How to choose a club soccer team

I had an interesting conversation the other day on this topic.  A question that often gets asked by parents or players is how to find the right team.  Or, is there a better team out there?  One worth leaving a current club for?  When I was a player, I asked myself this question too.  I loved my club, but we … Read More

Home-based strength program for runners

Links to exercises can be found here. In this challenging time of COVID-19 precautions, here’s a home-based 4-week strength training program for runners who no longer have gym access. Research from groups like Montana Running Lab shows that to improve performance, strength training should be done with moderate to heavy resistance (ex: 60-80% of a 1 rep max) for 3-6 … Read More

Bench press technique: flat-back vs arched-back. [INFOGRAPHIC]

I’ll admit that the arched-back bench press looks strange.  Kind of like a back injury waiting to happen.  However, when done correctly,  it’s safe and is the preferred technique used for powerlifting.   Why?  Because the arched position shortens the range of motion needed in competition to push a heavy barbell upward.   Is it necessary?  Depends on your training … Read More

Reaching Peak Performance [ARTICLE SUMMARY]

I’m loving the early edition of this paper in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. There’s no doubt that athletes need to train hard to reach peak performance. But how hard? And how fast should that training ramp up? Thanks to Tim Gabbett for this excellent commentary. In my very humble opinion, clinicians, coaches, and athletes all need … Read More

Running form: what’s ideal? [INFOGRAPHIC]

I get a lot of questions on “how to run.” This infographic outlines general guidelines, but please note that there is no perfect method for running. Use these as general suggestions, but keep in mind that everyone’s body is different. For example, some colleges did not recruit Michael Johnson due to his unconventional sprinting form. If you don’t have an … Read More

Concussions are complicated [INFOGRAPHIC]

The most common symptom of a concussion is a headache. These injuries can affect many other body systems, however, causing other symptoms and sometimes leading to prolonged recovery (and time lost from sports). Read more below.

RECOVERY: the biggest buzzword in sports science right now

As athletes continue to push the boundaries of their bodies with training, recovery becomes even more important.  Why? To reduce fatigue and enhance athletic performance.  In theory, if you can recover faster, you can train harder (or more often). But, unfortunately recovery is complex.  There’s no one way to do it effectively. This is because it depends on a LOT … Read More

On-field injury rehab: how to safely get back in the game [INFOGRAPHIC]

One of the reasons I started CLE Sports PT & Performance was to work with athletes in their own element. I’ve always felt it provided a more complete recovery and return to their sport.  The literature shows that “on-field rehab” does just that. ACL injury. management, done in this manner, has been shown to be associated with: superior muscle strength … Read More