Yikes, I've done 50 of these things? Time flies when you're in the midst of it I suppose. OK more important things, who's ready for the first Lions and All Blacks match tomorrow? Just me? Alright, well I'm still pumped to see it go down in New Zealand, though I won't be waking up at 3 AM to watch it live, so no spoilers please.

This week's Insta post of the week is a well purposed one. I promise if you haven't checked this thing out, just take a minute to ask questions:

The Real State of The S&C Industry-3 Imperfections- The real key take away from this one is...I'm not the only dork that still likes video games. Seriously though, give this one a read. Even though Donald Day is mostly talking about coaches in schools, there's still plenty of take away for those of us in the private sector. Thanks Matt Ibrahim for bringing this to our attention.

Why Stretching Something That Hurts Isn't Always The Answer- Come on, raise your hand, we've all done it. I find I'm still constantly giving certain people the stink eye when they go about trying to solve pain in this manner. Give this piece by Nikki Naab-Levy on GGS a read, the answer to your pain, may not be what you think it is.

Dispelling the Dysfunctional Kneeling Pushup- YES, everyone please read this. It's from last year, but it made it's way around on the man's site, so sue me for using an older article. Dr. John Rusin has got the solution for that pesky pushup. Those that have trained with me know that I'd just assume stick a soldering iron in some place awful, than have someone do a kneeling pushup. Avoid them like the plague, you know who you are!

As you read this it's likely that I'm in the air on my way to have a bit of fun and relaxation with some friends. While I do that, I didn't want you all to feel deprived so here's the goodies for the week.

This Insta post of the week is an awesome one. Hope you all get the joy out of it I did when it occurred.

Squat: It Does a Body (and a Booty) Good- Of course many know that the squat (or some variation) is a must in a program. This piece from Karen Smith on Girls Gone Strong, on said squat, is absolutely worth the read and yeah if you want a nicer bum, take an interest in this.

Friday Fix: SB Hamstring Curl- Hamstring (leg) curls are very much an underrated exercise, often cast aside because it's not sexy enough. Often times they are butchered when they are performed. Let's check out Ashley Crosby's little blurb on the exercise to make sure you aren't one of those people.

Why Sports Specific Training is a Bad Idea- Speaking of not sexy enough, too many times coaches overcomplicate things when it comes to training (young) athletes. Not quite sure what I'm talking about? Maybe look at this compilation of thoughts put together by Mr. Joseph Aratari, including contributions from Matt Ibrahim (yeah Matty!).

Lift and Learn

​One final piece for everyone to get into. I'm hosting a workshop here in the Boston area next month. It'll be a couple hours of learning, lifting, laughing and other shenanigans. Make sure you check it out and tell your friends.

It's happy Friday to you all, I'm personally a bit happier thanks to the U.S. 2-0 win last night, Azteca next! Anyone else feel like June just woke up and decided to show up the last couple days? Just me? OK cool.

This week's random insta post of the week isn't so random. This week's post also serves a purpose, besides entertaining you of course. I wanted to take this post and wish my client David Paredes good luck. He leaves this weekend for Las Vegas to compete at the World Series of Poker. Everyone at the First XV family is hoping he bags himself a couple of bracelets.

3 Box Jump Variations That Build Explosive Power- It's that man again folks. Mike has been cranking out some T.I.F. worthy content. Of course I do have my bias, but it doesn't mean I'm wrong either. Box jumps might be one of the most popular and misused exercises, but it has great benefits. Mike provides a quick tutorial on box jumps and how you can up your game with other variations.

3 Band Resisted Exercises to Challenge Your Whole Body- Resistance bands can often get a bad name because people misuse them, like really misuse them, like really dumb stuff misuse. Anyway, this post by Meghan Callaway on GGS has some exercise variations to challenge those in need. Obviously use your head and make sure you are, in fact ready for these before attempting them.

Your Hustle is Empty- Something with a bit deeper thought required. Max Shank might have bit of an axe to grind here, and who could blame him? He's mad that people have hurt his clients that he truly cares about. Did I mention Max is one of the good guys trying to steer the industry in the right direction? Well he is so if he's got a bone to pick, there's a problem. There's some good messages about value in your actions and trust.