Personal Maintenance: 4 Things Every Athlete Should Be Doing

Daily body maintenance with a focus on preventative care if key. Most overuse injuries are often the result of what were originally smaller aches and paints that manifest overtime into common weightlifting ailments (ex. Patelar Tendonitis, Shin Splints, Elbow Tendonitis).

IPAR, Sports and CompetitionScott EsparzaJanuary 4, 2016Recovery, Training, Mobility, Stretching, Stretch, Ice Bath, Normatec, Rolling, Roller, Foam RollerComment

The Coach & Athlete: Working towards a common goal

When things are going according to plan, PR's are being hit and meets won, it is easier for the athlete to honor this trust. As the athlete advances in age and PR's become scarce due to advanced training age, this trust is often challenged and might require the coach to allow the athlete to be more involved in their training decisions. The partnership should shift towards that of a collaborative role between athlete and coach at this junction and may give a positive and welcomed sense of control back to the athlete...

Active Rest: Doing the Small Things

Following the completion of a macrocycle, it is beneficial to prescribe at least one complete week off from training. Stepping away from the barbell allows time for the body to work out any aches and pains that may have amassed from a year’s worth of hard training and allows your Central Nervous System to recharge..

IPAR, Olympic WeightliftingScott EsparzaDecember 7, 2015Training, Active Rest, Recovery, Accessory Exercises, ProgrammingComment

Building the Barbell WOD Program

Community Content, Strength trainingScott EsparzaNovember 6, 2015Programming, Program, Training, Coaching, Barbell WOD, The Barbell WOD, CrossFitComment

Heavy Weights: Let your speed be the variable

In this article we want to discuss a concept that may seem obvious at first glance and yet it is an area where mistakes are made frequently. The issue we want to address is how an athlete should attack progressively loading heavier weights on a bar in the Snatch and Clean in a given workout. As an athlete loads heavier weight on a barbell, the bar cannot continue to be accelerated using the same force or achieve the same peak velocity. For example, Spencer Moorman cannot pull 160kg with the same speed as he can pull 100kg. Therefore we must have an approach and a strategy to counter this slower bar speed as he makes progressively heavier attempts.

How to Jerk like 2x National Champion Spencer Moorman

Ivan Abadjiev once confided in me, “Anyone can Snatch and Clean, only true Champions can Jerk!”

At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate the complexity of the Split Jerk, but after hitting a wall in my own lifting as a result of my Jerk and after trying to teach athletes how to perform the movement over the last decade and I am now in full agreement.