Advancing Athletics

09/12/2026

FYF - RDL INITIATING RETURN

Exercise purpose - the RDL can strengthen your glutes and unload the lumbar spine by distributing the workload.

Tech fault - The red arrow points to a crease in the client's back that shows exactly where she initiates her return. Yes, she's using her glutes but the benefit is compromised. The compromise comes from her overuse of her paraspinals to lift her chest instead of her glutes pulling her hips forward.

Tech fix - The Green Arrow shows how she corrects her hinge by thinking about driving her hips forward and being intentional about keeping her chest down. Notice how the crease goes away! Use a mirror or a PVC pipe on your back to make the same correction and the glute gain will be MEGA!

09/11/2026

Workout fuel doesn’t have to be complicated—or perfectly planned. ☕️🥯

If you’re on the go and need something before training, even a quick stop at Starbucks can work. A plain bagel is an easy source of carbohydrates to help give your muscles the fuel they need for a solid workout.

The goal before training: easy-to-digest carbs, enough time to digest, and something you know sits well with you.

Convenience foods can absolutely have a place in a performance-focused diet. Fueling consistently matters more than making it “perfect.” 💪

09/10/2026

Congrats, Jess! 2,000 assists and we're just into September!? What a mega performance. As strength coaches and physios, we can't create those assists but definitely can help athletes be ready to get the most out of their reps on the court!

For Jess - and in this specific workout - we were working on a lower body pull and upper body push.
Deadlift - she gets a lot of quad work from school workouts and jumping so we make sure her posterior chain is functioning equally well
Shoulder press - The strength from overhead pushing helps to ensure fatigue doesn't limit performance! Having proper scapulohumeral mechanics will ensure she is able to avoid shoulder overuse injuries.

There's lots of other tips to be offered but we always need to ensure we are helping the athlete optimize her mechanics and abilities!

08/21/2026

FYF - A 👍 setup leads to good reps. Make your mistakes EARLY.

Athlete goal: Develop maximum power production for collegiate high jumping.

Exercise purpose: Build posterior chain (glutes and hams) strength to minimize risk of hamstrings injuries (common in track athletes) and facilitate optimal power for the upcoming season.

Form fault: Her back is gross during this first warm-up set. Notice how it's rounded at that one spot in the mid/upper lumbar region. This will straighten as she begins her pull and concentrate excessive amounts of load at her back.

Form fix: First, THAT'S THE POINT OF WARM-UP SETS! Make mistakes here so that you don't have to deal with the issues when the load is more dangerous. Second, get her to lift her chest and put weight in her heels. The load on the barbell will be a counterbalance for her to hold the corrected position before initiating reps. Get her to engage her last and intra abdominal pressure with a proper breath hold to maintain that position. Great job, Kenna! 💪

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

Fuel the run you’re actually doing 🏃‍♀️💨

If you’re heading out for an easy, low-intensity run lasting ~60 minutes or less, you typically don’t need to load up on extra carbs beforehand—your body has plenty of stored fuel to get you through.

But as your runs get longer and/or more intense, carbohydrate availability becomes much more important. Having a carb-rich snack or meal beforehand can help support energy, performance, and recovery. 🍌🥯

And don’t forget about hydration! 💧 Starting your run well-hydrated—and replacing fluids and electrolytes when appropriate—is another important piece of feeling and performing your best.

The takeaway: Match your fueling and hydration strategy to the duration and intensity of your run.

08/20/2026

FYF - Staying back during BACK SQUAT.

Exercise purpose: Build total body strength in an efficient and maximal way.
Form fault: being too hinged at the bottom, causing initiation during concentric phase to include a forward lean leading to excessive compression at the knee.
Form fix: Get athlete to maintain upright posture during at bottom to initiate return. There are lots of ways to do this, which we'll discuss during the Film Review complement to this video!

This fixed his form, we hope it helps you fix your form! 😤💪

08/18/2026

FYF - Back Extension

Frustrated that you're better but not back from your Low Back injury?
Ever wonder why your back is bugging despite doing the exercises??

Maybe it's your grammar (how you use your back) or maybe, like this guy, it's your spelling (how you strengthen your back).
PSA: Watch episodes 14 and 15 of LDIT for details on SPELLING VS GRAMMAR.

Here's the details for this movement tho with a link 👇 to another view.
This athlete has developed hyper mobility at a small region of his lumbar spine. This has resulted in habitual overuse of that area. So how do we fix it? Getting him to initiate the movement from a wider range is IMPORTANT!

You see that he has a good curvature but he doesn't know where that stopping point is yet. That's the next project him and I have to work on. Yet, he.....nor you..... WILL EVER CHANGE YOUR PATTERN (grammar) if you don't have the strength across the whole range of your back to do so!

Keep that in mind when you're doing your exercises and reach out if you need help!

08/17/2026

People talk about how "the proof is in the pudding" but rarely do you see an athlete put that into practice like Jessica Selinsky does!

For real, Jess has around 1,500 ASSISTS as a Setter in High School so far with one year to go. Last year - cuz of injuries and game plans - she took up a role as a hitter. Her work in the gym (at practice and with us) led her to not only perform but excel as a hitter!!

As you see in the 2nd photo (and may have seen during FYF videos), Jess puts in the work! In the 3rd photo, you see the fruits of her labors as she utilizes her nearly TWO FOOT VERTICAL!!!!!

Great effort, Jess. Looking forward to seeing you get to 2k assists while also contributing at the net!

08/17/2026

LDIT 15 - Spelling v Grammar: Your Grammar Can't Suck

You should think about your training/practice as SPELLING and your performance/competition as GRAMMAR. Last EP we talked about the importance of spelling so your training properly prepped you to compete.

Now we're talking about grammar. You need to train - and prep your body/mind - in a way that FACILITATES performance. It does matter and WILL make the difference between success or mediocrity.
Whether it's a weekend CrossFit competition...
A weekend long baseball tournament...
Or a regularly scheduled football game, you need to make sure all of your training (or spelling) is geared towards performance (or grammar).

If you don't like how you're performing, evaluate how you're training or how you're preparing yourself to compete so you can succeed when/where it counts!