This post marks the release of the first week of the Building Blocks Series Volume 1 powered by BridgeAthletic. Each week you and your athletes will be given the building blocks necessary for mastering the fundamental exercises that build elite athletic performance. Yes, these exercises will seem familiar, but you must remember that without a firm understanding of the basics there is no path towards greatness.

13-Step Duke Lacrosse Dynamic Warm-Up

All lacrosse players warm up before competition and training sessions. Or at least I should say, all players go through the motions of a warm-up. The best lacrosse teams, like the 2-time NCAA champions of Duke Lacrosse, activate their muscles through a rigorous dynamic warm-up that truly gets the blood flowing. How do they do it? And why? Carl Christensen, strength coach for Duke University Lacrosse and a BridgeAthletic Performance Advisory Board member overseeing BridgeLacrosse, frequently sees young players dismiss this critical part of their preparation. He says, “Watching high school camps, many kids don’t even warm up. Or sometimes, only half the team warms up, while attackmen go shoot on the goalkeeper—and then they start playing.”

VO2 max (also referred to as maximal oxygen consumption, peak oxygen uptake) is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption as measured during incremental exercise, usually on a treadmill or cycle ergometer. Maximal oxygen consumption represents the aerobic physical fitness of an individual and is important in determining his or her endurance capacity in prolonged athletic activity. Given this definition, it should be easy to measure your VO2 max and see how your cardiovascular fitness stacks up, right? The answer, however, is not so obvious.

Release 11/20/2014:
Today we are happy to announce that the newest version of the BridgeAthletic app is live in the App Store and on Google Play. Check out some of the new features below:

Incorporating stretching weekly into your life can improve your mental health in a simple and direct manner. Everyone experiences mental stress, but often that stress can manifest itself in physical stress as your muscles contract in response to stress. As muscles can tense up when you are stressed out, you may not even notice until you stretch to release the tension. Stretching is an easy way to relax tense muscles. Stretching is also a form of light exercise, so you can still enjoy the endorphins that come along with it and see an improvement in your mood as well! Another way stretching improves your mood is by alleviating chronic pain that creates anxiety. 

The Power Clean Pull is the first pull exercise in the power series. Following the Dumbbell Jump Shrug, this exercise is the next step in the strength training progression from a strength phase to a power phase. The Power Clean Pull is a compound exercise that helps the athlete develop power and speed through the hips.

In today's video, Nick will focus on the strength training exercise, the Barbell Deadlift. The Barbell Deadlift is the culmination of the deadlift progression, and should only be used once the DB Deadlift and the MB Deadlift are mastered. To assist with form, long-levered or tall athletes should use a Hex or Trap Bar and put bumper plates under the weights of the bar, slightly elevating it. The deadlift is a compound movement that is excellent at building leg, lower-back and core strength, all of which are key components in athlete development.