The goal of training for relative strength is to maximize the amount of force you can produce without gaining too much weight. In other words, maximize your strength-to-weight ratio...

Mark MurdochMarch 18, 2023strength training, squats, strength, women

Press Variations: Maximizing your Upper Body Strength

Below are some of my favourite upper body pressing exercises. By nature, I am not a very strong presser. I am much more of a puller (rows, pull-ups, lat-pull-downs, etc.).

Whether you are a police candidate, training for the POPAT or training for the PARE, or you are a veteran just looking for some new workouts, this one is for you.

The 7 Movements your need to Master - Part 4: Gait (Running)

Today we tackle the most complex, yet the most underappreciated category of the fundamental movement patterns. Today we talk about Gait, or in other words, Running. The unfortunate reality is most people suck at running. This is surprising because it is fundamental to human performance. If you look at the stats, running is the most dangerous sport with over 75% of runners suffering some sort of injury annually. But this doesn't need to be the case.

Mark MurdochAugust 1, 2016strength training, strength, run, running, popat training tips, popat, popat training, conditioning, cardio, PARE

The 7 Movements your need to Master - Part 3: Hinge and Twist

Part 3: Hinge and Twist (just not at the same time).

If you haven't already, start with Part 1 here.

Today we discuss Part 3: the Hinge and the Twist.

Mark MurdochJuly 28, 2016popat, popat training tips, popat training, police, strength training, strength

The 7 Movements you need to Master - Part 2: Lunge and Squat

The lunge and the squat share many similarities. Both movements are great exercises for developing lower body strength and durability.

The 7 Movements you need to Master - Part 1: Push and Pull

Human movement is complex. We can move in multiple planes, with extremely complex joint kinematics, or produce high forces at stunning velocities. Despite the inherent complexities of human movement, most movements can be broken down and contain aspects of 7 fundamental archetypes.

Today we focus on the first two fundamental patterns: The Push and the Pull.

Mark MurdochJuly 26, 2016strength, strength training, push ups, push, bench press, pull up, pull, row, popat training tips

My 2 Favorite Exercises for Functional Strength

There are literally thousands of exercises out there that you could choose to do. Yet, so many of the exercises I see performed in the gym or on YouTube have little transferability to sport or real life situations.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are also some exercises that not only have great bang-for-your-buck but also help you develop functional strength...

Mark MurdochJuly 20, 2016popat, popat training tips, police, popat training, strength training, strength, power, push, pull, popat push pull

Relative vs Absolute Strength

Strength is strength. Right? Well... no.... And yes.

Relative Strength and Absolute Strength are both important, no matter what your sport/profession is. That being said, some professions benefit more from relative strength and others from absolute strength. In this article, we talk about the differences in Relative vs Absolute strength.

Mark MurdochJuly 14, 2016strength, strength training

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