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  • Developing Strength in the Weightlifter June 5, 2025
  • Managing the Training Loads of Weightlifters May 22, 2025
  • Managing the Training of Weightlifters During the Competition Period May 15, 2025

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Improving Athletic Performance | An Exercise Blog for Coaches and Athletes
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  • April 20, 2020

Are Reverse Hyperextensions Better?

The hyperextension exercise and the reverse hyperextension exercise are both mainstays in many strength training programs.  The hyperextension involves laying face down in the hyperextension bench, flexing forward from the hip until...

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  • January 8, 2018

An Unorthodox Look at Injury Prevention

heavy rope training

Injury prevention exercises (so called “prehab” exercises) are the rage in strength and conditioning. This is a great approach in a personal training setting or in a high performance facility with a...

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  • May 6, 2016

Hex Bar Deadlifts May Be Important For Athletes

hexagonal bar

The hex bar has been a popular tool for deadlifts for a number of years now. While the hex bar isn’t specific to what a powerlifter does in competition, it might have...

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  • December 4, 2011

Good Morning Variations

The good morning is a class of exercises that trains the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. It does this in a way that forces these muscle groups to work together, which is...

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  • October 30, 2011

Training the Hamstrings, Glutes, and Lower Back Part 1

This post will describe several exercises and sample workouts to help strengthen the hamstrings and glutes. We’ll focus on the following exercises: Romanian deadlifts, standing good mornings, reverse hyperextensions, and back raises....

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About

John looks at the athlete as a whole and works to determine his or her individual needs. He doesn’t subscribe to one particular approach to training or philosophy but views everything as a valid tool based upon an athlete’s sport, position, level of development, injury history, needs, experience, and preferences.

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John M. Cissik, MS, CSCS
jcissik@yahoo.com
McKinney, TX, USA

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Recent posts

  • Developing Strength in the Weightlifter June 5, 2025
  • Managing the Training Loads of Weightlifters May 22, 2025
  • Managing the Training of Weightlifters During the Competition Period May 15, 2025

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jcissik

Special education teacher. Baseball, basketball and strength coach. Bad chess player. Author, speaker on strength/speed training. Views are my own.

Latest article for Inside Pitch Magazine. @inside Latest article for Inside Pitch Magazine.  @insidepitchmagazine @abca1945 #baseball #baseballcoach
Latest article for the Australian Track and Field Latest article for the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association’s journal. #strengthtraining #strengthtraining #athletics #trackandfield
Latest article for The Chess Correspondent #chess Latest article for The Chess Correspondent #chess #chessopenings
The Caro-Kann Defense, part four: https://www.ciss The Caro-Kann Defense, part four: https://www.cissik.com/blog/2024/09/the-caro-kann-defense-part-four/ #chess #chessopenings #chessdefense #carokann
The Caro-Kann Defense, part three: https://www.cis The Caro-Kann Defense, part three: https://www.cissik.com/blog/2024/09/the-caro-kann-defense-part-three/ #chess #chessopenings #carokanndefense
Humbled to have another article in @insidepitchmag Humbled to have another article in @insidepitchmagazine .  Great educational tool and @abca1945  is a great organization.  Excited to get back to hands on next week!
I like “old” chess books. They are inexpensiv I like “old” chess books.  They are inexpensive (this one was $8). The information holds up (the principles are the principles). Since I don’t play at the grandmaster level itynit going out if date!  #chess #chessstrategy #chessbooks
The Caro-Kann Defense, part two: https://www.cissi The Caro-Kann Defense, part two: https://www.cissik.com/blog/2024/09/the-caro-kann-defense-part-two/ #chess #chessopenings #carokanndefense
The Caro-Kann Defense, part one: https://www.cissi The Caro-Kann Defense, part one: https://www.cissik.com/blog/2024/08/the-caro-kann-part-one/ #chess #chessopening #carokanndefense
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