Author: Dr. Michael Hartle
Dr. Michael Hartle is not only a chiropractic physician, but he is also a Master SFG Instructor with StrongFirst, a board-certified Clinical Nutritionist (DACBN), a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP), a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and an Active Release Technique (ART) provider since 1995.
Raised in the frozen tundra known as Minnesota, he once lived in Hawai'i while his father was stationed at Pearl Harbor during Vietnam. He has been practicing in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the last seventeen years.
A nationally-ranked powerlifter, who has won several national titles with USA Powerlifting, Dr. Michael is also the Chairman of the Sports Medicine Committee of USA Powerlifting (USAPL). He was the Head Coach of the USAPL World Bench Press Team for eight years, winning the 2004 World Championship Team Title. His best competition lifts are 705lb squat, 535lb bench press, and 635lb deadlift with a best combined total of the three lifts of 1,840lbs in the 275lb weight class.
For the last seven years, he has been playing semi-pro football, defensive tackle, and loving it! His football team, the Adams County Patriots, won the National AA Semi-Pro Football Championship in 2008! He treats, trains and advises to all kinds of patients, from babies to the elderly, from youth athletes to NCAA student-athletes to professional athletes. He also coaches junior high football and track and field, volunteering his time for the last twelve years. He has three sons who keep him busy with their personal endeavors, including hockey, baseball, football, lacrosse, track, and field and of course, academics.
When I teach the bench press during the StrongFirst Lifter Certification, the path of the bar section is one of my favorites. In the deadlift and the squats (Zercher, front, and back), the bar path is generally a straight, vertical line. However, in the bench press, many people curve the bar path from the start […]
The very definition of a lift is moving load upwards against gravity; but what goes up must come down. If you’re only paying attention to one half of every squat, deadlift, and press, you’re missing out on a heap of strength and stability, and likely setting yourself up for injury down the road. It’s time […]
How do you boost your bench press? By mastering the pause between your concentric and eccentric movements. Master SFG Dr. Michael Hartle explains why and provides two practice techniques to help teach you how. Lower. Pause. Press Up. Repeat. Four words that could describe a lot of different things going on in that order. However, […]
The ubiquity of knee sleeves at the weight room squat rack make them a tempting purchase for a novice lifter. Should you wear them? First meet this squat strength benchmark, and then the answer is "maybe".
Over the years, I have gathered various training shoes and each has its specific purpose, both for powerlifting and general training. In this article, I discuss each of my training shoes in detail and explain what I use them for.
“The Snatch Test”—these words elicit “pure joy” for anyone who is preparing for their SFG or SFG II certifications. They tend to raise one’s blood pressure, increase their heart rate, and make their respiratory rate start to flutter. Brett Jones has a wonderful and very effective way to train for the snatch test. And just […]
On the flight home from teaching a StrongFirst Lifter certification (SFL), I was thinking about the programming section and some of our discussions. One of the questions that always gets asked is: “What about assistance exercises?” My answer is simple—until you have spent at least a year working on the movements that we taught at […]
When Pavel and I wrote the SFL Manual back in 2012-2013, we decided to build it on top of what is taught at the SFG Level I Certification. Namely, the swing, get-up, goblet squat, and the arm bar. This article attempts to say more than just how to do them, but why you did them. […]
Whether you do the bodybuilding, weightlifting, or powerlifting rack while front squatting, using your lats to the maximum is key. Once you understand the anatomy and kinesiology of this powerful muscle, you will know why.
Every time I teach the deadlift, a particular question comes up: whether to perform “stop reps” or “touch and go” reps during sets. Let's discuss the differences between them and what we can learn from each.
