Hello everyone! I apologize for the scheduling mix-up on September 19 and the disruptions this week. I’m caught up at PLNU and ready to get our Accelerator lectures back on schedule. I’m planning to move the missed lecture to Monday, September 21, and the times for the next 4 weeks are now confirmed in the calendar. The remaining Cohort 4 lecture schedule is now posted: View the updated lecture schedule Current and previous cohort members are welcome. Thanks for your patience during my conference travel in Australia, and I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Moment Arm In the context of strength and conditioning, a moment arm explains why an exercise feels harder or easier at certain joint angles, because it determines how much torque the muscle must produce to move or control a load. It is tightly related to concepts of lever classes and, in part, helps to determine the sticking point of an exercise. Definition: The moment arm is the perpendicular distance between a force’s line of action and the axis of rotation at a joint. In resistance training: - It determines how much torque (rotational force) is produced at a joint. - A longer moment arm = more torque required from the muscle. - A shorter moment arm = less torque required. Example: During a biceps curl, the moment arm of the external load is greatest when the forearm is around 90° of elbow flexion, which is why the lift feels hardest there. Lock this concept in with your own training. When an exercise feels harder at certain joint angles or through a specific ROM, it’s likely because the moment arm is larger and the muscle has to produce more force. Question: Have you ever tried or prescribed targeted isometric or partial ROM work at the sticking point of a lift? For example, pause squats, pause at the knee deadlifts or cleans, spoto press, etc.?