Interview with Strength Coach Mike Robertson

This week’s interview is with renowned strength coach Mike Robertson.  Mike was nice enough to answer some questions regarding training at his facility, single leg exercises and what corrective exercise is (and is not).

Enjoy!

Patrick

patrick@optimumsportsperformance.com

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Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview, Mike.  I am going to go out on a limb here and say that my readers are probably familiar with you and your work.  That being said, you currently run a facility with Physical Therapist Bill Hartman.  I was wondering if you could briefly talk us through a first session at your training facility.  What sort of things do you look for in the assessment and then where do you go from there as far as developing the initial program for the individual?

Sure thing Patrick!

Whether the client is there for fat loss or performance enhancement, we take everyone through a full assessment to determine what his or her limitations are before initiating a program.

The assessment is somewhat organic and individual to the client, but everyone does the following:

•  Postural assessment (much like we outlined in “Assess and Correct”)
• Isolated joint mobility and muscle strength testing
• Integrated movement testing (such as squatting, lunging, push-ups, etc.)
• Any tests specific to the energy system of their sports

As you can see, it’s pretty thorough.  It’s funny, too, because everyone who comes in is shocked that we spend so much time with them on day one!  I think we’re used to getting 5 minutes of “face-time” with anyone of authority.

Once we have an idea of their limitations, we take that knowledge and pair it with their goals to develop a training program.  The formula is quite simple, but it works extremely well.

I just noticed on your blog that you have a new DVD being put together regarding single leg training. Does this mean you are giving up bilateral training also? In all seriousness, can you give us a little info about the product and some of the important aspects of both bilateral and single leg training?

Yep, it’s all single-leg work for me from here on out! (Note my heavy use of sarcasm.)

On the topic of unilateral vs. bilateral training, I really try and see both sides of the continuum. I can see the value in promoting single-leg exercises; as a powerlifter coming up, I always included single-leg work in my programming.

On the other side of the equation, I always realized the value of bilateral work. There’s simply very little you can do in a program to replace squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts, etc.

Is it possible? Sure. But if you can do them (meaning you’re not physically limited in some form or fashion), why wouldn’t you?

I guess the reason I created this product was two-fold:

1. I hate it when people simply jump on a bandwagon, without any idea as to why they’re doing it. “So and so” said to do it isn’t a quality answer. Who are you working with? What are their needs? What are their goals? It’s not as simple as blindly saying “I’m only going to use single-leg exercises” (or bilateral exercises, for that matter).
2. There’s very little quality coaching material out there on the topic. When you really break down a lunge or split-squat, there’s a lot to it! There are tons of coaching materials out there on the squat, bench press, deadlift, power clean, etc., but not much in the way of single-leg lifts. I want to show coaches and athletes what I’m looking at, and if they’re doing something wrong, how to fix it.

Corrective exercise has been under fire by some in the industry as of late. Can you describe what the term “corrective exercise” means to you, why some may “shun” it, and what its best application is.

Corrective exercise shouldn’t even be a term – corrective exercise, to me, is just smart training.

It’s removing movement limitations such as poor hip or ankle mobility.

It’s turning on your scapular or hip stabilizers so you can move more weight.

It’s getting your core turned back on and strong so you can show your true strength and athletic potential.

In reality, corrective exercise is just smart training – removing limitations to unlock your true potential.

It’s not sexy, and at the root of it, it’s not gimmicky either. Too often people associate corrective exercise with foam rolling, activation work, etc. As I wrote on my blog a while back, that’s a strawman.

They’re getting too caught up in the means and methods, versus the end goal – better movement quality and efficiency. I will use any tool in my toolbox to achieve that goal.

This has been a wonderful interview, Mike, thank you very much. Please tell the readers where they can find out more about you, your products, services, and the IFast training facility.

Thanks for having me Patrick!

Most of the action occurs at my site, www.RobertsonTrainingSystems.com. I have a blog that I update 4-5x weekly, a free newsletter, and even a Podcast that you can download for free.

If you decide I’m not a total schmuck, I have quite a few products for sale there as well!

You can also learn more about my facility at www.IFASTonline.com.