things to keep in mind are : Don’t keep your produce in the door of the refrigerator where temperatures fluctuate. Keep them in the middle or bottom drawers to keep...Read More

Most of us are after well-developed, proportionate, and polished-looking legs. Legs that complement your upper body without overpowering it. Legs that are athletic and agile, as well as powerful. So how can you develop legs that look outstanding, are highly versatile and downright explosive? I like to do Plyo Complexes. These are a strength-oriented movement...Read More

Properly planning your training days to ensure you are hitting all of the different muscle groups (without creating imbalances) can be a tall order. With endless combinations of programming variables and schools of thought regarding training, it can be very difficult to decide what exercises to include in your training program. However, breaking the body...Read More

Over the last decade, I’ve gotten to witness and participate in the pursuit of health, fitness, physique, and performance of a lot of people. I’ve seen success, failure, given a lot of advice, and learned a lot in the process. One thing I’ve learned is that everyone struggles. Some people struggle more or less in...Read More

Everyone has heard the term DOMS being tossed around in the gym but what exactly is it, what does that mean to you and how do you recover from it? DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. This means that after a strenuous exercise, the body may experience pain or stiffness that doesn’t usually start...Read More

With the new season, comes new festivities, warmth, people out and about at Shelby Farms, brunch or beers on the patio, and also new seasonal food. One of those foods I particularly enjoy in season is asparagus. Asparagus is often seen as a boring but necessary meal prep vegetable that hits your nose when you...Read More

In 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first man to ever walk on the moon. Since the beginning of space travel 536 humans have been into space and 12 have walked on the moon. A total of 18 people have died during launch, flight, or entry. Putting a man onto the moon is an incredibly complex...Read More

As a registered dietitian, I have numerous roles to fill. In clinical settings, we assess, identify, and diagnose, and make recommendations as interventions for which nutrition is the primary form of treatment or as a means to correct nutrition problems in the management of disease. Developing diet plans of action for a given goal, whether...Read More

The Sumo DL High Pull is one of CrossFit’s 9 foundational movements. We teach it to all of our new CrossFitters while going through our OnRamp course.  It doesn’t often come up in programming, and quite honestly I’ve often wondered why it is considered one of CrossFit’s foundational movements, so I did some research and...Read More

I recently joked that I wanted to give a speech at a high school graduation in which I would site a bunch of depressing statistics about their likelihood to get divorced, dislike their jobs, go on anti-depressants, get addicted to social media, and be obese. I guess it’s not really a funny joke but laughter...Read More

There are several things to understand when your goal is feeding strength. Number one, like any athlete, you have to consider overall calories. If you not eating enough, you will be weak. Secondly, you have to consider the macronutrients, carbs, fat, and protein. Strength athletes are recommended to consume 1.6 -2.0 g/kg of bodyweight (or...Read More

There are many ways people misperceive the role of food in their approach to goal-setting. This is a dog I’ve walked before, but it is a reoccurring phenomenon and I want to expand on some of the wrong approaches people often take as it concerns to manipulating their food intake. Diets  The first way, is the “this...Read More

Dynapenia is the loss of muscle strength, (rather than muscle mass) and is often associated with older adults. It can have devastating effects on a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Climbing stairs, picking up a grandchild, or quite simply getting out of a chair or the bathtub become barely possible. Additionally, this loss of...Read More

It’s a new year and time to get back on track. Yayyy, right? Not so fast. It doesn’t mean you have to give up all things tasty and eat only chicken, broccoli, and rice. I wanted to provide for you today something that can ease the transition from ciders, hams, and dressings to your normal...Read More

I’ve been in the fitness industry over a decade and have seen the full spectrum of people’s successes and failures. Everyone shows up motivated. Some of them take action. A few less keep up that action in the short term. A few less train smart and follow an intelligent program. And even fewer keep it...Read More

And food is made in the kitchen. I know. There’s a part of you that wants to think that as long as you eat less enough, the abs will be there. And the harder you cut, the sooner you see them all nice and defined. Consider this the Tyler Durden in your head, the person...Read More

The holiday season kicks off with Thanksgiving, a holiday characterized by spending time and enjoying good meals with friends and family. It is meant to be a time of grateful reflection and thanksgiving for all that we have. Ironically the following day is Black Friday which is a time spent in consumer chaos, away from...Read More

Did you know… The drop out rate for fitness is higher than that of Navy Seals? About 80-90% of people will give up on their fitness routine within the first 5 months. Of those that do stick with it, many will eventually hit a rut, get complacent, stop making progress and quit. I’ve been there...Read More

During one wellness presentation, I asked a group of people what they thought was the average amount of weight gained during the holiday season every year in the U.S. Some people on the far end guessed an average of 10-15 pounds. Others had a little more conservative guess of about 5-7. The answer is closer to about one pound. With...Read More

When I first made the transition from powerlifting to CrossFit with the goal of becoming more well-rounded in my health and fitness, I struggled a lot with body weight movements like pushups, sit ups, and pull ups. This was partly due to my weight but also due to lacking the capacity to perform higher rep...Read More

When I was in St. Maarten during vacation, my wife and I went on an excursion with a tour guide who drove our bus. The tour guide talked about how once in an effort to combat the snakes, they introduced mongooses to the island. For a time everything was great. The mongooses reliably cleaned out the...Read More

Recently I have been trying to diet down and get lean again.  2 weeks ago, I got an update from my coach, that resulted in lower carbs on low and medium carb days, and 104 min HIIT cardio per week, broken up over 6 days. The HIIT sessions are done on the newly repaired air...Read More

For the most part, no supplement is going to beat out hardwork, and sometimes pre-workouts can severely hinder your ability to get an accurate RPE on activity, skews heart rate, and can lend to an enormous crash later. For those reasons, I have a tendency to stick to a strong cup of coffee unless I...Read More

Every Day I’m Hustilin’ A lot goes into your daily training beyond just your physical ability. Sleep, nutrition, and stress all play a role. Sometimes we walk into the gym ready to kill the workout but instead, we end up as carnage. The perfect training day is a Unicorn, if there is one in existence,...Read More

I’m about to go on my first cruise next week. Some people desire to be beach-ready physique wise for cruises and I don’t really care for it, but I am planning on coming back and starting my plan to get lean right after. Why? I want to perform better, sure. Being at a stable weight...Read More

The ankle is probably one of the most ignored joints in the human body, especially in athletic performance. Poor ankle mobility affects everything up the kinetic chain. It can lead to knee, hip, lower back, and shoulder problems. It is important as a coach or athlete to earn the right squat, especially heavy weight. If...Read More

Donald Trump is President, Amazon is delivering groceries to your house using drones, and Drake is the top musician in the world. What does all this point to? Zombies. Yep, for sure the zombie apocalypse is on the horizon and if you’re not prepared for it, you’re not going to make it. Luckily for you,...Read More

Are you one of those people that constantly travels for work, and you can never seem to fit in a simple workout, or never know if there is going to be a gym where you are staying? I know quite a few people who do tons of traveling for work, and this always seems to...Read More

…is rarely (though sometimes) the genetic freak.  Before you start peppering me with your anecdotals and acquaintances that defy that statement, I will acknowledge that there are exceptions to that rule. However, the most successful athletes I have known or heard of are usually those who have a bit of genetic predisposition and a lot...Read More

Over the last several months, Steve and I have been working hard to become debt free. In an effort to reduce our monthly expenses, in January, I sold my jeep and “bought” a less expensive car. After driving the car a couple of months, I decided I didn’t care about the car enough to warrant...Read More

I want to outline and explain a few things that dramatically improved my performance in training and ultimately in competition at the 2017 World’s Strongest Man u90kg competition. These changes were lifestyle and diet based, and for their relatively minor investments they could be considered force multipliers with how much of an impact they had....Read More

Fructose Fructose is the sweetest of all-natural sugars. It is somewhat special compared to other sugars. It has its own GLUT transporter which is cool and could potentially make fructose a better option as a carb source, by lowering the total amount of insulin secreted due to specific glucose transporters. Fruit could be a better...Read More

So, what are you willing to sacrifice to reach the goals that you have set for yourself in life? Do you not know? Have you never asked yourself this question before? If you’ve set goals for yourself, then surely you have. Maybe you haven’t, and if that’s the case, then I’d be willing to bet...Read More

Is strongman training appropriate for everyone? 1. Yes, assuming they are healthy enough to do any form of physical training. What are the benefits of strongman training compared to more traditional training styles like powerlifting or bodybuilding? 1. Strongman training involves a few fundamental human movement patterns: the overhead press, the deadlift, weighted carries, and...Read More

In today’s world, a majority of the population has bad posture. With the amount of sedentary lifestyles and desk jobs, our posture is the first thing to suffer. In past articles, I have talked about S and C posture. Just incase you missed it; here’s a quick overview. S posture is excessive rounding of the...Read More

In our pursuits of athletic and physical improvements, we must ensure that we have the proper foundation to continue to build upon. There are two physical capacities that we must enlarge before we can add more on top of them: strength and aerobic capacity. What is capacity? Capacity is used to reference ability in a...Read More

I experienced something recently in my life that has made me change the way I look at myself. I came to the realization of how easy it is to get caught up in our own crap. What do I mean by that? Let me tell you a little bit about myself. Most of the time...Read More

SET UP Stand with heels underneath your hips, legs locked out Hands outside the shoulder with a full grip, elbows slightly in front of the bar Begin with the bar racked on the front on the shoulders, belly tight POINTS OF PERFORMANCE With a tight and rigid body, break at the hips and knees dipping...Read More

Earlier this month I had the the opportunity of taking the Level 1 RPR (Reflexive Performance Reset) course. Long story short, it was more insightful then I ever imagined. As many of my clients and colleagues know I am a firm believer in proper movement mechanics, strength, stability and mobility. All of these play an...Read More

When CrossFit first gained public attention, there was a lot of criticism of the “WOD” training structure from sports scientists and strength coaches. While traditional training utilized a long term periodization model for programming, CrossFit utilized a daily form of programming. Periodization is simply the organization of training. At CrossFit NBS we utilize a long...Read More

I am taking a foods class at the University of Memphis, and we went over apples in one of our class periods. I thought there were a few interesting takeaways in the lecture. We went over the 3 types of apples: Cooking, eating, and combination. The main difference between the apples is the sugar/fiber content....Read More

At the very beginning of any life change, we tend to look at the end picture and all that it will entail before we decide if it will be worth it.  Once we have decided that it is, we often find ourselves with a wave of motivation to start moving all the big rocks in...Read More

Let me ask you something. Have you ever sat and daydreamed about something that you were going to do, or perhaps something that you may have already done but you wanted to revisit that place so you thought about it in you head? I’m sure you have. Maybe you were about to go on a...Read More

We are always trying to find new exercises that challenge and help us reach new levels of performance in the gym and on the course. The tall kneeling step-up is one of those exercises. This exercise is great for developing stability, improve motor patterns and nervous system stimulation. As a rotational athlete, it is very...Read More

  Recently I have had numerous clients compete in powerlifting meets. Some are remote clients (out of state that I do not meet with) and others that are local, whose progression I see week to week (if they follow the prescribed program). Here’s an outline of my experiences and my approach to guiding a client...Read More

Day in and day out you see golfers in the gym doing “golf” exercises. You’ll see them at the cable machines performing their golf swings with resistance or dumbbells and even standing on a medicine ball to improve their balance. Are they accomplishing anything? Probably not. Last thing, we want to do in any sport,...Read More

Mechanics The most important place to begin in CrossFit (or any weightlifting sport for that matter) is with proper mechanics. Mechanics refers to the ability to move properly through core movements. This includes moving your body and external objects in the most efficient, effective, and safest manner possible. In simple terms, you must learn proper...Read More

This article was inspired by a sermon by Jason Cook of Fellowship Memphis on February 4th. I’m writing this article for myself to remember, some of you may enjoy it as well.  Regardless of your religious beliefs, the Bible offers great lessons about how we should live our lives. Stories from the Old Testament provide...Read More

I love me some strict pressing. While typically barbell strict press, I also program is in with log, swiss bar, fat bar, dumbbell, and just about anything you can safely press overhead. I find its utility to be a bit higher than bench press, so if I am really having to consolidate training days, it’s...Read More

Here at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, we provide performance-based care for conditions of the musculoskeletal system. Our mission is to provide the members of our community access to the same results-based, quality health care that is typically reserved for collegiate and professional sports teams. Most competitive athletes form personal, long term relationships with their...Read More

With the new years comes the idea of new year’s resolutions and with resolutions we see a broad spectrum of approaches. I know I have seen social media posts that range from big goals and big changes to one small action done daily to people who say they don’t need the New Year to spark...Read More

“No one said this was going to be easy” This phrase is something everyone has heard at some point in their lifetime. (If not, I suggest getting into a hobby that does not entail playing video games). This phrase can be aptly applied to School, Sports, Religion, or Work. Basically anything in life. I would...Read More

It’s that time of the year again: the “new year, new me” saga. How often are those words said with real intention but no real commitment. So, how can we actually achieve these New Years’ resolutions? Set realistic goals – ensure that you don’t set yourself up for failure. Write them down – Statistics show...Read More

After this short blog post about sitting back and doing nothing while someone killed themself with bad habits, I had a long talk with David about what we could do.  After very short deliberation, we have decided that I am going to open up my own books to take a few clients that fall in...Read More

The plot of zombie movies is pretty basic: human kind slowly gets taken over by lifeless creatures that turn each person they bite into another zombie and the small percentage of surviving humans are struggling to survive. It’s a scary concept but clearly fiction; definitely not something we have to worry about….right? Well, I’m here...Read More

How do you Recover Outside of Training?  The first installment of this series was basically me telling you all that I love to drink. Well, not entirely. I enjoy a good drink, unlike some of you all who prefer to drink fruit-flavored stuff spiked with alcohol or beer that takes like water ‘cause you are...Read More

Picture this, you’re at the gym and you see some guy on the bench press. He’s an average looking guy that looks like he may lift, or he may look like he doesn’t even lift, but that’s beside the point. Okay, so he’s benching and is struggling to get some reps in with 135, or...Read More

In my opinion, the T-Bar is the most useful piece of equipment in every gym. Why you may ask?  It can be used to train both upper and lower body, help teach proper motor patterns (hip hinge, squat, deadlift) and it also can be used to train all aspects of strength, power and hypertrophy. What...Read More

Today, I was able to catch up with one of the first coworkers I ever had in my career as a coach.  It was good catching up , and remembering the early days of our careers.  My god, how things have changed for me.  Getting older in itself comes with some maturity, but growing up...Read More

“David, I…HATE…RUNNING!” I’ve heard it more than once in my time as a trainer. Running is a very polarizing activity. Some people love it, most people hate it, and neither side really understands how the other one can feel the way they do towards it. I once programmed a mile run into the training plan...Read More

I would say that I am still pretty new to the sport of powerlifting. I’ve been doing it for almost 3 years now, but I feel like there are many lessons that can be learned in 3 years.  I would like to share a couple of them with all of you in hopes that my...Read More

Headaches are one of the most difficult and common ailments that affect people world-wide. Although they are more common with females, headaches are a burden that almost every person is likely to experience not only in their lifetime, but every year. I understand the complexities of headaches and that many people are likely challenged by...Read More

Last month, we discussed the various types of ruck sacks as well as how to pack them successfully in part 1 of this serious.   Today, we will talk a bit about training for or around your ruck. Most clients that I work with are rucking because rucking is an important ability within their career path. ...Read More

9 Keys to Strengthening our Affiliate (community) I recently read this e-book, Always Be Caring: The 9 Ways to Strengthening Your Affiliate Community  written by Ben Bergeron. The material was written specifically for gym owners and coaches, so during my recent turn presenting during our monthly CE sessions, I delivered my best interpretation of it...Read More

BETTER AGED As people, we adapt and learn which allows us to progress. Well, some of us. Others fail to change and thus fail to progress. Either way, when we implement what we have learned (often through failing), we identify certain variables as the cause of the failure and change those variables. Then we see...Read More

Supplements can be confusing.  Many are absolutely worth the time and effort, while others are clever marketing ploys that don’t really make much, if any, difference on your performance.   Further, of the ones that are worth while, the truth is that *situationally* they aren’t appropriate.  So how do you know what to take and when? ...Read More

Building Callouses Despite what you may have heard, callouses on our hands are actually a good thing. Large callouses however, are not. Let’s start by defining what a callous actually is. Callous –showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.  Oh, ok, not that kind. Callouses are quite simply just a hardened or...Read More

We discussed rucking on episode 3 of the Iron and Lead Podcast very briefly, and since then I have had quite a few questions on rucking.  While I have had the benefit of working with hundreds of military/LEO/big dudes for the last few years, I do think rucking can be an enjoyable (*gasp*) activity for...Read More

YOUR POSITIONING SUCKS My poverty bench is so comical it could have its own stand up show and make a killing. Seriously, it would sell out the FedEx Forum. My current goal is to hit a (measly) 400lbs bench on the platform. Over a year ago I completely changed my bench setup and stance, which...Read More

Our hips create a lot of power and its important that we learn how to harness that power, especially in the golf swing. How do you harness the power, through a proper hip hinge. What is a hip hinge? The hip hinge, is flexion and extension originating at the hip. It is a fundamental pattern,...Read More

I usually suggest people to eat whole foods as opposed to protein shakes, and to drink protein shakes as their last option. Whole food meals are going to be your best bet for improving body composition, and your diet should consist of mostly whole foods. I do think however, there is a time and a...Read More

Let me ask you a question. Do you ever find yourself getting distracted from doing the things that you need to do to become the best possible version of yourself? I know that for myself, it is a never-ending struggle to stay on track towards reaching my goals and even completing simple tasks, such as...Read More

I’m going to be very honest: somedays, I rise each morning just to go to the gym in hopes of seeing David running so I might make fun of him.  And man, he doesn’t disappoint. However, through this sibling-like tough love, I found myself feeling a little bad for him as the temperatures headed into...Read More

I used to say that anyone who can physically squat a thousand pounds surely doesn’t have any mental weakness but much like many other definitive statements that I have made, I’m about to challenge this one. I first began lifting back in 7th grade. As I started puberty, I shot up in height very quickly...Read More

1) Getting Out of Bed If you were hoping this means that you should hit snooze until 10am, sorry sleepy head. This is referring to HOW you get yourself out of bed. Luckily, this is an easy fix, and one you may be doing correctly already. There are a few reason that getting bed out...Read More

A few months ago, I wrote an article about the importance of warming up before teeing it up on the golf course. Way too often, I see people trying to squeeze in a workout, skipping or just completely forgetting the warm-up because they feel the main movement is more important. When in fact, the warm-up...Read More

Sometimes, life has themes.   Over the past year or so, I have taken a step back from my previous perch as the super set-in-her-ways diva and have done a bit of introspection.  This quest to understand myself a bit more led me to a really great set of writing prompts by Jordan Peterson (...Read More

The CrossFit Games For the first time in CrossFit Games history, it will be televised on a national network. The Games will be broadcast through 2017 and 2018 on CBS, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Digital. With nearly 400,000 athletes from more than 175 countries The CrossFit Games is the single largest participatory sporting...Read More

Sports Performance is a buzzword that holds a high amount of value in competitive athletics. When most people think about performance in sports, they think about training, lifting, agility drills, or other activities that increase the athlete’s abilities. Athletes invest a large amount of time pushing their bodies through extremely high levels of physical stress...Read More

Don’t be Camera Shy If you are like me, explaining things via text can be difficult. Important bits of information can be lost in communication if the message is misinterpreted. This is amplified when trying to give instructions to clients who need explanations or form breakdowns and technique cues. For one thing, the coach is...Read More

Over the past several decades, fitness in golf has been a highly debated topic. Until recently, fitness was viewed negatively on the golf community and was something you “never” should do. However, even though times are changing, people still critic the place of fitness and lifting within the golf community. Prime examples of this are...Read More

In the short time that I have been involved in strength training and powerlifting, there are many things that I’ve noticed throughout that time, and something that sticks out more than most of the atrocities that I come across. That is the act of “program hopping”. Yep, I’m talking about your friend that in one...Read More

Welcome to our third and final installment of the NBS Fitness Guide to Supplements. In Part 1 we discussed the importance of protein and the different types and qualities available. In Part 2 we discussed the importance of a peri workout protocol. We are going to finish this series off with talk about products that can help...Read More

Puzzled We were fortunate enough to enjoy some much needed time with our grandson last weekend. Jackson is absolutely our greatest joy and we treasure our time with him. During our customary trip to Target on Saturday, he picked out a 1000 piece puzzle for us to do together. I always enjoyed putting puzzles together with my children...Read More

The Best Post Meet Recovery Ever! We always talk about taking a break after the meet to let our bodies recover. For those of you who follow this advice, you understand why. Those that do not implement this will understand one day. For me personally, when I finish a meet I don’t have motivation to...Read More

We are all looking to get the best results from our training. However, are we getting the best results if we don’t really know what we need to improve? This is where a movement screening comes in handy. The results from movement screening can help you program your training to improve and restore your physical...Read More

Why CrossFit Kids I’ve been coaching kids for as long as I’ve been coaching adults. One of the focuses has always been teaching kids proper movement patterns that will translate when they get into upper grade level athletics and training. Another benefit to starting kids young is that it sets a precedence for them as...Read More

When I was younger, I managed a commercial gym.  During this time, I became very close and familiar with the members of that gym. As a result, I became a sounding board for frustrations for many of them.  So it wasn’t surprising when Pam* asked if she could come talk to me about some concerns...Read More

Seriously. One easy trick allowed me to have the most productive year of training I’ve ever had. I am now in the best shape of my life, the leanest I have ever been, and the least injured I have ever been. And the greatest part is you can do it too! Whats the secret? I hired a knowledgable professional...Read More

My mind is obsessed with powerlifting and every aspect that goes into it. This haunts me. It can take focus away from other areas. But it also allows me to correlate random things to explain powerlifting in a better way. I was sitting in church and we were talking about vineyards and the growth of...Read More

I feel like we all sound like broken records with our talk about nutrition, dieting, cardio, and everything else that goes hand-in-hand with shedding weight and leaning out. Well, I’m going to “weigh in” on the issue. See what I did there? Now, do you want to lose weight? That seems to be what the...Read More

Kettlebell Training Kettlebell training has always been a favorite of mine. I took a course several years ago and became Level 1 Certified in Kettlbell training in 2010. Eventually, I’d like to become RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certified). Programming Kettlbell workouts in our CrossFit programming occurs at least weekly. One of my favorite KB movements is the...Read More

Since the beginning, athletic endeavors and sports supplements have gone hand in hand. We’ve come a long way from ancient Greek wrestlers chewing on rhodiola leaves to the multi-billion dollar supplement industry we see today and we will continue to make progress in the future. The purpose of this series is to educate you on...Read More

At Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance, our motto is Prepare. Perform. Prevent. We truly believe that the services and content that we push for at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance are a direct reflection of this motto. If a service does not reflect at least one aspects of this motto, then it is not one...Read More

Part 2 Last month, I started an article about the importance of warming up properly before a round of golf. So, let’s review what we talked about in the last post. How many of you walk up to the tee, grab your club and just hit the ball, as the player in the video below?...Read More

Do you have a personal trainer? How have things been going with him/her lately? Are you reaching your goals that you set for yourself? I’m going to lay out some tips here that I think will help you in your fitness, strength, physique endeavors, or whatever your goals may be with your personal trainer if...Read More

Behind all the tan, awkward cut bikinis/speedos and carb-depleted divas lies a sport I really love.  So much, that I am frequently encouraging people to get out of their comfort zone and commit to a formal show.  While I think this is a really great goal for a lot of people, I am reminded time...Read More

When it comes to the organization of training, many people fall back to basics they learned early on in their training career. Things that have been passed time from one lifter to the next and so on and so forth. Many times lifters are not even sure of the purpose or reasoning behind their training...Read More

Pouring into Broken Glasses (2) Now that we have been formally educated by a recognized institute (Part 1) and continue to learn from others while building more of our own theories, next we need to weather the storm of attempting to actually teach people. Trainers and coaches are nothing more than teachers, and athletes and...Read More

Last weekend, the entire NBS team and I, had an amazing opportunity to attend the Elitefts Sports Performance Summit at Ohio State University. It was a once in the lifetime opportunity to have all of those brilliant minds together in one place. At the summit, we were lucky enough to learn from some of the...Read More

How to Be A Great Swinger! Kettlebell swings are personally one of my favorite exercises.  No matter your fitness level, you can learn to swing properly and efficiently. Swing Stance and Set Up Start with placing your feet slightly outside hip width. Your stance should be more narrow than a squat stance, with toes pointing forward....Read More

In the past few years, countless great strength athletes have began incorporating hypertrophy components into their programming.  While the cited reasons vary quite a bit, there’s no debating that there is clearly a case for hypertrophy work for the strength athlete.  Some of the more sophisticated reasons would be to create a frame that can...Read More

Are you a runner who needs help getting back up to speed? Running injuries are seen in everyone from the recreational runner to the most advanced ironman athletes. As a provider for all athletics at the University of Memphis, one of the most challenging sports to tackle is track and field. It is a well acknowledged fact that track...Read More

Pouring into Broken Glasses (1) Back to School An education in Exercise Sports Science is largely comprised of memorizing muscles, understanding movements, and practicing tests to apply to subjects in a lab setting. You learn the scientific theories behind testing as well as the protocols themselves, which test for specific values. Most of this information...Read More

The first ever CrossFit Games was held in 2007 in Southern California at what is knows as, “The Ranch”. Anyone could sign up to compete. This was the workout for the 2-day competition. Saturday Event 1 For time: 1000 meter Row then, 5 rounds: 25 Pull-ups 7 Push jerks (135 / 95 lbs) Event 2...Read More

Did I catch your attention with my gripping title? I hope they’re a few of you that get a moment to read this tid bit of valuable information that can help you to create more stability by understanding the 3 muscular contractions, and what each of them do. One of our biggest goals we want...Read More

The age excuse is a topic that I encounter on a regular basis in my personal and professional life. “I am to old for ‘X’ activity.” “Getting old sucks.” “Back when I was younger…” People talk about age like its an unescapable, constricting prison. It’s as if age simply deteriorates you and keeps you from being active,...Read More

How to Use Bands and Chains for Accommodative Resistance The concept of accommodative resistance can be explained as “the increase of resistance while lifting through a range of motion” (Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing. (2012)). This can be accomplished by using bands or chains to increase tension/weight at the lockout of a...Read More

Kipping Pull Up – The Final Chapter You’ve established a superman (arch) and the hollow position and we’ve taken that movement onto the bar. The next step is actually getting the pull up. Part of the goal when working the Superman/Hollow position is to generate enough force that you create horizontal momentum.  At the apex...Read More

Go to college. Get an exercise science/ kinesiology degree. Go to grad school. Get an internship.  Suck at your trade for a while, then slowly get better. Make mistakes and learn from them. If someone asked me to summarize the path to becoming great in the fitness industry, that would be my initial suggestion.  As we...Read More

I may be slightly biased in my opinion on this subject but 17 years of training and 10 years in the fitness industry has influenced my ideas on what constitutes a solid gym from a gym that sucks. I am sure there are more than just five ways to know if your gym sucks but...Read More

There are many training program systems for strength athletes and different theories are applied within these systems. With so much specialty equipment out there, people tend to get lost in what  to use and more importantly how to use it properly. In this installment in our “Specialty Equipment Series” we are going to look at...Read More

In the past, strength training in golf has been a highly debated topic. However, times are changing. Strength training is important in every sport, even in golf. That’s right, I said it! Proper strength training, on a regular basis, will help prepare a golfer for the physical demands put on their body, reduce risk of...Read More

Recently I had the opportunity to work with Zach Gallmann, founder and producer of the popular strongman series, Finding Strength, at EliteFTS. Zach had heard a lot about the new RPR method for improving performance and fixing compensations. He had a lot of interest in finding out if RPR could help him, so we got him in...Read More

Have you ever done this? Have you squatted and sat back onto a box before? Do you have any particular reason as to why you were doing that? Perhaps you saw it somewhere, maybe someone told you to. Well, here at NBS we have many people who box squat, and a variety of reasons for...Read More

I’m lucky, I have perspective. In the fitness field I’ve worn or wear many hats and that has allowed me to participate and witness many things. It has allowed me to meet and know many people. I’ve had the chance to watch people both fail and succeed, to witness people give up and persevere, and to...Read More

History This case involves a female in her early 30s. She is active, physically fit, and exercises regularly at NBS Fitness. Her complaint is severe pain in the front of the left hip (7/10 on a 0-10 scale). This pain is most notable during active flexion of the hip during exercise or getting up from a...Read More

I recently ran across a great article at EliteFTS on joint maintenance and it was spot on awesome that I decided to share it. With joint and musculoskeletal pain being one of the most prevalent conditions in today’s society, there are a lot of poor resources full of articles and experts trying to sell you on...Read More

Obviously by now, everyone has heard about the hikes in insurance premiums that are going to be occurring in Tennessee or in other states for 2017. If not, you can read about Tennessee increases here. With the amounts that premiums, copays, and deductibles are increasing, its no wonder that health care is one of the most...Read More

An Introduction to RPR: For those who are unfamiliar, over the last two or three months, I have added a new and powerful service to the line of performance and results based services at Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance. The vision of Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance from the beginning has been to provide the best...Read More

Life is about so much more than the Gym.  It’s easy, as a personal trainer, to get tunnel vision and believe that you have everything figured out when in fact you’ve become complacent in several important facets of life.  I have divided my life up into 5 areas that I refer to my sacred geometry...Read More

The kipping pull up is perhaps one of the most sought after gymnastic movements in CrossFit, but can take quite some time to learn. While it may appear as though one is just swinging on the bar and pulling up, there is actually a lot of technique involved. Strength and patience are also key elements...Read More

GPP is one of those cool catch phrases that fitness folks like to throw around to sound smart (me included) but what is it? Is it metcons? Is it pushing the prowler? Is it steady state cardio on a machine? If you don’t know the correct answer, no worries, this article is designed to get...Read More

As David pointed out on his facebook this week, we hosted The Clash For Cash And Cash Car Pull this past weekend and it turned out to be a great success.  NBS Fitness itself has hosted 10 or so events in its existence, and various pieces of our staff have been helping in some capacity...Read More

Why You Should Be Using Specialty Bars to Bench Press Last month’s ARTICLE we looked at specialty bars and why you should use them for your training, particularly squat training. This month we are going to look at specialty bars and implementing them for training the bench press. Before everyone gets freaked out: No, we...Read More

This fall marks my 7th year as either a competitor or provider in collegiate athletics. During these seven years, I’ve been fortunate to do my part in 4 different programs at the Division I level. These experiences have been as narrow as a football only focus to as broad as encompassing all varsity collegiate sports. Being in college athletics long enough, you...Read More

When a meet is approaching there are three questions that you will always be asked.  The first question is are you ready for the meet?  The second question is how did your training go this cycle?  The final question is what is your goal for the meet?  I’m sure that there are more questions that...Read More

Mid-South Spine and Sports Performance is invested in the continual process of providing the best in sports performance care for our athletes and patients. One of these products have been our recent addition of Foot Levelers functional orthotics. These orthotics are providing a much needed support system for an often neglected are in many athletes,...Read More

In the past years, I have been able to really dive into the gut of fitness industry.  Between hosting powerlifting meets and strongman events at NBS, continuing to compete in physique shows, and doing media coverage of national/pro level physique shows, I have been privvy to the backstage antic of many competitors.  One thing that...Read More

In today’s age of trigger warnings, social pressures, and fragile self esteem, people struggling to incorporate fitness into their lives have turned to a commonly used self preservation tactic known as playing the fitness victim. It is characterized by a complete lack of responsibility with a good dosing of helplessness to taste. If you or someone...Read More

Specialty Squat Bars: WTF is this? How many times have you walked into a gym and seen a piece of equipment so odd that you are left scratching your head thinking, “What the hell, why is that even in here?” We get that a lot at NBS, because we have equipment you won’t find at...Read More

Recently, I stumbled across a social media shout out to my strength coach from the University of Iowa, Chris Doyle. The post was meant to congratulate him on a story about a recent pay raise that he had received after an undefeated regular season last year. Basically showing respect to his success and hard work....Read More

  How committed to your goals are you?  Do you whimsically hope for something good to happen, or do you go out and let nothing come between you and what you want to accomplish.  Our bodies naturally, like water, follow the path of least resistance.  If you allow your body to remain at rest then...Read More

As you may remember, my last blog talked about my expectations and excitement for the Reflexive Performance Reset™ (RPR™) seminar being held at The Spot Athletics in Columbus, OH. I was looking forward to this seminar for personal and professional reasons. First, I’m familiar with the challenge of getting a muscle to fire in a specific...Read More

“The Power Of Habit”  by Charles Duhigg is a book that sat in my Amazon wish list for a long time before I pulled the trigger and bought it.  While the book made a lot of great points, I wont ruin it by giving you a summary.  Instead, I got to thinking about how the...Read More

Beginner Background Earlier today I was joking with a member about some of the silly things I did when I was a beginner and I thought all of you would appreciate some of these stories as well. I started training the summer between 7th and 8th grade. Around this time my testosterone levels were starting to increase...Read More

This is literally the only detergent allowed to touch my clothes. Can’t be squatting and have weak shorts, that’doesn’t just be terrible. This is the detergent for those individuals that don’t just want to be strong in the gym but in every aspect of life!Read More

A few weeks ago, me and another member were having a conversation that I have long had with myself about knowledge and learning. This conversation was particularly about nutrition and human performance, but I would argue that it can be applicable to becoming better at your craft, regardless of what it may be. The conversation at hand...Read More

Since joining NBS almost 2 years ago when I was just interning here, I have managed to add about 100 lbs to my bench press, well over 100 lbs on my squat, and well over 100 lbs to my deadlift. Needless to say, if you are wanting to become a stronger version of yourself, then...Read More

Body image wasn’t something I thought I would ever write about.  Not because I don’t have thoughts about it or have no experience with it, because I certainly do.  However, I think its SUCH a hot topic for people and there’s almost no way to address it without upsetting someone.  As my reach has expanded...Read More

Online programming is a useful tool in the strength world that everyone on a fitness journey may benefit from. This ranges from the unexperienced to elite level athletes through out all disciplines. Annie did a great job of explaining how to get the most out of online programming in her recent article . After several years of...Read More

In practice (private or team sports), there are a wide spectrum of injuries that can occur in many different places. Today’s world of information undoubtably arms patients with more knowledge of their body. It is not uncommon for a patient to beat me to the punch and ask whether or not their problem is a...Read More

Coach Christian Anto has started a series on the differences between remote coaching and personal training, and when to opt for one or the other.  Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages, which I will leave to his series to explain.  I would like to allow some insight in how to get the most as a...Read More

First off, as a disclaimer, I’m not going to sit here on my high horse and talk about all the things I know or do that you should know and do too. I’m a pretty big on the concept that one of the best ways in invoking a change is to go ahead and own the...Read More

Starting a journey in fitness has the potential to be very confusing and difficult. There are many things to consider, ranging from the correct facility to train at to the proper shoes to wear on training day. I’d like to look at two options that will potentially help make your fitness journey less confusing: hiring...Read More

I go out of town to visit family in Alabama often and over time I’ve had to learn how to adapt to training in other gyms. I am spoiled at NBS and when it comes to the equipment and training atmosphere, I have yet to train in a gym that compares. So, when I go...Read More

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition of the bottom or plantar surface of the foot in which primarily the plantar fascia, a supportive structure in proper foot biomechanics, is irritated and stressed to the point that it becomes painful. In many cases, the pain can be severe enough to alter or even disallow walking.  ...Read More

I am writing this article in an attempt to help anyone out that may not be at the time paying a professional to write out a structured program for them to follow.  Since being at NBS and working under the wing of our owner David Allen, I have learned a couple of things about programming...Read More

Summer is coming up and it’s time to show off those beach bods. But what if you’re struggling to get the physique you want? These 5 reasons may be why: You don’t actually want it What a way to start an article right? But I think it’s important that we address the obvious elephant in the...Read More

Strength sports have many variables that can make or break an individual’s progression, reputation, and enjoyment of their sport. Some people believe that in strength sports it is only the individual who is responsible for the lift. They believe it is all about their mindset and that no one else can aid them in that. Personally,...Read More

Behavior, Attitude, or Technique (B.A.T.).  Which of these three elements of your life is letting you down and preventing you from reaching your goals?  This is a method that was introduced to me by my brother Shane.  He saw that I wasn’t reaching my goals like I wanted to and he informed me that I...Read More

In my first article, I want to talk about a couple of reasons why it is important to be on some type of program. Not everyone can get a degree in Exercise Science, spend 10 years working with clients, and building experience but you can work with someone who has done just that. Not everyone...Read More

     By most standards, 2015 was a losing year for me: I bombed out of a powerlifting meet for the first time in April.  I re-focused and set my sights on Strongman Nationals.  Despite months of preparation, I walked out with a disappointing third place.  I immediately switched gears and spent 15 weeks meticulously...Read More

Are you a beginner? I bet you don’t think you are but you are. See, being a beginner has nothing to do with how long you’ve been training and I’d even argue that it doesn’t have as much to do with your abilities and performance either. Instead I believe it has everything to do with...Read More

I recently read the book “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” by John Ratey. The book talks about the positive chemical, hormonal, physical, and psychological effects that exercise can have on the brain. As well as how exercise can have specific positive effects on learning, depression, anxiety, aging, menapause, and pregnancy....Read More

If you have several years of quality training and nutrition under your belt, these three concepts can help further your training success. If you’re still new to this whole health and fitness thing or have been struggling with consistency, I suggest reading this article on goal setting and this article as well before implementing these...Read More

Almost exactly a year ago I decided to change sports from powerlifting over to bodybuilding. This decision was primarily influenced by a crappy year of powerlifting competition and a slew of injuries. In March, one of my vertebrae moved while squatting 825 for my second attempt at a competition. This caused my back muscles to...Read More

As I write this, I am currently less than three weeks out from a bodybuilding show. I guess you could blame my writing on a lack of carbs but to honest I feel this way all the time. Maybe the lack of carbs have just finally convinced me to put those feeling down into words. There...Read More

Everyone who trains is looking for something to give them an advantage, something to help them gain more return on their investment into training hard and eating correctly. People will put their money into supplements, clothing, training gear, and even those goofy “magnetic bracelets”. Unfortunately, many of those have a relatively crappy return for the...Read More

Everywhere you look these days, there’s another scheme at work. “Get rich quick!” “Lose 30 lbs in 30 days!!” “New trick for six pack abs fast!” Thing is, they’re all bullshit. Now, I know that’s a grand statement. Some things may have some efficacy here and there, but most don’t. You see it in the...Read More

“We don’t get stronger in training, we get stronger in recovery.” -Josh Thigpen, 3x WSM Competitor and author of Cube for Strongman Everyone knows rest is important. In the midst of this three day holiday weekend, founded on the idea that the workforce needs to rest sometimes, this topic seems particularly poignant. Tips for recovery...Read More

I recently saw where someone made a Facebook post asking what the point of having a strong deadlift was if you can’t run a mile and what was the purpose of being able to run, bike, and swim fast if you weren’t strong. Well, let me answer that question…Winning! The point is to win! I...Read More

Jennifer competed in her first figure competition this past June. I sat her down for interview to check out what she thought about the whole process. Take a listen to what she had to say…  Read More

Core Training: Revised and Revisited By John Taylor Weglicki, PT, DPT Every gym rat and personal trainer has a different outlook on how to train the core musculature. There are countless gadgets and gimmicks on how to get six pack abs. 6 Minute Abs, Ab Rollers, those freaky looking ab chairs, all of them have...Read More

The Battle Of Wounded Elbow: A Case Study of Sorts Taylor Weglicki, PT, DPT I decided to take a bit of a different direction with this month’s article. I’ve had an interesting time lately working with some folks on elbow rehab, and beyond the typical “tendonitis” kind of stuff you hear about most frequently. One...Read More

Nutrition is a lot like religion and politics. Uneducated people looking for answers hear something that they like and hold onto to that one particular idea without question and vehemently attack anyone or anything that so much as challenges that idea. In a society of fatties looking to a fitness and health industry that is...Read More