Off-Set KB Drop And Catch Lateral Lunge To Slantboard

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The offset kettlebell drop and catch lateral lunge to slant board is a deceleration drill that teaches athletes to put on the brakes, yield into the hip, and stop cleanly before redirecting. Ideal for bigger, tighter athletes who struggle with lateral movement, this slant board exercise builds change-of-direction control, hip mobility, and single-leg stability. Learn the full setup, coaching cues, common mistakes, and programming from Brandon Smitley of THIRST Gym in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In-Place Lateral Lunge With Plate Reach

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The in-place lateral lunge with plate reach is a beginner-friendly hip mobility exercise that builds frontal-plane strength, lengthens the adductors, and teaches you how to load each hip with confidence. Learn the proper stance, the plate-reach counterbalance technique, the most common mistakes to avoid, and how to program this drill as a teaching tool or pre-training warm-up. It’s a foundational lateral lunge variation for wrestlers, combat athletes, powerlifters, and anyone who wants healthier, more mobile hips.

Split Stance Cable Lift

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The split stance cable lift builds rotational power, core stability, and hip mobility in a single athletic movement, making it one of the most versatile exercises for developing change of direction strength. Brandon Smitley breaks down the setup, the “into the cut” versus “out of the cut” variations, and programming recommendations for athletes, combat sports competitors, and general fitness clients alike.

Lateral Power Shuffle

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The lateral power shuffle is one of the most effective drills for developing explosive side-to-side speed, agility, and change of direction for athletes in nearly every sport. In this exercise breakdown, Brandon Smitley of THIRST Gym walks through the mechanics, common coaching mistakes, programming recommendations, and how to progress this drill from closed reps to reactive, sport-specific application. Whether you coach wrestlers, football players, MMA fighters, or general fitness clients, this is a foundational lateral movement drill every athlete should master.

Heels Elevated Hatfield Squat

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The heels elevated Hatfield squat is a powerful quad-dominant squat variation that uses a safety squat bar, heel elevation, and a hands-on support apparatus to maximize forward knee travel, improve squat mechanics, and drive serious quadriceps development. Whether you’re dealing with anterior pelvic tilt, looking to replace machine-based quad work, or simply want a versatile supplemental squat exercise, this movement delivers. Learn how to set it up, which muscles it targets, and how to program it for strength and hypertrophy goals.

Single Arm DB Push Press

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The single arm dumbbell push press is a powerful unilateral exercise that combines a lower body dip with an explosive overhead press to build upper body power and improve athletic performance. Learn proper rack position, foot stance, and the dip-drive-punch technique to maximize force transfer through a single arm. Programmed for three to five sets of three to five reps per side, this exercise is ideal for athletes, wrestlers, and anyone serious about developing explosive pressing strength.

2025 Year in Review: Real Talk on Content Growth, Gym Ownership & What’s Next

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Brandon Smitley of THIRST Gym recaps the 2025 year across YouTube, the THIRST More Podcast, Instagram, and online coaching, sharing real analytics, business challenges, and what is changing heading into 2026. From hitting YouTube monetization and growing to 6,000 subscribers to navigating a gym relocation due to eminent domain, this post covers the full story behind a year of growth and hard lessons for a working strength coach and small gym owner. If you are a strength athlete, powerlifter, wrestler, or coach looking for honest insights from someone in the trenches, this is the recap worth reading.

Copenhagen Side Plank March

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The Copenhagen side plank march builds adductor strength, lateral core stability, and hip flexor endurance in a single challenging movement. This progression of the standard Copenhagen plank adds a marching component that increases trunk stability demands while maintaining isometric loading through the top leg adductors. Learn proper setup, technique, and programming recommendations to effectively incorporate this exercise into your strength and conditioning routine.

Barbell Zercher RDL

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The barbell Zercher RDL is a front-loaded hip hinge variation that builds posterior chain strength while improving upper back development and core stability. This exercise proves particularly effective for desk workers with tight hips and compressed posture, as the counterbalance position facilitates better hip hinge mechanics and access to hamstring and glute engagement that traditional Romanian deadlifts may not provide.