As a competitive or even a recreational athlete, the nutrients you put in your body are vital for optimal performance. Milk does a body good, right? But what type of milk is the best? There are fat free, low fat and whole versions of dairy milk, soy milk, as well as sweetened and unsweetened almond milk. Every type has something different to contribute in terms of nutrition. Reading the nutrition facts can help you find out which is best for you. First let’s get the skinny on almond milk.

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.

We all grew up with two kinds of peanut butter: JIF and Skippy. They even diversified partway through our childhood to include both creamy and crunchy options, and for a long time that was all we had to decide between. The 21st century ushered in an age of nutritional focus like never before, and with it, a large push to remove processed foods in favor of wholesome, natural foods. What has replaced JIF and Skippy are a slew of peanut, almond, sunflower, cashew and almost any other nut butters that are naturally blended in the grocery store from pure nuts.

From childhood, I was always told how important getting enough sleep is to remain healthy and happy. I found it much easier to achieve these recommended amounts of sleep as a kid growing up with limited responsibilities. Then suddenly, I became a collegiate athlete trying to manage a full academic course load while performing at the highest-level possible, and something had to give. My sleep quantity started to dwindle, as keeping up with academics and athletics required more time awake. 

Welcome all to the first installment of Nick's Video Series. Each week, Bridge Athletic Co-Founder and Elite Performance Director, Nick Folker, will post a video blog dissecting key technical issues relating to a broad spectrum of subjects relevant to athlete performance. In doing so, Nick will assist athletes and coaches in gaining a deeper understanding on these key topics, empowering them to continue striving towards athletic excellence. In this week's video, Nick breaks down a key pillar in the field of strength and conditioning, the Med Ball deadlift. Nick decided to choose MB Deadlift because it breaks the deadlift down to its simplest of form, body weight. Athletes should start exercises at the body weight level in order to learn movements properly and avoid injury. The deadlift is a compound movement that is excellent at building leg, lower-back and core strength, all of which are key components to an athlete's overall development. Enjoy.

To summarize, Nick's key talking points in the video:

- In the deadlift movement, the body transitions from a lowered (squat) position to an elevated (standing) position.

- Starting position: the athlete's feet are wider than shoulder width, toes are pointed out, weight is evenly distributed across feet, knees are over feet, chest is up and back is flat.

- Throughout the movement of the deadlift, the athlete must elevate and lower their body in a controlled manner.

- The athlete must not lock knees out at the top of the movement.



That ends this week's chapter of Nick's Video Series. Stay tuned for next week's installment!

We athletes tend to respect our bodies in the days or hours prior to a practice or competition, but what happens after?

The Bridge Program

Over the last 6 months, in a closed beta we have used our proprietary training tools to oversee the strength, stability, flexibility and mobility training programs for a number of California’s elite swimming and water polo programs. Up to this point we have remained in stealth mode as we focused on improving our product.