With the year coming to an end, I figured it would be a great time to put together what I thought were 10 of the best blog posts of the year (I know I’m not the only one that has put together a post like this). Obviously there are many great posts to pick from written by numerous great strength coaches, so I had to leave some out that I thought were worthy of being on the list. Without further adieu, here’s the list:

#1 – Don’t Forget the Coaching by Kevin Carr

To me this post hit the nail on the head. There are so many posts out there about this new movement that someone came up with, a new program they came up with and all the others things. At the end of the day strength coaches are just that, coaches and it seems sometimes people lose sight of that. Kev Carr nailed it with this post.

#2 – 8 Laws of Strength Training by Bret Contreras

This article was a follow up to his previous article of “almost” laws of strength training, which was also a great article. Again, with all the stuff out there on the internet I feel like young strength coaches or people just looking for good training advice can get lost in it all. Bret breaks it down pretty plain and simple with guidelines for people to follow.

#3 – It’s Not the Program, It’s the Coaching by Michael Boyle

Another classic post by Coach Boyle, one that couldn’t be more spot on. Everyone looks to change the program when things aren’t going as well as they would like, but sometimes it may not be the program and it may be time to look into the mirror.

#4 – Is Foam Rolling Bad for You? by Michael Boyle

Talk about stirring the pot a little with this post! Coach Boyle had a great response to the thoughts of some other strength coaches when it comes to foam rolling and decided to write a little blog post about it.

#5 – Debt Free in 24 Months at 24 by Brendon Rearick

My favorite post of the year that has nothing to do with strength and conditioning and everything to do with personal development. Anyone that has any student loan debt or any other debt needs to take a look at this and figure out how they can implement some of Brendon’s strategies into their own finanical life.

#6 – Say No to Squats and Barbell Rows by Ben Bruno

This had to take the cake for the most creative yet spot on articles of the year. I thought it was amazing how Ben put this piece together while making complete sense the entire time. Ben is a great writer and this may have been his best piece of writting in my opinion.

#7 – Warm Up by Mike Robertson

This post was put up just a couple weeks ago but became one of my favorites right off the bat. Mike runs through warming up, from top to bottom, leaving no stone unturned.

#8 – Are Pull Ups That Essential? by Eric Cressey

Pull ups and chin ups are in most all strength training programs, especially for athletes that don’t have any injury concerns with them. However, Eric has a great in-depth post on whether or not they are really as essential as everyone thinks they are. Real interesting post that will make you think a little.

#9 – Make a Difference by Dan John

The title says it all. Another post on not missing the boat as a strength coach and maybe focus on the things that really matter.

#10 – Tough or Reasonable by Dan John

It seems like these days when it comes to strength training and/or dieting everything needs to be tough in order to see great progress, which is far from the truth and what this article is all about. Plus, it’s Dan John, which means its a must read!