I often joke that when other coaches and fitness professionals come shadow or observe me for a day that they leave underwhelmed by what they see.
“Huh, Tony’s not really doing anything innovative or exciting with his athletes and clients. I mean, sure, it’s interesting he refuses to wear pants, but all in all…he’s pretty lame.”
Now, I don’t necessarily feel what’s written above is precise representation of their inner dialogue, but I will admit…
…I’m lame AF when it comes to the exercises I prescribe and the programs I write.
Peruse social media and you’ll see a bevy of videos from coaches showcasing their athlete’s jumping prowess. Some are “vanilla” and “quiet” in nature, simply highlighting an athlete jumping onto a box with little to no fanfare.
My favorite.
Others, however, will go out of their way to “one-up” everyone else and seemingly highlight a video that’s more concerned with garnering likes and increasing “viralability” than offering anything useful or of substance.
Don’t get me wrong: There’s a time and place to have fun and to not take things so seriously.
I get it.
That said, with regards to youth athletes (and, to be honest, even with high level or professional athletes 98.2% of the time) I don’t feel this sentiment applies or is warranted.
Videos of athletes/clients jumping to boxes at 40, 50, or even 60+ inches in height (with poor form) and/or that involve circus like acts – such as jumping onto a stack of foam rollers while juggling a pair of chainsaws – don’t impress me much.
I want my athletes to do the simple things, and do them well.
Here’s one of my high school basketball players – Theo, 15 – performing a Box Jump to a 1-Legged Landing.
Could we have used a higher box?
Maybe.
Could I have had him look straight into the camera after sticking each rep, rip his shirt off, and yell “THIS….IS….SPARTA“?
Next time.
Neither is the point of the drill, though.
The point is to:
1️⃣ Learn to create force (putting force into the ground to propel him up), but to also ABSORB it and learn to decelerate.
Athletes need to know when (and how) to turn on their brakes. It’s serves no advantage to ALWAYS focus on the throttle, or acceleration.
I often tell my athletes to “land like a ninja.”
If I hear a loud THWAP when (s)he lands, especially if I’m across the room, and even more especially if it’s over a sick Tiesto beat in the background, then I know they’re not landing correctly.
Too, if the landing is noisy, the height of the box may be too aggressive. Train force development (the jump) AND force absorption (the landing) and NOT the ego.
I’m more concerned with the fact Theo had no idea who A Tribe Called Quest was before he started training with me then I am about the height of the box he’s jumping onto.
2️⃣ OWN the landing.
I shouldn’t see any “excessive” caving-in of the knee or foot as he lands. Nor should I see his posture collapse as he lands on the box.
If that is the case the height of the box is likely too aggressive.
Lower it.
Moreover, there’s nothing wrong with performing Single-Leg Hops on the ground. It isn’t sexy, it won’t win you any “innovative coach of the year awards,” but by gosh will it ever transfer more eloquently to the daily needs of your athletes/clients.
On a Side Note: I told Theo to hold his landing position for a 1-2s count so we could reinforce it. Slowing athletes down is often advantageous so they learn what appropriate positions look and feel like.
3️⃣I also feel appropriate technique requires stepping off the box rather than jumping off it back to the ground…👍.
4️⃣ Oh, I also feel you’re cra-cra if you haven’t started watching Mindhunter on Netflix yet. Season two just came out.
Get to it.
NOTE: And yes, I understand that on Theo’s first rep his knees caved in a little as he was generating force. Not ideal, something we’re going to work on, but certainly not an egregious error and nothing where I felt he was going to hurt himself.
My expectation isn’t perfection out of the gate – especially with beginners (of any age) – but each rep got progressively better, and subsequent sets were even more betterer.
God, I’m a wordsmith.
In any case, there’s always going to be a learning curve when introducing new exercises, even the “simple” ones.
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)
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:
15 or more chin ups
30 or more push ups
Can trap bar deadlift over 2x their body weight for 3 or more reps
Can back squat to box or safety bar squat to box 1.5x their body weight for 3 or more reps
Can sled push 4x their body weight or more for 10 yards
Female Athletes:
Can perform 5 chin ups or more
Can perform 15 or more full range of motion push ups
Can trap bar deadlift 1.5X their body weight for 3 reps or more
Can back squat or safety bar squat to a box with 1.25x their body weight or more for 3 reps or more
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.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of strength coach Erica Suter. She discusses a topic that sometimes makes me want to throw my face into an ax: youth athletes and how they should train.
FYI: I agree with everything she says in this post. It’s excellent.
Full Disclosure: I’m an 80’s baby who suffers from childhood nostalgia.
We moved. We played. We frolicked. We skipped. We sprinted.
Gone are the days when we played Capture the Flag, dodgeball, and Hide n’ Seek with our neighbors. And gone are days when we played tether ball at recess, or drew lines of chalk into a four square ball game on our driveways.
If this is happening still, however, hit me up. I’d love to come out to your neighborhood. I’ll be sure to bring my Oshkosh B Gosh overalls too. ;-O
All the memories I reminisce on “back in the day” happened because the times we lived in promoted getting outside, running around, and actually meeting up with friends.
In person.
We called their home landlines and left a voicemail for a play date. And we’d meet on the playground.
Nowadays, we send a convenient text, only to find out our friends would rather stay in playing FIFA and not see us in real life.
To that end, youth activity has gone down to some degree. Whether that is in school or at home, kids aren’t moving as much as they could or should.
I wrote this post because I truly believe strength and conditioning coaches and team coaches have the opportunity to teach kids to move freely and safely again, in the gym, on the field, and at home.
So what do our youth athletes need? Let’s dive right in:
1) Coordination Drills
It’s amazing the lack of coordination I’ll see from kids these days.
As an example, most new athletes who come into our facility are introduced to basic drills, such as skipping, back pedaling, and marching. Most of the time, I will see ipsilateral (same arm, same leg) movement patterns, and then I’ll hear them say something like, “that felt awkward.”
If skipping, running, shuffling, or back pedaling feels awkward, then it’s being done wrong.
Simple movements like these should feel smooth and natural.
Nailing down contralateral patterns early on (ages 8-12) ensures kids are set up for smooth and efficient running mechanics when they get to middle and high school.
Just like acquiring skills with a soccer ball, it’s never too early to teach kids key cognitive skills to improve coordination before it’s too late.
Ladder drills could be a good start, but they’re useless if kids just tap their feet and ignore opposite arm, opposite leg action. Don’t be lazy. Do them with precision and arm movement:
Please keep in mind though: Ladders will not develop maximal speed.
I like to use them as a movement prep warm up or as a fun introduction. Every time I whip out a ladder kids get excited, so it does have its time and place. The world will not go up in flames if you do ladder drills for 5-10 minutes, but don’t make them the entire workout.
Other options to start beginners with could be marching, lateral marching, skipping, and crawling:
2) Strength Training
Strength can be an intimidating component in the youth training world. What most parents envision is their child getting under a barbell, signing up for a CrossFit class, and getting injured.
Rest assured, strength training doesn’t have to mean lifting weights. Let’s teach them to crawl, carry, squat, hinge, pull, push, or hollow hold with core tension and proper belly breathing.
These are all bodyweight movements that can eventually be progressed when ready.
Strength coach Justin Ochoa wrote an excellent article on this HERE.
Since neurological factors play the biggest role in a young athletes’ development, they have to learn to move their bodies first. So you’re better off focusing on form rather than load.
Sure, an 8 year old attached to a weighted sled with an altitude mask may get Instagram likes, but is it effective?
Moreover, is it SAFE?
Note From TG: What’s next…parachute jumping jacks? Bounding over a live volcano?
Needless to say, starting simple goes a long way. If kids master motor patterns young, then once they move into high school, they’ll be the strong badass in the weight room. At this age (14-18), hormonal factors are now the major influencers for muscle hypertrophy.
Now, they’ll be better prepared to gain strength and lift heavier loads:
To this day, Brenna in the video above still crawls, squats, and lunges with bodyweight (as warm up) because it hones in on inter-muscular coordination and allows the body to work as a unit.
The coordination and basics never stop.
3) Proper Landing Mechanics
Hopping, jumping, bounding, and a plethora of other power exercises that involve landing are very popular with youth athletes.
But more often than not, these are butchered.
Secret: No one cares if your kids can jump a 36” box. And no one cares if you can do this:
Photo Credit: Athletes Acceleration
If your goals are slouched posture, inhibited core and glutes, or dying, then sure, have them give this a go.
I can’t reiterate enough how critical it is to hammer home safe and proper landing mechanics. So please: lower the height of the box, check your ego, and care for your youth athletes. Here is a video that talks about proper countermovement and landing technique (which should look the same):
4) Variety
Since we want to ensure our kids are learning as many motor patterns as possible, periodization that reflects a more concurrent style would be best. This way, they’re learning a variety of exercises such as how to squat, hinge, crawl, push, pull, and lunge.
Additionally, they will be doing strength, agility, endurance, and power drills in all planes of motion.
A multi-faceted approach allows kids to learn technique, work multiple muscle groups, evade boredom, and stay excited about performance training without burning out. It’s similar to the early specialization argument when kids should not choose one sport before age 12. The same goes for the gym.
At our facility, we go as far as designing obstacle courses. Kids will crawl under hurdles, climb up ropes, sprint, or dodge cones for the heck of it.
Whether this is for strength based or skills based exercises, cognition is always a must for this population. Strength coach Jeremy Frisch does some cool things with youth athletes to the point it looks like an American Ninja Warrior episode.
If you have any fun ideas on how you train your youth athletes, or other components you feel are necessary, I would love to hear. My favorite part about working with this population is the sky is the limit in terms of programming, and we as coaches have wiggle room to get creative.
About the Author
Erica Suter is a certified strength and conditioning coach, soccer trainer, and fitness blogger who has worked with athletes and non-athletes for over 5 years. She is currently a strength coach at JDyer Strength and Conditioning, and also runs her own technical soccer training business in Baltimore, MD. Her interests include writing, snowboarding, and reciting Lord of the Rings quotes to her athletes and clients.
blogger who has worked with athletes and non-athletes for over 5 years. She is currently a strength coach at JDyer Strength and Conditioning, and also runs her own technical soccer training business in Baltimore, MD. Her interests include writing, snowboarding, and reciting Lord of the Rings quotes to her athletes and clients.
