Conjugate U
The Proven and Practical Guide for Using the Conjugate Method With Athletes
By Nate Harvey
“It’s not that hard, win f@ckin games!”
Ryan Groneman
Before starting any training program, get clearance from your primary
care physician first. None of the enclosed information is intended to
diagnose or treat any orthopedic conditions.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any way or form without
written consent from its author.
Copyright 2017 by Nate Harvey. All rights reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
Acknowledgments 7
2
Purpose
9
3
About the Author 10
4
Conjugate Defined 13
5
Why Conjugate for Athletes
14
6
The 3 Methods 16
7
Dynamic Effort - Speed Days – Dynamic Lanes 18
8
Repeated Effort - Accessory Lanes 22
9
Max Effort – Heavy Days – Max Effort Lane 23
10 Training Lanes – Setting up Programs 27
11 The Big Three 33
12 The Box Squat 34
13 Bench and it’s variations 39
14 Pulls – Deadlift and Variations 41
15 Daily Workouts 46
16 Max Effort Upper Day Template 48
17 Dynamic Effort Lower Day Template
50
18 Dynamic Effort Upper Day Template
52
19 Max Effort Lower Day Template 54
20 Off-Season Weekly Templates 56
21 In-Season Weekly Templates 57
22 Tissue Prep Lanes – Upper and Lower Body Options
59
23 Warm Up Lanes – Upper and Lower Body Options
60
24 Jumps Lane – Explosive Strength Options for Lower Body Days
61
25 Jumps Lane - Plyometric Options for Lower Body Days
71
26 Throws Lane – Explosive Strength Options for Upper Body Days 77
27 Throws Lane – Plyometric Options for Upper Body Days
82
28 Max Effort Lane – Options for Upper Body Days
85
29 Dynamic Effort Lane – Options for Lower Body Days
87
30 Dynamic Effort Lane – Options for Upper Body Days 92
31 Max Effort Lane – Options for Lower Body Days
94
32 Accessory Lane – Options for Lower Body Days – Second Barbell Movement
96
33 Accessory Lane – Options for Lower Body Days – Isolation Movements
108
34 Accessory Lane – Options for Upper Body Days – Second Pressing Movements
121
35 Accessory Lane – Options for Upper Body Days – Isolation Movements 127
36 Ab and Torso Training – Options for Upper and Lower Body Days
146
37 Mobility/ Reset Lanes- Options for Upper and Lower 162
38 Accommodating Resistance – Bands and Chains
165
39 Accommodating Resistance – Setting Up Bands
166
40 Accommodating Resistance – Implementing and Setting Up Chains
171
41 Accommodating Resistance – Use on Accessory Work
173
42 The Art of Peaking 174
43 Using Bands to Peak for Competition 175
44 Deloading 178
45 Sport Programming Examples 179
46 Throwers 3 Week Summer Block 180
47 Men’s Basketball- 6 Weeks Out From Conference Championships
182
48 Women’s Basketball – 3 week Training Post Season
183
49 4 Week Training Block for Fall Baseball – Position and Pitchers
186
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is dedicated to:
All of the amazing student athletes who came and busted their asses in our weight room
every day. You were pushed aside, marginalized and even told by your coaches that what
you were doing was not how to train. Fortunately, you knew better, and you continued to
push and came to get better, because you wanted to excel at your passion. You bought
into ‘unconventional’ methods that others did not believe in and you proved the naysayers
wrong. Scoreboard! You are ConjugateU!
To my mentors - Paul Childress, Ryan Groneman, Julia Ladewski and Buddy Morris for
putting up with my daily barrage of one million and one questions. Pretty impressive list
of ‘cast offs’ if you ask me!
To Rocco Salomone - Thank you for your sincerity, treating us like men, belief and no
bullshit approach. The reach of your impact is immeasurable. #getstronghurtfeelings
To Dave and Traci Tate, Matt Goodwin, Steve Diel, Sheena Leedham and anyone else
responsible for my spot with ELITEFTS. I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity.
To My parents - for instilling in me the ability to work hard and chase dreams and in turn
the ability to pass this on to my athletes and my own kids.
Most of all, to Hillary, Natalie, Rocco and Reece - you have given this meathead a
purpose in this crazy life and shown me happiness and love I had no idea existed.
7
Table of Contents
8
Table of Contents
PURPOSE
The purpose of this book is to expose the simplicity and the effectiveness of the
Conjugate Method. During my time in the collegiate setting we implemented the
Conjugate Method with great success, not only showing increases in sports performance
but large decreases in injury reduction. The more people I interact and communicate
with the more I realize how the simple concepts of this system can make a huge
difference in their athlete’s performance. There are a lot of unanswered questions
regarding the system and how to implement it. We are NOT attempting to regurgitate
the Westside Method because as we all know you are not Westside unless you are AT
Westside. My mission is that this book will help support what Louie has been preaching
to people regarding training of athletes. We are attempting to show how WE took some
of the concepts of the system and helped improve the performance of thousands of
athletes. More so than any of this, there is a current trend in ‘strength’ and conditioning
away from the strength aspect that we want to neutralize. Strength is the mother of all
special strengths and in turn sporting traits (Siff). The Conjugate Method will get your
kids strong AND explosive. In fact it addresses explosive power more effectively and
efficiently than most methods that are popular today. We are highlighting the efforts
of our former student athletes and the Conjugate System, not any of my personal
accolades. Without them and this system I do not have a thing to stand on except the
balls to put this system into place when others stuck to the status quo.
9
Table of Contents
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I started my quest for strength when I was 12 years old (27 years ago). Like many of
you reading this, my parents got me my first Weider weight set from Sears and the rest
was history. When I was 14 my dad mentioned that you could be a strength coach as a
profession, from that point on I knew what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to work
myself to a point where I was able to play college football, albeit Division III. To me it
may as well have been the NFL. It was my life and a huge part of my identity. Being at
a small school we did not have a full time strength coach so workouts were basically
printed out by our Offensive line coach and laid out in the weight room for us to follow. I
have always been somewhat anti-establishment and of course knew better than anyone
else at the age of 19, so I was doing my own thing. I had been experimenting with every
program under the sun since the age of 12 and still hadn’t found THE ONE. Growing up I
was always a fan of the biggest, strongest, freakiest athletes. As a fullback for my first
two years of college this obsession led me to research the training methods of former
Tampa Bay Buccaneers great, Mike Alstott. If you are unfamiliar with Alstott, please
lose my number now. In my research I stumbled across an article that mentioned he was
using chains for his benching and squat workouts and why he was implementing them.
From this moment I became obsessed with this training. Of course, my search of this
info eventually led me to some articles from Louie Simmons and Dave Tate. As I was
doing this research and learning all these new concepts started to make sense to me.
This was especially true with Dave’s Periodization Bible Part II article. Going into my
senior season I had a decent idea of the concepts and had implemented them going into
camp over the summer and throughout the season. During my senior year, I felt the best I
10
Table of Contents
ever had. I was keeping my strength, I felt explosive and my body was not beat up like it
usually was. After the season I gave myself a week off to recover, then tested my bench
and I was only 15lbs of my all-time best! This was my Dr. Gru “lightbulb” moment. Anyone
that has played ball knows those first few sessions back after the season are typically
brutal. Everything is supposed to hurt and 135 is supposed to feel like 405…but it didn’t.
At this point I knew I was on to something big. Unfortunately, I was a 22 year-old kid
ranting and raving about chains and bands and squatting off a box so I did not really have
any evidence or credibility to try to implement the system anywhere except on myself.
You have to prove that what you are doing works before people are going to listen to
you and even that is not a guarantee. So fast forward almost 20 years later we now have
the results to back up our claims and it is time to make being strong as hell, top priority
again.
Over the course of 18 years I have witnessed the system outperform virtually all types
of periodization and schemes. It’s very hard to objectively evaluate a strength and
conditioning system, I get that. One of the indicators that spoke very loudly to me was
when we started getting athletes achieving things athletically that, by all previous
indicators, shouldn’t be doing. The last school I used this system at was in it’s infancy
of competing at the Division I level, not even 15 years. Subtract the ten years of my
time there and you have 5 years as a Division I program when we started to implement
the system. When you are as young as we were, you are not getting top tier athletes.
After about a year of the system being in place, we were starting to see some surprising
performances and some eyebrows were starting to raise, this was another moment of
validation and reassurance that we were on to something big. Fast forward 10 years
later, and we had the following results form a very young lower level DI school using the
Conjugate Method:
- First and only Football Conference champions
- First Division I National Champion (Men’s Shot Put)
- 3 Basketball Conference Championships in one calendar year (2 for the Men, 1
for the Women). Prior to this time, neither team had won a conference title. The
Women also had the lowest injury rate in the athletic department the year they
won. This was when we were able to run the system in its truest form without
outside meddling.
- Men’s shot putters have won 7 of the last 8 indoor track and field Conference
Titles and 8 of the last 8 outdoor track and field titles
- Men’s Swimming and Diving won their first ever Conference Title
- 8 of the schools 12 total All-Americans
- 18 Olympic Trials Qualifiers (shot put, swimming diving), two of those qualified for
the final round in their sport
- Over 50 individual Conference Champions (Track and field, swimming, wrestling
and diving)
- 16 individual National Qualifiers
- Over 75 Regional Qualifiers
- Substantially decreased injury rates
11
Table of Contents
Despite all of these accomplishments we had athletes leave the system either by their
own accord or were forced to by their coach, NOT ONE TIME did their performance
improve after leaving the system. Injuries typically increased after leaving the system
as well. On the flip, side nearly every time an athlete came and trained Conjugate
after leaving another training system, their performance improved and their injuries
decreased. Sports that trained in the Conjugate system included:
- Men’s and Women’s Track and Field
- Women’s Soccer
- Men’s and Women’s Basketball
- Women’s Crew
- Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving
- Women’s Volleyball
- Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
- Women’s Tennis
- Baseball- Softball
- Wrestling
In addition to all these indicators, was the overwhelming feedback from our athletes. The
ones who trained with it then had to go put their asses on the line told us, this method
was a major factor in their success.
12
Table of Contents
CONJUGATE DEFINED
When speaking of the Conjugate Method you HAVE to give credit to Louie Simmons.
Louie has developed and popularized his version of the method to a point where almost
any program you look at today has some influence of the Conjugate Method in it. His
influence on our program and our athlete’s success has been tremendous! It is my hope
that this book can help validate what he has pioneered because of the large number of
athletes we have worked with over the years.
The original Conjugate Method was adapted from Russian methods used to train
multiple sports in the old Soviet Olympic sport training system. Many of the successful
components of the system were adapted from Olympic weight lifting and Olympic sport
training and programming. The problem is, too many people associate this method
exclusively with power lifting. I hope that this book can dispel some of those myths.
For the purpose of this book, the term Conjugate will be defined as training multiple
special strengths throughout the year by using varying methods within the weekly plan,
in an effort to raise multiple traits the entire year as opposed to only during certain
blocks of training. The opposite of this would be the old western or linear model of
periodization.
In order to maximize results, it is important to have some direction to your training and
prioritize the traits you are pursuing as your athletes near competition season. As you lay
out your athlete’s training, they should always work from general to specific. This is how
you are supposed to obtain sport specificity, NOT by replicating sporting movements in
the weight room.
13
Table of Contents
WHY THE CONJUGATE METHOD WITH ATHLETES?
There are many faults in the traditional model of periodization. In the linear model of
training most of the progress you made in the first month is lost by the end of the second
month because that special strength was not being trained during the second month.
Think about this, if you spent your first month doing sets of 10 on squats then did 5’s
for your second month; if you go back and try to do a heavy set of 10 after you finish
your second month you will be SMOKED after that set of 10. If you actually train, you
know this to be true. That is because you have detrained your endurance strength that
you built up in your first month. The Conjugate Method allows us to continually raise
multiple strength traits throughout the year without detraining supporting traits that are
important for sports.
Athlete burn out is a very common problem because you are doing the same movements
over and over. I have seen some models where the movements stayed the same for
months on end. If you are honest with yourself you KNOW you start dreading squat days.
A major reason for this is the anxiety of knowing what movement you have to do. So,
you as a strength coach who is supposed to love training feel this way, how do you think
your athletes feel. If you are the coach that read that last sentence and say to yourself “I
don’t care how they feel”, then you are an out of touch ass and your athletes are turning
on you as you read this. I can say this because I have witnessed it multiple times. Kids
are smarter than we were and you have to treat them as such otherwise you are setting
yourself up for failure. Most of the time, most of your athletes are not really into training,
unless you can get them to truly buy in, by constantly using the same movements in your
programs you are pushing your athletes away from buying in and increasing their chance
for injury and mental burnout. Movement variation is built into the Conjugate model. This
variation creates athlete buy in because they are constantly surprised and challenged by
the program.
This system is hands down the best system I have witnessed for developing athletes. I
was so confident in its structure that we did not have to act like drill sergeants in the
weight room and hover over our athletes. Its effectiveness allowed us to teach and let
our athletes take ownership of their training and let the results speak for themselves.
Most of the time we were able to get very high rates of athlete buy in because of
the system allows you to avoid the pitfalls mentioned above. Recovery is also a
large component that is built into a properly run conjugate model which athletes can
immediately feel and appreciate. I also feel this was a big player in our surgery numbers
dropping significantly (20% department wide) the more we were able to put the system
into place.
While all of these attributes are great, there is one final piece to a successful weight
room program; the coach. YOU have to know how to assess your athletes lifts and
correct them. They can smell your bullshit a mile away so you’d better know your stuff.
It is my belief that this is why you have to train with a similar system that your athletes
are using. I can’t remember where I heard it but someone once said “if you wouldn’t do
your program then it probably sucks”. Training and chasing some goals not only gives
you credibility with your athletes it gives you a better understanding of how to coach
14
Table of Contents
and teach your athletes. All exercises can be corrective if programmed and coached
properly. If you can coach a squat, lunge jump correctly you will get the proper firing
sequence most of the time. Proper and improper coaching can make or break your
program.
Athletes are terribly weak in hips, gluts, hamstrings, back and core. We can make the
biggest impact on their athletic performance by raising these areas up and letting them
work on their sport skills. Everyone talks about training and bringing up these areas
but are they really addressing them? Or are they trying to do too much in the weight
room by implementing ‘sport specific’ movements and ‘drills’ when all they have to do
is make these areas stronger. These athletes have been doing their sport since they
were 6 years old. How much of an improvement are you going to make by doing more of
that???? Do your 1/11th (the job your assigned) and bring up their strength, power output
and mobility and watch their performance take off.
Possibly the greatest attribute of the Conjugate Method is the fact that it is so simple to
implement. If you can learn some basic coaching skills (pay attention when we go over
coaching ques in the movements sections) and learn how to direct your training you can
implement it on a large scale. If I did it, so can you! As you make your way through the
book it may feel like a lot of info but hang in there, it’s important to have all the back
ground info so you can advance when your athletes do. At the end of this book, you will
see how simple it can be to take your athletes performance to a new level.
15
Table of Contents
THE THREE METHODS
1 Dynamic Effort – Also referred to as ‘speed work’ in our system. Depending where your
athletes are in their training use between 30% and 75% of your max. Although according
to the graph the force output in this range is low, we are going to make it high because
of the high acceleration you will put on the bar; F=ma. Move that bar like your life
depends on it!
2 Repeated Effort – This will be the zone used for the ‘accessory lane’ when you get into
laying out your program. Get ready we’re going to use a bad word here….bodybuilding!
This is not referring to posing trunks and tanning oil but we are building tissue to build
the body for sport. Use sub-maximal loads for repeated efforts to bring up weak areas of
the body. Rep ranges can be from 5 reps all the way up to 1 minute straight!
3 Max Effort – Also referred to as ‘heavy’ days in our system. Please note, true max
effort work refers to 90% and above. For our population the object was to get the athlete
to push hard and possibly strain whether it be on rep one (1RM) or on rep 3 (3RM). This
is done on your main lift on max effort day. The rep ranges can be anywhere from 1-8
although going above 5 is very rare. Heavy singles and doubles (sets of 1 and 2) are
preferred. Even though the velocity is low in this range, the intent to move the bar fast
must always be there! This will make your kids explosive.
By training the above three methods we can more effectively shift the entire Force/
Velocity Curve to the right/upward and raise many sporting traits year round.
16
Table of Contents
17
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT – SPEED DAYS
-Dynamic Effort Lanes-
Adapted from Charliefrancis.com
Going from 0-60 as fast as possible or static overcome by dynamic (same type
contraction used to perform box squats and speed pulls). The Dynamic day helps build
this ability. Max effort day gives you the strength to overcome inertia. Dynamic day
gives you the ability to apply your strength. Buddy Morris said the difference between
a good athlete and a great athlete is the ability to recruit motor units. Looking at the
Charlie Francis Motor Unit Recruitment chart we can see that Olympic variants recruit
more than Squat and Deadlift. I don’t know how this data was collected or how the tests
were performed but I will guarantee that if the squats and deadlifts were performed
dynamically (with compensatory acceleration), coupled with the fact that you can
use more weight on the squat and pull, that they would be right next to the Olympic
variants. This is why we did no Olympic variations in our program unless the sport
coach requested it. There was not one time when the group doing Olympic variants had
significantly better testing results than a non-Olympic group. HOW you perform your
movement is far more important than WHAT movement is being performed. Most of our
athletes HATED doing the Olympic variations after their coach insisted they do them
and after not doing them in their programming beforehand. Any movement can be used
to develop explosiveness if done right. So why not pick movements that are easier for
the athlete to master and still produce great results. The Dynamic System is also selfregulating because your speed weights are based off of YOUR max. This is why 100lbs
and 1000lbs squatters can use the same system. Stronger athletes will do more work
18
Table of Contents
because of this but they also get stronger because they are doing more work…it’s a
snowball effect. This is also why we have to train all three methods, they build on each
other.
We also typically use dynamic day as a high volume lighter weight and less taxing
movement day to aid in recovery. To help achieve this try to pick accessory lane
movements that are less taxing to the body. For example a reverse hyper as opposed
to doing Romanian deadlifts. We do a lot of single joint movements for accessory work.
This allows us to bring up weak areas without crushing the athletes in the weight room.
REMEMBER, your training has to aid in the athlete’s performance. If they are constantly
smashed from your training program and can’t perform in practice this process can’t
happen. Pick your movements wisely.
You can also get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. Below is a dynamic lower
(dynamic lane only portion) day done by one of our shot putters in the fall who was a
600ish pound squatter at the time (stronger athletes will do more work because bar
weight based off of their max):
1 Speed Squat – cambered bar vs average bands – 10 sets of 2 w/ 385lbs bar weight
2 Speed pull – conventional stance, no bands – 10 sets of 2 w/ 315 bar weight
3 Rep set with speed pull weight (not typical, he just felt like doing some reps)- 20 easy/ fast reps
BREAKDOWN:
Speed Squat – 10 x 2 x 385lbs = 7700lbs
Speed Pull – 10 x 2 x 365lbs = 7300lbs
Total work done – 15,000 pounds all fast and explosive reps , IN UNDER 20
MINUTES
Let’s go to pretend land and do an example if he were doing some Olympic
variants:
I’m going to over-estimate the hell out of his weights and sets just to prove a point.
BREAKDOWN:
1. Hang clean – 10 x 2 x 275lbs = 5500lbs
2. Hang Snatch – 10 x 2 x 225lbs = 4500lbs
Total Work done – 10,000lbs, no way you are finishing in 20 minutes
Keep in mind this is not an actual experiment, I get that, but it’s a very simple equation
to make a point. We did a ton more work and we used movements that are not going
to beat our athletes up and we’re going to develop explosive MFs in the process. I also
didn’t include his rep set because that wasn’t typical. Funny thing is at least 12 of his 20
reps on that set could have been counted as speed reps because they were that fast.
This system not only builds tremendous strength and explosiveness but it also builds
work capacity! One of the keys to the Dynamic Methods effectiveness is the short rest
19
Table of Contents
periods between sets. Unlike most ‘explosive’ training where you get to fully recover
between sets, keep your rest periods short between sets on dynamic days. Typically 3045 seconds if possible. If you have your athletes training in groups of 2-4 just have them
get through their sets with as little rest as possible. As soon as their partner is off, the
next person should be lifting. Encourage them to try to kick each other’s ass. I want my
training partners leaning on stuff by the end of the workout while I’m standing tall! If
you are not fully recovered from your previous set your body will tap into muscle fibers
it normally would not if you were fully recovered. Sounds pretty similar to the theory
behind French Contrast Training which is all the rage lately doesn’t it?
With the wide stance speed squat and sumo pulls we are also able to attack a weak point
(hips) on the athletes without destroying them because we are using light weights and
improve hip mobility at the same time. This is why speed squats are always done with a
wide stance (unless an injury prevents this and speed pulls are done with a wide stance
90% of the time. Everyone talks about developing the hips and hamstrings but those
same people have their athletes squatting with a close stance and quarter squatting?!?!
This makes NO sense. Wide stance squatting builds the hips and hamstrings more than
narrow or medium stance squatting. Louie said it best, wide builds narrow but narrow
will NOT build wide. Keep in mind ‘wide’ is relative. Your athletes are all built differently
so what is wide for one kid may not be possible for another. Usually through proper
coaching you can have their feet out where they need to be within one or two sessions.
“But how do they stay strong if they don’t have heavy weights on the bar?” (That last
sentence should be read in your whiniest voice possible)
Physics! That’s how! I will never understand how so many coaches can be such ‘experts’
on training if they don’t do it themselves, that’s another book though. If F=ma, we can
increase the a(cceleration) greatly and continue to produce a large amount of force.
Speed work is also a great way to continue to build or maintain strength while in-season.
Because we lowered the m(ass) or weight on the bar we can take a large amount of wear
and tear off of the athlete’s body. I’m not saying take the max effort out completely inseason but know that you can build strength in season with speed and accessory work!
We always had very good testing results post season (one week off after season, then
test) and kept injuries down relying heavily on speed and accessory work while inseason. SSSPEED!
20
Table of Contents
21
Table of Contents
REPEATED EFFORT – ACCESSORY WORK
-Accessory Lanes-
The purpose of the accessory work is to bring up weak areas of the athletes. It is the
time when we do what most people would consider bodybuilding. The difference is we’re
building the body to better perform at a sport not go on stage in posing trunks. The
Max Effort Lanes and Dynamic Effort Lanes are aimed at primarily training the nervous
system while your accessory work is building tissue.
The Accessory Lane is a great opportunity to do a couple things. First, we can add a lot
of volume in the off-season for athletes that need developed. If you are wise on exercise
selection you can do this without over training. Typically we will start the volume low
and build it up over the course of 3 weeks, and then we will switch the exercises. This
allows the body to adapt and builds in an automatic volume deload on the first week of
a new program. Utilizing your accessory work correctly can also have a great effect
on your injury rates. All too often I see people making the mistake of thinking bigger
is better when picking Accessory Lane movements. This is not always the case. For
example, during in-season programming most of the time choosing smaller single joint
accessory work is the better option because these movements are less taxing on the
player but still stimulate the muscle groups we need to keep active and firing. That being
said, when we are in off-season training we can push harder and use more compound
movements in the training if that’s what will benefit our athletes the most. We typically
did one day of more taxing accessories (max effort day) and one day of less taxing
accessories (speed days) this allowed us to follow a high/ low model of programming
in order to help our athletes recover. The accessory lane is also a great opportunity to
specialize your programming for various sports and populations. This can be done with
exercise selection, rep tempo, contraction types and set and rep schemes. Your options
are nearly endless here as accessory reps can be as low as 5 and as high as 300 total
or even reps for time. We will go over volume manipulation examples and exercise
variations when we put the lanes together at the end. DO NOT underestimate the
importance of this lane.
22
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT – HEAVY DAYS
-Max Effort Lanes-
“Maximal strength is the mother of all special strengths.”
Dr. Mel C. Siff
I’m not going to list all of the special strengths here but if you read Supertraining you
will see many of the special strengths listed are direct precursors to our most desired
sporting traits such as change of direction, first step ability, speed etc. On our force
velocity curve it may look like max effort work and top velocity are very distant, but in
reality they are very closely related. If they aren’t then why do sprinters use steroids?
It sure as hell isn’t because being strong makes you slower. Athletes have been running
and jumping their whole lives, you are going to get minimal improvement by beating
the athlete over the head with the same stimulus. We need to train the area of the force
velocity curve (Max Effort) they have spent the least amount of time on for the most
profound results. Please do not think we leave the other pieces of the puzzle out, we will
go over those later. This IS the Max Effort chapter.
When we first discussed why to use the Conjugate Method we talked about shifting the
force velocity curve to the right and upward. The final piece to the puzzle to do this is the
Max effort method, or in our system, Heavy Day. The most effective way to gain strength
is to train at 90% and above. While this is very true you need to know how to manipulate
this method to avoid over training. Athletes need to be strong. Most great athletes are
23
Table of Contents
really strong. They may not squat 1000lbs but they are physically very big and strong.
Why are so many people afraid to train their athletes to get strong? There are many
examples of ex-football players coming into powerlifting and doing very well with very
little experience. This happens because they are strong to start; they just had to learn
the skill of lifting correctly to surpass people who had been lifting their entire lives.
Many times people would say “sure he can squat X weight but how would that help my
athlete in Y sport?” Once again I’ll defer to middle school physics, F=ma. Another reason
we HAVE to get athletes strong is that a strong athlete is a durable athlete. You are not
going to reach an athlete’s true strength potential without tapping into the 90% and
above range on a regular basis. We proved this with our low injury rates on the field and
court. There were also ZERO injuries while doing Max Effort work. Another argument I
hear against this method is “mehh, I don’t need my athletes to be THAT strong”. Okay, so
you don’t want your athletes to have every tool available at their disposal? Being strong
is NEVER a detriment to athletic performance. Have you EVER heard an athlete say “I
was just too strong today, it really held my performance back”? What sealed the deal for
me was athlete feedback. Most of the athletes we worked with over the years loved this
style of training and attributed many of their results to the training, and were not happy
with the results they got from other methods when they were forced to use them.
In our model, we also used rep maxes to tap into this final piece of the puzzle. One of
the great abilities that gain through the Max Effort Method is the ability to strain. By
strain I mean the ability to hold a safe position and keep applying max force into the
bar even if it is barely moving. Many athletes are so speed dominant that if they have
to strain on something for longer than a split second, their nervous system shuts down
their musculature and they lose the ability to resist outside force. Training with the
max effort method inhibits this shut down and allows the athlete to produce force for a
longer amount of time. So, whether we use a 1 rep max or a 5 rep max to get the athlete
into this state of straining, we are still getting the training affect we are looking for. Our
preference was 1 and 2 rep maxes and multiple sets of 2. Typically we would use rep
maxes to ease athletes into the singles and doubles and for athletes that needed to put
size on or for variation every 4-6 weeks in the max effort training.
24
Table of Contents
HOW TO PREP NEWBIES FOR MAX EFFORT WORK
When we have athletes who have not trained in this system before we DO NOT put them
in max effort training from the start. Our progression usually looks like this:
Week 1- Teach squat, bench and pulls on respective days. Then get some sets in with
a weight we feel they can move with acceptable speed and form. We may even spend
30-40 minutes on techniques of the main lift then teach a couple simple accessory
moves then get them out. Whatever it takes to get a solid understanding of their main
lift.
Week 2- Speed sets on both max and speed days. The weight is slightly increased
from week 1. Form and bar speed are priority.
Week 3 - same as week 2.
Week 4 - this is the week we typically introduce some sort of max effort work. It is
usually the same protocol as the returners but we are more cautious working them up
and shut them down when form breaks.
If you are experiencing issues getting the majority (about 80%) of your athletes ready
for max effort work after this progression then seek help. This is the main focus of my
clinics; learning how to coach effectively and how to fix technical aspects of the lifts.
There are also MANY very good lifters around the country who are willing to help.
25
Table of Contents
HOW TO ‘WORK UP’ ON MAX EFFORT DAYS
On all max effort movements we start with the bar for 15- 20 reps. Such reps allow the
athlete to get some practice at the movement. This should also be when the coaching
starts, don’t let your kids half ass their warm ups. Fixing mistakes with an empty bar
is easier than fixing them with 90% plus on the bar. It should take approximately 7 sets
to hit your max. This is what has been found to be optimal by people way smarter and
stronger than me. When we max out in an athletic setting the process of working up
and getting the work in is just as important as setting a new record on the movement.
Athletes have a lot more external factors to take into account than powerlifters do. That
said, get your kids to work up and strain and break a record. Remember it is not the end
of the world if a record isn’t broken every time. Below are two examples of two very
different athletes working up on the squat and their jumps in weight.
600 pounds squatter – Cambered bar 1RM
Bar x 20-30
135 x 5
225 x 2
315 x 1
405 x 1
495 x 1
525 x 1
545 x 1
135 pounds squatter – cambered bar 1RM
Bar x 20
65 x 3
85 x 2
95 x 1
105 x 1
115 x 1
125 x 1
26
Table of Contents
TRAINING LANES
SETTING UP YOUR PROGRAMS
In order to maximize results it is important to have some direction to your training and
prioritize the traits you are pursuing as your athletes near competition season. As you
lay out your athlete’s training they should always work from general to specific. The
simplest way to achieve this and keep it organized is to divide the days up into ‘lanes’.
This is a concept Dave mentioned to me on my first trip to the compound that really hit
home with me. I had always mapped it like this but describing each portion of the daily
training layout as a ‘lane’ really made this point easy to understand and teach.
In the graphs below we lay out the lanes and how to periodize each. This shows lifting
only. When you program there are many factors to consider when working from general
to specific. The ones that we focus on are: sport duration, energy systems, sport
movement, type of contraction, and speed of contraction, special strengths required and
recovery modalities. Some of the considerations and examples will repeat. There are no
absolute rules when programming your way through each lane. The important part is that
you have some reasoning for progressing each the way you do. The lanes just show how
to think about progressing each portion of the workouts. We will show specific examples
at the end. The order of the days in the example below is also not set in stone. You will
see various options later on.
27
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT UPPER TRAINING LANES
28
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LOWER LANES
29
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT UPPER LANES
30
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT LOWER LANES
31
Table of Contents
32
Table of Contents
THE BIG THREE
While this is not a book on powerlifting Squat, Bench and Deadlift ,or some variant of
these, are the backbone of any good strength program. If these are not then you need
to check yourself and your program. Athletes, if your coach doesn’t agree with this…
find a new coach! Doing the movements correctly are the heart and soul of a successful
program. Coach your ass off because correct movement and intent to move weights
explosively and with purpose makes the most impact. This can be the biggest difference
maker for carryover to the athletic field. This is how your athletes get explosive. We
would often tell our kids ‘kill the bar’ or ‘pull on the bar like grandmas stuck under a car’.
You want dynamic correspondence? Get your kids to move weight with violent intent! It’s
not that hard!
33
Table of Contents
THE BOX SQUAT
(Parallel box!)
Why would we box squat 90% of the time if we’re training athletes? It is the superior
method, that’s why. Box squatting is easier to recover from. Remember we’re working
with athletes who have to still go to practice and compete in their respective sports on
top of training. The wide stance used on box squatting will better prepare the athlete
for the many different foot positions they will encounter during their sport. Proper box
squatting teaches lateral force production. We rarely ever trained ‘agility drills’ and our
agility scores consistently improved, box squatting was a key player in this. Squatting
with a wide stance will also build mobility in the hips while also raising strength. You
can dictate the depth of your athletes squat with-out yelling “deeper”, “get down there”,
“siiiiiit” etc all day long. Learning to box squat is much easier to learn than a free squat.
Like I mentioned before we can get most of our athletes training on day one instead of
a 2-3 week learning period. It is better for your knees because you put more stress in
your hips and hamstrings. Your athletes get enough wear and tear on their knees in their
sport, don’t add to it in the weight room. It is a more effective way to train first step
speed (static to dynamic).
SETTING UP YOUR BOX CORRECTLY
Setting up your box properly is very simple.
1 Have the athlete stand in front of the box as if they were about to squat
a. This means same stance width
2 Have the athlete sit on the box as if they were box squatting correctly
a. Make sure the hips are far enough back on the box so the athlete’s shin is perpendicular to the floor
3 Adjust the height of the box until the top of the knee cap is parallel with the
crease of the hip. Check the knee cap/ hip crease angle from the side of the
athletes. Knee angle has NOTHING to do with squatting to parallel
34
Table of Contents
By powerlifting standards this would be slightly high. For athletes making sure the femur
is parallel with the floor will suffice.
35
Table of Contents
HOW TO BOX SQUAT
Squat Setup
•
Feet wide, outside shoulder width. Slightly uncomfortable.
•
Always box squat.
•
Toes slightly out, feet torqued out.
•
Pushing out on feet, pinky toe/side of foot out the side of shoe.
•
Head in bar.
•
Elbows pulled forward.
•
Fill stomach with air.
•
Stand up tall with bar, hips under bar.
•
Head in the bar.
•
Big breath into stomach.
Squat Descent
•
Hips back hard.
•
Knees out hard.
•
Push stomach and knees out until you are on the box.
•
Keep pushing head into the bar on the way down.
•
Pause on the box.
•
Maintain pressure out on feet.
Squat Ascent
•
TOP PRIORITY: First movement is shoulders into the bar
•
Once we get this, a lot of other things seem to fall into place.
•
Athletes get their head coming up first.
•
Start to see some snap off the box.
•
As long as the knees and pressure stays out, which usually does, glutes and hips
activate in the proper manner to stress the hips, glutes, and hamstrings.
36
Table of Contents
Coaching Cues: Should Be Limited 1-4 Words
“Chin Up” — Chin should be slightly up before unracking the weight and before you start
your decent.
“Fill Your Stomach” — Big breath into your stomach before you start the squat.
“Back and Open” — Hips back, knees open until you’re on the box. Many people won’t
open through the whole decent. The result is usually dropping onto the box instead of
keeping tension in the glutes and hamstrings
“Stomach Out, Knees Out” — Pushing your stomach out will usually keep your back
arched and stomach tight.
“Head in the Bar” or “Drive Your Shoulders” — Aside from trying to kill the bar, this should
be top priority when the athlete is about to come off the box. This will keep their
head coming up first and the right muscles firing in the right sequence.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC1kSrRoyAw
As the athlete is setting up remind them almost every time:
“Set your feet”
“Chin up”
“Fill your belly”
As they start their descent:
“Stomach out”
“Knees out”
37
Table of Contents
OR
“Back and open”
Both of these work well
Right before they stand up:
“Drive your shoulders”
Or
‘Head back”
THE ASCENT HAS TO BE FAST/ EXPLOSIVE/ VIOLENT however you want to describe it.
When you stand up with the bar it cannot be soft. Getting your kids to understand and do
this is a huge component of this system working for you and them!
When to Box Squat:
We box squat 99% of the time. On Dynamic Days it is always with a wide stance. On Max
Effort days we’ve had best results alternating wide and narrow or medium every other
week. We DO NOT recommend alternating stances until the athletes are proficient at
the wide stance. If we do free squat, one option that has worked well and allowed the
athletes to perform with some sort of proficiency is putting them in after speed squats.
After the speed squats we reduce the weight about 20%, leave the accommodating
resistance on, pull the box out and bring their feet in to a medium or shoulder width
stance. All the coaching ques are the same. If kids are having trouble hitting depth
simply tell them to ‘bend their knees” in the bottom. It sounds real simple but has worked
very well. Keep the bar speed on the ascent! When we did this, we would typically take
out speed pulls or Kettlebell swings for the day.
38
Table of Contents
BENCH
and Variations
SET UP:
1. Chin should be under bar
2. Grip – we usually let them pick their grip to start unless it’s extremely close or
wide
3. Burry the top of your traps in the bench
4. Tuck your hips back toward your shoulders
5. Pull shoulder blades together and towards your butt
6. Set your feet in the ground so there is tension from the ground to your feet and
all the way up to your hands
TAKING THE BAR OUT:
1. Take a big breath in
2. Have your spotter lift you out when you take the breath in
3. Pull the bar out with your lats
4. Squeeze your butt and stomach up
5. Squeeze the bar as hard as you can
6. Keep your shoulders back and feet pressed into the floor
LOWERING THE BAR:
1. Break at the elbows first
2. Turn your hands into the bar (like you are trying to break a wood stick)
3. Push your stomach up towards the bar/ squeeze your shoulder blades together
PRESSING THE BAR:
1. Push feet in the ground and punch hands simultaneously
a. Usually make sure the hands look good before coaching leg drive
2. Press the bar in a straight line
CUING FOR THE BENCH PRESS:
1. Taking the bar out:
`
a. “Big breath in”
b. “Stomach up/ squeeze your back
2. Lowering the bar:
a. “Elbows first”
39
Table of Contents
b. “Stomach up”
3. Pressing the bar:
a. “Punch your hands or press fast”
b. “Squeeze your hands”
c. If the bar starts to slow
i. “Squeeze your hands”
ii. “Break the bar”
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM8spQ2_Eq8
40
Table of Contents
Pulls
Deadlift and Variations
Teach and become proficient at sumo variations first. The athletes are weak in the hips
so this is our priority. This is also the most complex to teach so once they learn this the
other variations come easy. Every time they pull their stance will be opposite of what it
was last time they pulled. If some kids are really struggling to get down to the bar in a
good position (maybe tall basketball players) you can pull off of pins or blocks and lower
the bar to the floor as they get better at the movement. Once they are proficient at sumo
pulls we will alternate between a sumo and conventional pull on their max effort days.
BE STRONG AT ALL ANGLES!
SUMO PULLS:
SET UP:
1. Make sure athlete is centered behind the bar (seems simple but…)
2. Stance should be the same width as their speed squat stance
3. Bar should be over the athlete’s big toe knuckle when athlete looks down
4. Toes pointed out SLIGHTLY
5. Make sure there is tension going out the sides of the shoes
GETTING DOWN TO THE BAR:
1. Get a big breath in your stomach
2. Keep eyes and chest up
3. SQUAT down to the bar, do not bend over
a. Demonstrate flaring your knees out until you are close enough to
grab the bar
4. Use double overhand grip as long as you can
5. Pull bar into shins and roll knees out BEFORE you pull
STANDING UP WITH THE BAR
1. Make sure stomach is pushing out/ braced
2. SIMUTANEOUSLY drive your shoulders back and drive OUT on your feet
a. Athletes tend to leg press it up which results in the hips coming up first then shoulders
b. Tell them to pull back sooner to remedy this
c. Typically have to over emphasize pull back to get them to raise their shoulders at the same rate as their hips come up
41
Table of Contents
CUING FOR THE PULL:
1. Setting up:
a. “push out on your feet”
b. “fill your belly”
2. Getting to the bar:
a. “flare your knees”
b. “chin/ chest up”
3. Standing up with the bar:
a. “PUSH OUT/ PULL BACK”
b. “pull back sooner” – if hips are raising before shoulders
c. “squat up pull back” – for kids that tend to ‘RDL’ the weight up
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYBI5rCIcT4
42
Table of Contents
CONVENTIONAL PULLS:
SET UP:
1. Make sure athlete is centered behind the bar (seems simple but…)
2. Stance:
a. Close eyes and march in place
b. This is your stance width
c. Toes can be out slightly
3. Bar should be over the athlete’s big toe knuckle when athlete looks down
GETTING DOWN TO THE BAR:
1. Get a big breath in your stomach
2. Keep eyes and chest up
3. SQUAT down to the bar, do not bend over
a. Knees need to be slightly externally rotated/ rolled out
4. Use double overhand grip as long as you can
5. Pull bar into shins and roll knees out BEFORE you pull
STANDING UP WITH THE BAR
1. Make sure stomach is pushing out/ braced
2. SIMUTANEOUSLY drive your shoulders back and squat up
a. Athletes tend to let the hips come up first then shoulders
b. Tell them to pull back sooner to remedy this
c. Typically have to over emphasize pull back to get them to raise their shoulders at the same rate as their hips come up
d. MAKE SURE KNEES DO NOT GO IN – have to maintain external rotation
43
Table of Contents
CUING FOR THE PULL:
1. Setting up:
a. “set your feet”
b. “fill your belly”
2. Getting to the bar:
a. “squat to the bar”
b. “Butt back knees out”
c. “chin/ chest up”
3. Standing up with the bar:
a. “SQUAT UP/ PULL BACK”
b. “pull back sooner” – if hips are raising before shoulders
c. “squat up pull back” – for kids that tend to ‘RDL’ the weight up
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPnk-DxWrFo
44
Table of Contents
45
Table of Contents
SETTING UP DAILY WORKOUTS
OPTIONS FOR YOUR PROGRAMMING LANES
•
Tissue Prep Lanes
•
Warm Up Lanes
•
Jumps/ Throws Lanes
○ Explosive Strength – for general phases
○ Plyometric – for peak phases
•
Dynamic Effort Lane
•
Max Effort Lane
•
Accessory (Repeated Effort) Lane
•
Mobility/ Reset Lanes
In the next few chapters, we will review some of the options that were popular in our
system for each of the lanes. These are not the only options but they are what seemed to
work best. As you build your program from the Daily Templates you can go through and
plug these into the corresponding sheets.
46
Table of Contents
TEMPLATES
Use the layouts in this chapter to build your daily training sessions. There is no BEST
exercise/ modality just using the right one at the right time. What we have below are
templates, these are not set in stone. These follow the exact order of the Training Lanes
graphs so you can keep everything in order when planning your training. All you have to
is:
1. Review the ‘Daily Outlines’ listed below and plug your movements in.
2. Plug the Daily Outlines you design into whatever weekly template (chapter 21, 22) you
are using. (4 day off season, 2 day in season etc.)
47
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT UPPER OUTLINE
1. Tissue Prep – pick one or two of these depending on the athlete’s need. Use the more
aggressive option during your most crucial times of the year. Minimal needed dose.
a. Baseball/ lacrosse ball in pec/ shoulder
b. Foam/ pvc pipe roll lats
c. Partner mashing in pec/ shoulder
d. X-wife on shoulders
e. Car buffer – shoulders/ pecs/ lats/ all fascia around ribcage, sternum and pecs
f. Reflexive Performance Reset wake up drills
2. Warm up – pick one or two of these for a warm up.
a. External shoulder rotations with band or weight2-4 x 20-30
b. Light Dumbbell bench – 3-4 x 20@10% (300lb bencher uses 30 pound DB)
c. Banded pull aparts – 100 + total
d. Rowing/ tricep superset – 3-4 x 20
e. Bamboo bar bench – 80 -140 total reps
f. Side lying kettlebell arm bar for time - 2x 1 minute each side
g. Chest supported Y or T raise 3-4 x 15-20
h. Shoulder Clean – 3-4 x 15-20
3. Throws Lane –
a. Non- Reactive Explosive strength – 3-6 x 5 – Typically off season options. Pick one movement per workout. Do not use the same movement twice in one week.
i. Overhead med ball slam – NON BOUNCING MED BALL
ii. Lateral med ball throw
iii. Overhead med ball slam w/ seated jump – NON BOUNCING MED BALL
iv. Lying overhead med ball throw – from a dead stop/ non-reactive
4. Max Effort Lane
a. Set and Rep Options – do not miss reps on any of these
i. 1, 3 or 5 Rep Max (review ‘How to Work Up’ in the Max Effort Chapter)
ii. 1 rep max followed by 1-2 down sets with 80% of the 1RM taken to near failure
48
Table of Contents
iii. 4-5 sets of 2
1. Work up to what feels like a 9 out of 10 and do 4-5 sets there
2. If you can add weight add it.
5. Accessory Lane
a. Use 4-6 movements
b. Use movements from these categories
c. Sets X reps
d. Take each set to positive failure (when form breaks down). The reps are just a guideline, we are trying to really fatigue these muscles. Especially in the off season.
e. Max effort days usually have more intensive movements and lower rep range E.g.; bent barbell row instead of seated cable rows.
i. Second Pressing Movement – 3-4 x 5-10
ii. Horizontal row - 3-6 x 8-12
iii. Tricep – 3-6 x 8-12
iv. Obliques or rotational abs – 4x25
v. Shrug variation – 4-5 x 12-20
vi. Scapula and rotator work (shoulder health) – 4-6 x 20-30
vii. Bicep – 3-4 x 10-15
6. Mobility/ Reset Lane
a. Dick Hartzel banded shoulder traction
b. Dead hangs
c. Repeat ‘Tissue Prep’ options for problem areas
Summary:
MAX EFFORT UPPER
1. Tissue prep
2. Warm up
3. Throws
4. Max effort movement
5. Accessory movements
6. Mobility/ reset
49
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LOWER OUTLINE
1. Tissue Prep – pick one or two of these depending on the athlete’s need. Use the more
aggressive option during your most crucial times of the year. Minimal needed dose.
a. Baseball/ lacrosse ball in glutes/ lower back/ psoas
b. Foam/ pvc pipe roll TFL and IT bands
c. X-wife on entire posterior chain (Donnie Thompson)
d. Reflexive Performance Reset wake up drills
2. Warm up – pick one or two of these for a warm up.
a. Sled walks - 3-5 minute w/ light weight
b. Belt squat marching – knees up high – 3x 60 steps
c. Reverse hypers 2-3 x 20
d. Back extension – 2-3 x 20
e. Groiners/ abductions – 3x 20 each
f. TKE’s – 3x 20-30
g. Light Belt squat – 3-4x20
3. Jumps Lane –
a. Non- Reactive Explosive strength – 3-8 x 5. Pick one movement per workout.
Do not use the same movement twice in one week.
i.
Box jump
ii.
Weighted box jump – hold dumbbells, med balls…
iii.
Seated box jump
iv.
Seated weighted box jump
v.
Seated box jump with foot slam – slam feet into ground when you jump
off floor
vi.
Seated weighted box jump with foot slam
vii. Kneeling jumps –
viii. Kneeling jumps with weight – hold med ball, weighted vest…
4. Dynamic Effort Lane
a. Speed Squat - always to a box
i. Sets x reps
ii. 6-10 x 2
1.Week 1 – 10 sets @30%, week 2 – 8 sets@ 35%, week 3 – 6 sets@ 40%
iii. 3-5 X 5
50
Table of Contents
1. Week 1 – 5 sets @30%, week 2 – 4 sets@ 35%, week 3 – 3 sets@ 40%
b. Speed pull –
i. 6-10 x 2
1. Week 1 – 10 sets @30%, week 2 – 8 sets@ 35%, week 3 – 6 sets@ 40%
c. Kettle Bell swings – 3-4 x 10 reps 5. Accessory Lane
a. Use 4-6 movements
b. Use movements from these categories
c. Sets X reps
d. Take each set to positive failure (when form breaks down). The reps are just a guideline, we are trying to really fatigue these muscles. Especially in the off season.
e. Dynamic days usually have less intensive movements but higher reps. E.g.; rev hyper instead of RDL.
i. Single leg movement – doesn’t have to be on this day. Just get one in once per week
ii. Hip extension hamstring - 3-4 x 10-60 (many times we’ll get up to 60 reps on reverse hypers)
iii. Knee flexion hamstring – ankle weight or banded hamstrings. Ultra-high reps. Start at 100 total and build up to 300 total over 4-8 weeks. This dropped
hamstring issues significantly.
iv. Adductor movement – 3-4 x 20-30. Groiners or Thompson Hips
v. Weighted abs – 100 total
vi. Upper back movement – 3-4 x 10-20
6. Mobility/ Reset Lane
a. Dick Hartzel banded hip mobility
b. Repeat ‘Tissue Prep’ options for problem areas
Summary:
DYNAMIC EFFORT LOWER
1. Tissue prep
2. Warm up
3. Jumps
4. Dynamic effort movements
5. Accessory movements
6. Mobility/ reset
51
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT UPPER OUTLINE
1. Tissue Prep – pick one or two of these depending on the athlete’s need. Use the more aggressive option during your most crucial times of the year. Minimal needed dose.
a. Baseball/ lacrosse ball in pec/ shoulder
b. Foam/ pvc pipe roll lats
c. Partner mashing in pec/ shoulder
d. X-wife on shoulders
e. Car buffer – shoulders/ pecs/ lats/ all fascia around ribcage, sternum and pecs
f. Reflexive Performance Reset wake up drills
2. Warm up – pick one or two of these for a warm up.
a. External shoulder rotations with band or weight2-4 x 20-30
b. Light Dumbbell bench – 3-4 x 20@10% (300lb bencher uses 30 pound DB)
c. Banded pull aparts – 100 + total
d. Rowing/tricep superset – 3-4 x 20
e. Bamboo bar bench – 80 -140 total reps
f. Side lying kettlebell arm bar for time - 2x 1 minute each side
g. Chest supported Y or T raise 3-4 x 15-20
h. Shoulder Clean – 3-4 x 15-20
3. Throws Lane –
a. Non- Reactive Explosive strength – 3-6 x 5 – Typically off season options. Pick one movement per workout. Do not use the same movement twice in one week.
i.
Overhead med ball slam – NON BOUNCING MED BALL
ii. Lateral med ball throw
iii. Overhead med ball slam w/ seated jump – NON BOUNCING MED BALL
iv. Lying overhead med ball throw – from a dead stop/ non-reactive
4. Dynamic Effort Lane
a. Speed bench
i.
ii. 6-8 x 3
Sets x reps
1. Wk1 – 8sets @ 30%, week 2 – 8 sets @ 35%, wk3 – 6 sets @ 40%
iii. 3-5 x 5
1. Wk1 – 5sets @ 30%, week 2 – 4 sets @ 35%, wk3 – 3 sets @ 40%
5. Accessory Lane
52
Table of Contents
a. Use 4-6 movements
b. Use movements from these categories
c. Sets X reps
d. Take each set to positive failure (when form breaks down). The reps are just a
guideline, we are trying to really fatigue these muscles. Especially in the off season.
e. Dynamic days in general have less intensive movements but higher volume.
E.g.; Tricep pushdown as opposed to a fat bar JM press.
i.
Horizontal row - 3-6 x 12 -20
ii. Tricep – 3-6 x 12 - 20
iii. Obliques or rotational abs – 4x25
iv. Shrug variation – 4-5 x 12-20
v.
vi. Bicep – 3-4 x 10-15
Scapula and rotator work (shoulder health) – 4-6 x 20-30
6. Mobility/ Reset Lane
a. Dick Hartzel banded shoulder traction
b. Dead hangs
c. Repeat ‘Tissue Prep’ options for problem areas
Summary
DYNAMIC EFFORT UPPER
1. Tissue prep
2. Warm up
3. Throws
4. Dynamic effort movements
5. Accessory movements
6. Mobility/ reset
53
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT LOWER OUTLINE
1. Tissue Prep – pick one or two of these depending on the athlete’s need. Use the more
aggressive option during your most crucial times of the year. Minimal needed dose.
a. Baseball/ lacrosse ball in glutes/ lower back/ psoas
b. Foam/ pvc pipe roll TFL and IT bands
c. X-wife on entire posterior chain (Donnie Thompson)
d. Reflexive Performance Reset wake up drills
2. Warm up – pick one or two of these for a warm up.
a. Sled walks - 3-5 minute w/ light weight
b. Belt squat marching – knees up high – 3x 60 steps
c. Reverse hypers 2-3 x 20
d. Back extension – 2-3 x 20
e. Groiners/ abductions – 3x 20 each
f. TKE’s – 3x 20-30
g. Light Belt squat – 3-4x20
3. Jumps Lane –
a. Non- Reactive Explosive strength – 3-8 x 5. Pick one movement per workout. Do
not use the same movement twice in one week.
i.
Box jump
ii.
Weighted box jump – hold dumbbells, med balls…
iii.
Seated box jump
iv.
Seated weighted box jump
v.
Seated box jump with foot slam – slam feet into ground when you jump
off floor
vi.
Seated weighted box jump with foot slam
vii. Kneeling jumps –
viii. Kneeling jumps with weight – hold med ball, weighted vest…
4. Max Effort Lane
a. Set and Rep Options – do not miss reps on any of these
i. 1, 3 or 5 Rep Max (review ‘How to Work Up’ in the Max Effort Chapter)
ii. 1 rep max followed by 1-2 down sets with 80% of the 1RM taken to near
failure
iii. 4-5 sets of 2
1. Work up to what feels like a 9 out of 10 and do 4-5 sets there
2. If you can add weight add it.
54
Table of Contents
5. Accessory Lane
a. Use 4-6 movements
b. Use movements from these categories
c. Sets X reps
d. Take each set to positive failure (when form breaks down). The reps are just
a guideline, we are trying to really fatigue these muscles. Especially in the off
season.
e. Max Effort days usually have more intensive movements lower reps. E.g.; good
morning instead of Back Extension.
i. Second Barbell Movement – 3 x 5-8
ii. Single leg movement – doesn’t have to be on this day. Just get one in once
per week
iii. Hip extension hamstring - 3-4 x 10-60 (many times we’ll get up to 60 reps
on reverse hypers)
iv. Knee flexion hamstring – 3-4 x 6-12
v. Hip flexor movement – 3-4 x 20-30. Hanging knee raise or weighted knee
raise for example
vi. Weighted abs – 100 total
vii. Upper Back movement
1. Usually a pull/ chin up variation – 3-4 x 6- fail
6. Mobility/ Reset Lane
a. Dick Hartzel banded hip mobility
b. Repeat ‘Tissue Prep’ options for problem areas
Summary:
MAX EFFORT LOWER
1. Tissue prep
2. Warm up
3. Jumps
4. Max effort movements
5. Accessory movements
6. Mobility/ reset
55
Table of Contents
OFF SEASON WEEKLY TEMPLATES
4 DAYS PER WEEK OPTION
Monday – Max Effort Upper
Tuesday – Dynamic Effort Lower
Wednesday – OFF
Thursday – Dynamic Effort Upper
Friday – Max Effort Upper
It is best to keep the max effort days as far away as possible but this is not always an
option when you start programing for practices etc. Worst case scenario, just don’t do
the max effort workouts with in a 24-hour period if you can help it.
3 DAYS PER WEEK OPTION
WEEK 1
Monday – Max Effort Upper
Wednesday – Dynamic Effort Lower
Friday – Dynamic Effort Upper
WEEK 2
Monday – Max Effort Lower
CYCLE STARTS OVER
Wednesday – Max Effort Upper
Friday – Dynamic Effort Lower
…and so on
56
Table of Contents
IN SEASON WEEKLY TEMPLATES
4 DAYS PER WEEK OPTION (this was our throwers template…and meathead sprinters)
Sunday – Max Effort Lower
Monday – Max Effort Upper
Tuesday – OFF day
Wednesday – Dynamic Effort Lower
Thursday – Dynamic Effort Upper
Friday – Travel to meet
3 DAYS PER WEEK OPTION (common with sprinters)
Monday – Max Effort Lower
Wednesday – Max Effort Upper
Thursday OR Friday – Combo Dynamic Day (depending on travel schedule)
2 DAYS PER WEEK OPTION (common with basketball. Would also work with travel
football)
Monday – ‘Max Effort’ or Dynamic Effort Lower – depending where in the season
Wednesday – ‘Max Effort’ or Dynamic Effort Upper – depending where in the season
2 DAYS PER WEEK OPTION (common with swimming. If we took strength work out too
soon, they felt lousy at conference. This was our common set up late in the season up to
4 weeks out from conference or championship time)
Tuesday – Dynamic, Heavy lower – speed sets followed by some work up sets then
accessory work
Thursday – Dynamic, Heavy upper – speed sets followed by some work up sets then
accessory work
57
Table of Contents
58
Table of Contents
TISSUE PREP LANES
When you are rolling out it should not feel good. It should be uncomfortable. You have to
get in and get some pressure on the tissue to get it to let go.
LOWER BODY OPTIONS
1. Softball, baseball or lacrosse ball rolling in the following areas:
a. Psoas
b. Glutes
c. Ridge of hip bone
2. Foam or PVC pipe roll in the following areas:
a. IT bands
b. TFL
c. Quads
d. Glutes
3. Car buffer in the following areas:
a. IT bands
b. TFL
c. Quads
d. Glutes
4. Body Tempering on entire posterior chain
5. Reflexive Performance Reset Drills
UPPER BODY OPTIONS
1. Softball, baseball or lacrosse ball rolling in the following areas:
a. Pec
b. Delt
2. Partner pec smash – lay on your back and have a partner press their heel into your
pec/ delt tie in area while you internally and externally rotate your arm.
3. Car buffer in the following areas:
a. Sternum
b. Pec delt tie in
c. Outline of pecs
4. Reflexive Performance Reset Drills
59
Table of Contents
WARM UP LANE OPTIONS
LOWER BODY OPTIONS
1. Sled walks – 5 minutes with light weight
2. Belt squat marching- get knees high – 3x 60 steps
3. Reverse Hypers – 3 x 15-20
4. Back Extension – bodyweight – 3x 15-20
5. Groiners/ seated adductions – 3x20
6. Light belt squat – 3-4 x 20
UPPER BODY OPTIONS
1. External shoulder rotations- 3-4 x 20-30
2. Light DB bench – 3-4 x 20 @ 10% (300lb bencher uses 30 pound dumbbells)
3. Banded pull aparts – 60-100 total
4. Rowing/ tricep super set – 3-4x20
5. Bamboo bar bench – 80 – 120 total reps
6. Side lying kettlebell arm bar – 2 x 1 minute each side
7. Chest supported Y or T raise – 3-4 x 15-20
8. Shoulder clean – 3-4 x 15-20
60
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
Choose one options for each lower body day. Do not perform the same movement more
than once per week.
Do 3-8 sets of 5. Starting eight to ten weeks out from your peaking phase you should pair
your jumps with your Dynamic and Max Effort movements. Post-Activation Potentiation
(PAP) is a great tool but should not be drawn on all year long.
SAVE YOUR ACE CARDS FOR WHEN YOU NEED THEM!
Explosive strength options vary from plyometric options because there is less of a
stretch reflex involved when performing them. For this reason, we use them for the
majority of the year. The nature of these jumps also allow us to train explosiveness at
a higher frequency and volume than we can true plyometrics. If you were to train true
plyometrics at 80 jumps per week there is a greater chance for injury. This is especially
true when you take into consideration the athletes practice schedule and often times
lack of physical preparation for true plyometric exercises.
61
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
1. Box Jump
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrTbCZ5X1w0
62
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
2. Weighted box jump – dumbbells, ankle weights, weighted vest or med ball
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqbORKZq7xk
63
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
3. Seated box jump
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TGsgqeOvZ8
64
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
4. Seated weighted box jump
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=blMlkdwUkf4
65
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
5. Seated box jump with foot slam
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1NcQTSXMhA
66
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
6. Seated weighted box jump with foot slam
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5umnn_rOzw
67
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
7. Kneeling jumps
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EAXCXnGLc8
68
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
8. Kneeling jumps with weight
a. Athlete should start standing tall
b. Use arms to jump
c. Have a quick down and up motion prior to jumping
d. Knees should stay externally rotated slightly. Do not let them cave or roll in as
they take off.
e. Jump from heels, don’t roll onto your toes until the last possible moment
f. Land soft
g. Watch their knees as they land, they should look the same as when they take
off! See ‘d’.
h. Land on the whole foot, NOT toes.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdExwnWpb-c
69
Table of Contents
70
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS
1. Movements must be an INVOLUNTARY and reactive in nature. The ground
contact times must be minimal to be truly effective. If the athletes are on the
ground too long you must fix this.
2. These methods are very stressful on the athletes. We use them sparingly
and typically save them for when the athletes most important competition is
approaching IF this is the stimulus they need. Not all athletic activities are
reactive in nature. Some require maximal acceleration from a static position
3. Start low intensity and volume and build your way up. Typically do not increase
volume more than 20% week to week.
4. These are usually paired with our max effort work and dynamic effort work in
a super set fashion to take advantage of post activation potentiation (PAP). We
usually only pair our jumps/throws lane when we start our peaking cycles. If you
draw on a resource (PAP) too often or for too long it will lose its effectiveness.
REMEMBER: with high CNS stimulation comes higher risk for fatigue.
5. Take into consideration the TYPE of movement your athletes perform (reactive
vs. static to dynamic). As they near their peaking phase use the type of jump
movements that most closely resemble their athletic needs.
71
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
1. Jump rope – various foot patterns including single leg
a. Very low intensity
b. Can be used all year and as a prep method for more intense jumps to come
72
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
1. 6” box scissor jumps
a. Moderate intensity
b. A good next step in prepping for more intense plyometrics
c. Quick off the ground, float in the air
d. Jump as high as possible but not at the expense of being on the ground longer
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnjx850Ef2Y
73
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
3. Lateral 6” box jumps
a. Moderate intensity
b. Great for change of direction development
c. Quick off the ground, float in the air
d. Jump as high as possible but not at the expense of being on the ground longer
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcnQw-v1EX4
74
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
4. Hurdle hops
a. Set as high as you can but still have great performance by athlete
i.
Athlete has to be able to control body
ii. Quick off the ground
iii. Jumps should be fluid and rhythmic
iv. Stick the landing after the last hurdle
1. Land soft, on whole foot, knees out
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZuHs6EgAwA
75
Table of Contents
JUMPS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
5. Depth drop jump
a. Step off box
b. Rebound immediately off floor
c. Keep knees out on landing/ take off
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH-8llBUH4s
76
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
Choose one option for each upper body day. Do not perform the same movement more
than once per week.
Do 3-6 sets of 5. Starting eight to ten weeks out from your peaking phase you should pair
your throws with your Dynamic and Max Effort movements. Post-Activation Potentiation
(PAP) is a great tool but should not be drawn on all year long. Again, save your ace cards
for when you need them.
1. Overhead med ball slam
a. 10 – 20lb NON BOUNCING med ball
b. Reach up tall
c. Hands over top of ball
d. Pull ball down hard
e. Use abs to pulldown
f. Squat the ball down
g. Follow through and try to pop the ball
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9HxufZYZZU
77
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
2. Lateral Med Ball Throw
a. Start with ball on opposite hip from the wall
b. Turn hips into throw
c. Let back knee drop down in and bend
d. Rotate from hips not spine
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBe6ic106Pg
78
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
3. Overhead Med Ball Slam w/ Seated Jump
a. Use NON-BOUNCING med ball
b. Start seated
c. Jump as high as possible
d. Slam the ball just as described in overhead med ball slam
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RotaABmqX5g
79
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
4. Med Ball Bench Throw
a. Start with arms extended
b. Quickly drop ball to chest and press it for 3 reps
c. On the last rep throw the ball as high as you can in the air
d. Rep, rep, THROW – this equals one rep
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7r8vI9LnDA
80
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
5. Lying Overhead Med Ball Throw
a. 5 – 10lb med ball
b. Lying on floor arms extended overhead
c. Flex lats and throw ball horizontally as hard as possible
d. Do not sit up. Shoulders remain on floor
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J50Gi6GDtN4
81
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS
1. Movements must be an INVOLUNTARY and reactive in nature. The eccentric to
concentric times must be minimal to be truly effective. If the athletes are at the
mid ROM too long you must fix this.
2. These methods are very stressful on the athletes. We use them sparingly
and typically save them for when the athletes most important competition is
approaching IF this is the stimulus they need. Not all athletic activities are
reactive in nature. Some require maximal acceleration from a static position
3. Start low intensity and volume and build your way up. Typically, do not increase
volume more than 20% week to week.
4. These are usually paired with our max effort work and dynamic effort work in
a super set fashion to take advantage of post activation potentiation (PAP). We
usually only pair our jumps/throws lane when we start our peaking cycles. If you
draw on a resource (PAP) too often or for too long it will lose its effectiveness.
REMEMBER: with high CNS stimulation comes higher risk for fatigue.
5. Take into consideration the TYPE of movement your athletes perform (reactive
vs. static to dynamic). As they near their peaking phase use the type of jump
movements that most closely resemble their athletic needs.
82
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
1. Reactive Med Ball Chest Pass
a. Catch ball w/ arms fully extended
b. Let ball come to your chest
c. SNAP it off your chest and fully extend arms as rapidly as possible
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGY2z6Ys8B8
83
Table of Contents
THROWS LANE
PLYOMETRIC OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
2. Reactive Lateral Throw
a. use hips and abs to throw ball into wall as hard/ fast as possible
b. let the ball come back to opposite hip
c. repeat throw
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv5tvJiT6Hw
84
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
In our system, we stuck with bench variations for max effort movements. This is not
to say you could not do some overhead variations but for our athletes I felt it was best
to keep the extra stress off of their shoulders and play it safe. Below are some of the
more popular movements that we utilized. By using all bench variations the cuing and
movement criteria are basically the same. To review these see the ‘BENCH’ chapter. We
would use accommodating resistance whenever possible. Also use fat bars and football
bars to get more variation in the athletes training. Remember, we want to be stronger in
more unfamiliar planes, pressures and angles.
Common Movements:
1. Floor press - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv0f5NP09Zo
2. 2 or 3 Board press - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Bkw8PX5pA
3. Close grip incline - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wPO41XEiLc
4. Reverse band press - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QCIrzh8Cjs
5. Giant cambered bar bench - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKk29Uex9Ts
The weekly rotation:
1. WK 1 – full ROM press
2. WK 2 – partial ROM press
3. WK 3 – Partial ROM press
4. Start over with week 1
85
Table of Contents
86
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
1. Speed Squats
a. Wide stance
b. To a parallel box
c. CUES
i. SET UP
1. Set your feet”
2. “Chin up”
3. “Fill your belly”
ii. DESCENT
1. “Stomach out”
2. “Knees out”
3. “Back and open”
iii. ASCENT
1. “Drive your shoulders”
2. “Head back”
3. “FAST”
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC1kSrRoyAw
87
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
2. Sumo Speed Pulls
a. Do sumo 75% of the time
b. SUMO CUES
i. Setting up:
1. “push out on your feet”
2. “fill your belly”
c. Getting to the bar:
i. “flare your knees”
ii. “chin/ chest up”
d. Standing up with the bar:
i.
“PUSH OUT/ PULL BACK”
ii. “pull back sooner” – if hips are raising before shoulders
iii. “squat up pull back” – for kids that tend to ‘RDL’ the weight up
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYBI5rCIcT4
88
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
3. Conventional Speed Pulls
a. Use ~25% of the time after sumo is proficient
b. CONVENTIONAL CUES
i. Setting up:
1. "set your feet”
2. “fill your belly”
ii. Getting to the bar:
1. “squat to the bar”
2. “Butt back knees out”
3. “chin/ chest up”
iii. Standing up with the bar:
1. “SQUAT UP/ PULL BACK”
2. “pull back sooner” – if hips are raising before shoulders
3. “squat up pull back” – for kids that tend to ‘RDL’ the weight up
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPnk-DxWrFo
89
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
4. Kettlebell Swings
a. Get pressure OUT on feet
b. Roll knees out. Do not fight the weight down. Just let it go.
c. Reach your hips back
d. Push out hard on feet to reverse weight
e. Squeeze glutes in the top
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsPDB5li2tA
90
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
5. Belt squat for upper body injuries
a. Use bands or chains
b. Match total volume (sets x reps) of speed squats and speed pulls on the belt
squat
c. CUES
i. Same as speed squats
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyUIMHqXrZc
91
Table of Contents
DYNAMIC EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY DAYS
1. Speed Bench
a. Use any bar
b. Vary grips
c. CUES
i. Taking the bar out:
1. “Big breath in”
2. “Stomach up/ squeeze your back
ii. Lowering the bar:
1. “Elbows first”
2. “Stomach up”
iii. Pressing the bar:
1. “Punch your hands or press fast”
2. “Squeeze your hands”
3. If the bar starts to slow
a. “Squeeze your hands”
b. “Break the bar”
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhYx7bxZQNY
92
Table of Contents
93
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
1. Box Squat Variants
a. There are thousands of max effort variations. These are some of the more
commonly used movements from our training.
b. Done to a parallel box
c. Use a wide stance with these until they are proficient at them. Then alternate
your squat stance between close and wide every other time they squat. Max effort
day only, dynamic day is always wide stance.
d. All of the options below can be done with a standard power bar if you don’t have
specialty bars.
e. Once the athletes have a good grasp of the straight bar I suggest using SSB and
Cambered bars the majority of the time. Specialty bars make the athletes strong in
more angles and positions and take a lot of stress off of their shoulders.
f. The cuing and movement mechanics are the same as the speed squats.
g. SQUATS
i.
SSB vs chain w/ wide or narrow stance
ii. SSB vs bands w/ wide or narrow stance
iii. SSB straight weight w/ wide or narrow stance
iv. Cambered bar straight w/ wide or narrow stance
v. Cambered bar vs bands wide or narrow stance
vi. Cambered bar vs chain wide or narrow stance
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=PC1kSrRoyAw
Close Stance Squat
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=zC9LjAHeL-0
94
Table of Contents
MAX EFFORT LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY DAYS
2. Pull Variations
a. Cuing and movements are the same as the speed pull variations. Simply match
the stance for correct cuing and movement patterns.
3. PULLS
a. Conventional out of a rack off pins or off of boxes
i. Add chains or bands
b. Sumo pulls off of 3” blocks
i. Add chains or bands
SEE VIDEOS IN CHAPTER 15 – Pulls and Deadlift Variations
95
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
General rules for lower body accessory training:
1. Train each set to positive failure. When the reps start to look like shit, cut the
set. This being said, if the workout says 8 reps and 8 is easy; keep going until
it’s awful. The rep ranges are only guides, muscle fatigue is priority. You have to
put work in on these!
2. In general, increase your volume from week to week. If the set range is 3-6 start
week 1 with 3 sets. Week 2 will be 4 sets, etc. This slowly builds tolerance to
an increased work capacity and runs opposite of the dynamic work (decreases
volume). By doing this you will get the athletes in better shape still allow for
adaptation without over training.
3. In this section, we will cover some of the more popular movements we did and
had success with. These are not set in stone. You need to decide what is best
for YOUR athletes. This is what worked for us.
96
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVMENT
1. On 1 rep max days:
a. Hit your 1 rep max
b. Then with the same exercise, reduce the weight to 80% of what you hit
i. Perform 1-2 sets of positive failure with 80%
97
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
2. Close stance or wide stance Good morning with same bar and resistance as max
effort movement
a. 3 x 3-8
b. Use the stance OPPOSITE of what your max effort movement was
c. If your max effort squat was a wide stance, do a close stance good morning
with the same bar and resistance as the squat movement
d. Make these hard, but NOT another max effort movement
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=26ptoLFBFoY
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M13lamhNo
98
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
3. Romanian Deadlift – 3-5 x 6-12
a. Close stance or wide stance
b. Dumbbells or barbell
c. Close stance
i.
March in place for stance
ii. Reach your hips back
iii. Roll knees out slightly
iv. Keep chest out and back arched
v.
Look straight ahead if athlete is having trouble keeping back straight
vi. Drive your shoulders and squeeze glutes to reverse bar up
d. Wide stance
i.
Pressure out on feet
ii. Reach hips back
iii. Roll knees out
vi. Roll knees out slightly
v. Keep chest out and back arched
vi. Look straight ahead if athletes is having trouble keeping back straight
vii. Drive your shoulders and squeeze glutes to reverse bar up
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-tbOyvCzxg
99
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
4. Dimmel Deadlift – 3-4x20
a. Usually done on dynamic day due to the ballistic nature
b. Same form as a close stance Romanian deadlift
c. Perform first five reps at a normal pace to get a rhythm
d. The last 15 reps are ballistic
i.
Lower weight fast
ii. Ballistically reverse bar out of bottom
iii. Typically use ~30% of your deadlift max
iv. Save these for your more advanced lifters – if they can’t do a regular RDL,
DO NOT prescribe these
Click Link for Video
www.instagram.com/p/BcNoufGDu1g/?taken-by=nateharvey2600
100
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
5. Reverse Lunge – 3-4x6-10
a. We use these more often than a forward lunge because they take a ton of
pressure off of the knees
b. Use a bar, DB, specialty bar, sand bag, chains on neck….
c. Feet shoulder width apart
d. Big step back so front knee stays behind ankle
e. Bend back knee and drop down until thigh is parallel to the floor
f. Roll front knee out slightly as athlete drops down into lunge
g. Keep chest up
h. Drive up hard and fast like you are about to jump
i. Alternate feet
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH5iAeQ7VVw
101
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
6. Walking Lunge with or without jump – 3-4x6-10 steps
a. If performing the jumping variation do them on dynamic day and keep weight
light. Jump height and speed off floor is more important than weight!
b. Big step out forward so knee stays behind ankle
c. Bend back knee and drop down until thigh is parallel to the floor
d. Roll front knee out slightly as athlete drops down into lunge
e. Keep chest up
f. Drive up hard and fast like you are about to jump
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ysDRe5MCo
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh-pg7JX-zc
102
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARELL MOVEMENT
7. Pistol squat – 3-4x6-12
a. Use a parallel box
b. Reach hips back and lean forward until you’re on the box
c. Make sure knee stays out
d. Don’t ‘plop’ on to box, ease onto it
e. Without rocking come of the box as fast and forceful as you can
f. These can also be done with a jump at the end
g. Can be done with band, weight or bodyweight if that’s challenging
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnH9fB0iKpU
103
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
8. Stepped out Good morning – 3-4x6-10
a. Step front foot out so heel is in line with back foot toe
b. All weight on front foot
c. Push hips back
d. Roll front knee out
e. Slight bend in front knee
f. Keep chest out
g. Lower until athlete gets a good stretch in the glut and hamstring of front foot
h. Squeeze glut and drive shoulders into bar to raise weight
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqUR444uugI
104
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
9. Single leg Romanian Deadlift – 3-4x6-10
a. All weight on front foot
b. Weight in opposite hand of front foot
c. Reach hips back
d. Keep back flat
e. Roll front knee out
f. Slight bend in front knee
g. Squeeze glut and drive shoulders to raise weight
h. DO NOT twist torso
i. Beginner – keep back toe on ground to help balance
ii. Advanced – reach back leg out behind you, don’t let it touch ground
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaUeSlbgLP8
105
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
10. Lateral Lunge – 3-4x6-10
a. Start with med ball – progress to bar or chains on neck
b. Big lateral step
c. Keep chest up
d. Force knee out
e. Reach hips back until thigh is parallel to the ground
f. It is OK to lean torso forward
g. Keep both feet straight ahead and flat on floor
h. Push off and return to start
i. Alternate legs
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y74ME_drT_M
106
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
SECOND BARBELL MOVEMENT
11. Belt squat – 3-4x6-12
a. With or without a box
b. Typically done with opposite stance as the max effort movement that day
c. Movement is the same as a regular squat. See “SQUAT’ chapter for review
d. Also, popular in our system when we did time specific squats for track events
e. Same ques as squatting
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJIb7GbfZyU
107
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
ISOLATION MOVEMENTS
GLUTES/ HAMSTRINGS/ BACK
12. Reverse Hyper – 3-4x15-60 (yes, 60, get over it)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
j.
k.
~70% of your squat max is a good guideline for the weight
With this much weight 4x 20 will be the minimum that is recommended
With new trainees start small and build them up to this over a couple months
Keep heels apart
Toes straight ahead
Legs straight
Only extend back to comfort level of each athlete
Relax hips on the eccentric
Squeeze glutes to raise weight
Single leg was also a popular variation
*Athlete needs to keep his knees straight
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrRI6ejjtHg
108
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
HAMSTRINGS/ KNEE FLEXION
13. Glute-ham raise – 3-4x6-12
a. hook heels on pads
b. straighten legs until body is parallel with floor
c. keep chin on chest
d. dig toes into plate and bend knees to raise your body back up
e. keep toes straight, don’t go duck foot (toes out)
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjkBu1DJOP4
109
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
HAMSTRINGS/ KNEE FLEXION
14. Banded leg curl – 80 -300 total
a. typically done for high reps on dynamic days
b. start at 80 total or 3x30 and build the volume each week, add 20-40 reps/ week
c. can be done seated or prone
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll8SykpsjDA
110
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
ADDUCTORS
15. Groiners – 80 – 200 total
a. do once per week
b. weaker athletes would start with an average band
c. stronger athletes would start with an average and a mini
d. push low back into the floor
e. slow eccentric
f. stretch in the bottom
g. squeeze all the way up until your knees touch
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOIivVV627M
111
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
HAMSTRINGS/ ADDUCTORS
16. Thompson Hips – 3-4x20 (after the great Donnie Thompson)
a. 20 leg raises/ 20 adductions equals one set
b. usually go through all sets with no rest
c. less than 300lb squatters start with mini bands
d. over 300lb squatters start out with light bands
e. use these as a substitute for groiners. Train your adductors once a week the
majority of the time. Especially in-season.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTLhCwOInTs
112
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
HIP FLEXORS
17. Chained knee raise
a. use an ankle weight or drape a chain over your foot
b. balance without holding onto anything
c. raise your knee to waist height
d. lower slowly
e. don’t lean to either side/ brace abs
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlzyIfCrA54
113
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
GLUTES
18. Seated abduction -80-200 total reps
a. sit on a bench that puts you close to parallel
b. double a mini or ultra mini band
c. put it on like a pair of shorts so it’s just below your knees
d. put your feet out wide like you are squatting
e. sit up tall
f. drive your knees out against the band and hold for a second
g. control the band back in
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xex3L-ejiSw
114
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
UPPER BACK
Upper back movements (vertical rowing) movements are being done on lower body days
in an effort to traction the spine after squatting and pulling variations.
1. Pull up
a. pull shoulder blades together and down before pulling
b. vary the grip at least every two weeks
c. wide
d. narrow
e. neutral (palms facing)
f. close grip neutral grip
g. wide grip neutral grip
h. towel grip
i. fat grip
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8TLxVvE5FM
115
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
UPPER BACK
2. Chin up 3-4 x 6- fail
a. palms face you
b. pull shoulder blades together and down before pulling
c. vary grip width
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIASlNngq5Y
116
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
UPPER BACK
3. Lucifer pull up – 1-3 sets
a. six wide grip pull ups
b. six neutral grip pull ups
c. six chin ups
d. do not rest between these
e. pull shoulder blades together and down before pulling
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfJdpgQM7E8
117
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
UPPER BACK
4. Pull downs – 3-6 x 8-20
a. vary the handle at least every other week
b. pull shoulder blades together and down before pulling
c. push chest up toward the bar
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nuIy9NIgR0
118
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR LOWER BODY
UPPER BACK
5. Vogelpulls - 3-4 x 6-15
a. basically a standing lat pulldown
b. let your scapula pull out/ up with arms extended
c. pull shoulder blades together and down before pulling
d. row handle to upper abs
e. arch back/ pull elbows back/ push stomach out
f. vary handles
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7UyK_7MFvM
119
Table of Contents
120
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
General rules for upper body accessory training:
1. Train each set to positive failure. When the reps start to look like shit, cut the
set. This being said, if the workout says 8 reps and 8 is easy; keep going until
it’s awful. The rep ranges are only guides, muscle fatigue is priority. You have to
put work in on these!
2. In general, increase your volume from week to week. If the set range is 3-6 start
week 1 with 3 sets. Week 2 will be 4 sets, etc. This slowly builds tolerance to
an increased work capacity and runs opposite of the dynamic work (decreases
volume). By doing this you will get the athletes in better shape and still allow for
adaptation without over training.
3. In this section, we will cover some of the more popular movements we did and
had success with. These are not set in stone. You need to decide what is best
for YOUR athletes. This is what worked for us.
121
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
SECOND PRESSING MOVEMENT
1. On 1 rep max days:
a. Hit your 1 rep max
b. Then with the same exercise, reduce the weight to 80% of what you hit
i. Perform 1-2 sets of positive failure with 80%
122
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
SECOND PRESSING MOVEMENT
2. DB shoulder press – 3-4X8-12
a. Use a neutral grip (palm facing)
b. Keep your elbows under your hands
c. Lower the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as your mobility allows
d. Keep your torso as neutral as possible, try not to lean back too much
e. Squeeze the dumbbell out of the bottom, don’t jerk them. Keep the motion
smooth
f. If these bother your shoulder(s):
i. Double up a micro mini band and put it around your wrists
ii. This will stimulate your ext. rotators and take stress off the front delt
area
iii. Don’t let the band pull your hands inside of your elbows
iv. This variation is called a Colley Press
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-bBtT1-kO4
123
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
SECOND PRESSING MOVEMENT
3. Incline Bench – 3-4 x 6-12
a. Hit the bar higher on your chest compared to a flat bench
b. Cuing and movement for this lift is basically the same as a regular bench
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wPO41XEiLc
124
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
SECOND PRESSING MOVEMENT
4. Dumbbell bench variations – 3-4X6-12
a. Incline
b. Floor press
c. Banded – band around back and thumbs for extra resistance
d. Presses for time – try 10% for 1 minute (300lb bencher uses 30lb dumbbells)
i.
Palms facing
ii. Movement and cuing is the same as bench press
iii. Put a doubled micro mini band around your wrists to alleviate shoulder pain
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL5hC8uRyoA
125
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
SHOULDERS
5. Colley Presses – 3-4x8-20
a. Double a micro mini band and put it around your wrists while performing any
dumbbell pressing movement
b. Do not let the band pull your hands inside of your elbows
c. This will help alleviate anterior deltoid/ bicep tendon pain while pressing
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8ecSmmt-PI
126
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
6. Dumbbell rollbacks – 3-6x6-12
a. Bend elbows until dumbbell touches shoulder
b. Let the elbow go back to increase stretch on tricep
c. Punch hands to extend elbows back to start position
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=61OyfzglcRo
127
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
7. Tate press – 3-6x6-15
a. Set up like a dumbbell bench but your palms face your feet
b. Bend/ flare your elbows
c. Keep dumbbells touching
d. Touch chest
e. Punch hands and squeeze dumbbells back to start
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWX-IfCfFMw
128
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
8. Safety Squat Yoke Bar triceps
a. Take off extended handles if you have them
b. Set up just like a bench
c. Lower bar until the yoke touches your chest
d. Bend elbows until the pad is almost on your face
e. Punch hands and squeeze to extend to starting position
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Layamcu-KA8
129
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
9. Hoff triceps – 3 sets
a. Use and EZ bar and mini band
b. 8 reps to forehead
c. 8 reps to chin
d. 8 close grip bench
e. This is one set
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yroG2QuAsNg
130
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
10. Bamboo bar triceps
a. set up like a bench press
b. bend your elbows until the bar is almost on your face
c. punch your hands and extend your elbows
d. control the weight on the way down
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWkBQQfeEuc
131
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
11. Tricep extension
a. football bar
b. Dumbbells
c. fat bar
d. EZ bar
132
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
TRICEPS
12. Triceps death – 2-3 sets
a. start with approx. 40% of your bench max
b. use a close grip- keep elbows in, keep bar low
c. do 6-8 reps/ board
d. 1 board, 2 board, 3 board, 4 board – no rest
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeX8rTA4xrY
133
Table of Contents
134
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
Rowing to your stomach or lower chest will put less stress on the shoulders than any of
the upper back or vertical pulling variants mentioned before. This is part of the reason
we programmed them on upper body days, to give the shoulders a break.
135
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
1. Cross Body Scap Rows 3-6 x 10-15 – these came about because for years I would keep
my scapula totally retracted/ depressed for ALL rowing movements. Then, I realized I
was missing out on some upper back development and scapula mobility by not letting my
scapula protract during the eccentric phase of my rowing movements. With the athletes
make them master the retraction/depression before implementing these. Once they get
this, mix in both variations.
a. High row w/ a band or cable
b. Low row w/ a band or cable
c. Low on a reverse hyper
d. start rowing motion by retracting scapula
e. on eccentric let scapula protract (roll out)
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbY6bWPdJBw
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwPQA2sRPHM
136
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
2. Inverted rows - 3-6 x 6-15
a. set your bar in a rack approximately the same height as you would for bench
b. feet can go on the floor with knees bent – easier
c. feet can go on a bench with legs straight – harder
d. go with one foot on floor or bench – hardest
e. row body up so bar hits lower chest/ stomach
f. can also be done while holding on to blast straps
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-62U6UuOU
137
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
3. Bent barbell row - 3-6 x 6-15
a. football bar
b. fat bar
c. regular bar
d. bamboo bar
e. hold RDL position and row the bar to your stomach
f. keep back arched
g. push stomach towards bar
h. drive elbows back
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZiQyYJKTnA
138
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
4. 2 hand bent dumbbell row – 3-6 x 8-15
a. start with RDL position
b. row dumbbells to stomach
c. use neutral, pronated or rotating grip
d. Stay down. The athlete’s back should be almost parallel to floor
e. keep weight on heels
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGUuFN-Psdo
139
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
5. 1 arm Dumbbell row on bench – 3-6 x 6-20
a. knee and hand on bench
b. rowing side has same foot on floor
c. keep back arched
d. row dumbbell to stomach
e. push stomach and chest out to dumbbell while rowing
f. if athlete has trouble keeping back arched have them look straight ahead not at floor.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na653H2ERE4
140
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
6. Ramp rows – 3-6 x 6-12
a. done with straight, football or fat bar
b. start standing up
c. drop to bottom RDL position
d. keep chest out entire time
e. row bar to stomach
f. catch a good stretch in the bottom
g. if athlete can’t keep back arched, have them look straight ahead
h. usually for athletes with some weight room experience
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQwhWXOMD3E
141
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
7. Lying cambered bar rows – 3-6 x 8-12
a. these are a pain in the ass to set up, but very effective.
b. elevate a flat bench
c. put a cambered bench bar on the floor under the bench
d. lay flat on the bench and row to your stomach/ lower chest
e. you won’t need much weight on these
f. pull scapula back and together hard as you row, just like any other rowing movement
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g7JGdQqC74
142
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
8. Chest supported dumbbell row – 3-6 x 8-20
a. incline a bench to the first notch
b. lay on your stomach
c. pinch your shoulder blades back hard as you row the dumbbells
d. pause each rep in the top for a second
e. you can do neutral grip, supinated, pronated or rotating
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjEy74L1vAI
143
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
9. Alternating banded rows – 3-6 x 12- fail
a. can be done seated or standing
b. start with both hands at torso
c. let one arm out while the other stays at the torso
d. alternate arms
e. keep shoulder blade back while other arm goes out
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-8zxcv4kWA
144
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER BODY
MID/LOWER BACK
10. Back machine rows
a. any back machine where you are rowing to your stomach/ lower chest are absolutely acceptable substitutes for all of the previous ‘mid/lower back’ movements. We typically did the machine variations on our dynamic or speed days to give the body a break from the more intensive barbell or dumbbell variants.
E.g.. Bent barbell row vs a low cable row.
145
Table of Contents
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
Typically, we would do sagittal plane movements on our lower body days and rotational
or oblique type movements on our upper body days. This was more for organizational
purposes than anything. In your program just make sure you are training many variations
of abs. Most abs are weighted, unless athlete isn’t ready. Do 4 x 25 or 100 total reps for
all ab work.
146
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
1. Weighted sit ups
a. hook feet
b. knees bent
c. hold weight on chest under chin
d. flex abs BEFORE sitting up
e. lower slowly
f. lay all the way out flat before sitting up again
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XoFvnVgNbY
147
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
2. Spread eagle sit ups
a. feet wide
b. hooked or free
c. hold weight on chest
d. flex abs BEFORE sitting up
e. lower slowly
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ruFqaMgk5c
148
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
3. Hanging abs
a. hang from bar or use arms slings
b. raise knees to chest
c. lower legs slowly
d. aim feet slightly in front of body to avoid swinging
e. keep elbows in front and down to keep stress off shoulder
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-7jkEpJElk
149
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
4. Single leg crunch
a. one leg down
b. one leg straight up (as best you can)
c. hold weight in hands with arms extended
d. flex abs and try to touch toe with weight
e. control on the way down
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdvmJ2JPuWk
150
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
5. Landmine abs
a. interlock fingers
b. arms straight as possible
c. turn hips with shoulders
d. bend back knee
e. back heel comes off floor
f. rotate until bar is on thigh
g. pull back with stomach
h. alternate sides
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2c_hAadpNw
151
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
6. Morris sit ups – done on a GHR machine
a. set rollers all the way up and forward
b. hook feet on bottom set of rollers
c. lay back, keep tension on abs until athlete is in a straight line
d. flex stomach and return to start
e. you will be almost upside down in the bottom position
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0YGXdq0Rkw
152
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
7. GHR sit-ups
a. set roller height and depth so legs are straight while butt is on rounded pad
b. flex abs
c. lay back until body is parallel with floor
d. flex abs to come back up to start position
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpAuZSUOgbQ
153
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
8. Standing pulldown abs
a. use a rope or hanging ab straps
b. use wide, medium or staggered stance for variation
c. flex abs and pull elbows to knees (may not happen but that’s the aiming point)
d. slowly return to start position
e. face away from eight stack for added difficulty
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIEQPUx5do
154
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
9. Ab wheel
a. keep arms straight
b. flex abs
c. roll out as far as possible, should try to put nose on floor
d. keep stomach tight
e. start back motion with abs THEN arms
f. do a crunch in the top to get extra contraction
g. can add a band around athlete’s waist to assist if they can’t do them unassisted
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lefx1LdPX4k
155
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
10. Side bend
a. use dumbbells, bands or barbell. Bands can be done from overhead as well.
b. lean over to get a stretch in your obliques
c. squeeze back to the starting position
d. try not to lean forward or back
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYwyue6kG0c
156
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
11. Seesaw abs
a. put a straight bar or giant cambered bar on your back like a squat
b. perform a side bend motion
c. these are harder than side bends
d. doing these for time is a tough variation as well
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBVq_VBF4Dg
157
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
12. Single arm farmers walk
a. keep your torso vertical and neutral as best you can
b. each side should be under tension for at least 30 seconds
c. use kettlebells or dumbbells
d. brace your abs like someone’s going to punch you in the stomach
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYLwnMh71BY
158
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
13. Side plank for reps
a. lower hips all the way to the floor
b. hold in the top for a second
c. keep body in a straight line like you are between two walls
d. perform from knees or feet depending on athlete’s ability
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfSD57hL6Lw
159
Table of Contents
ACCESSORY LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
AB/ TORSO TRAINING
13. Louie abs
a. hook toes on bench cross bar
b. lay back and get a stretch in abs and hip flexors
c. flex abs and crunch up
d. keep knees squeezed on bench for some adductor work
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMUvkXOr7lA
160
Table of Contents
MOBILITY/ RESET LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
1. Dick Hartzell banded hip series – lower body days
a. 30 reps each position
b. bend knee slightly
c. flex into full extension slowly
d. each rep NEEDS to be uncomfortable
e. straight back
f. across body
g. out to side
h. behind back (anchor band on shoulder)
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYVhCS_IUeQ
161
Table of Contents
MOBILITY/ RESET LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
2. Dick Hartzell shoulder traction series – upper body days
a. band higher than shoulder height
b. band around wrist, fold at pinky, through thumb
c. 30 rotations each position, 4 positions
d. facing rack
e. sideways to rack
f. away from rack
g. lat stretch
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlE77FpZj-4
162
Table of Contents
MOBILITY/ RESET LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
3. Dead hangs
a. hang from a bar and relax shoulders
b. let shoulders go up into ears
c. hang for a total of 60 – 90 seconds
163
Table of Contents
MOBILITY/ RESET LANE
OPTIONS FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODY
4. Tissue prep options
a. revisit ‘Tissue Prep Lanes’ for more options to use post workout
b. typically only go back to these for ‘problem areas’
164
Table of Contents
ACCOMODATING RESISTANCE
BANDS AND CHAINS
Notice we have almost finished the book without mention of bands and chains.
Accommodating resistance is a very powerful tool but it is not necessary to implement
with the Conjugate method. Just because someone uses bands or chains does not mean
they train conjugate or vice versa. This is just like saying you follow the Charlie Francis
method because you do some medicine ball throws in your training. Accommodating
resistance is one of the many tools that help make the system great, it does not however
make or break it.
In our system, we put them into play within the first 3-4 weeks. Many would say you
shouldn’t use these methods with beginners. They say the athletes aren’t ‘ready’ for
them. I understand some athletes may not be the best lifters but if the bands or chains
put the athletes that much further from being able to squat correctly then you have
much bigger worries than accommodating resistance. Putting the correct amount of
accommodating resistance on the bar does not make the movement much more difficult,
it simply gives your athlete an opportunity to recruit more motor units and become more
explosive at a faster rate; efficiency. Our thought is, why wouldn’t we want our athletes
to learn to accelerate through the full range of motion of a lift? Without chains or bands
your brain will tell your muscles to slow down and not push as hard as you reach the end
ranges of motion. Would you want your wrestler to slow down half way into a double leg?
I sure as hell wouldn’t! Unfortunately, to the detriment of their athletes, some coaches
can’t wrap their brains around this. It has nothing to do with lock out strength or sticking
points when dealing with athletes. All we have to do is scale the chains and bands
accordingly to the athlete's strength level and we can start taking advantage of this
powerful training tool from the get go.
165
Table of Contents
ACCOMODATING RESISTANCE
IMPLEMETING/ SETTING UP BANDS
Getting the Right Band Tension for Your Set Up
Click Link for Video
vimeo.com/160043028
It’s not overly important that you know the exact tension of every band setup. That being
said, you do need to have a consistent setup for your bands that will give you the same
tension every time. This setup should give you tension similar to those that have been
consistently used in the Conjugate model.
In the video below we demonstrate how we set-up our bands for squatting in a standard
power rack so that they match the tensions in the monolift.
This video also shows how to correctly line up your box with your bands.
Click Link for Video
vimeo.com/160048876
166
Table of Contents
HERE IS HOW TO MEASURE YOUR BAND TENSIONS. Your set up may be different due to
your power racks available.
In the video below, we show you how to test your setup. Only test one set of bands. Once
you have your setup determined it will give you accurate tensions on all your bands.
1. Set-up your bands
2. Put them on the bar
3. Put the bar on your back
4. Stand on the scale
5. Record weight
Click Link for Video
vimeo.com/160182407
After you use the above technique, use this formula to calculate your band tension:
(Total weight on scale) – (your body weight) – (bar weight) = band tension.
Here is what your approximate tension should be. Once your setup is correct for one set
of bands, it will be correct for all the rest. Keep in mind these are for the squat.
167
Table of Contents
“25% band tension at the top for general dynamic effort training…” Whaaaaaat?!
If you’re anything like me, when people start talking about percentages and other
various mathematical terms, my brain seems to shut down. I’ll be honest; I started
following the Conjugate Method in the early 2000’s and it wasn’t until about 2008 when
the percentages in band tension that Louie talks about started clicking in my head. I DO
remember a chart that elitefts put out as sort of a cheat sheet for using bands in your
training for various strength levels. Guess what, I followed the chart in my own training
and my lifts went up. Weird.
Below is a similar chart for tensions and movements with some modifications that
have worked well for our athletes. Keep in mind, this is just general dynamic effort
work and not when we are peaking for any competition. These are also guidelines, not
commandments of the weight room that will cause lightning strikes if not followed.
How to Set-up Your Band for Bench Press
Click Link for Video
youtu.be/arzIkz5_Ymw
168
Table of Contents
Click Link for Video
youtu.be/W2olVuaou0M
169
Table of Contents
170
Table of Contents
ACCOMODATING RESISTANCE
IMPLEMETING/ SETTING UP CHAINS
Chains are the other half of the accommodating resistance equation. Chains differ from
bands in that they do not pull you down faster than gravity. In short, they slow you down
(during the lift, not in your development). Bands tend to speed you up during the lift
because of the accelerated gravity effect. Typically, we would utilize chains more often
in the off-season because of what we just talked about. Also, the athletes are worse at
them because they can rely less on speed and have to use more strength. Then as we
get closer to competition bands receive more priority because they make you faster than
chains. This being said, you should never switch to one exclusively. A good guideline
would be off season alternate bands and chains every other week. As you approach your
season and speed becomes more of a priority use a bands: chain ratio of 2:1 or 3:1.
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiTlajrnz10
171
Table of Contents
Click Link for Video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSDD3drxNo
Chain Guidelines:
Chains are ~20lbs each
Squat or Bench Max
Number of chains/ side
100 – 200lbs
½ chain
205 – 315lbs
1 chain
325 – 405lbs
2 chains
415lbs and up
3 chains
172
Table of Contents
ACCOMODATING RESISTANCE
USE ON ACCESSORY WORK
Bands and chains can also be used as a way to make your accessory work more
challenging and simply add needed variation to your movements. For your athletes, it’s
not about fixing sticking points but more so keeping their bodies guessing.
Examples:
- Banded cable pulldowns or pushdowns
- Banded dumbbell bench
- Hanging KB bench
- Banded or chained belts squats
- Banded reverse hypers
173
Table of Contents
THE ART OF PEAKING
GPP TO SPP
Our peaking usually start peaking our kids 12 weeks out from their big competition.
All this meant is we started looking at the training lanes and started thinking more
about moving all of them from general physical preparedness to specific physical
preparedness. There are different ways to set this up, the important part is you have
to look at each lane and start to have more rhyme and reason as to why you are doing
each movement. In the off season for 99% of the kids you work with you can simply plug
movements into the daily workout master sheets and they will make great progress
because all of the major sporting traits we are after are accounted for. THEN, when
you’re 12 weeks out have a plan ready to go. This plan doesn’t have to be set in stone
just have an idea of where you are headed, you’re going to have to change as you go
anyway. Use the lanes section of the book (print them out) and program each lane
independently but keep in mind how they will affect each other. For example; squats,
jumps accessories all have their own programming scheme but you have to account for
how they will affect each other. This is one of the greatest lessons powerlifting taught
me. If you haven’t planned for a meet or competition you are missing out on a great
advantage. Being a competitor myself, took years off of my learning, and allowed me to
experience what my athletes were experiencing. When it’s time to start peaking get a
calendar out and work your way backwards from your big competition day.
174
Table of Contents
USING BANDS TO PEAK FOR COMPETITION
Typically, our athletes will do a squat cycle going into their conference meet modeled
after the infamous circa max phase popularized by Westside Barbell. Circa max just
means near-maximal weights, in this case referring to a weight close to the lifter’s best
competition squat. I don’t know or care what their best straight bar squat is as long as I
know they are getting stronger. Most of the time when we hit circa max, everyone has a
personal record.
Why do we do a “powerlifter’s” peaking phase? We don’t- powerlifters, strongmen and
many other strength, power and speed athletes us it. It just happens to be among the
best methods. When evaluating training for athletes, I also always ask myself, “Would
this have helped me when I was a real athlete?” The answer was yes when I was
evaluating this method. Now after six years of using this cycle, we have proof that it
works. We use a version of this cycle across the board for all the sports. We’re going
after maximal CNS stimulation on this day. It’s very common for our kids to report back
how they had trouble thinking straight in class the rest of the day or just being totally
smoked. I’m not someone who constantly crushes kids in the weight room, but when
the time is right they need to step up and destroy some shit — and possibly themselves
in the process. I also completely understand that maximal strength may not be the
athlete’s number one priority for their sport. This is why we taper down the training
load and specify more in the weeks leading up to the title competition. Circle Max
day is about shocking the nervous system. Our implementation has worked with many
sports regardless of lifting experience because by this point in the year they are mostly
proficient at squatting.
The setup and timing is based on the theory of delayed transformation or supercompensation. Very simply, this theory suggests that what you train will show up three
weeks later. This is why the hardest day is done three weeks out from the big meet. Not
only have I seen this work in practice but I have also witnessed it work in reverse. If
an athlete stops training or starts using an inferior training program, it’s usually around
three to four weeks that they start feeling like shit. I have also seen overtraining work
this way. Just like clockwork, three to four weeks in after too much stimulation (volume,
too much high-taxing movement selection, not enough recovery, etc.) on the kids, they
start falling apart.
Guidelines
•
Use a rackable cambered bar. There is no point beating your kid's shoulders up if you
don’t have to.
•
Squat to a parallel box.
•
Take about seven sets to get up to your 1RM.
•
Almost double your normal band tension. Typical band use is one blue (for around 200
pounds) while circa max band use is a blue and a grey (for around 350 pounds).
175
Table of Contents
Circa Max Cycle for Athletes
Week 1
•
Make this your max effort day (approximately 21 days out from your big meet).
•
For speed day this week use the cambered bar and the same band tension.
•
Use approximately 30% of the bar weight you got on max effort day (if the sets are
slow you can decrease bar weight).
•
6-8 x 2 (sets depend on your athlete’s work capacity)
•
Pair each work set with three reps of a box jump variation. Pick a jump you feel is
closest to your sport in muscle action (reactive, iso to dynamic). Rest one minute
before squatting again.
Week 2
•
Max effort day at 14 days out can be any squat or pull variation.
•
If kids seem like they aren’t too beat down, do a true max effort day. We will usually
take a true max effort. We still have two weeks to recover.
•
If they are looking beat up, tired, and lethargic then take them up to what feels like
80% of a max (eight points on a scale of 10).
•
Speed day this week is cambered bar and same band tension as week one.
•
Approximately 30% of the bar weight you got on max effort day (if the sets are slow
you can decrease bar weight).
•
6x2
•
Pair each work set with three reps of a box jump variation. Pick a jump you feel is
closest to your sport in muscle action (reactive, iso to dynamic). Rest one minute
before squatting again.
Week 3 – Meet Week
•
Max effort day at seven days out should include no max effort work. Do your speed
day instead.
•
Speed day this week is cambered bar again.
•
Take the lesser band off. For example, if you were using a grey and a red in weeks one
and two, take the red off.
•
Approximately 30% of the bar weight you got on max effort day (if the sets are slow
you can decrease bar weight).
•
4x2
•
Pair each work set with three reps of a box jump variation. Pick a jump you feel is
closest to your sport in muscle action (reactive, iso to dynamic). Rest one minute
before squatting again.
176
Table of Contents
Accessory Work
We normally build the volume on the accessory work each week or add sets. Since
this cycle is so taxing we keep all the sets moderate in number (three to four sets). On
meet week, we may decrease them as low as two if the athletes need it. Most of our
accessory movements are also not very taxing (such as reverse hyper as opposed to
Romanian deadlift).
There it is, the mythical circa max phase broken down and applied to athletes!
Scoreboard MFs!
177
Table of Contents
DELOADING
When I first started coaching I would force the athletes to delaod every fourth week.
Over the course of a couple years I got away from this due to athletes feedback. They
didn’t like it and felt it was holding their progress back. Now we build the volume on
accessories in weeks 1 to 3 then start back at low volume on the 4th week. For Dynamic
work weight is increased in weeks 1 to 3 then on week 4 it is dropped back down. This
works pretty well for built in deloads. The max effort work usually doesn’t need deloaded
unless they start looking like someone shot their dog when they walk in the weight room
for a few days in a row. The BEST indication you need a deload is your indicator kids.
These are the kids who come and train hard every day. If they start looking like they
need a down week then stick a delaod in. On deload weeks keep them doing something.
Usually taking out max effort work for a week and keeping the volume low on dynamic
and accessory work did the trick for us.
178
Table of Contents
SPORT PROGRAMMING EXAMPLES
179
Table of Contents
THROWERS THREE-WEEK SUMMER BLOCK
Max Effort work - movements are varied weekly. A change in week is separated by a /
in the log. Accessory work on these days are typically lower volume but more taxing
movements for us.
Repeated effort work - movements are varied every 3 weeks. A change in week is
separated by a / in the log. You will see the weekly volume changes here. Typically we
try to push the pace on these to help build work capacity.
Speed work - Usually, not always, this matches the Max effort movement for the week
on lower body. The percentages are just guidelines. For example, if you think you’re
going to get 4 plates on that week's max effort movement, you can use 205lbs on the
corresponding speed day. I stole this from Donnie Thompson and it has worked really
well for us. The reps should be fast, we want some pop on the bar. Upper body is
typically bench. Accessory work on these days are typically higher in volume but less
taxing movements for us.
Variations from week to week in movements and sets x reps are separated by “/”
Monday - Max Effort Upper
1. Banded shoulder traction/ lacrosse ball in shoulder/ x-wife on shoulder - on own
athlete’s choice
2. DB bench w/ 30% max (300lbs bencher uses 30lb DB) x25/ banded tri pushdowns x 25/
band pull aparts x 25 - circuit this 4 times
3. Floor Press vs chain - 1rm/ Giant Cambered bar bench vs chains - 1rm/ 2 or 3 Board
press vs bands - 2 or 3rm
4. Banded DB tricep extension - 3x8/ 4x8/ 5x8
5. Ramp rows - 3x10/ 4x10/ 5x10
6. Bent Rear Delt Raise - 4x15
7. Seesaw abs - 4x25
8. Biceps - athlete choice
Tuesday - Speed Lower
1. Spud Inc. Indoor Sled drag for 5 min
2. Seated Box Jump - 3x5/ 4x5/ 5x5
3. Speed Squat - Cambered Bar vs bands@ 50%, 10x2/ Buffalo Bar vs 2-6 chain@55%, 8x2/
Safety Squat Bar vs bands@60%, 6x2
4. Speed pulls conventional vs bands - 10x2@40%. 10 sets for all 3 weeks
5. KB swing 3x10
6. Reverse Hyper - 3x20/ 4x20/ 5x20
7. Prone banded hamstring curl - 100/ 150/ 200 total reps
8. pulldown abs - 100 total
9. Groiners - 80/100/120 total reps
10. Vogelpulls - 3x15/ 4x15/ 5x15
180
Table of Contents
Thursday - Speed Upper
1. Banded shoulder traction/ lacrosse ball in shoulder/ x-wife on shoulder - on own
athlete’s choice
2. Mod. push-up x 25/ DB triceps x 25/ lateral raise x 25 - circuit 4 times
3. Speed bench vs chain @30% - 10x3/ 8x3/ 6x3 - vary grips
ACCESSORY WORK ALL CLUSTER SETS - 10 reps 10 sec break for specified time. pic a
weight you can do approximately 20 times. Try not to put the bar down. Wk1 - 3 min, Wk2
- 4 min, Wk3 - 5 min
4. DB floor press
5. Inverted Row
6. fat bar skull crusher
7. banded side bend
8. Chest supported Y raise on bench
Friday - Max Effort Lower
1. Tissue or mobility work of athletes choice
2. Reverse Hyper - 2x20
3. Seated weighted box jump - 3x5/ 4x5/ 5x5
4. Cambered Bar vs bands - 4-5x2@90% / Buffalo Bar vs 2-6 chain - 4-5x2@90% / Safety
Squat Bar vs bands- 4-5x2@90%. Notice the ME movement is the same each week as your
DE movement.
5. Good morning with squat set up OR pull variation - work up to a couple heavy sets of 5
reps, not max effort!
6. Reverse Hyper - w/ 75% max squat - 3x15/ 4x15/ 4x20
7. GHR - 3xfail( fail 8-10 reps)
8. abs w/ w - 100 total
9. High Hammer lat pulldown - 3x15/ 4x15/ 5x15
181
Table of Contents
MEN’S BASKETBALL 5 WEEKS OUT FROM CONFERENCE
Our emphasis is starting to shift this week. We want the guys to be faster so that is the
emphasis on our main movement. Think of the transition as going from strength-speed
to speed-strength. While this is not exactly by definition what we did, we followed this
trend. In the last block we were using two plates on each side of the belt squat with one
band on. In this phase we’re going to use one plate on each side and two bands. So, we
decreased bar weight but are increasing bar SPEED because this is our priority. When
you follow the appropriate loading more bands will make you faster. We like to follow
this trend on any of our sports where speed is our priority going into the most important
competitions of the year. While there are no absolutes in programming you do have to
have an idea of where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.
Day one week four
1. Seated abductions w/ doubled mini band - 80 total
2. TKE - on 6” box - 80 total 3. Belt Squat Box Squat vs 2 set of Bands - 6x2 - @1 plate/side.
4. Groni Sissy Squats - 3x15
5. Groiners w/ 2 orange bands - 60 total
6. Straight Leg sit ups - 3x20
7. Reverse Hyper - 3x15 - 2 plates/side
8. Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 3x10
- stretch/ traction at top. Scapula depression then pull each rep.
9. Banded prone hamstring curls - 3x20
10. Dick Hartzel banded hip mobility- 20 reps on each position (hamstring, groin, glut, hip
flexor). These are also done post practice.
11. we also do the X-wife on those who want to do it
Day two week four
1. External Rotations - 50 total
2. speed bench vs ultra minis - 6x3@ 30%
3. overhead med ball slam - 3x5
The rest are done in any order.
4. DB floor press 3x15
5. T- bar Row OR Hammer Row to stomach - 3x10
6. Chest supported Y raise w/ palms down - 3x12
7. DB side bend - 4x20
8. Banded biceps and triceps - 3x fail
182
Table of Contents
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 3 WEEK TRAINING POST SEASON
In the third wave, all of our accessory movements stayed the same. The weekly
adjustments will be separated by a / and be bolded. I’m also leaving the descriptions in.
This is also a good example of how the 3-day per week Conjugate template (4day plan while lifting 3xs/ week) can work very well. We›ve had a lot of success with this
model with a few of our teams. How it works is you just train whatever day you are on
when you come in. For example:
Week1:
Monday- ME upper
Wednesday - DE lower
Friday - DE upper
Week2:
Monday- ME lower
Wednesday- ME upper
Friday- DE lower
Etc....
All accessories were performed as a team. Each exercise is a station. Order does
not matter. These were done as timed clusters. The athlete performs 10 reps on
my command, then rests approx. 15-sec and we repeat this over and over for the
prescribed time. In Wave 1 we did 3 minute clusters. Athletes were not allowed to
put down the implement. We were able to use light weights/ bands because after
5 minutes under tension EVERYTHING feels heavy and you WILL stimulate growth.
My reasoning for incorporating the clusters was to keep the weights light and push a lot
of blood around. These athletes have been practicing/ competing/ traveling since late
October so I wanted to get a large amount of work in without crushing them with heavy
weights all the time. I thought we could also build their work capacity with these.
Instead of labeling these by weeks I’m going to say wave because each wave was not
completed within a calendar week.
Day 1: Max Effort Upper
1. dynamic warm up
2. Ultra mini band pull aparts - 60 total
3. 2 Board - 3 rep max/ Floor Press - 5RM /Bench into foam- 1 RM
5 MINUTE CLUSTER ON ALL ACCESSORIES (10 reps/ 15 second rest, repeat for 3
minutes) / 4 minute cluster sets/ 5 minute cluster
4. 5-10lb DB lying triceps
5. pulldowns w/ ~30% bodyweight
6. wide grip shrug w/ empty bar
7. see-saw abs - for the whole 5 min, no rest- Bamboo bar
8. Chest supported T raise
9. Team abs
10. Light band shoulder traction
Day 2: Speed Lower
1. Dynamic Warm up
2. seated abduction - doubled up mini band- 80 reps
3. Seated box jump - 4x5 or 20 total / 5x5 or 25 total
183
Table of Contents
4. Speed squat - 10x2@40% - as soon as your partners off, you’re on
5 MINUTE CLUSTER ON ALL ACCESSORIES (10 reps/ 15 second rest, repeat for 3
minutes) / 4 minute cluster / 5 minute cluster
5. Light band prone leg curl
6. Back Ext.
7. Groiners w/ light band
8. Feet hooked sit ups
9. Light Band hip mobility
Day3: Speed Upper
1. Dynamic Warm Up
2. Shoulder clean - 60 total
3. Speed Bench - 8x3@50%
5 MINUTE CLUSTER ON ALL ACCESSORIES (10 reps/ 15 second rest, repeat for 3
minutes) / 4 minute cluster / 5 minute cluster
4. Mini Band Tricep Pushdowns
5. Inverted Row
6. Incline pushups (on elevated bar, usually same as their bench height)
7. Standing banded Y raise - micro mini band
9. Team abs
10. Banded shoulder traction- light band
Day 4: Max Effort Lower
1. Dynamic Warm up
2. fire hydrant- 80 reps
3. Seated box jump with a 10lb plate - 4x5 or 20 total /5x5 or 25 total
4. SS Yoke bar Squat - 3 rep max / Cambered bar close stance squat - 3RM / straight bar
squat vs chain- 1RM
3 MINUTE CLUSTER ON ALL ACCESSORIES (10 reps/ 15 second rest, repeat for 3
minutes) / 4-minute cluster / 5 minute cluster
5. Pistol Squat to bench - 3 reps/leg
6. Ankle weight Reverse Hyper
7. ankle weight knee raise
8. Front Plank 45 sec on/ 15 sec break
9. Band hip mobility
184
Table of Contents
4 WEEK TRAINING BLOCK OF FALL BASEBALL – POSITION AND PITCHERS
Below is the third phase of a four-week training block for baseball. I am leaving Phase 1
and Phase 2 numbers in so we can see the progressions phase to phase.
The weekly changes will be bolded and separated with a «/.» Phase 3 sets and reps will
be in bold.
Position Players (Fielders and Catchers)
Day 1, Phase 3: Max Effort Lower — Position Player
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. Back Extension or Reverse Hyper: 2x20/3x20
3. Seated Weighted Footslam Box Jump: 4x5 or 20 Total with 10-Pound Dumbbells or
20-Pound Medicine Ball /6x5 or 30 Total Reps
4. SS Yoke Bar Medium Stance Squat with Two Chains for 3RM /Cambered Bar Wide
Stance with Doubled Mini Bands for 1RM / Conventional Pin 3 pull - 1RM
5. Reverse Lunge with SS Yoke Bar: 3x6/Cambered Bar Against Bands: 3x6/ no second
exercise - pin pulls are taxing as is, no point crushing them with another barbell
movement today
Perform accessories in any order.
1. Single-Leg Back Extension: 3x10/4x10/ 4xfail
2. GHR: 3xFailure/4xFailure/ 4 x fail
3. Rollout Abs: 4xFailure/ 4x fail
4. Chin-Ups: 3x6-8/4x8 Dead Hang in Bottom (to traction shoulders and spine)/ 4x fail
- Hang in Bottom (to traction shoulders and spine)
5. Banded Hip Mobility
Day 2, Phase 3: Speed Upper — Position Player
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. External Rotations: 60 Total Reps/80 Total Reps/ 100 total reps
3. Dumbbell Bench with 10% (300-Pound Bench=30-Pound Dumbbells)/Pull-Aparts 4x25
4. Speed Bench with One Chain: 10x3 with 40%, One Failure Set/8x3 with 40% and Two
Chains/ 6x3@ 40% and 2 chain, 2 sets of fail with speed weight and chain
5. Underhand Inverted Row: 3x12/4x12/ 5x12
6. Overhead Banded Side Bend: 4x25 (no rest, just alternate sides)
7. Biceps and Tricep Superset, Athlete Choice: 3xFailure/4xFailure/ 5 by failure
8. Banded Shoulder Traction
185
Table of Contents
Day 3, Phase 3: Speed Lower — Position Player
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. Back Extension or Reverse Hyper: 2x20/ 3x20
3. Weighted Box Jump: 4x5 or 20 Total with 10-Pound Dumbbells or 20-Pound Medicine
Ball/ 8x5 or 40 total
4. SS Yoke Bar Speed Squat with Two Chains: 10x2 with 50%/Cambered Bar with Double
Minis: 8x2 with 50% of Day One/ SS Yoke Bar Speed Squat with Two Chains: 6x2 with
50%
5. Speed Pull from Pin 1 with Two Chains: 10x2 with 60% Max Squat/Speed Pull from Pin
1 with Mini Bands: 10x2 with 60% Max Squat/ Speed Pull from Pin 1 with Mini Bands:
10x2 with 60% Max Squat- sumo stance
Perform accessories in any order.
1. Bull Kicks: 3x20/4x20 (AKA Snoop Dogg Sets)/ 4x30 use light band
2. Prone Banded Hamstring Curl: 100 Total Reps/150 Total Reps/ 200 total reps
3. GHR Sit-Ups: 4xFailure/4xFailure with Band/ 4 x fail with weight
4. Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 3x12, Slow Eccentric/4x12/ 5x 12
5. Groiners: 100 Total Reps/ 140 reps
6. Banded Hip Mobility
Day 4, Phase3: Heavy Upper — Position Player
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. Blackburns: 30 Seconds Each Position/40 Seconds/ 30 seconds each position with
2.5lb plates
3. Overhead Medicine Ball Slam: 3x5/4x5/ 5x5
4. Reverse Band Bench: 3RM (Bar x 20, 95x5 then triples)/Two-Board Fat Bar Press with
One Chain: 1RM/ fat bar floor press w/ 2 chain each side - 1RM, then 2 x fail at 80% of
1 RM
5. One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3x8/4x8/ 5x8
6. Chest Supported Y Raise: 3x20/4x20/ 4x 30 same weight as last week
7. Seesaw Abs: 4x25 (no rest, just alternate sides)/Use Cambered Bar
8. Zottman Curl: 3x12/4x12/ 4x fail
9. Skull Crusher Push-Up: 3xFailure/4xFailure/ 5 x fail
10.
Banded Shoulder Traction
186
Table of Contents
Pitchers
Day 1, Phase 3: Max Effort Lower — Pitcher
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. Back Extension or Reverse Hyper: 2x20/3x20
3. Seated Weighted Footslam Box Jump: 4x5 or 20 Total with 10-Pound Dumbbells or
20-Pound Medicine Ball /6x5 or 30 Total Reps
4. SS Yoke Bar Medium Stance Squat with Two Chains for 3RM /Cambered Bar Wide
Stance with Doubled Mini Bands for 1RM / Conventional Pin 3 pull - 1RM
5. Reverse Lunge with SS Yoke Bar: 3x6/Cambered Bar Against Bands: 3x6/ no second
exercise - pin pulls are taxing as is, no point crushing them with another barbell
movement today
6. Perform accessories in any order.
7. Single-Leg Back Extension: 3x10/4x10/ 4xfail
8. GHR: 3xFailure/4xFailure/ 4 x fail
9. Rollout Abs: 4xFailure/ 4x fail
10.
Chin-Ups: 3x6-8/4x8 Dead Hang in Bottom (to traction shoulders and spine)/ 4x fail
- Hang in Bottom (to traction shoulders and spine)
11.
Banded Hip Mobility
Day 2, Phase 3: Speed Upper — Pitcher
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. External Rotations: 60 Total Reps
3. Dumbbell Bench with 10% (300-Pound Bench=30-Pound Dumbbells)/Pull-Aparts 3x20/
Pull-Apart 4x20
4. Speed Bench with One Chain: 10x3 with 40%, One Failure Set/8x2 into Airex Six-Inch
Wide Foam Pad/ 6x3 into airex six inch wide foam pad
5. Underhand Inverted Row: 3x12/4x12/ 5x12
6. Overhead Banded Side Bend: 4x25 (no rest, just alternate sides)
7. Biceps and Tricep Superset, Athlete Choice: 3xFailure/4xFailure/ 5x12
8. Banded Shoulder Traction
Day 3, Phase 3: Speed Lower — Pitcher
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. Back Extension or Reverse Hyper: 2x20/ 3x20
3. Weighted Box Jump: 4x5 or 20 Total with 10-Pound Dumbbells or 20-Pound Medicine
187
Table of Contents
Ball/ 8x5 or 40 total
4. SS Yoke Bar Speed Squat with Two Chains: 10x2 with 50%/Cambered Bar with Double
Minis: 8x2 with 50% of Day One/ SS Yoke Bar Speed Squat with Two Chains: 6x2 with
50%
5. Speed Pull from Pin 1 with Two Chains: 10x2 with 60% Max Squat/Speed Pull from Pin
1 with Mini Bands: 10x2 with 60% Max Squat/ Speed Pull from Pin 1 with Mini Bands:
10x2 with 60% Max Squat- sumo stance
6. Perform accessories in any order.
7. Bull Kicks: 3x20/4x20 (AKA Snoop Dogg Sets)/ 4x30 use light band
8. Prone Banded Hamstring Curl: 100 Total Reps/150 Total Reps/ 200 total reps
9. GHR Sit-Ups: 4xFailure/4xFailure with Band/ 4 x fail with weight
10.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown: 3x12, Slow Eccentric/4x12/ 5x 12
11.
Groiners: 100 Total Reps/ 140 reps
12.
Banded Hip Mobility
Day 4, Phase 3: Heavy Upper — Pitcher
1. Rolling/Soft Tissue Work
2. Blackburns: 30 Seconds Each Position/40 Seconds
3. Overhead Medicine Ball Slam: 3x5/4x5
4. Reverse Band Bench: 3RM (Bar x 20, 95x5 then triples)/Dumbbell Floor Press with Mini
Band Around Back: 6RM for Two Sets/ fat bar floor press vs 2 chain - 1RM
5. Mini Band Push-Ups:2-3xFailure
6. One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3x8/4x8
7. Chest Supported Y Raise: 3x20/4x20/ 4x30 w/ same weight as last week
8. Seesaw Abs: 4x25 (no rest, just alternate sides)/Use Cambered Bar
9. Zottman Curl: 3x12/4x12
10.
Skull Crusher Push-Up: 3xFailure/4xFailure
11.
Banded Shoulder Traction
188
Table of Contents
189
Table of Contents
190
Table of Contents