I love getting strong. I’ve also learned the hard way that “strong” isn’t the same as “athletic.” In my 20s and 30’s I chased PRs and let speed, mobility, and coordination slide—felt powerful but moved like a fridge. Since that time I have added in more and more of the same elements of training I use for my athletes into my own training. Working with hundreds of athletes and busy adults at Skolfield Performance, the pattern is the same: when you only train muscles, you lose the springs, joints, and skills that make you feel athletic. The goal isn’t to bodybuild your way through life or to chase the number on the scale—it’s to move well, react fast, and stay durable so you can say “yes” to anything: pick-up games, hikes, playing with your kids, or just getting off the floor without sounding like a broken accordion. The list below is the simple framework we use in the gym to bring that back (and keep it) without beating you up.
- Own your mobility (5–8 min/day).
Tight hips/ankles/upper-back = unathletic. Daily: foam roll quads/glutes/lats (30–45s/spot), then hit hips/ankles/T-spine mobility. Small deposits, big returns.
- Micro-plyos before you lift.
We’re keeping the tendons springy without beating you up: skips, side shuffles, carioca, backward jogs, low pogo hops. 2–3 drills × 10–20 yards after your warm-up. - Train “feet-to-fists” power.
Force should travel from the ground through your core to your hands. Use push presses, landmine presses, rotational rows, and cable lift/chop patterns. 3–4 sets, crisp reps. - Practice ground-to-stand.
Life requires getting up and down smoothly. Turkish get-ups, half-kneeling to stand, and “get-up & carry” variations. Slow, controlled, own every position. - Get brutally strong on one leg.
Most sport and “real life” happens in single-leg stance. Split squats, reverse lunges, step-ups, 1-leg RDLs. Progress load, range, and control. Your knees will thank you. - Core = resist, not twist.
Save your low back. Train anti-extension (dead bugs, ab-wheel, front plank variations) and anti-rotation (Pallof press, suitcase carry). Hips and upper back move; lumbar stays quiet. - Move outside “straight ahead.”
You mastered squats/hinges? Good. Now add lateral lunges, Cossack squats, and anti-lateral-flexion carries. Athletic bodies handle frontal/transverse planes. - Throw medicine balls—often.
Low-risk, high-reward power. After your warm-up: 2 sets overhead slams + 2 sets rotational throws, 6–8 reps each. Twice per week. You’ll feel the “spring” come back. - Lift the concentric like you mean it.
Be fast on the way up. Whether it’s a trap-bar deadlift, row, or press—drive the rep. Add swings, jumps, or light Olympic variants if your technique supports it. - Play. Seriously.
Pick-up hoops, volleyball, tag with your kids, sled pushes in the lot, touch football routes, hikes with hills. Fun keeps you consistent; variety keeps you adaptable.
How we’d stack this at Skolfield Performance (sample week)
- Each session starts: 5–8 min soft-tissue + mobility → micro-plyos → med-ball throws.
- Mon (Lower + Lateral): Lateral lunge, trap-bar DL (fast concentric), split squat, suitcase carry, core anti-rotation.
- Wed (Upper + Rotary): Push press or landmine press, rotational row, pull-ups/rows, ab-wheel, loaded carry.
- Fri (Total + Power): Get-ups, kettlebell swings, step-ups, sled pushes, Pallof press.
- Play once on the weekend. Move like a human, not a machine.
Simple progress rules
- Add range before load.
- Add speed only with control.
- Earn harder drills; don’t skip steps.
Here’s the truth: when you stop chasing scale drama and start training to live better, the mirror takes care of itself. Lean muscle reshapes you. Strength changes how you stand, move, and show up. And when your why is bigger than a number—hiking without knee pain, keeping up with your kids, waking up ready to go—you keep showing up.
At Skolfield Sports Performance, we coach adults to build real strength, eat like adults, and stack habits that last. No fads. No crash fixes. No letting a bathroom scale judge your progress. We train for life—so you feel strong, energized, and capable for decades.
If that’s the shift you’re ready to make, book a phone consultation. We’ll build the plan, coach the details, and hold you accountable. Train to live better—and let the results speak for themselves. Click Here to Book a Phone Consultation