CategoriesUncategorized youth sports training youth training youth/sports training

What Makes an Athlete Fast?

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Syracuse, NY based strength and conditioning coach Ricky Kompf. Ricky’s a good friend, works with a ton of youth athletes, and he knows his stuff.

What I like about his message is that he always stresses the basics first.

No fluff, no smoke and mirrors, no speed camps, and no agility ladders…;o)

Enjoy!

Copyright: serrnovik / 123RF Stock Photo

What Makes an Athlete Fast?

Speed is one of the most misunderstood aspects of training.

We get sold on fancy ladder drills, flashy sprint exercises and products that don’t work or are used incorrectly. After working with hundreds of athletes of all levels and skills I’m here to show you exactly what will make an athlete fast and what will actually allow you to hit those impressive numbers the elite level athletes hit.

It also goes without saying that, it takes work.

This will not happen overnight, you achieve this level of physical prowess from years of developing your body and consistently putting work in towards this every day.

Whenever an athlete comes to me, chances are they want to become faster and jump higher.

Speed is king, and rightfully so.

Speed is what sets you apart from the competition.

Speed is what gets you looked at for high level college programs.

There’s not much difference in skill between D3, D2 and D1 programs as there is a difference is speed and strength.

So, what makes an athlete fast?

1. Relative Strength

Relative strength is how strong you are relative to how much you weigh.

Without relative strength there is no speed.

Relative strength is what every quality of speed is built off of.

I hate to speak in absolutes but If you are not strong relative to how much you weigh you will not be fast. Strength is your horse power.

I promise I’m (mostly) not a Sith

Trying to sprint as fast as possible with low relative strength is like trying to go from 0-60mph in a Prius: You just won’t be able to get to top end speed quickly and your top end speed will be much slower than a sports car.

When you’re sprinting the only resistance you have on you is your body weight.

You have to propel your body forward in a fast-explosive manner and if you don’t have the relative strength to do so, all the sprints and speed & agility drills in the world won’t make you much faster.

FANCY SPEED EXERCISES AND AGILITY DRILLS WON’T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING WITHOUT RELATIVE STRENGTH.  

To put this into perspective, If you have two athletes who can deadlift 300lbs and one athlete is 150lbs while the other one is 250lbs, 10 times out of 10 the athlete who is 150lbs is faster.

Here are some indicators that I use to determine if the athlete is relatively strong.

Male Athletes:

  1. 15 or more chin ups
  2. 30 or more push ups
  3. Can trap bar deadlift over 2x their body weight for 3 or more reps
  4. Can back squat to box or safety bar squat to box 1.5x their body weight for 3 or more reps
  5. Can sled push 4x their body weight or more for 10 yards

Female Athletes:

  1. Can perform 5 chin ups or more
  2. Can perform 15 or more full range of motion push ups
  3. Can trap bar deadlift 1.5X their body weight for 3 reps or more
  4. Can back squat or safety bar squat to a box with 1.25x their body weight or more for 3 reps or more
  5. Can sled push 3.5x their body weight or more for 10 yards

This is all a general rule of thumb I use for my athlete to determine if they will respond well to an increase in speed work volume.

2. Mobility

Have you ever seen the athlete on the field who moves their legs super-fast but is one of the slower athletes or middle of the road?

It’s like they’re going nowhere fast.

Here’s why this is happening.

The athlete who takes the least number of strides to cover a certain amount of distance will always get to Point B first.

If your athlete is tight in the hips they won’t be able to cover max distance with every stride. This usually becomes an issue when an athlete’s hips are tight, restricted and weak.

Mobility also doesn’t mean just stretching, this is where flexibility and mobility get confused. Flexibility is the range of motion you can put your joins passively like reaching down to touch your toes. Mobility is the range of motion you can go actively, like driving your knee up as high as you can without moving your spine or going into a deep squat while keeping a neutral spine.

Flexibility is a component of mobility that you need in order to be mobile. Optimal stride length requires more mobility than flexibility.

Perform these mobility drills regularly to keep your hips in check while you become stronger and faster. These are all great examples where together they work on flexibility as well as mobility. This will help you become overall more mobile in the hips and moving better.

Speedy 7 Mobility Drills

Hip Series: Active Recovery

90/90 PAILs & RAILs

Standing Hip CARs

3. Core Strength

The role of the core while sprinting is to keep the midline stable while the arms and legs are in motion.

If your athlete does not possess the appropriate core strength it will result in energy leaks throughout their sprints and change of direction.

The core is used as a foundation in which force can be translated from the lower body to the upper body while sprinting. If the core and spine are not ridged while sprinting there won’t be as much force being put into the ground.

Even worse you’re at a much higher risk of injury.

If you ever watch an elite level track athlete sprint with their shirt off, their arms and legs are moving violently while the torso is perfectly still.

Without good core stability relative strength is low and mobility/movement quality is poor, which, if you’re paying attention are the first two qualities I spoke of.

Addressing all three should be a priority is every athletes program.

Check out these exercises that are great for core development:

Core Engaged Deadbugs

Plank on Knees While Breathing

Level I Plank March

4. A Faster Amortization Phase

The Amortization phase is the transition from an eccentric muscle contraction to a concentric muscle contraction.

This phase is a very fast isometric contraction that helps to transition the muscle to shorten while contracting.

This is commonly known as the stretch shortening cycle.

This is when a muscle rapidly lengthens then shortens. When the amortization phase is optimized and there is a very fast transition, the amortization phase is very short. When this happens there are more motor units recruited and more force is produced.

The shorter the transition from eccentric to concentric the more force is produced.

This happens on every stride once you’ve gotten into your cycle sprint (while you’re upright sprinting at your max speed).

Another common way to see this is when an athlete performs a vertical jump, as the athlete descends quickly and transitions from down to the upward phase of the vertical jump this is where the amortization phase comes in. The less time it takes to make that transition the more potential force is produced.

Ways to train this would be plyometrics, max effort sprints, longer distance sprints (20-40yd) and jumps where there is a focus on the transition from eccentric to concentric.

A few of my favorite ways to train this is by performing some of these following exercises:

1. 10-yd Push Up to Sprint/Mountain Climber Sprints

 

2. Hurdle Hop Variations to Push

 

3. Max Effort Vertical Jumps

 

4. 20 yd Sprints Flat Ground or Up Hill

 

5. Partner Sprint Chases

 

6. 30 yd Sprints

 

7. Double Broad Jumps

 

5. Strength in Specific Joint Angles and Technical Form

To develop strength in specific angles that the athlete will be in during a game I will often use contrast training, game speed exercises drills, and lifting exercises that are similar to positions an athlete will be in.

When it comes to speed, there’s nothing better than a heavy sled push or a sled drag.

Other good ones I like to use with a contrast are trap bar deadlifts and safety bar squats. All of these are great with mimicking the sprint and jump movements. Below is a video example of some contrast sets and specific joint angle exercises for speed.

Example #1

A1. Trap Bar Deadlift – 5×2

Rest 10-20 seconds

A2. Vertical Jump – 5×1

Rest 2-3 minutes before the next set.

 

Example #2

A1. Heavy Sled Push – 5×10 yards

Rest 10-20 seconds

A2. Push Up to Sprint – 5×10 yards

Rest 2-3 minutes before the next set

 

Example #3

A1. Safety Bar Squat to Box – 5×2

Rest 10-20 seconds

A2. Box Jump – 5×2

Rest 2-3 minutes before the next set

Example #4

A1. Chain Loaded or Banded Trap Bar Deadlift – 5×2

Rest 10-20 seconds

A2. Double Broad Jump – 5x(max distance)

Rest 2-3 minutes before next set

Strength Training Exercises in Specific Joint Angles

Heavy Sled Pushes

 

Heavy Sled Drags

 

Resisted Sprints

 

Trap Bar Deadlifts

 

These type of exercises and contrast sets should be performed during preseason after a full foundation has been developed during the offseason.

Note that these types of circuits are reserved for athlete who are older and more advanced with a good foundation of general strength and all the other qualities we went over already. Contrast training is not as effective without 3-6 months of general strength training. The sled pushes, sled drags, and deadlifts are exercises that should be staples every month in your athletes program.

Another way to work on this is to perform sprints and jumps to refine technique, having a coach’s eye to teach you how to sprint the correct way and jump the right way is the final piece to put all these qualities together. Sprinting, change of direction and jumping is a skill that will always require fine tuning and technique work.

About the Author

Ricky Kompf is the head coach/owner of Kompf Training Systems where we work primarily with team sport athletes like baseball, football, lacrosse and basketball.

He’s also a Head Trainer for a corporation for Bankers Heath Care.

You can give him a follow on Instagram HERE.

You can check him out on Twitter HERE.

Categoriesyouth/sports training

Why Kids Should Cheat the Deadlift

Today’s guest post come courtesy of Dan Edelman of The Brand X Method, which is a wonderful institution dedicated to improving youth sport(s) and fitness through professional youth coach education.

I love what they stand for and what the strive to instill in their coaches and athletes.

There’s no ONE set way to train anyone – youth athletes included – and oftentimes the larger, more pertinent approach is adopting methodologies for LONG-TERM health and fitness.

Not for ego.

Enjoy the read (and be sure to download the FREE guide “How to Reduce the Risk of Injury in Youth Athletes” below).

Copyright: spotpoint74 / 123RF Stock Photo

Why Kids Should “Cheat” the Deadlift

Sumo is cheating.

We hear that a lot. Mostly from a certain uppity corner of the powerlifting community and mostly owing to its shortened range of motion compared to the conventional deadlift.

Well, we love it. The Brand X Method™ loves the sumo deadlift.

And we’re often asked about this great love affair.

So yeah, why sumo?

  • When was the last time you set up in a conventional stance to pick up a cinder block, sack of dog food, a child? Never. The sumo stance is how we pick up stuff in the real world.
  • Over the course of 15 years, we have found that kids can learn a safe sumo setup more quickly and maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement more consistently. Could it be because our bodies are designed to pick up heavy stuff in this position?
  • The conventional stance requires more work from the spinal erectors (see, e.g., here). Should the erectors fatigue or fail under load—or be left holding the bag so to speak by primary mover fatigue or poor technique—the spine is at risk of injury. We train kids, which by definition means we’re training mostly beginner and intermediate lifters. The responsible approach is to minimize that risk.
  • Powerlifting guru Louie Simmons has said that training wide supports narrow applications but not the opposite. At Brand X – The Lab, we’ve seen people improve their conventional deadlift after training exclusively sumo—but, yeah, you guessed it—not the opposite.

To say the sumo stance is functional is to lose its significance in all the buzz around that overused label.

But it is functional.

Profoundly so.

The sumo stance is everywhere in the everyday world, from the backyard to the ball field, from the garage to the library.

When we train sumo, we enhance physical literacy, we improve our ability to engage with the environment. The more we are able to interact with the world and others around us in positive and rewarding ways, the healthier and happier we—and everyone around us—can be.

Imagine a world like that.

We do.

Never Say Never

So am I saying that we never train conventional?

Of course not.

We program conventional deadlift variations all of the time for our experienced lifters:

Single-leg dumbbell, deficits, rack pulls, RDLs… Conventional deadlifts make for great accessory and supplemental work.

Some of our experienced kids are committed competitive powerlifters. Our sports-specific programming includes conventional deadlifts because it makes sense to identify which position the kid best pulls from.

Is this a contradiction?

No.

We’re talking sport.

We’re talking kids who want to lift the most weight possible. That doesn’t mean we simply let the kid pull conventional. A TBXM™ program for a kid who can stand up with more weight in the conventional stance than in the sumo position also includes exercises that support the conventional stance to ensure that safety and efficiency are maximized during training and competition.

The conventional stance deadlift transfers to the power clean, a staple power-building exercise for The Brand X Method™.

Let’s optimize.

Occasionally anthropometry such as long femurs, long torso, and comparatively short arms call for us to explore a conventional stance for plateau-busting insights.

Individualizing our program is essential to our mission.

Frankly, variation is a fairly conventional strength training principle. And therein lies one of the great things about The Brand X Method™—our principles are sound; they are long-established, evidence-based, and proven. With that kind of foundation, we can forever explore and evolve best practices for teaching kids how to move more safely and efficiently for fitness, sport, and life.

If You Ain’t Cheating You Ain’t Trying

The Brand X Method™ wrangles with the constant tension between the goals of youth sport and the goals of our program.

The former wants high performance at all times (e.g., lifting the most weight, throwing the hardest, running the fastest) while we want to see the discovery, participation, and enjoyment of sport and other physical activities for all time.Thing is, the tension seems to come from the sports side and is almost entirely driven by an over-reliance on sports-specific training and a lack of knowledge about how our program should be viewed as essential to sports-specific training rather than some kind of extraneous “activity.”

We know that high performance and lifelong physical activity based on consistently good movement don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Our proof is in the USA Powerlifting—California state record book where our kids and teens (and even some adults) hold more than 100 records.

Imagine that—prioritizing safety and efficiency in the form of consistently excellent (and natural) movement yields record holders, champions, and national qualifiers, most of whom stepped onto the platform just for kicks.

High performance is a by-product of The Brand X Method™.

Sumo. What they call cheating, we call common sense.

What they snicker at, we find advantageous.

Efficient.

Safe.

Long-term.

We want our kids able to lift when they’re 40 50, 60, beyond.

A youth fitness program that is not thinking about lifetime fitness is not thinking period.

We’ll continue to train the most efficient, safest movement built on naturally intended, functional motor patterns and positions. We’ll continue to encourage kids to try different sports and then provide them the best strength and conditioning we can to keep them strong, fast, and durable. We’ll continue to imagine a better future for our kids. And we’ll continue to gather the medals, trophies, and records that come with it.

They say cheating. We say scoreboard, baby.

About the Author

Dan Edelman is a Brand X Youth Coach and has been a member of The Brand X Method staff for nearly a decade, principally as staff writer and editor. He is the current Director of Marketing & Communications and is co-owner of R Town Strength & Wellness – A Brand X Method Training Center in San Diego County, California.

About the The Brand X Method

Since 2004, we have been driven by a relentless pursuit of best practices in youth training. Our focus on motor pattern training and physical literacy enhancement optimizes kids’ fitness and elevates their athleticism. We help protect kids and teens against sports injury, boost their sports performance, and push back against the forces behind obesity.

The mastery, confidence, and motivation that kids develop in our gyms are the ingredients of freedom and fearlessness. The Brand X Method™ instills the essence of adventure, passion, and joy in kids and teens when playing their favorite sports, trying new things, and tackling life’s challenges so they can step out of our gyms knowing they can do whatever they set out to do.

Free Download: Brand X Youth Coaches Guide & Assessment

Contact Email: [email protected]

Categoriesyouth/sports training

4 Things to Consider When Training Youth Athletes

Youth training is a can of worms and hotly debated topic to say the least – right up there with GMOs, gun reform, and who’s the better wizard: Dumbledore or Gandalf?

I’ve been training youth athletes for the better portion of my career, working with kids ranging from 9-16 from every sport imaginable, and their parents (<— said with a hint of shade), so I’m fairly confident I have the requisite experience (15+ years) and knowledge (physiology, programming, and 80’s cartoon trivia) to chime in on the topic.

Lets do this.

Copyright: matimix / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Things to Consider When Training Youth Athletes

1. Early Sports Specialization Sucks

There, I said it.

I, and many other prominent and/or experienced coaches, am pretty adamant on this point.

Nothing derails a young athlete’s development more – both physiologically and athletically –  than playing one sport year round.

When I was kid growing up I played a sport for every season. I one hundred percent believe that playing a variety of sports throughout the year allowed me to excel in baseball, which is what I ended up playing in college.

Playing several sports helped me to develop a multitude of athletic abilities and made not just a better baseball player but a better athlete. Moreover, it kept me healthy and prevented me from developing pattern overload injuries that are quite common in sports like baseball, gymnastics and hockey, to name a few.

I stress these points with every young athlete I work with.

It saddens me when I start working with an athlete and I ask him or her which sports he or she plays, and they respond with “tennis” or “football” or lacrosse” or “ninja’ing.”

The stats don’t lie: 92% of NFL Draft – rounds 1-3 – were multiple sport athletes in high-school.

And I have to assume that that stat mirrors other leagues such as MLB, NBA, and the NHL.

2. Kids Aren’t Professional Athletes

Weird, right?

There’s zero need to get fancy or ornate with kids in the weight-room. They need to learn how to throw, sprint, lift, and jump.

There’s a great analogy I heard strength coach Chad Wesley Smith use once when discussing the training habits of elite athletes and lifters.

Many people are quick to ask how “so and so (referring to any elite level athlete or lifter) trains?” or “what program is he or she using?”

The implication being….do what they’re doing and you’ll get the same results.

Choosing the right parents aside, it doesn’t work like that.

As Chad noted:

“The better question isn’t “what are they doing NOW, but rather what did they do 10, 15, 20 years ago to help set the foundation that allowed them to succeed further down the road?”

I can’t tell you how many times a parent would bring their kid to Cressey Sports Performance when I was there and ask if or when their kid would be doing speed work or more advanced agility drills?

My inner dialog would go something like this:

“Dude, your kid can’t perform a walking lunge without looking like he’s going to dislocate his knee cap.

The fuck outta here.”

What I’d actually say:

“Speed work and agility drills at this stage are kinda like giving a Ford Focus a sweet paint job and rims to give the appearance of being fast. However, until we address the horsepower – I.e., work on the basics & getting stronger – it’s still going to be a Ford Focus.”

Youth athletes need Goblet Squats and how to learn to perform a push-up well (or hell, to be told to go climb a tree), not parachute resisted sprints and CrossFit.

3. Sport-Specific Training Doesn’t Exist

There’s no such thing as a “baseball-specific program” or a “football-specific exercise.” I understand there are some exceptions to the rule and a degree of semantics here, but for all intents and purposes the statement is true.

As I noted above, the end goal is to make someone a better athlete and to immerse he or she in an environment that allows them to explore all facets of movement and locomotion.

Not to create a one-trick pony.

What’s more, the weight-room – and strength training in particular – shouldn’t go out of it’s way to emulate what’s accomplished on the field or court. Athletes get enough “sport specific training” playing their respective sport(s).

No, the weight-room should be used as a tool to marinate kids in movements and exercises they’re not accustomed to; to address weaknesses and build resiliency; to help build confidence and self-esteem; and, you know, to make their competition cry….;o)

4. Kids Aren’t Delicate Flowers. Strength Training Won’t Stunt Their Growth

This popular fallacy is NOT supported by research or clinical findings.

In his book Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, renowned exercise physiologist and bio-mechanist, Mel Siff, notes that force plate analysis shows even fairly heavy squats (exceeding body-mass) do not impose as great a load on the body as fairly casual running or jumping, which can impose joint loading which is greater than SIX TIMES bodyweight.

Thus, if resistance training is to be eliminated to promote growth plate safety, then all children must be forbidden to run and jump.

Good luck with that.

Besides, kids are like miniature Terminators. Outside of being lowered into a vat of molten metal they bounce back from nicks and falls all the time.

Furthermore, and I believe this is a point Eric Cressey has brought up before, the weight-room is a very controlled environment compared to anything that’s experienced in competitive sports.

To that end, assuming appropriate loading and exercise progressions are taken into account, the weight-room is a very safe space for a young athlete.

Complete Youth Training

Coaches, trainers – and maybe more importantly PARENTS – will love this new resource from strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle.

One of the main goals of Complete Youth Training is to educate parents and coaches on both the correct ways to train youth athletes as well as to highlight the training methods currently being used that may be detrimental to youth athletes.

All youth training methods and principles discussed and demonstrated in Complete Youth Training are backed by a multitude of scientific research.

Coach Boyle covers E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G from lack of parent education and the importance of fun and free play for children to appropriate strength training protocols for youth athletes and much of the (mis) information surrounding it.

There are few resources I refer to as “must have’s,” but this one ranks right up there.

It’s offered in both digital and physical format, CEUs are available, and it’s currently on sale through this Friday, May 18th.

Go….go…..GO.

—> Complete Youth Training <—

CategoriesAssessment coaching personal training Program Design Strength Training youth/sports training

Addressing the Stone Cold Facts of Training Athletes

Remember that show diary on MTV? You know, the one that aired back in the early to mid-2000s?

The documentary style show centered mostly on musicians and celebrities and followed them through their daily lives.

Each episode started with said celebrity looking into the camera and saying…..

“You think you know, but you have no idea.”

And then for the next 60 minutes we got a true taste of the celebrity lifestyle, given an opportunity to witness their trials and tribulations with the paparazzi, hectic travel schedules, demands on their time, and what it’s like to demand a bowl full of green only M&Ms in their dressing room (and actually get it), not to mention the inside scoop on what it’s really like to be able to bang anyone you want.

Stupid celebrities. They suck….;o)1

Sometimes I feel like strength coaches should have their own version of the show diary, because when it comes to training athletes I feel like many people out there “think they know….

“…..but they have no idea.”

Oh snap, see what I just did there?

While I don’t think it’s rocket science, I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a lot of attention to detail when it comes to training athletes – or any person for that matter – and getting them ready for a competitive season. Everyone is different, with different backgrounds, ability level, injury history, strengths, weaknesses, goals, anthropometry, as well as considerations with regards to the unique demands of each sport and position(s) played.

By contrast, there are numerous parallels in training despite athletic endeavors or whether or not someone is an athlete to begin with.

We can take the Dan John mantra of:

Push, pull, hinge, squat, lunge, carry

Do those things, do them well, and do them often….and you’ll be better off than most. It’s complicated in its simplicity.

Much like Dan I prefer to train everyone I work with as if they’re an athlete. There’s something magical that happens when I can get Joe from accounting or Dolores from HR to deadlift 2x bodyweight or to start tossing around some medicine balls. Even better if it’s done while listening to Wu-Tang Clan.

They wake up!

They’re less of a health/fitness zombie, haphazardly meandering and “bumping” into exercises. Once they start to train with intent and purpose – and move – it’s game time.

That said, lets be honest: when it does come to training athletes there are many other factors to consider; many more than an article like this can cover. However, I do want to discuss a few philosophical “stamps” that some coaches deem indelible or permanent when it comes to training athletes, when in fact they’re anything but.

1) Strong At All Costs

There’s a part of me that cringes to admit this, but it needs to be said: strength isn’t always the answer.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe strength is the foundation for every other athletic quality we’d want to improve.

If you want to run faster (<— yes, this matters for endurance athletes too), jump higher, throw things harder or further, or make other people destroy the back of their pants, it’s never a bad thing to be stronger.

When working with athletes, though, there’s a spectrum. If you’re working with a college freshman who’s never followed a structured program and is trying to improve their performance to get more playing time, you can bet I’ll take a more aggressive approach with his or her’s training and place a premium on strength.

When working with a professional athlete – who’s already performing at a high level, and is worth millions of dollars – is it really going to make that much of a difference taking their deadlift from 450 lbs to 500 lbs?

Moreover, we’ve all seen those snazzy YouTube and Instagram videos of people jumping onto 60″ boxes:

 

It may get you some additional followers and IG “street cred”…but man, the risk-reward is pretty steep if you ask me. I’m not willing to risk my career (and that of my athletes) for some stupid gym trick.

Besides, if I wanted to I’d up the ante and have them do it while juggling three chainsaws. BOOM! Viral video.

To that end, I like Mike Robertson’s quote which sums my thoughts up the best:

“I think athletes need to be using the weight room as a tool to improve efficiency and athleticism, not simply push as much weight as possible – MR”

2) You Don’t Have to OLY Lift

Some coaches live and die by the OLY lifts, and I can’t blame them…..they work. But as with anything, they’re a tool and a means to an end. They’re not the end-all-be-all-panacea-of-athletic-and-world-domination.

I don’t feel any coach should receive demerit points – or be kicked out of Gryffindor – because he or she chooses not to implement them into their programming.

Lets be real: If you know you have an athlete for a few years, and have the time to hone technique and progress them accordingly, the OLY lifts are a good fit. It’s another thing, too, if you’re competent.

I for one am never guaranteed four years with an athlete, nor am I remotely close to feeling competent enough to teaching the OLY lifts. And that’s okay….

I can still have them perform other things that’ll get the job done:

Jumps:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUbClRjpLGk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn5v85ekXFs

 

NOTE: both videos above courtesy of Adam Feit.

Starts/Acceleration

5 yd Starts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TklqD8uN_Ds

 

5 yd Jog to 10 yd Acceleration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM-BPJKTslg

 

Change of Direction

Up 2, Back 1 Drill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSFDp1QSA2w

 

That One Time I Looked Athletic

Medicine Balls Drills

Scoop Toss

 

OH Stomp

 

Kettlebell Swings

 

Punching Ramsay Bolton in the Mouth

No video available.2

3) Single Leg Work Matters

This is probably the part where some people roll their eyes or maybe scroll past, but hear me out.

I think it’s silly when I see coaches on Facebook argue over bilateral vs. unilateral movements and try to win everyone over as to which is best.

They’re both fantastic and warrant attention.

Where I find the most value in single leg training:

  • Serves as a nice way to reduce axial loading on the spine when necessary.
  • It can be argued all sports are performed – in one way or another – on one leg, so from a specificity standpoint it makes sense to include it.
  • Helps to address any woeful imbalance or weakness between one leg and the other.
  • Places a premium on hip stability and core/pelvic control.

All that said, I do find many people are too aggressive with their single leg training. It’s one thing to push the limits with your more traditional strength exercises like squats and deadlifts, but when I see athletes upping the ante on their single leg work to the point where knees start caving in and backs start rounding that’s when I lose it.

I’m all about quality movement with any exercise, but more so with single leg training. I’d rather err on the side of conservative and make sure the athlete is owning the movement and not letting their ego get in the way.

Like that one time I posted this video and Ben Bruno shot back a text showing me a video of Kate Upton using more weight than me. Thanks Ben! Jerk….;o)

Unfortunately, some coaches are so set in their ways that they’ll never cross the picket lines. They’re either team bilateral or team unilateral.

How about some middle ground with B-Stance variations?

 

4) Recognize Positions Matter

I’m not referring to Quarterback or Right Fielder here. But rather, joint positions and how that can play into performance in the weight room and on the field.

If you work with athletes you work with extension.

As I noted in THIS post, anterior pelvic tilt is normal. However, when it’s excessive it can have a few ramifications, particularly as it relates to this discussion.

Without going into too much of the particulars, people “stuck” in extension will exhibit a significant rib flair and what’s called a poor Zone of Apposition.

Basically the pelvis is pointing one way and the diaphragm is pointing another way, resulting in a poor position; an unstable position.

Anyone familiar with the Postural Restoration Institute and many of their principles/methods will note the massive role they’ve played in getting the industry to recognize the importance of breathing.

Not the breathing that’s involved with oxygen exchange – evolution has made sure we’re all rock stars on that front.

Instead, PRI emphasis the importance of the reach and EXHALE; or positional breathing.

It’s that exhale (with reach) that helps put us into a more advantageous position to not only encourage or “nudge” better engagement of the diaphragm, but also better alignment….which can lead to better stability and better ability to “display” strength.

NOTE: this is why I’m not a huge fan of telling someone to arch hard on their squats.

 

When joints aren’t stacked or in ideal positions, it can lead to compensation patterns and energy leaks which can compromise performance.

5) You Need to Control Slow Before You Can Control Fast

It’s simple.

Learn More With Elite Athletic Development 3.o

Mike Robertson and Joe Kenn released their latest resource, Elite Athletic Development 3.0 this week.

I can’t begin to describe how much information they cover, but if you’re someone who trains athletes then this is a no-brainer.

Many of the concepts I discuss above are covered, in addition to twelve more hours worth of content over the course of ten DVDs

Point Blank: You’ll learn from two of the best in the biz.

The seminar is on SALE this week at $100 off the regular price, and it ends this Friday (7/22), so act quickly.

Go HERE for more details.