As someone who’s been involved in sports all his life, Aaron Sidner is interested in how the human body works. Sidner operates Redline Human Performance, a nonprofit organization that works with high-level athletes and citizen athletes.
With a Ph.D. (ABV) in human performance, Sidner is well-versed in the human body. He became interested in learning more growing up in the east St. Paul area and taking part in multiple sports in high school, including track and alpine skiing. “I’ve always been fascinated with what the human body can do,” Sidner says. “Even growing up watching The Incredible Hulk I remember thinking how cool it would be to learn those secrets.”
As he continued through athletics, he realized that he was getting different instructions from every new coach. It made him wonder about the correct way to use the human body. This included developing elbow problems because a strength coach was teaching him improper form.
Diving deeper into the study of physiology, Sidner discovered a huge disconnect between what athletes are being taught and how the body functions. He says the key isn’t understanding the similarities in how different athletes work, but understanding the differences. “As we are trying to understand systems, we regress to the mean,” Sidner says. “If you take 500 athletes and draw a ‘best fit’ line, that line isn’t going to perfectly match any of those athletes.”
In other words, there is no single system for training everyone. That’s the philosophy that Sidner has brought to Redline.
The athletes Sidner works with range from adults who may not be training for anything specific but want high-level workouts, to younger athletes preparing for the Olympics. He approaches every client with the mentality of helping them achieve what they’re looking for.
To do that, Sidner helps athletes craft workouts that are best for them and best for their body. Workouts are made to help athletes maximize power rather than size. Doing this often means taking familiar workouts, such as deadlifting, but crafting them to best fit the needs of the athlete rather than simply trying to lift as much weight as possible.
Sidner compares working with athletes to cooking. If you decide to make chicken, there are almost limitless possibilities of ways to make chicken, and each one requires different ingredients. When working with athletes, the overall concept is the same whether Sidner is working with a track star, bodybuilder or football player, but the specific workouts and the way they are approached will be different to meet a given athlete’s goals.
Tom Weiss has two daughters who have worked out with Sidner for a little more than two years. His oldest daughter, Jordan, is now a sophomore in college and a competitive synchronized skater. When she’s home from school she works out with Sidner.
Weiss’s younger daughter, Allyson, is a sophomore at East Ridge High School. She’s an accomplished track and field star who has competed nationally. Weiss says that Sidner has helped his daughters, especially Allyson who trains at Redline five or six times a week, take their skills to the next level. “We liked him right away because he focuses on balanced strength training, injury prevention and recovery,” Weiss says.
The Weiss sisters have discovered what can be unlocked when you have a workout tailored to your needs. It’s the same philosophy Sidner brings to all his clients.
Young Women’s Sports Science Initiative
Aaron Sidner is also leading the Young Women’s Sports Science Initiative which focuses on injury prevention and rehabilitation, as well as maximizing athletic potential despite injury. To learn more about that initiative and Redline Human Performance, visit their website here.
