Author Archives: MikeBaltren

So I’m just walking up the street the other day, and I only say up because it was both on a slight incline and north, and I’m thinking to myself, how do we define what we do at Ambition Athletics? … Continue reading →

You may have heard around the first of the year that the Marines were delaying the requirement of female recruits to perform 3 pull ups.  This prompted quite a few articles and discussion. I found the situation rather interesting as a … Continue reading →

Hopefully you read last week’s Part 1. This week we continue down the same road (pun intended) and address the same author’s article “Why I Love Shortcuts and Why They Don’t Work” as it relates long distance running and its alleged superiority … Continue reading →

I try to read a lot.  Articles, blogs and books on a regular basis.  I even picked up a copy of Oxygen magazine for women on Sunday to learn “5 Steps to Great Glutes”.  A few weeks ago I came … Continue reading →

Training On The Road Recently I took a trip to Cancun to attend the wedding of one of my best friends.  All inclusive resorts sure are fun, and gluttonous.  But to avoid the trap of not moving enough and feeling … Continue reading →

Having owned a gym for years and instructed certifications worldwide, I have a pretty good idea of what works when it comes to exercise. I have seen the benefits of different types of exercise many times over, and one thing … Continue reading →

This past weekend I paid a visit to a commercial gym for the first time in, well, it’s been so long I don’t remember.  Which is funny to think about since I work in the training industry and obviously our … Continue reading →

Cookie-cutter programming tends to carry a negative connotation when it comes to training.  The other buzz phrase is “one size fits all”, meaning that as a coach you just have everyone do the same thing without much regard for each … Continue reading →

Single leg work is an important component of training at Ambition Athletics.  Split Squats and reverse lunges typically progress to single leg squats when appropriate.  Kettlebell deadlifts before single leg deadlifts.  Anti rotation presses (much like chopping and lifting patterns) … Continue reading →

There are likely many things that have changed in the way I train myself and others over the years.  The one thing that stands out the most in my mind is training by The 80% Rule, or sub-maximally.  When Max … Continue reading →