EMPWR

And we're gonna stick together. You know why? Because ducks fly together. And just when you think you’re about to break apart... Ducks fly together. And when the wind blows hard and the sky is black Ducks fly together. And when your body is heavy and the voice in your head screams it can't be done Ducks fly together. - Can I ask you something? - Comment below and COMMIT to calling a friend today to go in and come back with them. - \\\/// \\\\\///// #EMPWR @bell_letstalk @danielcarcillo13 @lululemon @concussion.can

Carry the torch and lead. Lead by example. Someone is always watching. Every now and then,... make it a point to turn around to hand the torch to those on the path WITH you. That’s what leadership is. - \\\/// \\\\\\////// (Ducks fly together) #EMPWR @schwinnairdyne @niketraining @spiderman

Retrostep 1A KB Squat on Ramp + Toe Elevated 1Arm Swing Taking pelvis/foot positioning principles & messing around with them during warmup to allow for less hockey butt. Spending YEARS of my life in a pair of skates (essentially in heels) bent over a stick & having forward momentum reshaped my pelvis/thorax into a more forward-tipped orientation.... This fun combo using the slant board (made by my friend @levi_t_kirkpatrick) helps guide expansion at the pelvic outlet to allow for a more elevator-like squat. It’s almost as if I set up your prep and workout over the last few posts Are you going to try this? You probably shouldn’t click save either - #EMPWR

Frontal Plane Conditioning & Hip Shifting. If your hips CAN shift. You’ll love using a slideboard.... If you have trouble shifting into one hip at a time, you’re likely to ‘hike’ one one side - oftentimes the right. You’ll feel a tightness right above the right hip bone in the back and below the ribs. If we’re picking on muscles, it’s the Lat and QL. What’s also common in this case is a right groin ‘tenderness/tightness’ - which are both telltale signs of the inability to shift into a hip. These muscles have been concentrically oriented. So how do you fix this? You can start by heading to the last 3 posts & use them. Your season, and your body will thank you. QUESTION FOR YOU I miss the game. I miss the ice. But most of all, I miss the chirps and the relentlessly supportive environment that hockey has become in my 30’s. What do you miss most about the game? - #EMPWR @ultraslide @wrgclassic @lululemon

Chest & Shoulder burner? An activity to work shoulders for those lacking overhead mobility while teaching the stack? OR... A drill to work ‘deep abs’ & expand a mid-back? You decide. - #EMPWR @wrgclassic @lululemon @empwr__

There’s no need to work towards a back-squat or front rack with everybody. The way I see it, it really doesn’t matter what tool you use as long as... your squats look squatty. *SOUND ON* to listen to an on-the-fly convo I had this morning with my 6am training partner. Your hips & head should be stacked on top of each other and move up and down as if your in a tiny elevator shaft or single stall shower..... AND ....that’s it. That’s the criteria. Hockey players are notoriously terrible back squatters, likely because the already compressive nature of the pelvis and forward lean in the sport does that mean we should find regressions of the back squat to eventually build them up to the back squat?! In my opinion, NO. We should train the requisite muscles to create a more front-back expanded pelvic girdle that off-sets the adaptations of an entire season of front-back compression and lateral pelvic expansion. AND THEN Move them towards a loading method that enables them to vertically displace their pelvis through space AND provide some variability to their thorax/pelvis. Options include but are not limited to: Goblet (KB/DB) Squat Zercher Squat Front Squat Safety Bar Squat Back Squat Transformer Bar Squat ( which includes all above options via: @kabukistrength ) Trap Bar Squat Heel Elevated versions of the above Split Squats Reverse Lunges etc... Hey. Are you starting to see a trend?! If you’re training for performance or to look great naked (guilty), than chase positions & patterns rather than PR’s in THE BIG 3 (squat,bench,deadlift). If you’re training for your barbell-centered sport than rock on amigo. What do you think? Choose an emoticon that best represents how you feel or ? - #EMPWR See more

1 Plyometric drill done 3 DIFFERENT ways. Here’s a snippet into which style/loading pattern is optimal at each successive phase of your off/in-season training. ... Two are important to use, one is an adaptation to work around the inability to shift/into the hips & absorb force. Can you spot the difference *without the audio*?! These are the types of drills commonly featured in EMPWR SPORTS PERFORMANCE TRAINING program. COMMENT Adult Performance if you want to learn more about our EMPWR virtual Adult performance programs or COMMENT Hockey Performance if you’d like to learn more about our virtual camps coming up. - #EMPWR See more

Tricep-Pumping, Hip-Shifting, Rib-Moving, Ache-Relieving, Sport Performance-Improving, Recovery Enhancing, Compression & Expansion strategy. - #EMPWR

Shuffle with Overhead Med Ball Fake Lateral Toss AND 45 degree Shuffle to Med Ball Fake Lateral Toss... The ability to change directions and control momentum is crucial NOT ONLY FOR ATHLETES, but for you too. Drills like these follow our prep circuits and help us prime the body for jumps and throws. Lots of co-contractions going on here. Diaphragms need to be aligned to rapidly recoil the internal fluids to where you want them to go Adductors/Glutes need to work in tandem to slow the lose body/pelvis Obliques & Transverse Abdominis to connect the lower and upper halves You name it, these drills have it - hard to argue against using drills like these in your prep to become the Apex Athelte. Join us virtually at EMPWR for our 3month program. You’ll see what, we mean - @empwr__ See more

WARNING: People in video may appear more powerful than they actually are. (Thanks 4x video speed ) ... You’ll never know how *good* 1.75kg/m of inertia feels until you try this #Kbox4 with the new end cap. It allows you to put up to 4 flywheels on the #KPulley or #KBox4 at once. You’ll understand when you use it. I can see some powerful & resilient athletes in @empwr__ future! Thanks @go_exxentric - #EMPWR See more

Use tools, restrictions & constrains to make it easy to feel! Orienting muscle attachments closer together will leverage them to ‘work’ & get a more desirable outcome with the least amount of negative collateral consequences. ... Just because a barbell or Ab Roller (in this case) has been used forever doesn’t mean it’s the best tool for the job. You are unique. Your mechanics are unique. Your exercise selection should, in part, be unique. THINK: Will this exercise give me the outcome I need & have the least amount of negative consequences on my goal to _____? P.S. I’m curious how many of you actually read posts. So if you’ve made it this far, can you comment EMPWR It helps me know whether to focus more on the writing or more on the video. - Always Forward, #EMPWR See more

Shuffle to Rebound MedBall Shotput The skill & ability to rapidly slow down and transfer force through the hip into the arm is required to do this. Think,... Nearly every scenario in sport when you need to cut/stop abruptly and make a play. This is classified as a Change of Direction & Upper Body ‘plyo’ paired into one wildly effective drill. As seen in: EMPWR In-Season & Off-Season Hockey Performance Training Programs - #EMPWR

Your Warm-Up Focus revolve around: Pumping ribs/hips & moving fluids around. That is, ONLY if you want to be able to get rid of cranky hips and knees and shoulders and elbows and necks.... ... Head moves on neck moves on trunk moves around shoulder blades moves on ribs on pelvis moves on femurs moves on feet. One affects & effects the other. Can you stack ‘em & pump ‘em. Shifting fluids is very likely the thing you need more of if your prep. - RT Full credit goes to the brilliant @mjmatc for showing me this one many moons ago. Still love it. See more

Accessory stuff, with a purpose. 1EXHALE.... As the ribs come down, your lower back should be touching the floor. This will also likely bring your belt buckle up to touch your belly-button if it doesn’t, do that. ( crushing the low back into the floor without the aid of the exhale has been shown to pattern the more superficial ab muscles to work rather than the deeper ones involved in the important stuff.) At this point, If your tailbone isn’t ever so slightly off the ground, do that. THINK let the ‘liquid’ in your pelvis be poured slowly back into your thoracic cavity. You should be able to swipe a glider or an @apple AirPods case under your butt, nothing more. Proceed with the Arm Farm &/or gun-show 3sets of 10-15 reps. If you set up in this way, I shouldn’t need to you what you should feel you should feel it immediately. To me, that’s what good coaching is. I’m curious, What’s your favorite accessory lift? - #EMPWR

Crab Position Heel Dig with Cross Connect & Respiration ||SAVE FOR LATER|| This is a prep & low intensity reciprocal ’conditioning’ drill I’ve been using. ... Ideal for compressed fellows (like myself) or anyone who can benefit some added pumping action in the ribs and hips. Key Points Rise Exhale as you Reach elbow to knee keeping hips tucked Maintain connection Inhale through As you become more comfortable, alternate this activity for reps rather than holding each connection for a full breath (demo’d in second half of video) Feel Hamstrings Obliques Ribs expanding backwards ‘from the inside’ Groin Is balance an issue? Start with keeping both feet on the ground and only alternate reaching hands to opposite knees. Same progression protocol as above applies. Chances are your shoulder and hips will feel amazing after this don’t believe me, try it for yourself - #EMPWR See more

Move the hips - Pump the Ribs - Pull. Need more of a challenge? Consciously Exhale & Inhale through the effort. That sums up any successful strength training &/or rehab program.... No need to get bogged down by complexity. The equation was solved long ago. Move the body. Still the mind. - #EMPWR

Proud of this man @joseph.gualtieri for progressing through a seriously tough summer of training & making tremendous progress . If we’ve worked together before, you understand the immense value of blowing up a balloon. ... Joey worked very hard and started off EMPWR Sport Performance Training Program by not being able to inflate it. By the end he built up the lung capacity and power to inflate a balloon with ease! Improved recovery rate between shifts Able to push harder for longer lowered stress levels Improved breakaway speed Joey now has it all! There’s no doubt Joey will be skating circles around the competition this season @kuperacademy_athletics - #EMPWR See more

Those freaky jumping spiders won’t know what hit them. - #EMPWR

It doesn’t need to be fun or fancy, but the work needs to be done. Show up. -... #EMPWR See more

If you believe that there is ever some point where you‘ll feel like you’ve MADE IT A point when you’ll finally be good, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise.... Few recognize what’s been there the whole time. You can’t make it to the show because THE JOURNEY IS the show. - #EMPWR