When we train our athletes at Ultimate Advantage Training, we prioritize strength and power. Our athletes crush it in the weight room, but that doesn't matter if they cannot transfer their strength to the field.

To transfer their weight room gains to the field or court, our athletes perform footwork drills that reinforce proper biomechanics and movement patterns, so they can put their new horsepower to use when sprinting, decelerating and changing directions. 

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Anyone familiar with me knows I like big, compound exercises and heavy weight. Athletes benefit from doing big lifts far more than from toe-touching bodyweight moves. At Ultimate Advantage, we incorporate Strongman exercises into our training to make our athletes strong and thick.

Strongman exercises include anything you may see in a Strongman competition, like Yoke Walks, Farmer's Walks, Tire Flips, Drags and Atlas Stones. They're not traditional movements, so they add variety to a program.

And, it's fun to lift heavy stuff. My high school athletes really enjoy these exercises, and they've had great results.

We don't do Strongman workouts exclusively, but we incorporate this style of exercise with more traditional compound barbell movements like Squats.

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Female athletes are up to six times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than their male counterparts. As female sport participation continues to explode, it's safe to say ACL injuries are becoming an epidemic.

To see what I'm talking about, all you need to do is watch a girls soccer game. You're guaranteed to see some athletes wearing braces or showing scars on their knees.

Crazy thing is, I've had girls come to me complaining of knee pain at 12 and 13 years old. Knees are supposed to last a lifetime, yet these kids haven't even made it to high school and they're already having problems.

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 Janet TV's Ultimate Female Athlete Show brings you "How Female Athletes Can Prevent ACL Injuries" with Coach Rick Scarpulla. Female athletes - girls & women, elite & novice - suffer knee and leg injuries at a rate much higher than males. See why Coach Rick believes in Pre-Hab over ReHab when it comes to preventing ACL injuries. Click the Screen Below to See the Show and you can prevent or treat your ACL, knee and leg injuries.

 In this episode of STACK Fitness weekly, Rick Scarpulla shows you three strongman-inspired core exercises.

In this episode of STACK Fitness weekly, Rick Scarpulla of Ultimate Advantage shows you three strongman-inspired core exercises. These moves will challenge your core muscles with weight to build size and strength. He recommends performing three different exercises to hit each area of your core.

Reverse Deadlift
- Hold a lat pulldown bar against your neck
- Drive your hips back and keep your back straight
- Bend over until your torso is parallel to the ground

Barbell Side Bend
- Hold the barbell to one side
- Touch the end of the barbell to the ground
- Vary touch points for an additional challenge

Resisted Extensions
- Hold your hands behind your back and lock your knees
- Drive your hips back and keep your back straight
- Bend over until your torso is parallel to the ground
- Explosively drive up to standing position

In this episode of STACK Fitness Weekly, Rick Scarpulla provides a detailed explanation of how to build a bigger Bench Press by altering your technique and approach to the exercise.

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Home // Lifestyle // College Recruiting
Practical Recruiting Tips for High School Athletes
December 19, 2013
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You've played your sport since you were a little kid, and you're pretty good at it. Now it's time for you to think about playing in college. You might even think about the possibility of getting a scholarship, but you're not quite sure how to go about it.

You've heard all kinds of stories from your friends and you are not sure what to believe. This much I can tell you: Preparing for college is a stressful time for you and your family. Add in trying to get an athletic scholarship, and the stress is compounded many times over.

Here are some tips to make the recruiting process easier for you and your family. Read More: http://www.stack.com/2013/12/19/recruiting-tips/ 

In this episode of STACK Fitness Weekly, Rick Scarpulla of Ultimate Advantage Training provides instruction for three med ball exercises that will develop your explosive power and elevate your heart rate.

Develop your explosive power and build conditioning with this med ball series from Rick Scarpulla.

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