RFESS (rear foot elevated split squat, made popular by Mike Boyle)

Bulgarian Split Squat (rumor has it it didn’t even come from the Bulgarians.. go figure)

Stationary Lunge Back Leg Up (might me the most accurate but rarely used)

Single Leg Bench Squat (not the best or most accurate, but it’s what I’m familiar with and commonly use)

Rather than trying to convince you single leg training should be in your training programs, or going as far as saying single leg training should completely replace traditional strength movements, let’s FOCUS on teaching and performing this exercise correctly.

There seems to be two areas trainers are making mistakes, or at least have questions to which way is right:

1. Proper setup and starting position

2. Back leg/foot placement

In this video I’m going to spoon feed you common mistakes by explaining and demonstrating. I’m also going to show a very quick, simple, and cheap alternative that is not only more effective.. but a ton safer and more comfortable.

When dealing with high school athletes, or any athlete, if the setup position and execution is misleading or awkward, the door is opened for poor technique, poor results, and possible injury. I say no thanks to all three.

Leave your comment below about how you use or teach the Single Leg Bench Squat, any coaching cues that help, or other tips we can all learn from. Thanks in advance!

]]> http://www.focushumanperformance.com/proper-single-leg-bench-squat-technique/feed/ 2 http://www.focushumanperformance.com/seriously-quit-making-it-so-hard-on-yourself/ http://www.focushumanperformance.com/seriously-quit-making-it-so-hard-on-yourself/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:00:25 +0000 rrizor http://www.focushumanperformance.com/?p=727 Why do aspiring strength, speed, and conditioning coaches continue to struggle getting more athletes?

Is it because of their mindset? Skills? Thought process? Approach (or lack there of)?

Without a doubt it’s a combination of all this, plus a ton of other misguided mumbo-jumbo stuck in their head.

Here’s my theory. It’s somewhat unique, but hinges mostly on common sense:

People get into training athletes because of the greater good feeling. The divine interest in theories and application. The fascination with sets/reps and the latest speed training techniques. The belief that their program solves all problems and gives athletes what’s ‘right’. The nigh-eve confidence as long as they put together solid training programs, sport coaches, parents, and athletes will knock down the door.

Let’s take it even deeper. Let’s talk about passion. These aspiring performance coaches are some of the most passionate people on the planet. Work ethic? Whew.. they’ll tear through text books, trade journals, internet searches, and watch hour after hour of training videos. They’ll call up any strength coach for advice on conditioning drills.

Yet these same coaches are almost always bitter when it comes to actually getting more athletes into their programs. Their tone is resentful, disgusted and pissed.

In their eyes:

- The local high school football coach is a jackass because he’s done the same thing the last 23 years

- The club volleyball team trains completely wrong

- The baseball association never called back after you put on a free demo workout

- Athletic directors act like what the pharmaceutical industry calls ‘no-see doctors’

- When you do talk to sport coaches, they’re always looking for the easiest way of doing things

- The local small college is using P90X for girls soccer preseason training

- Athletes are lazier these days

- Parents are crazy and just don’t get it

- Kids who do actually train would rather go to the local franchise gym

- This profession is a dead end road

- Etc, etc, etc…

What’s worse is when a couple of these aspiring performance coaches get together. Relationships are built by mutually agreeing the other guy across town is a total moron. Conversations start with “you’ll never guess what so-and-so did again” or “can you believe they actually”.

One minute they’re talking a thousand miles an hour because of a new hip-turn agility drill they learned. In the next breath they’re appalled athletes are driving across town to train with someone else. And that person is always ‘less qualified’ or ‘just doesn’t know what they’re doing’. (Most times the ‘less qualified’ program is mysteriously busier than they are.)

This suck-ass attitude is very real for me. I lived it for years. Spending countless, and I mean countless time learning about strength and conditioning. Making excuses why I didn’t have very many athletes, but proclaiming the few I had were the best around.

The Olympics, four Division I sports, professionals, and a major corporate health system… I’ve coached at them all. And made almost NO money along the way.

It wasn’t until I decided to start my own business, FOCUS Human Performance, back in 2004 when reality truly set in. I knew I was going to have to change my approach in order to get access to more athletes, and get them in my programs. The biggest shift was giving up the salary mindset, and fully embracing the world of ‘fee-for-service’.

I mean how many performance coaches do you know or completely understand they’re offering a ‘fee for service’? You realize that’s what it is – right? Unless your getting paid a salary and on staff at the collegiate level, the pros, or clinical practice, you’re offering a fee for service. Even if you work for a private training facility, YMCA, or fitness center, money is exchanging hands.

When this is the case, you gotta look at getting more athletes like this:

1. You have a service.

2. They have a need.

3. You sell your services to fit THEIR needs.

It’s really that simple when you break it down. You sell what they want. They buy.

So many performance coaches constantly struggle with this reality. To the point they’re forced to quit the profession, jump from job to job, or switch to fitness bootcamps before ever getting started.

If you’re one of these performance coaches, let me tell you you’re making the process of getting more athletes way harder than it needs to be. Seriously. Just like anything in life, it starts with your mindset. Get you mind right and the chips will fall.

After you’ve flowing with crazy self confidence, here’s what you do:

1. Be confident in your program/service. So many times new performance coaches struggle because they’re not confident or completely sure their program is any good. They’re always searching for ‘a better way’ to do something. Know that you’ll always have room for improvement, but at some point it’s time to run with what you got. (On the flip side, don’t be an overconfident ass hole either… especially if you’ve only been coaching a couple years. These jokers ruin it for everybody.)

2. Have an identified training system. This might be the biggest component too many performance coaches leave out. You have to have something identified, on paper, that’s considered a training system. This serves as the blueprint or basis that all your training programs stem from.

Without a system, you’re creating everything from scratch every time a new opportunity is presented. Without something on paper you look like a total newbie shooting from the hip. This is a complete turn off to sport coaches and parents. Would you pay someone to fix your car who couldn’t show you any of the tools they use?

Don’t confuse an identified training system as a complex 40 page scientific manual. Think clear, concise, and relevant. The system I use, The FOCUS System, is made up of eight components. Each component had three easily understandable bullet points. The whole thing fits on one sheet of paper.

3. Change your approach. If you’re struggling to get more athletes, maybe it’s time to change your approach (duh!). Change the phone calls you’re making, the way you talk to sport coaches, information you provide to parents, places you visit, and/or program expectations.

Maybe you shift from bringing athletes into your facilities and make more effort to train on location. Are you offering free demo workouts? If you are, do they work? If you feel like you’re chasing your tail, stop. Figure out who you want to work with, and head that direction full force.

If you constantly hear the same excuses why someone can’t work with you, work specifically to overcome those objections. Learn to say ‘no’ to situations that don’t fit your big picture. Know what questions are coming, and have the answers before they’re asked.

After being in the strength, speed, and conditioning industry the last 11 years, and working with over 20 high schools, I can tell you flat out I’ve made every bone head mistake a person can make. Looking back at the opportunities I’ve dropped makes me sick. Disgusted. And more than anything – embarrassed.

Don’t make the same mistakes, OK? Let me show you how to identify and understand your training program, develop an identified training system, and most importantly change your approach. Take it from somebody who’s walked in your shoes and lives in the same trenches.

I put up a couple free videos that will get the process started – and get you more athletes. In the videos, I’ll teach you one quick and easy way to change your approach that will have sport coaches listening and taking a second look at your programs. Once you watch the videos I guarantee your wheels will start to turn. I bet you already created some of the examples I talk about, but don’t present them like this. Imagine if you could take what you already know, make one small change, and start the process of getting more athletes.

To get the free videos –>>CLICK HERE <<–

The best part? We’re just scratching the surface. We’re taking the first steps to get you more athletes. Once you start putting this information into practice, you’ll see the results. No jedi-mind tricks. No sleazy slight of hand techniques. Just pure straightforward techniques that have been tested on the same type of people you face daily.

Jump over to this page, and start making it happen –>> –>>CLICK HERE <<–

Hope this helps..

In the world of high school athletics, the three main groups of people you’ll deal with daily are actual sport coaches, parents, and the athletes themselves. More times than not, you’re gonna hear the exact reasons why none of these people will be able to take part in your programs.

Regardless of how much time and money you spend on info products and certifications, there’s always going to be more people who have no use for you or your program than those who worship the ground you walk on. I know it sucks, but it’s reality.

This reality brings out the number one word you’ll hear along the way more than any other word… and that’s “NO”. All the excuses combined translate into the same two letter word, the same word that keeps you awake at night.. frustrated as hell.. and mad at everybody. I know because there was more than one time I was about two seconds from double-legging some sport coaches and choking them out – seriously.

I used to get so mad when I’d hear a coach feed me lines of bull about their program, and how he respected what I did but really didn’t think ‘all that lift’n weights’ was needed . Or when a parent starts spouting off about how they know exactly what their kid needs.. and how they can do exactly what I can.. but simply doesn’t have the time to do it.

Yea right… OK Buddy…

On the flip side, when an actual human being showed interest in my programs, no matter what a person asked me or what I was able to do, I never said “NO”. Never gave the impression what they wanted was a bit removed from what my business was about. Never even thought about the repercussions of taking on situations I had no interest or desire pursuing. I mean if I was going to build my business, then why would I ever say no – right??

That’s how I felt for years. Read that again — years. Pretty freaking dumb if you ask me.

As time passed I realized I had to take a harder look at why I was getting NO’s (excuses) all the time.

Here’s 5 out of countless reasons why I used to (and you probably are) hearing “NO”:

1. I was looking in  the wrong areas. Sometimes the best fits for your programs or services are right under you nose. Exhaust all your short arm opportunities before sailing uncharted waters. Nothing wrong with aiming for the stars but make sure you have the right ammunition.

2. My vocabulary was impressive to fellow performance coaches, but sounded fake and intimidated prospects. If people cock their head sideways, squint, and give a confused look you might want to tone it down a bit. Parents and coaches say things like “I could see the muscles coming out of his jersey” or “our d-backs couldn’t cover those guys, we need to get a ton faster”. Never has a coach asked me if i thought static overcome by dynamic front foot elevated split squats for heavy sets of triples was better than below parallel box squats for 24 reps of total tonnage. If you sound like a dork you probably are a dork. Just saying…

3. I tried to be too flexible with programs and had about 20 different training options. Analogy: If you’re thinking about buying a couple new pieces of equipment, that would be nice to have but not really a necessity, and start leafing though a Perform Better catalog, chances are you won’t buy anything. With so many choices you get overwhelmed and decide it’s easier to use what you have and revisit the new equipment option later. The same thing goes through your prospect’s mind if you have too many training times and/or program options. Limit yourself to no more than 3 program options, and pound the shit out of them.

4. I did all the talking and only talked about what I thought they needed. Big mistake. Just like in dating, if you want to make an impression, go beyond listening and actually hear what the person is saying. Somewhere in there you’re gonna find exactly what they’re looking for, and decide if you’re the right fit. I did a complete video series with examples showing exactly how you do this. (Click here to check it out.)

5. I thought everybody else was an idiot, and my masterful programs full of unbelievable results spoke for themselves. Turns out the man in the mirror was the moron. More than anything parents want to provide opportunities for their kids. Don’t let a handful of nut jobs cloud your opinion of parents. There more than enough good people out there to go around. Sport coaches want quick, EASY, and results. Give it to them. Athletes want to be a part of something bigger than they are. Make being in your programs more about the environment, atmosphere, and experience. Once you have this mastered the referrals will start rolling.

On the flip side, here’s 6 reasons why you have to start saying “NO” if you want to start hearing more “HELL YES”.

1. Save yourself time and aggravation. Don’t say yes to a group of 5th graders if your programs are based on high school athletes. If you don’t run ‘fitness programs’ for fat loss then go ahead and pass that to someone else you trust. If Saturdays are reserved for family, don’t let Saturday be an option. In the end, you’ll be happier because you won’t dread the times you have committed to these people who you really don’t want to work with. It’s not fair to them and not fair to you and your family.

2. Sell out small blocks of time first. One of the biggest mistakes I see newbie performance coaches make is having tons of available time slots for training. Don’t let others completely dictate when you offer workouts. Find 3-4 days per week, 3-4 hours on those days, and concentrate of selling out a predetermined number of roster spots. When those fill up, open up additional training times and do the same thing. You already know one-on-one and semi-private programs are asinine. There’s no sense being on the hook for 40 available hours of training when you’re only booking 3 kids per session. There’s nothing worse than waiting around until the 7:00pm session starts only to have 1 kid show up.

3. When you’re comfortable saying no, you’ll be comfortable in your services. In the beginning it’s gonna be hard to tell people you’re not  their huckleberry, but you’ll quickly get over it. The best part about being OK with telling someone no is the confidence you get by knowing exactly who you serve. Time is well spent on how you can serve the right people better.

4. People will start to conform to your programs without you even knowing it. That’s right, people will see how busy and successful you are with your programs. They’ll see the results you’re getting and hear existing athletes raving about how awesome it is to train with you. What happens is people take a harder look at what they originally thought they needed, but quickly convince themselves that how you do it must be right. They’ll move past hiring a personal trainer at the fitness center and go to you. Besides, you’re busy, you get killer results, and people can’t stop talking about how much they love being apart of everything you offer.

5. You’ll weed out the rift raft. Gone are the days when mommy walks her 17 year kid into your weight room and says “no squats or heavy weights”. These people will know they’re in the wrong place 20 seconds after they see your workouts in action.

6. The phone will start ringing with people who want to talk about possibly working together. When it’s crystal clear who you are and what you do, people will be drawn to that. Just this week I had two separate organizations approach me about working together (one was a youth group that serves over 100 kids in two states, and the other is a massage therapy company with 15 therapists). They referenced the environment and experience our athletes get by training with FOCUS and wanted to bring that same feeling to their business.

Would love to hear if this helps your mindset in anyway. Leave your comments below. And don’t forget, if you send me a specific question I just might make a video answer just for you!

1. Requires little equipment

2. Can be taught quickly

3. Takes minimal space

4. Provides variety

5. Great for strength/speed development.

6. Performed single or double leg

7. Good for beginners or experienced lifters

8. Safe while extremely effective

It’s important not to confuse variety with fancy. High school athletes aren’t auditioning to be the next Jo-Jo The Circus Freak. There is obviously a learning curve to any new exercise, and not everyone will be pros right off the bat, but if more than half your athletes are having trouble, drop the exercise. This is the main reason why you won’t see FOCUS athletes spending weeks perfecting Olympic lifts… but that’s a story for another day…

Abide by this simple rule that one of my mentors taught me back in 2001 and you’re be all set:

“If the athlete can mess it up, don’t do it.”

]]> http://www.focushumanperformance.com/speed-kills-and-sells-alternative-exercise-for-powerful-hamstrings/feed/ 2 http://www.focushumanperformance.com/best-alternative-to-the-light-weight-high-rep-lie-for-beginners/ http://www.focushumanperformance.com/best-alternative-to-the-light-weight-high-rep-lie-for-beginners/#comments Fri, 31 Dec 2010 05:42:44 +0000 rrizor http://www.focushumanperformance.com/?p=487

THE LIE

There’s a nasty lie going around high school weight rooms, and unfortunaltely it been circulating for quite some time. The lie is that using light weight and high reps is the best way to prepare beginners to weight training (aka lifting).

In all fairness, let’s highlight why someone might confuse light weight and high reps as a good idea. Here’s the rationale I’ve heard from coaches over the years:

>> Lighter weight so kids don’t get hurt

>> Higher reps to learn proper technique

>> This is how athletes get ‘muscle memory’

>> Light weight and higher reps are easier to coach to groups and teams

Well… needless to say I disagree with the above statements – and you should too. Not only is light weight an oxymoron, it completely defeats the original purpose of weight training in the first place: to get stronger. And high reps? I’ve seen coaches write programs that call for 4×50 on back squats. That’s 200 reps of the same movement pattern with minimal loads.

THE REASONS WHY

Here are some thoughts why light weight and high reps might not be the best for beginners:

>> What weight should the athlete use for sets of 20 or more? Have you ever told a novice lifter to “use a weight you can handle”? The look you get is complete confusion mixed with frustration and anxiety (something you never want an beginner to feel during their first experiences in the weight room).

>> For reps past 7-8, it’s much harder to gauge rep maxes or appropriate weights of failure. Don’t confuse rep maxes with crushing your athletes with big weight. Appropriate weights of failure means at what loads and reps does the athlete lose the desired training effect and go into survival mode. When you go beyond 7-8 reps, it gets much harder to determine.

>> Research has shown (in studies and real world under the bar experience) that Inter and Intra muscular coordination can be achieved though the use of higher loads, with some novice lifters it’s around 60%. I can tell you right now if you’re squatting for reps over 20 as a beginner there’s no way your near 60%. Besides, most of the time the coach will say “just use the bar”.

>> To actually hit 20 reps, the weight is too light to elicit any type of desired response

>> Once you get to about 12 reps of a 20 rep set, all you start to care about is getting to 20… regardless of technique, or tempo, or position. The mindset shifts to “get this set done anyway I can so I can be finished”.

>> The last couple reps, the most important reps, the technique is so bad you want to make them stop. The muscle memory you’re after is ingraining the worst reps of the entire workout.. something I don’t want for my beginners – or yours.

>> If you’ve deemed the athlete ‘ready’ to lift weights, they should be ‘ready’ to handle some work loads beyond the bar. If you’re using absolute or core lifts (squats, dead lifts, presses, rows, lunge variations) as foundational movements of you lifting program, there are about 10 billion exercises that should have lead you to this point. Your athletes should be proficient at body weight exercises, at all positions, at varying angles.

THE SOLUTION: Tornado Sets

There are many alternatives to using light weight and high reps, but best solution I’ve come up with are what I call Tornado Sets. They aim to achieve all the same goals coaches seek with light weight and high reps, but do so using more physiology and plain old common sense.

Now, don’t let the name fool you. The beauty is this set and rep scheme can be used across all training ages, from beginners to the most seasoned lifters. I call them Tornados because they touch down, wreck havoc, disappear, and then touch down wrecking havoc all over again.

In the case of beginners, havoc means to do work. For experienced lifters it means pure hell.

I use Tornado Sets on our core lifts for a given workout. That can mean trap bar deadlifts, barbell bench press, wide grip lat pull down, etc. You can use them on just about anything besides pre-hab or stabilizing exercises. You’ll want to be careful because they are taxing to the body if pushed too far.

The image below is taken directly from one of our workouts using Tornado Sets. This will shed some light on how they’re used.

Tornado workouts for Day 1 and 2 of a four day per week program.

Tornados follow our normal FOCUS System for athlete development. After we’ve completed the first four components of the system, we’re ready to hit it. Notice under the sets and reps for the back squat, it reads 7-7-7, 6-6-6, 5-5-5-5. The dash (-) represents 20 seconds of rest between lifts.

Here’s how they are set up:

1. All equipment and weight is ready

2. If multiple athletes are using the same equipment, the order of athletes is determined

3. Athletes will start their warm up sets. Note: if the athlete can’t handle the bar or complete the exercise without restriction, they won’t be doing Tornados.

4. Once the warm up sets are complete, the first athlete loads the bar for the first Tornado Set. I or another athlete is ready with the watch. The weight used is determined by the warm up sets. For the first Tornado, or any set for that matter, always undershoot vs. overshooting the weight. You don’t want to get buried or miss reps because the weight is too high, especially on the first set.

5. The athlete completes the first set of 7 reps and racks the weight. The clock starts and runs for 20 seconds as soon as the weight is racked. The timing athlete counts out 17, 18, 19, 20. When the lifting athlete hears 17, they should be getting in position for the next set of 7 reps. This is repeated for the third set of seven. After three sets of seven are completed, the athlete is done with that Tornado.

6. Weight is immediately switched for the next athlete, and they start their Tornado. This is completed until all Tornados are done for all athletes.

To get an idea of this in action, below is a video clip of actual FOCUS athletes demoing a Tornado Set of trap bar dead lifts.

THE BENEFITS

With so many benefits to list, let me highlight the main reasons I like Tornado Sets for beginners (based on common sense):

>> Consistent set-up, practice un-racking the bar or preparing the weight to be lifted, proper positioning, and proper spotting

>> Development of work capacity through proper technique and reinforcement

>> Easily target desired training effect depending on level and goals of individual athlete

>> The 20 second rest allows the athlete to regroup, but not totally recover

>> Has proven to be one of the easiest and fastest ways to add size to all our athletes, especially those able to handle higher loads of increased intensity.

If you couple this with the physical benefits it should be clear why light weight and high reps might not be the best thing for beginning lifters. Jim Wendler, from Elite Fitness Systems, wrote and article called Max Effort Training for Dynamic Results. In the article he states a similar rationale that sums it up pretty clearly:

“It should be noted that the repeated effort method does not have to be to failure as this can lead to poor form and often injury. In fact, in preparing their young lifters for the rigors of training, the Soviet Union would have them perform the classical lifts and their variations with sets of 3-4 reps with a weight that can be confidently lifted 5-6 times. This would allow good form, attention to detail as well as not eliciting an incredible amount of muscle soreness, which can impede future workouts and motivation. Preparation of the muscles through sub-maximal lifting as well as learning a variety of different movements and teaching proper form is essential.”

Surely there will be questions and rebuttals to Tornado Sets. Chime in and leave your comment below.

Hey IYCA Members!

A few weeks back I posted a highlight video of our summer programs in action on the IYCA members forum. Here’s the video in case you missed it:

After posting on the members forum, I was asked if I would share some insight to the programs we use and maybe some insight as to how/why. So here it goes…

Here’s a look into two different programming options for high school athletes off-season. The first is percentage based (for the core lifts). The second is based on a concurrent mindset, although there are many variances built in. These samples only include what’s happening in the weight room portion of our workouts.

Click on the sheets below to view and print the workouts.

You’ll notice all key components to The FOCUS System ring true in each, incorporating the 8 steps of the system. The format and template is the underlying driver of each program while the execution differs.

Please take a look at each, notice the similarities and stark contrasts. I’m sure you’re gonna question some as it might go against everything you believe. You might see something that has you saying “right on” or “what the hell is he doing this for”. Any response or comment is much appreciated. Let’s work together and see how we can all get better.

* Please note… the workouts are designed and implemented with only high school athletes looking to increase performance in their given sport(s). These athletes still practice core fundamentals of being fit and active, but are actively training with purpose. My goals as a coach to my athletes and other aspiring performance coaches is to bridge the gap between: choosing and learning about this profession and finding ways to ‘get more clients’. Seems most info out there is either enticing people to get involved with this professions because of all the opportunities, or giving you advice on how to grow your business. The middle void.. the actual programming, day-in-day-out, in-the-trenches material seems to be a ‘given’ or rarely mentioned. Lets try like hell to fill the gap..

Percentage Based Key Points:

- Core lifts are tested on 5RM. We equate a 5RM to 80% of 1RM. This has been argued to be too low a rep range at 80% but proven successful over and over with our kids (who have less training age). I think an 80% 5RM is successful due to the lack of coordinated effort (firing) of inexperienced high school athletes.

- The athletes that used this particular workout were extremely consistent. They trained at our facilities at least 3x per seven days. I believe this is the only way percentage based workouts are successful, and is it’s biggest downfall. If you miss a workout, get sick, have tests at school, etc. and don’t feel 77% for the day, the entire wave can be compromised.

- The workouts are wrote on 3 week waves as you can see from the work sets. A very generic explanation of our waving percentages look like this:

Test 5RM to determine 80%

Week 1    67%

Week 2   72%

Week 3   77%

Week 4   70% (predetermined download)

Week 5   75%

Week 6   80% (re-test 5RM, adjust new percentages, and continue)

- I’ve had great success using these percentage waves for lower body core lifts, but haven’t found the right combination for upper body presses. This exact program put 55lbs on one of our track athlete’s back squat in 6 weeks – no kidding. See TJ here.

- Each workout sheet represents 3 weeks of training. The example program shows the first test week, 6 weeks of workouts, the retest for a new 80% 5RM, and a new workout wave at new percentages.

- I very sparingly use written percentage based programs for the reasons mentioned above. The schedules of high school athletes combined with most playing multiple sport doesn’t fit well over time.

Concurrent Program Key Points:

- Concurrent is big word that simply means to train multiple abilities (strength ,speed, conditioning, etc.) at the same time. The desired outcomes are elevated levels of physical fitness. The higher the level of fitness, the better prepared the athlete becomes for more specialized training in the years to come. Think GPP, SPP, then sport play.

- The rep scheme and volume allows the athlete to perform at max intensities for the given workout. If the athlete feels great, we let them push. If they feel like crap, we can pull off to a level they can handle for the day.

- When you see something wrote like 7-7-7, that’s what we call Tornados. These sets have produced the biggest gains is size of anything we’ve tried. Tornados are awesome, but should only be used in early offseason because of the demand.

- Each sheet represents 4 days of workouts. Each sheet needs to be completed every 7 days (4 lifts per 7 days). I use days and not days of the week. For example, most football programs are wrote Monday (lower) Tuesday (upper) Wednesday (off) Thursday (lower) Friday (upper). Better known as a four day upper/lower split. Works very well when matched to the right circumstance, but again, with busy schedules and training for multiple sports it’s limiting.

- Important to note that concurrent workouts can be used as long and progress is happening. Each sheet might last 3-4 weeks. We move on to the next sheet when progress stalls, or the kids ask for variety. Gotta appease the kids. After all, they’re the ones doing the work!

- The olympic lifts are used very sparingly and are not the drivers of our system. When used they’re for max bar speed, usually complexed with another bodyweight explosive movement.

- Yes, there are some Westside undertones within the program, but Westside isn’t the driver of our system either. I’m simply using what’s relevant, and some coaching cues that apply. If I tell a kid “I need max effort for these sets” the athlete instantly knows what needs done.

*Disclaimer*

These are just two examples of about a million. In no way am I saying one style is better than the other – that’s up for you to test and decide. I will say concurrent has produced more physical gains, mental toughness, and respect for training than using percentages – in my experience.

There are plenty of origional thoughts here, but who am I kidding – you’ve seen a lot of this before. Right?

I challenge you to honestly answer these questions:

Are your programs thought out?

Do you have an answer to everything you’re doing?

Are you developing your own system?

Do you test and go against the grain?

Or are you a cloned robot who says ‘my directional training is Lee Taft, I do the Parisi warm up, I don’t use back squats because Mike Boyle said not to, and I use Olympic lifts because the head coach wants me to’?

I love these guys as much as the next person. But seriously, learn and take from them what you believe fits YOUR system. YOUR system should not be designed to fit theirs..

Sports coaches often lump ‘tight hips’ into an catch all answer for everything:

If they can’t backpedal.. they have tight hips.

Unable to defensive slide in basketball.. they have tight hips.

To slow.. they have tight hips.

Although there might be some truth in there, the bigger problem lies in how tight hips are corrected. Most athletes are told to ‘stretch’ or ‘get more flexible’ but not given proper guidance to get better. In this video I give you four lower body mobility drills using a couple bungee cords. Super easy to set-up, teach, and see results. I explain the four exercises, why we use them, when to do them in your workout, how to set up the bungee cords, and show actual athletes in action.

THE EXERCISES

1. 45 (Boxer) Weave

2. Straight Leg Stomp

3. Hurdle Step Over

4. Reactive Jump Back Jump

WHERE IN THE WORKOUT

Use these four movements after your Dynamic Warm-Up but before any Sport Speed / Quickness training. Best used on lower or total body training days as these drills directly impact the entire hip girdle. We’ve even used them as prep movements as supersets during build ups on box squats and deadlifts (before work sets).

SETS X REPS

2×3 each side (minimal)

For reactive jumps, hit at least 3

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4 Exercises for Better Hip Mobility

We started using the Plate Flip Clean at the end of our football workouts but it’s gravitated to all our athletes. In the video you’ll see an Executive Athlete (me) demo technique, a tennis player go for reps, a freshman football player push the weight, and a junior football player thats had enough.

We’ve experimented with two set and rep schemes: one rep dominant and one with targets. They look like this:

A. 2 sets x AMAP (as many as possible) ** Rest as needed between sets

B. 2×50 ** 60 second blow between sets

Love or our hate it… let’s hear your comments below.

Plate Flip Clean = Your Ticket For Improved Conditioning

Kevin Nichols, a sports performance coach from Tucson Arizona, owns a company called Prime Academy. He wanted some insight on different ways to track athlete’s progress and how to implement into his sessions.

Many opinions exist when it comes to tracking athlete progress. Some prefer to have everything wrote down, documented, and filed. Others program workouts in advance but display them on a large grease board for athletes to follow. Unfortunately, we still see coaches who don’t have anything identified and ‘wing it’ when the sessions starts.

I use a mixture off written workouts and grease boards. I love the data and motivation individual folders provide but sometimes feel they can distract from the training session. After a heavy set of rack lockouts, the last thing I want to do is grap a pencil and try to write numbers down when my hands are shaking and my teammate is getting under the bar.

 Grease boards are great when training teams of athletes that are doing the same workout. It gives a visual reference point and helps lead the flow through movements. Once athletes know your system and workout descriptions they can take initiative and ownership of their session. This also helps you coach the room much easier because you don’t have to stop everybody and bring them together to explain the next lift.

 Take a look at the video below. I explain the exact way to use individual workout folders and grease boards plus give step-by-step examples of how we integrate both in our system. I also touch on why PR boards (personal record) isn’t the best idea. This is pretty thourough so be sure to watch the entire video.

Love to hear your comment below.

Tracking athlete progress is easy. Watch to see how / why.

Bullshit.

In 2010 I’ll hit 10 years of being apart of this industry. I can honestly tell you I’ve never been in or created a situation there we needed to separate boys and girls. Different goals and considerations? Sometimes you run into that. But to think that just because she’s a girl and he’s a boy they can’t be in the same room is crazy, let alone a terrible usage of time and discriminating.

The only people who think there’s a difference is you – not them. If athletes bring it up it’s because someone has put the thought in their head.

Print out the PDF below and watch this video. I briefly squash the idea of separation and why poor perspective is usually the driver behind this misconception. You’ll also see 12 exercises we use when training boys AND girls. Take special note of the intent to work hard and get better.

The video explains it all so watch the whole thing. When you’re done, leave a comment below.

Click on the picture. Print out the PDF.

Watch the video. Take notes how you’ll use these exercises in your program.