Guest Post by Wil Flemming

You have likely read about, or performed a complex of some sorts in your training experience.

Yeah, you have most likely performed some gut busting combination of movements that made you want to puke.

Something like, 10 reps of deadlift, 10 cleans, 10 RDL’s, 100 push presses, 33 good mornings, 14 punches in the stomach, until you yakked up what you ate 3 days ago (only a slight exaggeration).

At least that is what I have read about complexes.

“The hardest 10 minutes you can throw down in the gym.”

“Guaranteed [...]

Question: Jay, I know you are a big fan of box jumps. How do I incorporate them in my training and do them correctly?

Answer: Let me start by saying I rarely prescribe a bounding type of box jump where you jump on and jump off of the box, unless I’m, working with advanced, highly skilled jumpers.

If you have a very low (6-8″) box and are doing it for conditioning that’s okay for people with a decent level of athleticism.

But you can’t have unskilled jumpers and average people off the [...]

Most public gyms suck these days. I don’t really think too many people would argue with that.

However, if you’re lucky enough to live by a place like my friend CJ Murphy’s Total Performance Sports (pictured above), in Everett, MA your local gym is “wicked retaaded” and you should consider yourself blessed. The rest of the world is very jealous of you.

Unfortunately, great gyms like that are few and far between these days. They certainly don’t make ‘em like they used to.

That’s why so many people who like to train Renegade [...]

Question: Do you have to squat, bench press and deadlift to become a better athlete?

Answer: Absolutely not.

Athletes need to get stronger and more explosive. They also need to improve mobility, dynamic flexibility and agility.

Speed position players and weight class athletes need to minimize bodyfat. Many athletes need to improve conditioning, and often times they need to build muscle.

You can accomplish all of those tasks without any of the lifts you mentioned.

Athletes are not powerlifters so why would we assume that the three powerlifts are the best exercises for them?

Many times [...]

There are at least an equal amount of people who ruin their athleticism through their strength training efforts, as there are people who improve it.

The majority of guys who have been training for more than a decade have worse athletic ability than they did ten years earlier. It’s sad but true.

Many typical training protocols will slowly but surely ruin your athleticism. The overemphasis on maximal strength, the shortened ranges of motion, the imbalances created, the injuries accumulated…

It all adds up and one day before you know it you tear [...]