In this blog you  will see components of a letter that I plan to send to 20 experts from around the world to get their opinion about the squat.

This letter is inspired by the video posted by our highly respected colleague, strength coach Mike Boyle.
In this video, Mike turned to the camera and says, “Stop Squatting!”

Mike’s video raised a lot of controversy. Personally, I looked at Mike’s statements and write an article entitled,  “Mike Boyle Says the Squat Is Dead. Is he right?”

If we disregard our concerns for any specific squat variations,  I think we can agree that squatting is an important movement pattern for both athletic performance and living in general.

In my opinion, a lot of the controversy around the squat, including those regarding proper from as well as which variations to use, arise from a recurrent mix of opinion with scientific facts.

I think “The Squat” deserves that we set the record straight. Hence, I am sending out an invitation to the experts in the field to participate in a never before seen project:

Aim:  To create a comprehensive look at The Squat, from the perspective of the Best of the Best in the Strength and Conditioning world.

Strategy: Issue invitations to the best of the best and ask that they provide the following information

• 5-7 pages article on the topic of squatting
• article should include the author’s knowledge of and experience with squatting
• ONLY requirement is that there MUST be a clear distinction between opinion and scientific facts

I expect that there will be both similarities and differences between all the articles. Both the similarities and the differences will highlight the important lesson to each reader; there are “fundamentals” about the squat but there is also the freedom to see things differently.

Is there anything else that you would like me to include in this letter?

What would you like to learn about the squat?

Who should I invite?

Let me know your thougths by leaving a comment.

Learn - Develop - Lead
Karsten Jensen,

How good are you at picking the absolute best exercises for a given client goal?

Do you have clear principles that you go by for selecting these exercises?

Do you have clear principles for SEQUENCING both strength exercises, jump and throw exercises as well as energy systems exercises throughout a macrocycle?

Are you at a level of skill where you create NEW exercises youself?

I have collected, developed and fine-tuned such principles over the last 18 years (some of these principles are outlined in “The Flexible Periodization Method“) and now have enough material to share it with you!

I am starting a new book project on the topic of optimal exercise selection as well as “exercise periodization” and I would like to know about your biggest challenges with selecting the optimal exercises in any situation.

Let me know what kind of information you would like to see outlined in that book?

To your success,
Karsten

PS: Check next Wednesday’s blog to learn the 5 primary principles of exercise selection.

Last week, I told you about the three letter acronyms for each of the seven blocks of The Flexible Periodization Method. Check out the blog here if you missed it.

Today, I would like to share with you highlights from Section 1 of The Flexible Periodization Method.

I started the writing process by identifying the 16 key Principles that The Flexible Periodization Method is built upon.

Below are a few highlights of what you will learn from Section 1

• Enhance results by following the natural cycles of the body in your planning.
• The solution to the problem of performing concurrent strength and endurance training.
• How and when to use  “assistance exercises” and “compound exercises”.
• Why several textbooks are wrong when they say explosive sports don’t have a need for a maximal strength cycle.
• Ways to practice key movement patterns every day without overtraining  (Improve performance even on recovery days)
• Why ALL program variables must be periodized.
• Why stabilizer training is NOT for sissies. :) 

Talk to you next week,
Karsten

PS:  Currently, my training is at a minimum due to our commitment to finish the FPM! I stay sane with one of the recovery programs featured in FPM:  4 sets of 15 reps with no warm up and a rate of perceived exertion of 2-3 out of 5. 3-4 exercises takes about 10 minutes and boosts my energy!