(Ep087) Mike Robertson: Bulletproofing Basketball Players’ Backs, Knees & Ankles
Mike Robertson’s first exposure to basketball conditioning was his high school coach forcing him to run cross country. Though he eventually broke his three-mile PR, logging miles during an Indiana winter actually set him back when he returned to the court. It was solving problems like this that led Mike to take a master’s in sports biomechanics at Ball State, where he studied under pioneers William Kraemer and Robert Newton. Mike also honed his skills working with Ball State athletes, and then with rehab and in-home training clients.
When he moved to Indianapolis, Mike was already offering online training programs and writing for the likes of T Nation and EliteFTS. He then partnered with physical therapist Bill Hartman to open IFAST, which Men’s Health named one of the top 10 gyms in America. Mike has worked with NBA and college basketball players, served as an S+C coach in pro soccer, and prepared athletes at all levels to excel.
In this episode, Mike dishes on:
How creating a win-win for athletes, coaches, and players creates buy-in for long-term player development
Why you need to work on athletes’ brakes as well as their engines when increasing vertical jump and power
Why basketball players and tall athletes are susceptible to ankle, knee, and back injuries and how he makes them more durable
What he did to prepare Roy Hibbert in the offseason
How to find the sweet spot between isolated and compound movements to build resilience
What he does differently to his high school coach for basketball conditioning
Learn more from Mike at www.robertsontrainingsystems.com, listen to his show The Physical Preparation Podcast, and follow him on Instagram @robtrainsystems
