NewFunctionalTrainingforSports

SecondEditionMichaelBoyle

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataNames:Boyle,Michael,1959-author.Title:Newfunctionaltrainingforsports/MichaelBoyle.Othertitles:FunctionaltrainingforsportsDescription:SecondEdition.|Champaign,IL:HumanKinetics,[2016]|Includesindex.Identifiers:LCCN2016002990(print)|LCCN2016020908(ebook)|ISBN9781492530619(print)|ISBN9781492530626(ebook)Subjects:LCSH:Athletes--Trainingof.|Physicaleducationandtraining.|Exercise.Classification:LCCGV711.5.B692016(print)|LCCGV711.5(ebook)|DDC796.07--dc23LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2016002990ISBN:978-1-49253061-9(print)Copyright©2016,2014byMichaelBoyleAllrightsreserved.Exceptforuse inareview, thereproductionorutilizationof thiswork inanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,nowknownorhereafter invented,

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ContentsVideoContentsForewordPreface

Chapter1:MakingTrainingMoreFunctionalThreeQuestionstoDefineFunctionalTrainingHowFunctionalTrainingWorksReferencesChapter2:AnalyzingtheDemandsoftheSportMatchingTypeofSportandTypeofTestsTrainSlow,PlaySlowIdentifyingandImprovingKeyQualitiesReferencesChapter3:AssessingFunctionalStrengthAssessingFunctionalUpperBodyStrengthAssessingFunctionalLowerBodyStrengthClosingPointsonFunctionalStrengthTestingChapter4:DesigningaProgramProgramBasicsEssentialsofProgramDesignTheFunctionalContinuumFunctionalTrainingandFemaleAthletesReferencesChapter5:FoamRolling,Stretching,andDynamicWarm-UpFoamRollingStaticStretchingMobilityandActivationDynamicWarm-upDevelopingAgilityandDirectionChangeReferencesChapter6:LowerBodyTrainingStartingWithBody-WeightSquatsDistinguishingtheSquatandDeadlift

SquattingtoPowerliftingParallelBaseline,Regressions,andProgressionsDevelopingSingle-LegStrengthImprovingSingle-LegStabilityHipExtensionsandHealthyHamstringsReferencesChapter7:CoreTrainingCoreFunctionCoreTrainingintheProgramCoreTrainingProgressionintheWeeklyProgramBridgingYourWaytoHealthyHamstringsMedicineBallTrainingReferencesChapter8:UpperBodyTrainingPullingforInjuryPreventionStrengthStandardsVerticalPullingMovementsHorizontalPullingMovementsUpperBodyPressingExercisesOverheadPressingScapulothoracicandGlenohumeralJointTrainingClosingPointsonUpperBodyTrainingChapter9:PlyometricTrainingKeyFactorsinPlyometricTrainingProgressiontoPlyometricsPlyometricsandACLInjuryPreventionChapter10:OlympicLiftingWhyWeOlympicLiftLearningtoOlympicLiftMasteringtheKeyOlympicLiftingPositionsUsingLiftingStrapsAlternativestoOlympicLiftingJumpSquatsKettlebellSwingsChapter11:PerformanceEnhancementProgramsDesigningthePowerandStrengthProgramDevelopingConditioningProgramsConditioningConclusionsReferences

AbouttheAuthor

VideoContents

FoamRolling,Stretching,andDynamicWarm-Up

FoamRollingtheGluteusMaximusandHipRotatorsFoamRollingtheLowBackFoamRollingtheUpperBackFoamRollingtheTensorFasciaeLataeandGluteusMediusFoamRollingtheAdductorsFoamRollingthePosteriorShoulderFoamRollingthePecsBoxHipFlexorStretchT-SpineDrill2T-SpineDrill3AnkleMobilityDrill1AnkleMobilityDrill2HipMobilityDrill2HipMobilityDrill3FloorSlidesBackwardLungeWalkWithHamstringStretchBackwardStraight-LegDeadliftWalkStraight-LegWalkLateralSkipCrossOverSkipCariocaLateralCrawlShuffleWideandStickShuffleQuickandStickCrossinFrontIn-In-Out-OutScissorsHipSwitch

LowerBodyTraining

KettlebellSwingsSplitSquatSlide-BoardLungeCross-ReachingSingle-LegStraight-LegDeadliftCableLoadedSingle-LegStraight-LegDeadliftStabilityBallLegCurl

CoreTraining

StabilityBallRolloutBodySawAbWheelRolloutHalf-KneelingIn-LineStableChopHalf-KneelingIn-LineStableLiftLunge-PositionChopStandingChopStandingLiftStandingTransverseChopStep-UpLiftGet-UpMedicineBallSideThrowMedicineBallHalf-KneelingSideTwistThrowMedicineBallFrontTwistThrowMedicineBallSingle-LegFrontTwistThrowMedicineBallStandingOverheadThrowMedicineBallTallKneelingChestThrow

UpperBodyTraining

Cat–CowSingle-ArmDouble-LegRotationalThrowSportsFlexHigh–LowSportsFlexTStandingExternalRotation

PlyometricTraining

TotalGymJumpTrainerBoxJumpSingle-LegBoxHopSingle-LegLateralBoxHopLateralBoundandStickHurdleJumpandStickSingle-LegHurdleHopandStickSingle-LegLateralHurdleHopandStick45-DegreeBoundandStick45-DegreeLateralBoundPowerSkip

OlympicLifting

HangCleanClose-GripSnatchSingle-ArmDumbbellSnatchSingle-LegCleansandSnatches

ForewordUnqualified was the word that most loudly reverberated throughmy head

whenMichaelaskedme towritea foreword for thisbook. Iknow littleof thepioneersinstrengthandconditioning.AndI’vegivennomorethanacursorysiftthroughthemanyphysicaltrainingpublications.

However,uponfurtherreflection,maybeIhadsoldmyselfshort.MaybethisstrengthandconditioningneophytewasexactlythepersonqualifiedtoevaluatetheexpertiseandinsightofMichaelBoyle’sfunctionaltrainingprograms.Afterall,whobettertovalidateMichael’svastknowledgeandmethodsthananathletewhotrainedunderhistutelage?

Ihavebeenaprofessionalbaseballplayerfor14yearsandspentthelast9inthemajor leagues.Ihavebeentradedandreleased, injuredandhealthy.IhavewontwoWorldSeries,andI’vefinishedinlastplace.ThereisverylittleIhavenotseen,andevenlessIhavenotheard.

I entered the world of professional baseball at a time when players weremembers of one of two classes. There was the position player, or athlete, asdistinct from the pitcher, or nonathlete. Position players trained for strengthgains,strivingtoreplicatethemassesofbodybuilders.Pitchersranpoles.Overthepastdecadewehaveseenaparadigmshift inhowweapproach functionaltraining.Pitchersareconsideredathletes(gasp),andathletestraintobeathletic.

Michael Boyle has been a trendsetter in his dynamic approach to strengthand conditioning, incorporating components of therapy, flexibility, stability,strength,andpowertohisworkouts.Iknow,becauseIspentthewinterof2014attheMichaelBoyleStrengthandConditioningfacility.

MichaelandImetin2012whenIwastradedtotheBostonRedSox.Hewasworkingasastrengthandconditioningconsultantfortheorganization.Acoupleof brief conversations left me impressed. So I thumbed through the originaledition of Michael’s Advances in Functional Training and was even moreinspired. His approach made sense to me. In the preface of that book, Mikereferred to a friendwho had concisely described a proper trainingworkout asone inwhichanathlete is required to“pushsomething,pullsomethinganddosomethingwithyourlegs.”Thesimplicityofthatstatementstruckachord.Formyfunctionaltrainingprogram,Iwouldamendthephraseonlyslightlyto“lift

something,throwsomethingagainstthewall,andjumpoversomething.”Through the years, Michael and I have shared thoughtful dialogue about

pitchingmechanics, injury prevention, and velocity creation. I havewitnessedMichael learn, concurrent with watching him educate. Indeed, at his core,Michaelisateacher.Andaveryfineoneatthat.

However,whatdistinguishesMichaelinthisindustryishisabilitytoclearlycommunicate the physiology and kinesiology underlying his trainingprescriptions and then tailor programs to fit each athlete’s specific needs andgoals.Michaelhascoachedthousandsofathletes,fromeverymajorprofessionalsport, and so what he recommends and teaches is based not on unprovenhypothesesandspeculationbutonconfirmed,time-testedoutcomes.

InNew Functional Training for Sports, Michael shares his knowledge ofathlete performance development and the protocols he has refined throughdecades of research and experience, using thousands of clients as data points.Youwillfindyourselfsoakinginanewfactorexercisetechniqueateveryturnofapage.Michaelwenttheextrayardtoeducateusandequipuswiththeverybest andmost current training techniques.What he produced is an invaluableresourcewithbenefitsforboththeweekendgym-goerandtheseasonedstrengthandconditioningcoach.ItismyhopethatyoufindhisbookasilluminatingasIdid.

CraigBreslowBostonRedSox

PrefaceIn2002aneditoratHumanKineticsapproachedmetowriteabookonthe

functional training of athletes. This was a difficult task because at the time Iwasn’t sure I even knew what functional training was. So I asked if I couldsimplywritewhatIwascurrentlydoingwithmyathleteclients.Theeditorsaidyes,asHKbelievedthatthewaywetrainedbestexemplifiedthisnewconcept,functional training. Inmymind thewaywetrainedwassimplycommonsenseandwasfoundedonwhatIbelievedwerethebestpracticesatthetime.LittledidIknowthenthatthebookandtheconceptsandprotocolspresentedinitwouldhavesuchaprofoundeffectonourfield.

MuchhaschangedsinceIwrotethefirsteditionofFunctionalTrainingforSports.Strengthandconditioning,personal training,andphysical therapyhaveadvanced and to some degree merged into what is being labeled by some asperformance development or performance enhancement. Functional training isnowwidely accepted as the essential way to train around the world. Big-boxgymscompeteforthefunctionaltrainingclient.Everydayinhealthclubsacrossthe world, machines are being moved out to open up space for plyometricequipment, sleds, andkettlebells.Gyms, suchasmyMikeBoyleStrength andConditioningfacilitynearBoston,competeformembersbyofferingnotonlyaplacetoexercisebutalsoguidanceonhowtotraineffectivelyandspecificallyinordertoperformoptimallyandstayinjuryfree.

Being on the forefront of the functional training revolutionwas gratifyingprofessionally,butthatwasnevermymotivation.Ineversoughttobedifferentor cuttingedge;mysoleobjectivewas tobetter servemyathletes,myclients.AllI’veeverwantedtodowaspresentthebestprogramIcouldwhileallowingmyathletestoexcelandatthesametimeremainhealthy.

Yousee,backaroundtheturnofthecentury,Ihadbecomedisillusionedbywhat I perceived to be a Faustian bargain accepted in the strength andconditioning community. Yes, wewere getting athletes stronger and probablybetter,butatwhatcost?Wehad,asaclosecolleagueofmine,GrayCook, soaptlydescribed,becomeverygoodatputtingstrengthontopofdysfunction.

So as I considered a new edition of this book, my intent was to simplyreinforce thecase for functional trainingandupdatesomeof theexercisesand

equipmentused—amodestefforttomodernizeaworkthatwasstartingtoshowitsage.However,asIreviewedthat2004publication,itbecameglaringlyclearthatitwasnotnearlyastimelessasIhadhoped.Somuchneededtobeadded,deleted,orchanged.Centralpiecesofourcurrentprogrammingwerenotevenmentionedintheoriginalwork.Amuchmoreextensiverevisionwasrequired.Indeed,theeffortbecameineffectanewbook!

NewFunctionalTrainingforSportsupdatesalltheinformationcontainedinthe original version to reflect best practices today. In addition, entire newsectionswereaddedtocoverareassuchasfoamrollingandmobility,topicsthatwerenotmentioned in2004.Most chaptershavebeencompletely rewritten toreflect scientific advances, philosophical changes, and additional experiencegainedoverthelastdecade.

ItseemedasifeverytimeIwenttosimplyupdateachapter,IfoundthatIneededtorewriteit.Thechapteroncoretraining(oneofthelongestinthebook)neededtobecompletelyupdatedtoreflectamyriadofchangesandadvancesinhowweviewcoretraining.Thechaptersonlowerbodytrainingalsoneededtobe completely reworked as the line between squats and deadlifts blurred.Hexbars and kettlebells were not even a consideration in 2004, but they are nowcriticalpiecesofour lowerbody trainingphilosophy. In truth,muchmorehaschanged thanhas stayed the same,and Iamsureasyou readyouwill see thesimilaritytotheoriginalworkwhileenjoyingtheupdates.Ihopeyou’llalsonotethe improved design and color-enhanced presentation of the text andphotographs. Additionally, to enhance New Functional Training for Sports,you’llgetaccesstovideosofmanyoftheexercisespresentedinthebook.Theonlinevideo reinforces thewrittenandpictorial instructions from thebook fortheexercises.

Weclassifyourupperandlowerbodyexercisesasbaseline,regressions,orprogressions. Throughout the book, exercises are categorized as one of thesethree types. Baseline exercises are the general starting point for the averageathlete. From here, the athlete either progresses or regresses. Progressions arenumbered, in order from easy to difficult.Regressions are also numbered, butthink easy, easier, easiest. Therefore progression 3 will be a fairly difficultexercise,whileregression3willbeverysimple.

Itaketheroleasauthorofthisbookveryseriously.Havingtraveledaroundtheglobesincethefirsteditionwaspublished,Ihaveagreatappreciationofthepositive impact such a resource can make, and I consider this a tremendousopportunity to educate and assist you. Therefore, my aim inNew FunctionalTrainingforSports istoofferaclear,accurate,andcurrentapproachtoathleteperformancedevelopment, foundedon thebestpractices in functional training.

And my hope is that the many recommendations, exercises, and protocolsprovided in the following pages will enable coaches, trainers, and athletesthroughouttheworldtoexcelintheirrespectiveroles.Nothingwouldpleasememore.

Chapter1MakingTrainingMoreFunctional

Function is, essentially, purpose. When we use the word function we aresayingthatsomethinghasapurpose.Sowhenweapplythattermtotrainingforsportswearetalkingaboutpurposefultrainingforsports.Theideaoffunctionaltrainingorfunctionalexerciseactuallyoriginatedinthesportsmedicineworld.As isoften thecase, the thoughtsandexercisesused in rehab found theirwayfromthephysicaltherapyclinicandathletictrainingroomintotheweightroom.Themostbasicthoughtwasthattheexercisesusedtoreturnanathletetohealthmightalsobethebestexercisestomaintainandimprovehealth.

Sincetheconceptoffunctionaltrainingwasfirstappliedtosportsithasbeenmisunderstood and mislabeled by many athletes and coaches. Terms such assportspecific,whichimpliesthatcertainmovementsandmovementpatternsarespecifictoindividualsports,havebeenusedtodescribesomefunctionaltrainingconcepts. But sport-specific training takes place with the athlete on the mat,field,orcourt,whereasinstrengthandconditioningweworktoget theathletestronger and to improve specific conditioning. Indeed, functional trainingmaybemoreaccuratelyrepresentedbythetermsports-general training thanbythetermsport-specifictraining.

Althoughwemaydealwiththesmallerdetailsofsport-specificadaptationsin this book, it is important to understand that most sports possess far moresimilarities thandifferences.Thesports-general schoolof thoughtviewssportsas being far more similar than different. Actions such as sprinting, striking,jumping,andmoving laterallyaregeneral skills thatapply toabroadrangeofsports.A sports generalist believes that speed training for all sports is similar.Fast is fast regardlessofwhetherweare trainingAmerican footballplayersorsoccer players. Core training is no different for golf than it is for hockey ortennis. In fact, speed training and core training vary very little from sport tosport.

In functional trainingwe look at the commonalities of sport and reinforcethem. At Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MBSC) we have usedremarkablysimilarprogramstotrainOlympicgoldmedalistsinjudoandinicehockey.Infact,ifyouviewedourprograms,thefirstthingthatwouldstrikeyou

is that no matter how different the athletes may appear the program remainssimilar.

ThreeQuestionstoDefineFunctionalTraining

Tobetter understand the concept of functional training, askyourself a fewsimplequestions.

1. Howmanysportsareplayedsittingdown?As far as I can tell, only a few sports, such as rowing, areperformed

fromaseatedposition.Ifweaccept thispremise,wecansee that trainingmusclesfromaseatedpositionwouldnotbefunctionalformostsports.

2. How many sports are played in a rigid environment where stability isprovidedbyoutsidesources?

The answer would appear to be none. Most sports are contested onfieldsorcourts.Thestabilityisprovidedbytheathlete,notbysomeoutsidesource. Reasoning again would tell us that most machine-based trainingsystems are not bydefinition functional because the load is stabilized forthe lifter by the machine. Proponents of machine-based training systemsmightarguethatmachine-basedtrainingissafer,butthereisacleartrade-offforrelativesafetyintheweightroom.

Althoughintheorymachine-basedtrainingmayresultinfewerinjuriesduringtraining,thelackofproprioceptiveinput(internalsensoryfeedbackaboutpositionandmovement)andthelackofstabilizationwillmorethanlikelyleadtoagreaternumberofinjuriesduringcompetition.

3. Howmanysportsskillsareperformedbyonejointactinginisolation?Again, the answer is zero. Functional training attempts to focus on

multijointmovementasmuchaspossible.VernGambettaandGaryGray,twowidely recognized experts on functional training, state, “Single jointmovementsthatisolateaspecificmuscleareverynonfunctional.Multijointmovementswhichintegratemusclegroupsintomovementpatternsareveryfunctional”(2002,paragraph13).

From the answers to those three questions we could probably agree thatfunctional training is best characterized by exercises done with the feet incontactwiththegroundand,withfewexceptions,withouttheaidofmachines.

Resistancetotheconceptoffunctionaltrainingoftenliesintheideathat“wehavealwaysdone it thisway.”But,asLeeCockrellappropriatelyasked inhisbookCreatingMagic,“Whatifthewaywehavealwaysdoneitwaswrong?”

HowFunctionalTrainingWorks

In its most basic application, a functional training program prepares anathletetoplayhissport.Functionaltrainingisnotaboutusingonesporttotrainan athlete for another sport. That’s cross-training. Many collegiate strengthprogramsconfusethetwoand,asaresult,traintheirathletestobepowerliftersand Olympic-style weightlifters as much as they do to excel in their primarysports.

Functionaltrainingontheotherhandusesmanyconceptsdevelopedbysportcoaches to train speed, strength, and power in order to improve sportperformance and reduce incidence of injury.Thekey in taking those conceptsfrom the track coach or powerlifting expert is to apply them intelligently toathletes. They cannot be applied blindly from one sport to another. Rather, aprogram should carefully blend concepts and knowledge from areas such assports medicine, physical therapy, and sports performance to create the bestpossiblescenarioforthatparticularathlete.

Functional training teaches athletes how to handle their own body weightand, in thatsense, somewhat resembles thecalisthenicssopopular in theearly20th century.Thecoach initiallyusesbodyweight as resistance and strives toemploypositionsthatmakesensetotheparticipant.

Functional training intentionally incorporates balance and proprioception(bodyawareness)intotrainingthroughtheuseofunilateralexercises.Gambettaand Gray (2002, paragraph 8) state, “Functional training programs need tointroducecontrolledamountsofinstabilitysothattheathletemustreactinordertoregaintheirownstability.”Thebestandsimplestwaytointroduceinstabilityistosimplyaskanathletetoperformanexercisestandingononeleg.Bydesign,functionaltrainingutilizessingle-legmovementsthatrequirebalancetoproperlydevelop the muscles in the way they are used in sport. Simply learning toproduce force while under a heavy load and on two feet is nonfunctional formostathletes.

Functional training involvessimpleversionsof squatting, forwardbending,lunging, pushing, and pulling. The purpose is to provide a continuum ofexercises that teach athletes to handle their own bodyweight in all planes ofmovement.

A final point on this: Functional training programs train movements, notmuscles. There is no emphasis on overdeveloping strength in a particularmovement; instead, emphasis is on attaining a balance between pushing and

pulling strength and between knee-dominant hip extension (quadriceps andgluteals)andhip-dominanthipextension(hamstringsandgluteals).

Functionaltraininghelpstrainspeed,strength,andpowerinordertoimprovesportperformanceandreduceincidenceofinjury.

©JimDedmon/IconSportswire

TheScienceBehindFunctionalTraining

To trulygrasp theconceptof functional training it isnecessary toacceptanewparadigmtoexplainmovement.Thisnewparadigmwasfirstintroducedbyphysical therapistGaryGray inhisChainReactioncourses in the1990s.Graypromoted a new view of muscle function based not on the old definitions offlexion,extension,adduction,andabductionbutonoperationofkineticchainsandthescienceoffunctionalanatomy.

In the past, a version of anatomybest described as nonfunctional anatomytaughtushowamuscleactedtomoveanisolatedjoint.Thiscouldalsobecalledorigin–insertion anatomy, and it worked fairly well in describing potentialmovement of a cadaver on a table or on a skeleton model. Origin–insertionanatomy required thememorization ofwhere amuscle started (its origin) andended (its insertion) and its isolated action.No thoughtwasgiven towhat themuscledidwhenapersonwasstandingorengaged in locomotion. Incontrast,functional anatomy describes howmuscles act tomove interrelated groups ofjointsandmusclesworkingtogethertoperformmovements.

In functional anatomical terms, Gray described the actions of the lowerextremity during locomotion as follows.When the foot hits the ground, every

musclefromthetrunkdownhasonesimplefunction.Themusclesofthelowerbody(glutes,quads,hamstrings)allacttogethertostoptheankle,knee,andhipfrombendinginordertopreventfallingtotheground.InGray’sterms,all themuscleshavethesamefunctionoraction.Themusclesallact todecelerate,orslowdown,theflexionattheankle,knee,andhip.Thisconceptisadifficultonetoacceptforthosewhohavelearnedconventionalorigin–insertionanatomy,butonfurtherreview,itmakesperfectsense.Inthelandingphaseofsprinting,isthequadricepsakneeextensor?No,whenthefoothitsthegroundthequadricepsisactuallycontractingeccentrically topreventkneeflexion.Are thehamstringsakneeflexor?Thehamstringsinfactareactinginadualroletopreventbothkneeflexionandhipflexion.

As you think this through, the answer becomes more obvious andcorrespondinglyeasiertoaccept.Inthelandingphaseofwalkingorrunning,allthemuscles of the lower extremity act in concert to prevent an action, not tocause one. All the muscles eccentrically (by lengthening) decelerate, or slowdown,flexionattheankle,knee,andhip.

Once you’ve grasped the preceding concept, the next step comes moresimply.Youshouldnowunderstandthataftertheathletehasplacedthefootonthegroundanddeceleratedflexion,allthelower-extremitymusclesagainactasaunittoinitiateextensionattheankle,knee,andhip.Infact,thequadricepsisnot just extending the knee but assistingwith plantar flexion of the ankle andextensionofthehip.

When viewed through the functional anatomy lens, all the muscles acteccentricallyinthefirstsequencetostopamovementandthenmillisecondslateractconcentricallytocreateamovement.Iftheseconceptsbegintomakesense,youareonyourwaytounderstandingthescienceoffunctionalanatomyandtheconceptoffunctionaltraining.

Whenanathleteperformsanonfunctionalexercisesuchasalegextension,sheisusingamuscleactionandnervoussystempatternthatisneveremployedwhenwalkingorrunning.Theathleteisbydefinitionperforminganopen-chainmuscleaction.Open-chainmeansthefootisnotincontactwiththeground(orastableplatform).

Toexerciseamuscleasitwillbeused,youneedtoclosethechainandallowthemusclestoworkastheywouldwhenthefootisontheground.Inregardtothe lower extremity, open-chain or single-joint can be considered almostsynonymouswithnonfunctional.

TheFunctionalTrainingControversyRevisited

Over the past 20 years, there has been amajor shift toward attempting tomaketrainingmorefunctional.Coacheschangedfromaverybilaterallybased,barbell-orientedprogram toaprogram thatplacesmoreemphasisonunilateralexerciseandincorporatesmoredumbbellandkettlebellwork.GaryGray’sworkwasthecatalystforthischange.

Theshiftoriginatedfromthephysicaltherapyprofession,buttheconceptoffunctional training has slowly been adopted by both strength and conditioningcoachesandpersonaltrainers.Itmightbehelpfultoviewstrengthtrainingasacontinuum, with Gray’s multiplane approach on one end and the WestsideBarbellpowerliftingapproachontheother.

Thereasonbehind theexplosivegrowthandrapidacceptanceoffunctionaltraining is simple: Itmakes sense to coaches and athletes and is verified fromtheirexperienceinthetrainingroomandonthecourt,track,orfield.

Oneof the first signs that functional trainingwashere to staywas that thelarge manufacturers of the previously popular single-joint, muscle-isolatingstrength training machines began to introduce what they called ground-basedmachinesandalsobegantomanufacturebasicsquatracksandweightbenches.The popularity of machine-based training has steadily declined as even thegeneralpublicmovestowardmorefunctionaltrainingconcepts.

The popularity of functional training has increased to the point that itemssuch as foam rollers, kettlebells, and resistance bands are now available insportinggoodsstores.ManyhealthclubshavedesignatedareaswithAstroTurfandanarrayoffunctionaltoolsforclientstopracticefunctionaltraining.Small-groupfunctionaltrainingmightbethelargestgrowthareainthefitnessworld.

However, the initial growth period of functional training was not withoutcontroversyanddetractors.Thisresultedfrommisperceptionsbasedonlackofinformation and limited exposure. So, in some circles, functional trainingwassynonymous with balance exercises and stability balls. And that view wassupported,inpart,byafactionoffunctionaltrainingproponentswhowantedtoaccentuate the differences in their approach and deliver a clear message:Functionaltrainingshouldbedonewithoutmachines,shouldbedonestanding,andshouldbemultijoint.Thisseemedlikecommonsenseanddifficulttoarguewith. But many coaches viewed functional training as a move away frombilateralliftingandbarbellsandamovetowardathletesandclientsliftinglightweightsonbalanceboardsandballs.

Surprisingly,however,somecoacheswhohaveembracedfunctionaltrainingespouseconcepts that, in the initialanalysis,appearnonfunctional.Thisuseofapparently nonfunctional exercises by supposed proponents of functionaltrainingcausedsomeconfusioninthefield.Thereasoningbehindthisapparent

contradiction is actually simple. Function varies from joint to joint. Exercisesthat promote the function of joints that require stabilization are different fromexercisesthatpromotethefunctionofjointsthatstriveformobility.

Theprimaryfunctionofcertainmusclesandmusclegroupsisstabilization.Functional training for those muscles involves training them to be betterstabilizers,oftenbyperformingsimpleexercisesthroughsmallrangesofmotion.Inmanycases,intheefforttomakeeverythingfunctional,coachesandathletesendedupneglectingtheimportantstabilizingfunctionsofcertainmusclegroups.

Thethreekeymusclegroupsthatrequirestabilitytrainingarethe

deepabdominals,hipabductorsandrotators,andscapularstabilizers.

Many coaches began to label exercises for these areas as rehabilitative orprehabilitative, but in fact, these exercises are just another form of functionaltraining.Functionattheankle,knee,andhipismaximizedwhenthehipdisplaysgreatstability.

Forsomeathletesthedevelopmentofstabilityatthehipmayinitiallyrequireisolated hip work to properly turn on, or activate, the muscles. PerformanceexpertMarkVerstegenofEXOS(formerlyAthletes’Performance) inPhoenix,Arizona, refers to this concept as “isolation for innervation.”At certain times,certain muscle groups—notably the deep abdominals, hip abductors, andscapular stabilizers—need to be isolated to improve their function. For thisreason, some apparently nonfunctional single-joint exercises may in factimprovefunctionoftheentirelowerextremity.Thisisoneoftheparadoxesoffunctionaltraining.

Functionattheshoulderjointisenhancedbyimprovingthefunctionofthescapular stabilizersand rotatorcuff.Althoughmanyathletesperformexercisesfor the rotator cuff, few exercise scapular stabilizers. But performing sportsskillswithoutstrongscapularstabilizersisliketryingtoshootacannonfromacanoe.At our training facility,most athletes haveboth inadequate rotator cuffstrength and insufficient strength or control of the scapular stabilizers. As aresult,we frequently employ exercises towork on the scapular stabilizers androtatorcuffthatmightappearnonfunctional,butthedevelopmentoftheseareasiscriticalforlong-termhealthoftheshoulderjoint.

Physicaltherapistsareagainleadingthewayindevelopingthestabilizersofthe lowerback. Improvingabdominal strength toaid in thestabilizationof thelower back is far from a new concept, but the specificmethods are changing

rapidly.Thekeytodevelopingatrulyfunctionaltrainingprogramisnottogotoofar

in any particular direction. Themajority of exercises should be done standingand should be multijoint, but at the same time, attention should be paid todevelopment of the key stabilizer groups in the hips, core, and posteriorshoulder.

Asecondfunctionalparadoxrevolvesaroundmultiplanaractivitydoneinasport-specific position. Advocates of this style of functional training espouseloadedexercises(i.e.,donewithadumbbellorweightvest)inaflexedpostureand using foot positions that some strength and conditioning coaches wouldconsiderlessthandesirable.

Althoughathletes find themselves incompromisedpositions incompetitivesituations, coaches need to evaluate how far they arewilling to go in loadingathletesinpositionsofspinalflexion.Asanexample,althoughabaseballplayeroftensquatsdowntofieldagroundballwithaflexedspine,weightedsquattingmovementswiththespineinaflexedpositionmaynotbewise.Atwhatpointdoyoucrossthelinefromsafetrainingintounsafetraining?Ourpositiononthisissimple.Theargumentthat“thishappensinsportsallthetime”isnotsufficienttotakerisksintheweightroom.Whentrainingforstrength,nevercompromisebacksafetytomakethebodypositionoftheexercisemorespecific.

Asyoubegintoexploretheconceptoffunctionaltrainingforsport,keepanopen mind about how and why athletes move in your sport. Think of yourtrainingasavehicletoimproveperformance,notjusttoimprovestrength.Manyathletes have neglected strength training because they do not fully understandtheperformance-enhancingvalueof strength in sports suchasbaseball, tennis,orsoccer.Thekeyfromtheathlete’sstandpointisforthetrainingtomakesense.Thekeyfromthecoach’sstandpoint is tomake the trainingmakesense to theathlete.Atrainingprogrambuiltaroundactionsthatdonotoccurinsportsimplydoesnotmakesense.Thekey is todesignprograms that trulyprepareathletesfortheirsports.Thiscanbedoneonlybyusingexercisesthattrainthemusclesthe same way they are used in sport—in other words, through functionaltraining.

For the strength and conditioning professional, the number one goal of astrength and conditioning program should be injury reduction. In professionalsports, the success or failure of the strength and conditioning program ismeasuredbyplayerhealthmore thanbywins and losses.NFL football uses astatcalledstartersgamesmissed,baseballmonitorsdaysonthedisabledlist,andhockey looksatmangames lost to injury. Ineachcaseplayerhealth seems tocorrelatewithsoundstrengthandconditioningprogramsand teamsuccess.On

theflipside,ifcoachesemployasystemoftrainingthatresultsinfewtraininginjuries but does not reduce competitive injuries, are they doing their job orprotectingtheirjob?

Thekey to every functionalprogram is this:Practicewhatyoupreachandkeepitsimple.

ACaseforSports-GeneralTraining

©Zumapress/IconSportswire

Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is a great example of how sports-general trainingcanbenefit anathlete. InKayla’sprogramwedidnotneed toimitate the throws of judo; we simply needed to get her stronger in basicmovement patterns. The important thing forKaylawas to develop strength inpushing,pulling,rotating,squatting,andlunging.Howwechosetodothatwasbasednotonsportbutoninjuryhistoryandsportdemands.

Judodemandsahighamountofpracticetimeandalotofhigh-impactbodystress.Wechosebrief twice-weeklyworkoutsfocusingonthebasicpush,pull,kneedominant,hipdominant,coretheme,toberepeatedoverandover.

Because judoisayear-roundsport, theprogramwasaversionof thebasictwo-dayprogramsyouwillseeinthelastchapter.Therewasverylittleattempttoimitatejudoandastrongemphasisonthebasicsofstrengthandconditioningasweseethem.

AtypicaltrainingdayforKaylaconsistedofthefollowing:

FoamrollerStretchingDynamicwarm-upPower:medicineballdrillsandplyometricsStrength: push (dumbbell bench press), pull (ring row), knee dominant(single-legsquat),andhipdominant(single-legstraight-legdeadlift)Core: done between sets (basic exercises such as plank, side plank, andcarries)Conditioning:specificfour-minuteboutsthatmatchtheenergydemandsofjudo,doneprimarilyonastationarybiketosavejointstress

References

Cockrell,L.2008.CreatingMagic.CrownBusiness.Gambetta,V.,andG.Gray.2002.TheGambettaMethod:CommonSenseGuidetoTrainingforFunctionalPerformance.GambettaSportsTrainingSystems:Sarasota,FL.

Chapter2AnalyzingtheDemandsoftheSport

Before you can design an effective functional training program, youmustfirstanalyzeandunderstandthedemandsofthesport.Thinkaboutthesport.Seeapictureinyourmind.Whattypeofsportisit?

Most sportsareeitherendurancesportsor speedandpowersports.Almostallteamsportsarespeedandpowersports.Individualsportssuchasgymnasticsand figure skating also rely primarily on speed and power. Racket sports,includingtennis,arespeedandpowersports.

Nowaskyourselfwhothedominantplayersorperformersare in thesport.Aretheytheathleteswiththebestenduranceorthebestflexibility?Mostoftenneither is the case. Usually the best players or top performers are the mostefficientandexplosivemovers.Speedandagilityarethemostprizedqualitiesinalmosteveryfast-pacedpowersport.

MatchingTypeofSportandTypeofTests

Backintheearly1980s,whenprofessionalsportsteamsandtopamateurandprofessional athletes began to seek training advice, they often turned to thewrongpeople.Consultantsemployedbyprofessionalteamsandsportfederationsweremostoftenexercisephysiologistswithlittleornoexperienceinaddressingtheneedsofathletesinspeedandpowersports.Generally,theywereendurance-sportathletesthemselves.

So,ratherthanevaluatingandprescribinginamannermostsuitedtospeedandpowersports,theexercisephysiologistsappliedthesamegenericprotocolastheydidforallathletes:

1. Testtheathletes.2. Analyzethetests.3. Drawconclusions.

Unfortunately, thisvery simplemethod for attempting to improveathletes’fitnessandperformancewasfilledwithflaws,manyofwhichcontinuetoplaguestrengthandconditioningprofessionalsthreedecadeslater.

Most speed and power athletes perform poorly on tests of steady-stateaerobiccapacity( O2).Forsimplicity’ssake,suchtestsaregenerallyperformedon cycle ergometers, but these athletes do not regularly train on a bike. Theconclusion,basedon O2 scores,was that theathleteswereunfit.Theplan tomake them fit almost always emphasized the improvement of the athletes’aerobiccapacity.Therationalewasthataplayerwithahighermaximaloxygenuptakewouldbeabletoplaylongerandrecovermorerapidly.Allofthisseemedscientificandvalid.However,thereareanumberofreasonswhythisapproachdoesnotmeettheneedsofathletesinspeedandpowersports:

Athletes in sports that use primarily fast-twitch muscles and explosivemovements generally performpoorly on tests of aerobic capacity.This isnotanewdiscovery.Well-conditionedathletesinsportsofanintermittentnature(i.e.,mostteamsports) may not necessarily perform well in steady-state tests of aerobiccapacity,particularlywhenthetestisdoneonanapparatus(suchasabike)thatisnottheathletes’primarymodeoftraining.Steady-state or long-distance training to improve the fitness or aerobic

capacityoffastandexplosiveathletesoftendetractsfromthephysiologicalqualitiesthatmaketheseathletesspecial.Explosive athletes frequently develop overuse injuries when required toperformextensiveamountsofsteady-statework.Thetechnologyusedtoimproveaerobiccapacitymayinfactbetheenemy.Lackofgroundcontactandlackofhipextensioncansetanathleteupfornumerousinjuries.

Cyclistsshouldridebikes,rowersshouldrow,athleteswhohavetorunfastshould run fast on the ground, and athletes who have to jump should jump.Cross-trainingmaybeagoodideainlimitedvolumesbutshouldbeusedasanactive rest or injury-avoidance tool.Toomuch dependence on any technologycanhaveaprice.

Wecannow,manyyearslater,seeclearlythatexercisephysiologistslookedat theproblemof improvingathletes’ fitness andperformance from thewrongperspective.Youdon’tsimplyanalyzeatopperformerandseektoimprovehisweakness.Byblindlyattemptingtoimprovewhatisperceivedasaweakness,acoach in factmaybedetractingfromastrength.This isparticularlyapplicablewhentrainingyoungpeople.Whencoachingyoungathletes,emphasisshouldbeplaced on the development of qualities such as speed and power over thedevelopmentofgeneralfitness.

TrainSlow,PlaySlow

Manyanathletehasperformedpoorlybecauseofasimpletrainingmistake:cross country. Countless athletes (often escorted by their upset parents) havecometomeafteradisappointingseasonforwhichtheybelievedtheyhadtrainedsohard.Theycan’tfigureoutwhyallthosemilestheyranneverpaidoff.Someevenreportfeelingastepslow,lackingthatburst—quick,explosivemovement—whentheyneededit.

AnditisallIcandonottoask:Areyoureallysurprised?Instead,Ipointoutsomefacts.No teamsportsentails runningformilesata time.Even ifyoudorunmilesinagame,asinsoccer,thosemilesareaseriesofsprintsinterspersedwithaseriesofwalksor jogs. Inhockey theathletesperformashort seriesofsprints, sit downa fewminutes, and then repeat.Running longdistancesdoesnot prepare an athlete to run short distances, and certainly not to sprintrepeatedly.

There is a concept called sport-specific training.As the phrase suggests, itholdsthat thebestwaytoconditionforasport is tomimictheenergysystemsdemandedinplayingthatsport.Ifthesportissprint,jog,walk,thenthetrainingissprint,jog,walk.Makesperfectsense.

Thereisanotherveryimportantconcepttograsphere:Trainslow,getslow.The reality is it is verydifficult tomake someone fast andvery easy tomakesomeoneslow.Ifyouwanttogetanathleteslow,simplyaskhertorunslower,longer.Simple.Shemaybeinshape,butitisthewrongshape.

Anotherproblemwithasteady-statesportsuchascrosscountryis injuries.Somethinglike60percentofthepeoplewhotakeuprunninggetinjured.Thosearelousyoddsifyou’relookingtobehealthytostartaseason.

Athleteswhodominate their sportsare thosewho run the fastest, jump thehighest,andhavethequickestburst.Yes,conditioningmatters,buttrainforthesport.Liftweights, jump, sprint.Thekey is to gain strength andpower in theoff-season.

Simplyput,anathletewhoisnotacrosscountryrunnershouldn’truncrosscountry.Athleteswhowanttogetfasterandgetingreatsportconditionneedtotrain theway the best athletes train—using a combination of strength trainingandintervaltrainingtoprepareproperly.

IdentifyingandImprovingKeyQualities

Noted speed expertCharlie Franciswrote a landmarkwork in 1986 calledTheCharlieFrancis Training System (reissued asTraining for Speed, Francis1997). In it he described the characteristics of a sprinter and how to properlytrain thesecharacteristics.This informationhasbeen thebasis forourprogramdesignandphilosophysincethattime.

Francis coached many top sprinters, including record-setting sprinter BenJohnson. And, although tainted a bit by Johnson’s use of anabolic steroids,Francis’ accomplishments as a coach cannot be overstated. Canada was notconsideredahotbedofsprinting,butFrancisdevelopedworldrecordholdersinacountrywithoutahugepopulationbase.Hisathleteswongoldmedalsat theOlympicGames,worldchampionships,andCommonwealthGames.

Franciscame to simpleand logical conclusionsaboutdeveloping sprinters.Hebelieved theremustbe sufficientpower-related trainingduringan athlete’searlyyears(ages13to17)tomaintainthegeneticallydeterminedlevelofwhite(fast-twitch or power-related)muscle fiber. Power-relatedwork also promotestheshiftoftransitionalfibertopower-relatedmusclefiber.Francis(1997)states,“Endurance work must be carefully limited to light-light/medium volumes toprevent the conversion of transitional or intermediate muscle fiber to red,endurancemusclefiber.”

Francis believed not only that can youmake an athlete into a sprinter butalso,more importantly, that youmight negatively affect an athlete’s ability todevelop speed by focusing on endurance. In otherwords, it’s easy tomake asprinterintoanenduranceathlete,butthisisseldomadesirableresult.

Thebiggerandmoreimportantpointhereisthatitisessentialtoanalyzeasporttoascertainthequalitiesthatmakeagreatperformerandthentodevelopaprogram to improve those qualities. That is much different from analyzing aperformerandtryingtoimprovewhathedoesnotdowell.

For years coaches have been trying to improve the aerobic capacity ofexplosiveathletes.Theend result seems tobeanathletewithahigheroxygenuptakebut no real change in performance.Trainingprogramsdesigned in thiswayimprovetheathlete’sabilitytoworkatasustainedpaceinsportsthatdonotrequireasustainedpace.

Thedefendersofthispracticepointtotheimportanceoftheaerobicsystemtorecoveryand tellus things like“Asoccerplayer runsfivemiles inasoccermatch”or“Atennismatchcanlasttwohours.”Thispointisnotcontestable.The

question is,Atwhat speedand inwhat timeperiod?A tennismatchmay taketwohourstoplay,butwhatistheratioofsprintingtostanding?Aretheplayersinconstantmotion?Theadvocatesofaerobictrainingneverpointtothistrainingasawaytoimproveperformance,onlyasawaytoimproverecovery.Thegoalistoimproveperformance.

Asoccermatchisactuallyaseriesofsprints,jogs,andwalksthatoccurovertwohours.Anyathletecanrunfivemilesintwohours.Infact,fivemilesintwohours is two point fivemiles per hour. That is a slowwalk pace.Most unfitpeoplecanwalkfivemilesintwohours.Theimportantpointisthatgreatsoccerplayers can accelerate and decelerate repeatedly during these two hours.Nowaskyourself,“Howdoesanathleteconditionforsoccer?”

To train for sports such as soccer or tennis, athletes must sprint anddecelerate, often from top speed, to be prepared to play the game.Will theydevelopthisabilityinfive-mileruns?Probablynot.Thesamelogiccanapplytoalmostanypowersport. In football theathletegenerally runs10yardsor less.Theplaystake5seconds.Thereisalmost40secondsofrestbetweenplays.Howshould you condition for football? Probably with short sprints with 30-to 40-second rests.This is thekey toanalyzinga sport.Watch thegame.Watch thegreat players. Look for the common denominators. Don’t focus onwhat theycan’tdo;trytofigureoutwhythegreatathletesdothingswell.Don’tcontinuetoacceptwhatisviewedascommonknowledgeifitdefiescommonsense.

Totrainforsportssuchastennis,athletesmustsprintanddecelerate,notjustdo5-mileruns.

©JuanSalas/IconSportswire

Toanalyzeasportaskyourselfafewquestions:

Doesthesportrequiresprintingorjumping?Ifso,thenlowerbodystrength(particularlythesingle-legvariety)iscritical.Areyourequiredtostopandstartfrequentlyinyoursport?How long is the event, or how long does a play last? (This is a bitcomplicated,butthinkaboutthetotallengthofagame,program,orroutine;orthinkabouthowlongtherestisbetweenshifts,plays,orpoints.)Aretheplayersonthefield,ice,track,orcourttheentiretime?Ifyes,howoftendotheysprint,andhowoftendotheyjog?Dotheyjogforextendedperiodsoftime(morethanfiveminutes)?Ifnot,thenwhydoitintraining?Does an athlete’s speed and power place her in the top 10 percent ofathletes in her sport? [Male athletes:Can I complete the 10-yard dash inunder1.65electronic?(Electronicreferstomoreaccurateelectronictimingratherthanahandheldstopwatch.)CanIjumpverticallyover34inches(86cm)? Female athletes: Can I complete the 10-yard dash in under 1.85electronic?CanIjumpverticallyover25inches(64cm)?Iftheanswersareno,youcanalwaysusemorespeedandpower.]

Speedandpowerareessentialforalmostallsports.Tennis,soccer,baseball,gymnastics, figure skating, and other sports too numerous tomention all relyheavily on power and speed. The key to improving sport performance lies inimproving the ability to produce speed and power. Endurance should be anafterthought.Wetellourathletesoverandoverthatittakesyearstogetfastandpowerful and mere weeks to get in aerobic shape.With this in mind as youcontinue to read, think about how you are currently training yourself or yourathletesandhowyoumighttrainsmarter.

RegainingLostPower

CourtesyUniversityofMinnesotaAthleticDepartment/BrettGroehler

ZoeHickelwas captain of theUniversity ofMinnesotaDuluth’swomen’shockeyteam.Shewasaperfectexampleofanathletewhoworkedhardandwasingreatconditionbutwasprobablyemphasizingthewrongqualities.Asan18-year-old Zoe was one of the top collegiate recruits and had represented theUnitedStatesonthewomen’snationalunder-18team.However,threeyearsofhardwork in college had actuallymanaged to decrease her vertical jump andprobablylimithereffectiveness.

In2014ZoemovedtoBostonforaninternshipatMikeBoyleStrengthandConditioningandfocusedonourprogram,whichfeatureslittletonoendurancetrainingandnolong,slowdistancework.Zoe’slongestrunofthesummerwasprobablya300-yardshuttlerun.

InjustsevenweeksZoeincreasedherverticaljumpbythreeinches(backto

her level of three years earlier), gained six pounds, and was now properlyprepared for her first national tryout camp in four years. The keys were asignificant decrease in endurancework, an increased emphasis on lower bodystrength,andaprogramdesignedtogainleanmass.ZoewastheleadingscorerincampandearnedaspotontheU.S.women’snationalteam.Notsurprisingly,Hickelalsohadherbestoffensiveyear,leadingUMDinscoringwith19goalsand13assistsandearningAll-Leaguehonors.

References

Francis,C.1997.TrainingforSpeed.Ottawa,Ontario:TBLIPublications.

Chapter3AssessingFunctionalStrength

Asstatedinchapter1,functionaltrainingistrainingthatmakessense.Afteranalyzingthedemandsofthesport,thenextstepistogaugeyourstrengthsandweaknesses or the strengths andweaknesses of your athletes.The tests in thischapterallowforself-assessment.

Itisextremelyraretofindanathletewhohastoomuchstrength,toomuchpower, or too much speed for his sport. You rarely hear a televisioncommentator say, “Boy, he was so fast he ran right by that ball.” Think ofstrength as the road to speed and power. The key is to develop functionalstrength,strengthanathletecanuse.

Objectivemeasurementoffunctionalstrengthcanbehumblingforeventhebest athletes. To assess functional strength, athletes must move against aresistanceinamannerthatis likelytooccurinsportorlife.Soitmakessensethat one’s own body weight—the most common form of resistance—is mostfrequentlyemployedinfunctionalstrengthassessmentexercises.

Atypicalstrengthtestrequirestheathletetomoveapredeterminedamountof weight in an exercise for which there are readily available norms. Forexample, the bench press is a test frequently used to measure upper bodystrength.Butdoessuchatesttellusmuchaboutanathlete’sfunctionalstrength?

Remembertoothatrawnumbersmustbeputintocontext.Inmostcasesanathletewhocanbench-press350pounds (160kg)wouldbeconsideredstrong.Butwhat if the athleteweighs 350 pounds? The athlete can then bench-pressonly his own body weight. Don’t be fooled by the number; athletes need toperformfunctionalexerciseswiththeirbodyweight.

Those who advocate the development of functional strength question thevalueofatestinwhichtheathleteliesontheback.Inmostsports,lyingontheback indicatesa failure toperformatahigh level.Wetellour footballplayersthis: Ifyouare lyingonyourbackpushingup,youstinkat football.Does thismean you cannot bench-press in a functional program? No, you can use thebenchpress todevelopgeneralupperbodystrength,but ifyoucannotperformbody-weight exercises such as push-ups and chin-ups, then you are notfunctionallystrongandmaybemorelikelytobeinjured.

A good functional strength training program employs both tried and true

strengthexercisessuchasthebenchpressandlessconventionalexercisessuchasasingle-legsquat,arear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat,apush-up,orasingle-legstraight-leg deadlift. The key is tomake the programmore functionalwithoutthrowing out the baby with the bathwater. Methods that have been used todevelopstrengthsuccessfullyfor50yearsneednotalwaysbesacrificedjusttohaveamorefunctionalprogram.

Ontheothersideofthecoin,don’tjustdevelopstrengthforstrength’ssake.For too long we have relied on sports such as powerlifting or Olympicweightliftingtodefineourathletes’strengthlevels.Coachesoftenhaveimitatedorcopiedothersportsintheirattemptstomaketheirathletesbetter.Thekeyinfunctionaltrainingistodevelopusablestrength.

However, functional training does not need to be an either/or proposition.Tooofteninthefieldofstrengthandconditioning,coachesattempttoadheretoone school of thought as opposed todeveloping appropriate trainingprogramsfortheirathletes.AthletesintrainingarenotnecessarilypowerliftersorOlympiclifters, so the objective should be to combine knowledge from a number ofdisciplinestoprovidethebesttrainingprogrampossible.InthewordsofEXOSperformance coach Denis Logan, we need to “develop great athletes that aregoodweightlifters.”

AssessingFunctionalUpperBodyStrength

So, howbest to determine an athlete’s functional strength?Over the yearsI’vefoundthreesimpleteststobemosteffectiveandaccurateintheassessmentoffunctionalupperbodystrength.

MaximumNumberofChin-UpsorPull-Ups

Correctchin-up(palmstowardtheface)andpull-up(palmsawayfromface)technique is essential for accurate assessment. Elbowsmust be extended aftereach rep is completed, and the shoulderbladesmust abduct toproducevisiblemovement (see figure3.1).Don’t count any repsnotdone to full extensionoranyrepsinwhichthechindoesnotgetabovethebar.

Kipping(usingmomentumtomovethebody)isnotallowed.Mostathleteswhoclaim theycando largenumbersofpull-upsorchin-upsactuallyperformhalforthree-quarterreps.

Athleteswho cannot do a chin-up are not functionally strong andmay bemorelikelytobeinjured,particularlyintheshoulder.Mostathleteswilltakeupto one year to achieve even the high school level if they have not regularlyperformedchin-ups.

Inordertoimproveatchin-ups,anathletecannotfollowaprogramofpull-downexercises.Instead,exercisessuchasassistedchin-upsandorchin-upswithaneccentricemphasis (10-to20-second lowerings fromthebar)mustbedone.Pleaserefertochapter8fordetailedchin-upprogressions.

We have adapted our standards and now require athletes to move to aweightedchin-uponcetheycando10chin-ups.Onceanathletedoes10repsatbodyweight,heisrequiredtoadda25-pound(10kg)weightsuspendedfromadipbeltforthenexttest.Generallythisbringstherepsdownfrom10to3,butmost importantly it forces the athlete to strength-train.As strength is thegoal,wewantthetesttoreinforceourpathtowardthegoal.

Themaximumnumberofchin-upsorpull-upsmaybeusedtodeterminetheweights used for weighted repetitions. Using this type of testing and trainingprogression,we now have female athleteswho can perform five repswith 45pounds(20kg)andmaleathleteswhouseover90pounds(40kg)forweightedchin-ups.

Figure3.1Chin-up.

MaximumNumberofSuspensionInvertedRows

Thesuspensioninvertedrowisthereverseofthebenchpressandprimarilyworksthescapularretractors,shouldermusclesinvolvedinpullingmovements.If athletes cannot perform a suspension inverted row, they lack upper backstrength and should begin with the basic rowing progressions described inchapter 8. An athlete who lacks upper back strength is at greater risk forproblemsrelatedto theshoulder’srotatorcuff.This isofparticular importanceto athletes prone to rotator cuff problems such as swimmers, tennis players,pitchers,quarterbacks,andotherthrowingathletes.

Theathleteplacesthefeetonabenchorplyoboxandgripsthehandlesorringsasif toperformabenchpress.Thesuspensionapparatusshouldbesetataboutwaistheight.Withtheentirebodyheldrigid,theathletepullsthehandlestothechest.Thethumbsmusttouchthechest,withnochangeinbodyposition.Make sure there is full extension of the elbow and the body is kept perfectlystraight.Countonlytherepsinwhichthethumbstouchthebodywhilethebodyremainsstraight(seefigure3.2).

Aswiththechin-up,onceanathletecanperform10repsa10-pound(5kg)weight vest is added.Again, the focus is on the development of strength, notendurance.

Figure3.2Suspensioninvertedrow.

MaximumNumberofPush-Ups

Thisisamuchmoreaccuratetestforlargerathletesthanthebenchpress.Foreachpush-up,thechestshouldtouchatwo-inch-thick(5cm)foampadandthetorsoshouldstayrigid.Theheadmuststayinlinewiththetorso.Donotcountrepsinwhichbackpositionisnotmaintained,thechestdoesnottouchthepad,theheadprotrudes,ortheelbowsarenotfullyextended.Topreventcheatingandmakecountingsimple,useametronomesetat50beatsperminute.Theathleteshouldkeeppacewith themetronome,goingupon thefirstbeatanddownonthenext.Thetestisoverwhentheathletefailstodoanotherpush-uporcannotkeeppacewiththemetronome.

Asintheprevioustwotests,oncetheathletecompletes10reps,aweightedvest(initiallya10-pound[5kg]vestandthena20-pound[10kg]vest)isadded.Forfurtherprogression,higherrepscanbedoneoncethe20-poundvestisused,orplatescanbeplacedontheback.

AssessingFunctionalLowerBodyStrength

Safely and accurately assessing functional lower body strength issignificantly more difficult than assessing upper body strength. In fact, fewreliable tests exist that safely measure functional lower body strength. Theconventionaldouble-legbacksquathasbeenusedformanyyearstotest lowerbodystrength,butthesafetyofthattestisquestionable,particularlywhendoneforonemaximumrepetition.Inaddition,manypractitionersviewthebacksquatasanexerciseadoptedfromtrainingforAmericanfootball,andthusnotsuitablefortheneedsintheirsport.

Rear-Foot-ElevatedSplitSquat

Over the past five years we have attempted to develop and administer avalid,reliable,andsafelowerbodytestthatisalsosimpletoperform.Wehavebegunusingmaximumreps,orRM(mostrepetitionsanathletecanperformatapreselected load), of the rear-foot-elevated split squat as a test of functionallower body strength. Although it’s not perfect, we’ve found the test to beeffectivebothinassessingstrengthandgaugingprogress.

The test is relatively simple. The athlete places the back foot on aconventionalexercisebenchoraspeciallydesignedstand,withanAirexpadonthefloortoprotectthekneefromtherepeatedcontact.Theathleteselectsaloadin the 5RM range and then performs as many repetitions as possible untiltechnicalfailure(i.e.,untilshecannolongermaintainperfecttechnique).

Loads typically entail two dumbbells or two kettlebells. Kettlebells arepreferredbecausetheyareeasiertohold.Thissideloadingispreferredtoabackor front squat position for safety reasons. Failure with dumbbells held at thesideswillsimplyresultinapairofdumbbellsonthefloor.Failureinabackorfrontsquatpositioncouldresultinunsafe,compromisingpositions.

Another possibility is to test single-leg squats. We have found thatfunctionally strong athletes can perform sets of five single-leg squats whileholding 5-pound (2.5 kg) dumbbells by the beginning of the fourthweekof aproperlydesignedtrainingprogram(seefigure3.3).Athletesunfamiliarwithorunaccustomedtosingle-legstrengthworkshouldprogress through threeweeksofsplitsquats(bothfeetonthefloor)orthreeweeksofrear-foot-elevatedsplitsquats(backfootelevated)beforebeginningsingle-legsquats.Ourelitefemalescando10repetitionswith40pounds(20kg)oftotalweight(20-poundvestand

10-pounddumbbells),whileourmalescanhandleupto100pounds(45kg)oftotal external load. Weighted repetitions can get difficult for males becausemultiplelayersofweightvestsareneeded.

Figure3.3Rear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat.

Finally, it is nearly impossible to safely assess functional lower body

strengthwithoutfirstteachingtheathletetheexerciseusedinthetest.Ifthisisnotpossible,thentheriskfaroutweighsthepotentialbenefitsofanyinformationobtained.

Double-LegVerticalJump

Asimplealternativeistousethedouble-legverticaljump(seefigure3.4)toassesslegpowerandthentoreassesslegpowerafteraproperstrengthprogramhasbeeninitiated.Theverticaljumptestisrelativelysafetoadministerandhasreadily available norms. Increases in leg power will be at least partiallyattributabletoincreasesinlegstrength.

The Just Jump System and Vertec are the best devices for evaluating thevertical jump, although both methods have inherent flaws. (Both devices aredistributed by M-F Athletic Company and can be purchased atwww.performbetter.com.)

JustJumpisadevicethatmeasurestimeintheairandconvertsittoinches.Theathletemustjumpandlandinthesameplace,andtheathletemustlandtoesfirstwithnokneeliftorkneebend.Allthesefactorsmayinfluencethescore.

Vertec is an adjustable device that measures both reach height and jumpheight.WithVertec, the reachmeasurementmust be accurate.At our trainingfacility, we test a two-hand reach and a one-hand touch on the jump.Consistencyamongtestersandintestadministrationisessential.

Figure3.4Double-legverticaljump.

ClosingPointsonFunctionalStrengthTesting

Testsareusedtoevaluateprogress.Theyarenottheprogramandshouldnotbetheprogram.Testingonlyshowswhatareasareinneedoftrainingandwhatareasmaybepronetoinjury.Butthenumbersobtainedfromtestingarehelpfulinmotivatingandmonitoringsubsequentstrengthdevelopment.

Some coachesmay criticize the testing protocols presented in this chapterbecausesomeofthetestscanbeconstruedastestsofmuscularendurance,eventhoughthenumberofrepetitionsarecapped.AlthoughIsomewhatagree,itmustbe stated again that the tests are not the training program, only a method ofevaluatingprogress.

Atthispointyoushouldbetterunderstandthedemandsofthesportandhavean ideaofyourstrength levelor thestrength levelofyourathletes.Hopefully,theprinciplesoffunctionaltrainingarebecomingclearertoyou.Theideaistodevelopaplanthatmakessenseforthesportandstrengthensareasthatarekeytoperformanceortoinjuryprevention.Theevaluationoffunctionalstrengthisan importantstep indevelopinga trainingplan to improve.Thenextstep is todeveloptheplan.

FunctionalStrengthtoShutOutIceHockeyInjuries

©FredKfouryIII/IconSportswire

WeinstitutedabatteryoffunctionalstrengthtestssimilartothosedescribedinthischapterwiththeBostonUniversitymen’shockeyteam,andtheresultsin

termsofstrengthgainandinjurypreventionwereoutstanding.Ouraverage1RMinthechin-upwas100pounds(45kg)whenwetested.

Initially, 10 to 15 body-weight chin-ups was considered an excellentperformance;fiveyearslateritwouldbeconsideredbelowaverage.Inourgymitisnormaltoseeeveryoneperformingweightedchin-ups,anditisnotunusualtoseemalesperformingrepswith45-pound(20kg)plates.

It is also worth noting that we had very few collision-related shoulderinjuries on our BU teams. This is strong evidence for the injury preventionbenefits of a balance of pushing and pullingmovements against resistance intraining.

Chapter4DesigningaProgram

Italkfrequentlywithcoachesaboutsportperformanceprogramming.Oftentheconversationstartssomethinglikethis:“Iusealittleofyourstuff,alittleofMarkVerstegen’sstuff,andmixinalittleof...”Thisisalmostalwaysmeantasacompliment,butitcomesoffadifferentway.

Whenitcomestodevelopingnewperformanceprogramsoradoptingallorpartsofexistingprograms,ananalogyfromtheculinaryindustryapplies.Somepeoplecanreallycook;othersneedcookbooksandrecipes.Somepeoplewritecookbooks;othersreadcookbooks.Evenintherestaurantworld,therearecooksandtherearechefs.Cooksfollowtherecipes,whilechefscreatetherecipes.

So are you a cook or a chef? If you are creating your first program foryourselforforateam,youareacook.Findagoodrecipethatmeetsyourneedsandfollowitexactly.Furthermore,incooking,everyingredientinarecipehasapurpose.Mostbakedfoodsrequireflour,forexample.Youwouldn’tbakeacakeandleaveouttheflour,wouldyou?

Ifyouwerecookingsomethingforthefirsttime,wouldyoutaketworecipesfrom two different cookbooks and combine them?Would you add ingredientsfromoneoftherecipeswhilesubtractingingredientsfromtheother?Ifyoudidthis,wouldtheendproductbegood?No.Thesamethinghappenswhencoachesdeveloptheirperformancetrainingprogramsfromamixtureofsources.

Unfortunately,whenitcomestoprogramdesign,thisisexactlywhatmanycoachesdo. Ihaveathleteswhohave trainedwithmeforyearsandeventuallybecomecoachesthemselves.Insteadofusingtheprogramthatwassosuccessfulforthem,theyalterit.Thentheyemailmetheprogramandsay,“Canyoulookthisover?”Invariablytheprogramisa littleofmineandalittleof theirs,withmaybe a touch of a third party’s.A combination of recipes if youwill.Also,invariablytheprogramispoor.Thesearenotexperienced“chefs,”yettheyhavechosen to alter the recipe to suit their taste. The better choice is to choose arecipe created by an experienced chef and then do a great job ofmaking themeal.Inotherwords,coachtheheckoutoftheprogram.

Ifyouhavebeendevelopingprogramsforafewyears,yourexpertisemightbe theequivalentofasous-chef’s.Thesous-chef is thesecond incommand inthe kitchen. Many third-and fourth-year coaches are sous-chefs. They have

developed the ability to alter the recipe without spoiling the meal. Theyunderstandthatingredientscanbealteredbutthatthereshouldbeaplan.Theyalsounderstandthattheplanshouldbefollowed.Thesous-chefknowsthattheratioofingredientsmattersandthatyoudon’tsimplycooktoyourowntaste.

Finally,afterfiveyearsofsuccessfulprogramdesign,youmightqualifyasachef.Atthispointyoucancontemplateboldchangestotherecipebecauseyouhave extensive experience cooking and baking. One noted strength andconditioningcoachusedtosay,“It’sokaytobreaktherules.Justmakesureyouunderstand the rules first.”After five years you should not be looking at newtrainingDVDs and scrapping yourwhole program.Chefs don’t abandon theirchosencookingapproach in favorof the latest trend. Instead,youmakeminoradjustmentsthatyoubelievewillfurtherrefineyoursystem.

My experience suggests that most coaches need more direction inperformance training program design. Don’t be afraid to copy if you are abeginner. In fact, I would encourage you to copy rather than to mix. Theprogramsinthisbookareprovidedforjustthatpurpose.Iwouldratheryoucopymyprogramthanattempttoaddbitsoftherecipeinthisbooktotherecipesofothers.

In previous writings I have warned that it is a mistake to simply copyprograms. What I should have said is that it is a mistake to blindly copyprograms.Sobeinformed,andbecarefulanddiscerninginyourchoice.Butifyou are not confident or prepared to create a program, feel free to copy.Cookbookswerecreatedforareason.

ProgramBasics

Once you have honestly assessed where you fit on the program designproficiencycontinuum,thenextstepistoensureyouunderstandtheunderlyingconcepts.Thischapterwillfamiliarizeyouwiththeconceptsofprogramdesign,the tools used to implement those concepts, and how to properly progress afunctionaltrainingprogram.

ProgrammingforConditioningandFitness

Everyprogrammuststartwithatwo-orthree-weekbase-buildingperiod.Forathletes ingreat shapealready, thispreparatoryperiodkeeps their fitness fromdeclining.Forathleteswithanysignificantdeficitintheirbaselinefitness,itwillsoundanalarm.

Thepreparatoryperiodshouldconsistoftemporunningtodevelopabaseofsprint-related conditioning. Tempo running is neither sprinting nor jogging. Itconsists of runs of various distances (generally 100 or 200 yards or meters)interspersedwithwalking recovery.Atour training facility, athletes frequentlystride the length of our 40-yard turf, turn, and stride back.A stride is in thatmiddle ground between a jog and a sprint. We also do tempo runs on ourtreadmills,pickingamoderatestridepace(9to10MPH),anddointervalssuchas15on,30offor20on,40off.

Afterensuringanadequatefitnessbaseyoucanstartdesigningafunctionalexercise program.The emphasis is not just on improving strength but also oncreatingstrengththatcanbeusedinsportorinlife.

Tobegin,reviewthesebasicquestionsposedinchapter2:

Isyoursportasprint-dominatedsportthatemphasizesspeedandpower?Areyourequiredtostopandstartfrequentlyinyoursport?Howlongdoesaplay,point,shift,orroutinelastinyoursport?

After analyzing what actually happens in a game, choose conditioningactivitiesthatattempttomimictheenergysystemsandstyleofthegame.Thenbespecific:Athletesneed tobe toldhowfar to run,howfast to run, andhowmuch rest to take between runs. Athletes allowed to run at their own paceusuallyruntooslowly.Athletesallowedtocontrol theirownrestperiodsmostoftenresttoolong.

Soccer, fieldhockey, lacrosse,basketball,and icehockey, forexample,areallsprint-dominatedsportsinwhichathletesstopandstartfrequently.Itmakessense, then, that training should feature stop-and-start conditioning activities,suchasthe300-yardshuttlerun.

ProgrammingforStrength

From a strength standpoint,most sports are the same.One ofmy favoritequoteswasprovidedbyMarcoCardinale,high-performancedirectorforLondon2012, at a seminar I attended inBoston. “Your sport is not different, you justthinkitis.”

CardinalewasreferringtohisexperiencestryingtocoordinatestrengthandconditioningfortheLondonOlympics.Allthecoachesbelievedtheirprogramsneededtobedifferentbecausetheirsportwasunique.Thetruthisthatthebasicstrength training needs are prettymuch alike across sports. And, even if theyweredifferent, itwouldnotdrasticallychange thewayyoustrength-train.Theconditioningaspectofpracticemightbedifferent,butstrengthtrainingprobablyfollowsthe80–20rule,ortheParetoprinciple.Eightypercentofwhatwedointheweightroomwillbethesameforeverysport.Everyathletehasthesamesetsofmuscles,andstrengtheningthosemuscleswillbeamazinglysimilar.

Strength is needed to facilitate power and speed. Think of strength as thebase on which everything else is built. However, don’t think of the simpleconceptofbilateralstrength;rather,focusonspecificunilateralstrength.

Astrengthprogramisassimpleasapush,apull,aknee-dominantexercise,a hip-dominant exercise, and some core work. I have had the pleasure ofcoaching or training Olympic medalists and world champions in basketball,football, icehockey,soccer, judo, rowing,andahostofothersports. Ican tellyouthat80–20isaccurate,andifitisnot,it’scloserto90–10than70–30.

EssentialsofProgramDesign

To properly design a functional strength training program, keep thefollowingprinciplesinmind.

Learn the basic patterns first. Master the movement basics beforeconsideringprogressionstomakeanexerciseprogrammorefunctional.Thebiggestmistakeisforathleteswhoarenotcompetentinabasicmovement,suchasthesquat,toattempttoloadoradvancethemovement.Anathletemustfirstmasterthebody-weightversionsofeveryexercisebeforeloadingthe exercises. Then and only then should you follow the recommendedprogressions.Beginwithsimplebody-weightexercises.Thenumberonewaytodestroyastrengthprogram isbyattempting to lift toomuchweight too soon. If anathlete can perform an exercise with body weight but struggles with anexternalload,thenobviouslytheexternalloadistheproblem.Eitherreduceor eliminate the external load. For upper body pulling or rowingmovements, many athletes are unable to begin with even body-weightresistance.Inthiscase,machinesorelasticassistancemaybenecessary.Progress from simple to complex. The progressions in this book weredeveloped over many years. Follow the progressions. For single-legexercises, theathleteshouldmasterthesimplestexercise,suchasthesplitsquat,beforeprogressingtoamorecomplexexercisesuchastherear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat.Theexercisesfollowafunctionalprogressionandaddincreasinglevelsofdifficultyattheappropriatetimeasneeded.Usetheconceptofprogressiveresistance.Progressiveresistanceisthekeytosuccess.Inthesimplestsense,trytoaddweightorrepseveryweek.Ifanathlete does the same weight for one or two more reps, she has madeprogress.Ifanathleteusesaweightthatis5pounds(2.5kg)heavierforthesamenumber of reps, he hasmadeprogress.WehavebuiltOlympic andworld champions with these simple principles. Progressive resistance iscreditedtoMiloofCrete,whoeventuallycarriedabullbybeginningwithacalfandcarryingiteverydayasitgrew.Asthecalfgrewtoabull,Milo’sstrengthgrewwithit.Thisisthesimplebasisforstrengthtraining.

Forbody-weightexercise,theprogressionissimple.Beginwiththreesetsof8repetitionsinweek1,movetothreesetsof10inweek2,andfinishwiththree

setsof12inweek3.Thisissimpleprogressiveresistancetrainingutilizingjustbodyweight.

Bythefourthweek,youcangenerallyprogresstoamoredifficultexerciseor add external loads. External resistance can be a dumbbell, a kettlebell, aweight vest, a sandbag, or amedicine ball.Thesemore difficult exercises canthen be progressed by the samemethod (8-10-12) or through basic resistanceconcepts. Simply adding 5 pounds per week to an exercise can theoreticallyresultinanincreaseof260pounds(120kg)peryear.Mostathletesdreamaboutgains like this, and in reality,most athletes eventually plateau on this type ofprogram, but beginners can progress for a long time with basic resistanceprogression.

Oneword of advice in program design:Don’t design a program based onwhatyoulikeordislikeasacoachor trainer;designaprogramthatworksfortheathlete.

Periodization

Periodizationmight be themost overstudied subject in the trainingworld.Tens of thousands of pages have been written detailing the complexities ofmicrocyclesandmesocycles.Andthishasonlyservedtoconfusewhatshouldbea fairly simple concept, as articulated by strength and conditioning legendCharlesPoliquin in the1988article“Variety inStrengthTraining”:“Phasesofhigh volume (accumulation, extensive loading), high intensity (intensification,intensiveloading)andunloadingshouldbemodulatedwithintheprogram.”

It really is that simple. Higher-volume, lower-load periods should bealternatedwithhigher-intensity,lower-volumeperiods.DanJohn,anothergiantin the field, recommended between 15 and 25 reps for major exercises. Thatmeansyouhavethechoiceofaccumulatingvolumewiththreesetsofeight(24reps)orexercisingmoreintenselywiththreesetsoffive(15reps).

The big takeaway is to write simple programs and coach them. A well-coachedbadprogramwillbeatapoorlycoachedgoodprogrameverytime.Thedevilisinthedetailsoftheexecution.

ExerciseClassifications

Ourupperbody, lowerbody,andcoreexercisesareclassifiedaccording tooneofthreeterms:

Baseline

ProgressionRegression

Baselineexercisesarethegeneralstartingpointfortheaverageathlete.Weidentify subsequent exercises as either progressions or regressions. Athletesperformthebaselineexerciseforthreeweeksandthenmovetoaprogressionofthe exercise. However, athletes who experience difficulty with the baselineexercise,eitherbecauseofinjuryortechnicalissues,areimmediatelyregressed.Thissystemofprogressionsandregressions is thekey tool forproperexerciseperformance.

Progressionsarestepsforwardfromthebaselineexercisesandarenumberedconsecutivelyfromeasytodifficult.Progressioncanbeassimpleasaddingloadviaprogressiveresistance,butprogressionsindifficultycanalsobeachievedbyaltering how body weight is used. A progression 3 exercise will be fairlydifficult.

Regressionsarenumberedalso,butinreverseorderonthescale,fromeasytoeasiertoeasiest.Therefore,aregression3exercisewillbeverysimple.

The key is understanding that every exercise must be mastered beforeprogressing,andmasterymayentailtheuseofregressionsfromthebaseline.

I tell our coaches that you need to like theway the exercise looks beforeadding load or progressing and that our systemof regressions is based on the“eyetest.”Doyouasacoachlikethewayitlooks?

I love this quote from legendary track and field coach Boo Schexnayder:“Thejobisnottowriteworkoutsbuttowatchworkouts.”

It’seasytoputstuffdownonpaper,anditshouldbe justaseasytowatchsomeone do the things you wrote and then decide whether to stick with thebaselineorprescribearegression.Youreyeswilltellyou.

ProgressiveResistanceTrainingandBasicPeriodization

Our program is a simple periodization cycle of sets of 8 to 10(accumulation),followedbysetsofthree(intensification)andthensetsoffive.Thereisnothingfancyaboutwhatwedo,butwedostrivetoaddweightorrepsevery week. Our athletes have used these techniques to develop incrediblestrength.

Ed Lippie is a former collegiate football player, a strength coach, and apersonaltrainer,andhewasamodelformanyofthepicturesinthefirsteditionofFunctional Training for Sports. More relative to this sidebar, Ed used the

techniquesdescribedinthischaptertoperformthreechin-upswith135pounds(60kg),thebestIhaveseeninourfacility.

BenBruno is another formerMBSCemployeewhohas become a bit of aYouTubephenomenonwithhistremendousdisplaysofstrength.Benprogressedto305pounds(140kg)forfiverepsintherear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat,againusing a simpleperiodization approach.Whetheryouare anOlympic athlete, acoach,oratrainer,thebasicsofprogressiveresistanceandperiodizationproducedramaticresults.

TrainingTools

Many coaches and athletes think that functional training consists of cuteexercisesdonewithstabilityballsandbalancedevices.Thiscouldnotbefurtherfrom the truth. True functional training revolves around body-weight trainingand progressive resistance exercise. Athletes should master body-weightexercises and then add progressively heavier external loads to these exercises.Watch a novice attempt to splitsquat with just his body weight; the lack ofbalance is evident.Whatwe call balance is really stabilizer strength. Inmostcases, additional external resistance isnot initiallyneededas theathlete learnsthepatterns.Whatisneededistomasterthepatternandthenaddresistance.

Thinkoffunctionaltrainingasbeingtheoppositeofdysfunctionaltraining,orasphysicaltherapistandFunctionalMovementScreencofounderGrayCookis fond of saying, adding strength to dysfunction. Essential to the concept offunctional training is learning to move before you load. Evidence ofdysfunctional training is seen in every gym in the United States as peopleattempttosimplymovealoadfrompointAtopointBwithtechniquethatvariesfromquestionabletounsafe.

Following is a brief overview of some key pieces of functional trainingequipmentandsomesimpleguidelinesforhowandwhentousethem.

MedicineBalls

Oneofthebesttoolsavailableforpowerdevelopment,themedicineballhasenjoyed a huge resurgence in the past decade. Although medicine balls (seefigure4.1)havebeenaroundforcenturies,theyhavebecometoolsofthefuture.Themedicine ball can be used for upper body powerwork through exercisessuch as chest passes, overhead throws, and slams, and it can be thrown for

distancefor total-bodypowerwork.Themedicineball,whencombinedwithamasonrywall,ishandsdownthebesttoolforpowertrainingofthecoreandhipmusculature.Anentiresectionontrainingwiththemedicineballisincludedinchapter9.

Common sense must be used to prevent injury with the medicine ball.Athletesatourtrainingfacilitydonotperformpartnerdrillsthatrequirecatchingtheball,nordotheyperformanysingle-armoverheadmedicineballmovements.Catching amedicine ball can result in hand injury,while single-armoverheadactivitiesmaybetoostressfulontheshoulderjoint.Ballscomeinbouncingandnonbouncingvarietiesandvariousweightsandsizes.Themostusefulballstendtobebetween2and8pounds(1to3.5kg).

Figure4.1Medicineball.

WeightVestsandBelts

Theremaynotbeabettertoolforfunctionaltrainingthanaweightedvestorbelt.Weightedvestsandbeltsareavailableinnumerousstylesandhavecomealongway from theold canvas fishing-stylevarieties.Somecoachesmay thinkthat using aweighted vest or belt is redundant if athletes are already trainingwith bars or dumbbells.However, aweighted vest adds an external loadwithminimaldisruptionofthemovementofthebody.Athletesdonotneedtochangethepositionoftheupperbodytoholdanexternalload;theysimplyneedtoputonaweightedvestorbelt.

Vestsandbeltsareexcellentwaystoaddadditionalresistancetowhatwereformerlyviewedasbody-weightexercises.Exercises suchaspush-ups, single-legsquats,andinvertedrowscannowbesafelyprogressedwellbeyondbody-weight resistance. In addition, for sports such as ice hockey and football,weighted vests and belts allow athletes to simulate the weight of equipmentduringconditioningworkouts.

FoamRollers

Foamrollers(seefigure4.2)havegonefromacompleteunknowntoamust-haveinthelastdecade.Rollerscomeinvariouscolors,lengths,anddensitiesbutare all used for self-massage. The terms self-myofascial release, self-massage,andsofttissueworkallapplytotheactoffoamrolling.Chapter5coverstheuseoftherolleringreatdetail.

Figure4.2Foamroller.

StabilityBalls

The stability ball (see figure 4.3) has unfortunately become synonymouswith functional training,with books, videos, and classes all developed aroundthisonepieceofequipment.Theoveruseof thestabilityballalonehascausedmany strength and conditioning coaches to view the entire area of functionaltrainingnegatively.Coachesandathletesneedtorememberthatitissimplyonetoolandmaybeinappropriateformanybeginningtrainees.Thestabilityballisexcellentforafewspecificexercises(e.g.,stabilityballrollouts,stabilityballlegcurls),butitisfarfromthetrainingpanaceaitwasinitiallyviewedas,anditiscertainlynota tool for squattingor for lifting loadsheavier thanbodyweight.Videosshowingathletesstandingonaballarenegligent.Athletesshouldneverstand on a stability ball. The risks far outweigh any potential benefits. If youdesireanunstablesurfaceforadditionalbalancetrainingforthelowerextremity,useanothertool.

Coachesandathletesshouldalsobecautiousaboutsittingonastabilityballduringbarbellordumbbellexercisesorusingthestabilityballasasubstituteforabenchforpressingmovements.Stabilityballsshouldneverbeusedforsupportwhen using dumbbells or a bar. Caution should even be used with so calledburst-resistant balls. There have been reports of burst-resistant balls tearing inthe samemannerasconventionalballs andcausing serious injury.Ourcurrentpolicyisbodyweightonlyandnostandingonstabilityballsforsafetyreasons.

Figure4.3Stabilityball.

SlideBoard

Theslideboardwasinitiallydevelopedasatrainingdeviceforspeedskaters,butitsuseisnowwidespreadinothersports.Theslideboardallowstheathletetoperformenergysystemworkwhilestandingand,byitsnature,forcesathletestoassumethebent-kneeposturethathasbeendubbedthesport-specificposition(seefigure4.4).Itistheonlypieceofconditioningequipmentthatcanprovideenergysystemandmuscularsystemworkinthisposition.Athletescandevelopconditioningwhilealsodevelopingappropriatemusclepatterns,somethingthatisusuallynotpossibleonaconventionalpieceofcardiorespiratoryequipment.Theslideboardallowstheathletetoworkalltheextensormusclesofthelowerbodyaswellasthehipabductorsandadductors.Fromafunctionalconditioningstandpoint,thebenefitsoftheslideboardmaybeequaltoorbetterthanrunning.

Atourtrainingfacility,werequireallourathletestousetheslideboard,asitcanenhancelateralmovementandbalancewhilealsoconditioningthedifficult-to-train hip abductor and adductor muscle groups. No other piece of energysystem conditioning equipment can provide all these benefits. In addition, theslideboardcaneasilyaccommodateusersofvariousheightsandweights.

Figure4.4Slideboard.

MiniSlideBoard

The mini slide board has no bumpers but can be used for lower bodyexercises such as slide-board lunges and slide-board leg curls and for a widerange of core progressions. It is not a slide board in the conventional sensebecauseyoucannotperformenergysystemworkonit,butitisstillagreattooltohaveinthetoolbox.

Valslides

InventedbyL.A.trainertothestarsValerieWaters,theValslideallowsformini slide-board-type exercise on any carpeted or turf surface. Like the minislideboard,theValslidecanbeusedforlowerbodyandcorework.

AgilityLadder

The agility ladder may be one of the best pieces of functional trainingequipment available. It allows a dynamic warm-up that can emphasize anynumber of components, and it can be used to develop balance, foot speed,coordination, and eccentric strength (see figure 4.5). Until the advent of theagilityladder,therewasnogoodwaytoworkonfootspeed.Theagilityladderprovides benefits to both the muscular system and the neuromuscular systemwhileincreasingmuscletemperature.

Figure4.5Agilityladder.

BOSUBall

TheBOSUballmakesthelistforonlyonereason:Itisanexcellenttoolforaddingupperbodyinstabilitytothepush-upandoffersanexcellentprogressionfromfeet-elevatedpush-ups.WekeepBOSUballsinthefacilityjustforpush-ups.

SuspensionTrainers

Suspension trainers have become very popular over the last decade. TheTRXisthemostpopularcommercialmodel,buttherearemanyvarieties.IhavebecomeafanofringsforsuspensiontrainingmorethantheTRX,andtherealityis that like the BOSU ball, we use our TRX or rings for only one exercise,inverted rows. Suspension trainers make inverted rows better for two majorreasons.First,theTRXandringsareadjustablesoyoucanmakeachallengingrowforathletesorclientsatanylevel.Second,asuspensiontrainerallowstheshoulders tobegin internally rotated (thumbsdown)andendexternally rotated(thumbsup).Thiscreatesaveryshoulder-friendlyexercise.

ATSportsFlex

It’srarethatapieceofequipmentthissimplecouldsodrasticallyaffecthowwedocertainexercises.TheATSportsFlex(seefigure4.6)isamultifunction

cable attachment that is great for presses, rows, and scapulothoracicwork. Itsdesign is so unique that I would consider it an essential tool. Developed byChicagoWhiteSox strength and conditioning coachAllenThomas (hence theAT),thispieceisamust-have.

Figure4.6TheATSportsFlex.

TheFunctionalContinuum

Giventheimportanceofdeterminingthefunctionalpropertiesofanexerciseor drill when designing a program, I thought it would be useful to have ataxonomy to refer to in this regard.The functional continuum (see figure 4.7)evaluates exercises on a scale that moves from least functional to mostfunctional.

Figure4.7Thefunctionalcontinuum.

Thischartisdividedintolowerbodyexercises(bothkneedominantandhip

dominant),upperbodyexercises(bothpushingandpulling),andcoreexercises.The figure depicts the progression from the relatively nonfunctionalmachine-based exercises to highly functional exercises done on a single leg. Thisschematicreinforcesthenotionthatprogramdesignshouldbethoughtofnotineither/or termsbut ratherasan integratedapproach todevelopingstrengthandmakingthatstrengthmorerelevanttosportandmovement.

Thecontinuumshowninthefigure,fromleastfunctionaltomostfunctional,isofknee-dominantlower-bodyexercises.Anditfollowsthissequence:

1. TheleastfunctionalexerciseIcouldenvisionisalyinglegpress.Intheleg

press, the athlete is lying on his back, and stability is provided by themachine.

2. Nextcomesthestandingmachinesquat.Theathletehasprogressedupthefunctionalcontinuumtoastandingposition,whichisanimprovement,butthemachineisstillprovidingthestabilityandthestanceremainsbilateral.

3. Then it ison to thebarbellsquat.At thispoint theathlete isstandingandself-stabilizing,buttheexerciseisstillnotatthehighestleveloffunction.

4. Thenextstepintheprogressionistoworkononeleg:asingle-legsquat.Atthis point the exercise is extremely functional. Themuscles of the lowerbodyandtrunkarenowengagedastheywouldbeinrunningorjumping.

FunctionalTrainingandFemaleAthletes

Trainersandcoachesarealwayscurioushowtrainingshoulddifferbetweenmaleand femaleathletes.Oftencoachesposequestions thatbeginorendwith“but I coach women.” Female athletes are not physically different from theirmalecounterparts,atleastnotasitrelatestotraining.Allmusclesandbonesarethe same. Any differences really have no bearing on how a training programwould be designed or applied. At no point should coaches lower theirexpectationsforfemaleathletes.MostofwhatIwasinitiallytoldabouttrainingfemale athletesproved tobeuntrue.Whether this is unintentional is not clear,butmostpreconceptionsabouttrainingfemaleathletesarenotaccurate.

The old theory that female athletes need to stay away from body-weightupperbodyexercises isparticularlyuntrue.Whatholdsfemaleathletesback isoften the lowexpectations andpreconceptions of those training them.Womenandgirlsmaynotbeabletobeginwithabody-weightexercisesuchasthechin-up,buttheyareabletoprogresstoitquickly.Aftertrainingelitefemaleathletesin basketball, soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, and figure skating, we havefoundthattheyareeasilyabletoperformpush-upsandchin-upswhentheyareprogressed properly. Although they may not possess the same upper bodystrengthaselitemaleathletes,theycandevelopexcellentupperbodystrength.

Female athletes are often no more flexible than male athletes in similarsports.Ourelitewomen’s icehockeyplayerssufferfromthesametightness inthehips that ourmendo.Our elite female soccer players are not significantlymore flexible than their male counterparts. Athletes develop tightness andinflexibilitybasedontherepetitivepatternsoftheirsports,notonsex.

Womenaremorecoachableandnotasextrinsicallycompetitiveasmen.Byextrinsically competitive, Imean that women are not nearly as worried aboutwhatanotherathleteislifting.Womentendtofocusmoreonwhattheycandoandlessonwhatothersaredoing.Thismakesthemeasiertocoach.

But body image is a huge issue for female athletes, who are much moreconcerned about not buildingmuscle thanmale athletes are. This is a uniquesocietal influence that coaches must be aware of and work to overcome.Statisticsaboutweightandbodyfatpercentagesareoftenfabricated,inflated,ordeflatedandprovideunrealisticexpectationsforfemaleathletes.Theonlybodyfat informationgiven to athletes shouldcome from thecoach, sportsmedicinestaff, or exercise science department. Comparing the body composition ofathletes at other schools or in other programs donewith differentmethods, at

different times, by different people is comparing apples and oranges. Femaleathletesmust be remindedofwhat height andweight is normal for their sportandtheirbodytype.

Someathleticprogramshaveadoptedahead-in-the-sandapproachtoissuesof eating disorders, body image, and nutrition by prohibiting coaches fromweighingormeasuringtheirfemaleathletes.Thisdoesagreatdisservicetothesewomen.Thesolutionisaddressingtheissues,notavoidingthem.Educationandthepromotionofpositiverolemodelsareessentialforfemaleathletes.

Female athletes need to be exposed to photos of athletes similar tothemselveswhohaveabodycompositionthatisconsideredacceptable.Alltoooftenvisual rolemodels forwomenare fashionmodelsorentertainerswhodonothavetheattributesoftheaveragefemaleathlete.

EquipmentNeedsforTrainingFemaleAthletesThemajor differences for trainingwomen and girls actually center around

equipment needs andprogression.Most personal trainers and strength coachesdonotconsidertheuniqueequipmentneedsoffemaleathletes.

All thefollowingrecommendationsalsoapplytotrainingyoungathletesofeithersex.

15-,25-,and35-pound(7,11,and16kg)Olympicbars.Manyyoungandfemaleathleteshavelittleornostrengthtrainingbackgroundandmayneedlighter bars to begin with. Buy lighter Olympic bars that take Olympicplates.Many companies now stock these new lighter, shorter bars. Also,don’t use conventional bars and one-inch-hole plates. Purchase full-sizeplastic plates that are the size of a regulation 45-pound (20 kg) plate.Youngerandweakerathletesshouldlooklikeeveryoneelseintheweightroom.Seeingthemselvesinthemirrorwithlarge-diameterplatesprovidesahugepsychologicalboost.Dumbbells in 2.5-pound increments. Dumbbells in 2.5-pound (1 kg)increments are ideal for younger athletes and female athletes. Five-pound(2.5kg)incrementsdonotallowyoungerorless-trainedathletestoprogressat reasonable rates.Consider thatwhen less-experienced athletes advancefromtwo15-pound(7kg)dumbbellstotwo20-pound(10kg)dumbbells,they are progressing from 30 pounds (15 kg) to 40 pounds (20 kg), anincrease of 33 percent.Would you ask a stronger athlete to go from 60-pound (30 kg) dumbbells to 90-pound (40 kg) dumbbells in one week?Having dumbbells from 5 through at least 50 in 2.5-pound increments isessential.1.25-pound PlateMates. If you have only 5-pound-increment dumbbells,

PlateMates are the solution. PlateMates are simply 1.25-pound (.6 kg)magnetsthatallowyoutoincreaseadumbbell’sweightby2.5pounds(onePlateMateoneachside).MakesuretopurchasetheproperPlateMatesforyourstyleofdumbbell:hexagonalorround.RoundPlateMatesdonotworkwellonhexagonaldumbbellsandcouldposeasafetyhazard.1.25-poundOlympicplates.Thesearenotcommonbutcanbepurchased.The same logic described earlier applies.Moving from 45 pounds to 50pounds is only a 5-pound jump, but it is also a 10 percent jump.Manyfemaleathleteswillnotbeabletomakethistypeofprogression.Themaleexampleagainillustratesthispoint.Askamaleathletetojumpfrom300to330onthebenchpressinoneweek.Thisisonlya10percentjump,butitwouldbeimpossibleforanyathlete.Dipbelts.Asyourathletesgainstrength,theycanstarttoperformweightedchin-ups and possibly weighted dips. Conventional dip belts can fall offsmallfemaleathletes.Beltsneedtobecustommadetofitafemaleathlete’swaist.Weightbelts .Againmostweightroomsareoutfittedwithweightbelts.Ifyouareaproponentofweightbelts,purchasesomesize24to28beltsforthe females. This is one clear area of difference. Females generally havesmallerwaiststhanmales.

Once your facility is properly equipped, functional training for femaleathletesdoesnotpresentanyproblems.Withproperequipment,femaleathletescan use all the functional training concepts discussed in this book, and theirtraining programs will have most of the characteristics of programs for maleathletes.Onepossibleexceptionistheuseofbodyweightastheinitialresistanceforupperbodywork.Exercisessuchaspush-upsandpull-upsmayneed tobemodifiedforbeginningfemaleathletes.Althoughwomenandgirlscandevelopexcellent upper body strength, they may not have it to begin with. However,body-weightexercisescaneasilybemodifiedforthefemalepopulation.

OvercomingtheFemaleBodyImageIssue

©JoshHolmberg/IconSportswire

Just after the 2012WinterOlympics,U.S.women’s national team hockeyplayerHilaryKnightappearedinthefamedESPNTheMagazine’sbodyissueata body weight of 172 pounds (79 kg). When the first edition of FunctionalTrainingforSportswaspublished,I’mnotsureanyfemaleathletewouldhaveadmitted to being 172 pounds. I knew tour players in women’s tennis whoregularly lied about their weight in the media. Knight was quoted as saying:“Thereisthisimageofathleticwomenassmallandpetite—theyogabodytype.Womeningeneral,wetendtoshrinkourselvesandnothaveasmuchconfidenceasweshould inpresentingourselvesandourbodytypes.It’sOKtobefitandhealthy and comfortable within your body, whatever frame you have. Sincegaining15poundstobeatthetopofmysport[fortheOlympics],I’vetriedtoshatterthebodyimagethatmuscularisn’tfeminine.”

The truth is that I convinced Hilary to get bigger, stronger, and faster tobecomethebestintheworld.LittledidIknowthatourprogramingwouldalsobecreatingoneofthemostbeautifulexamplesofwhatafemaleathletecanandshouldlooklike.For toolongfemaleathleteswereashamedtolist theiractualweightforfeartheywouldbeperceivedasfat.AnathletelikeHilaryinthebodyissuestellsthousandsofyounggirlsthatit’sOKtobeafemaleathlete.

Whenyoudesignaprogram,itisimportanttonotethatthemostfunctionalexercise is often not the most appropriate exercise. Instead, follow theprogressionsoutlinedinthisbook,masterthebasics,andstrivetodevelopgreatfunctionalstrengthbytheendoftheprogram.Thesearethekeypoints:

Learnthebasics.Usebodyweightfirst.

Progressfromsimpletocomplex.

I have a simple rule: Everything has to look good. Exercises should looksmoothandathletic.Ifathletesarestrugglingtomasteranexercise,theyshouldgobackalevelandworktowardmastery.Techniquecomesbeforeallelse,andalwaysbeforetheamountofweightlifted.

References

Poliquin,C.1988.Varietyinstrengthtraining.SciencePeriodicalonResearchandTechnologyinSport.8(8):1-7.

Chapter5Foam Rolling, Stretching, and DynamicWarm-Up

With regard to the prescription of pre-and posttraining activities andapparatuses, you can be assured of one thing: It will continue to change andimproveasamore functionalvantagepointpermeates sports training.Theolddays of performing a series of the same static stretches for every sport, justbecause,doesn’tcutitanymore.

FoamRolling

A degree of skepticism is warranted when it comes to new trainingequipmentandgadgets.Foreveryoneusefulinnovation,threeorfourothersarejunknotdeservingevenaminuteononeof those late-night infomercials.Andyet,we also need to be receptive to inventions and creative solutions, despitehowstrangetheymayseeminitially.

When the first edition ofFunctional Training for Sportswas published in2004wehadnotevenbeguntouseafoamrollerinourpreworkoutsequence.Infact, 10 years ago strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, andphysical therapistswould have looked quizzically at a round 36-inch (90 cm)pieceoffoamandaskedasimplequestion:WhatamIsupposedtodowiththat?

Today nearly every strength and conditioning facility contains an array offoamrollers, foamballs, lacrosseballs,andplasticpeanuts indifferent lengthsand consistencies, all designed for self-massage. We have hard rollers, softrollers, rollers with protrusions. The array of soft tissue tools is amazing andincreases every year. What turned a simple piece of foam into a must-havepreparationtool?

What happened was that strength and conditioning coaches and personaltrainersbegantorealizethatmassagemightbethefastestwaytogethealthyandstay healthy. This major change in the attitude toward injury prevention andtreatmenthasbeenillustratedbyahugeincreaseintheawarenessthathands-ontechniques such as conventional massage, Muscle Activation Techniques(MAT), andActive Release Techniques (ART) canworkwonders for injuredathletes.

We have moved away from the injury care modes of isokinetics andelectronicsthatwerepopularinthe1980stoamoreEuropean-inspiredprocessthatfocusesonhands-onsofttissuecare.Thesuccessofphysicaltherapistswithsofttissuemobilization(thephysicaltherapytermformassage)andMAT,andanumberofchiropractorswithART,hasclearlyputthefocusbackonthequalityofthemuscle.Themessagefromtheelitelevelsofsportisclear:Ifyouwanttogethealthyorstayhealthy,getagoodmanualtherapistinyourcorner.

Whatdoesallthishavetodowithfoamrollers,youmightask?Well,foamrollers are the poor man’s answer to a good massage therapist, offering softtissueworkfor themasses.Asstrengthandconditioningcoachesandpersonaltrainerswatchedelite-levelathletestouttheirsuccessesandimprovementsfromvarious soft tissue techniques, the obvious question arose:How canwemass-

producemassageorsofttissueworkforlargegroupsofathletesatareasonablecost?Enterthefoamroller.

PhysicaltherapistMikeClarkiscreditedbymany,thisauthorincluded,withexposingtheathleticandphysicaltherapycommunitiestothefoamrollerandtowhat he termed “self-myofascial release.” Self-myofascial release is simplyanothertechnicaltermforself-massage.

One of Clark’s early manuals, published as a precursor to his bookIntegratedTrainingfortheNewMillennium,includedafewphotosoftheseso-called self-myofascial release techniques using a foam roller. The techniquesillustrated were simple and fairly self-explanatory. Get a foam roller and usebodyweighttoapplypressuretosorespots.Itwasaformofaself-acupressure.

Those photos spurred a trend that is now probably a multimillion-dollarbusinessinthemanufactureandsaleofthesesimpletools.Suddenlythewarm-upwasnotliterallyabouttemperature(thinkaboutthetermwarm-up)butaboutmuscle tissuequality.Muscle tissue,andthejoints thatmusclescontrol,has tobe properly prepared for any activity. Muscle tissue that is filled with knots,adhesions,ortriggerpoints(threedifferentwordsthatdescribethesamething)maynotfunctionoptimallyevenwhenwarmed.

UsingaFoamRoller

Afoam roller is simplyacylindricalpieceof some typeof extrudedhard-celledfoam.Thinkpoolnoodlesbutalittlemoredenseandlargerindiameter.

MikeClark’sinitialrecommendationwasnotevenaself-massagetechniquebutmoreliketheacupressureconceptdescribedpreviously.Athletesorpatientsweresimplyinstructedtousetherollertoapplypressuretosensitiveareasinthemuscles. Depending on the orientation of the therapist, these points canalternativelybedescribedas triggerpoints,knots,or simplyareasof increasedmuscledensity.Regardlessofthename,thoseinthefieldsofathleticsandrehabwerefamiliarwiththeconceptsofsoremusclesandtheneedformassage.

AMinuteAboutMassage

Ibelievethatmassagefelloutoffavorduringthephysicaltherapyboomofthe1980snotbecause itwas ineffective,butbecause itwasnotcosteffective.With the increased use of modalities such as ultrasound and electricalstimulation, athletic trainers and physical therapists could treat more athletes,morerapidly.InEuropeandincertainelite-levelsports,suchastrackandfield

andswimming,massageremainedthepreferenceovermodality-basedsolutions.Slowly,theperformanceworldhascometoappreciatethatmanipulationofthesofttissuehelpsathleteseitherstayhealthierorgethealthyfaster.

Theuseoffoamrollershasprogressedfromanacupressure-typeapproachtoaself-massageapproach.Therollerisnowusedtoapplylonger,moresweepingstrokestothelongmusclegroupssuchasthecalves,adductors,andquadricepsandsmaller,moredirectedforcetoareassuchasthetensorfasciaelatae(TFL),hiprotators,andgluteusmedius.Rollerscomeinvarioussizes,thicknesses,anddensities and have spawned a whole generation of other soft tissue tools.Athletes nowuse rollers aswell as balls, sticks, and even in somecasesPVCpipe.

Using the foam roller before stretchingmakes the tissuemore pliable andextensible. The key is to search for tender areas, or trigger points, and to rollthese areas to decrease tissue density and overactivity. Tissue that has beenrolledcanelongateproperly.Why rollingworks remainsacontroversial topic,butnooneseemstodoubtthatitdoeswork.Mostathletesorclients,eventhoseinitiallyskeptical,arequicklyconvertedtofoamrollerfans.

It is important to note that foam rolling is very counterintuitive.We haveconsistentlytoldourclients“ifithurts,don’tdoit.”Foamrollingistheopposite.Wearenowencouragingourclients to find the sore spots and focuson them.Foamrollingprobablyfallsintothe“hurtssogood”category.

TheRationaleforFoamRolling

Tryingtoexplainthe“why”offoamrollingcentersaroundtwoconcepts:

1. creepand2. a pair of terms that rolferThomasMyers coined, locked long and lockedshort.

Creep isapropertycommontoextensiblesoft tissues.Theybecomestifferas they are extended due to the reorientation of collagen fibers (Currier andNelson 1992).Mechanical creep is defined as elongation of tissue beyond itsintrinsicextensibility,resultingfromaconstantloadovertime(Wilhelmietal.1998).

TheanalogyIoftenusetodescribecreepinvolvesslowlypushingafistintoa plastic bag. If the pressure is slow and consistent the bag does not tear

immediatelybutinsteadstretchesfromtheconstantloadovertime.Thinkaboutsitting.One studybynotedbackpain researcherStuartMcGill concluded that“sittingwiththebackslouchedforaslittleas20minutescanresultinincreasedlaxityoftheposteriorspinalligaments”(McGillandBrown1992).Theresultofcreepisachangeinthequalityofthemuscletissue,orthefascia.IneithercasethetissuebecomeswhatThomasMyersreferstoas“lockedlong.”

“Stretched,amusclewillattempt to recoilback to its resting lengthbeforegivingupandaddingmorecellsandsarcomerestobridgethegap.Stretchfasciaquicklyand itwill tear (themost frequent formofconnective tissue injury). Ifthestretchisappliedslowlyenough,itwilldeformplastically:itwillchangeitslengthandretainthatchange”(Myers2009,36).

Theimportantpointaboutcreepisthattheseconstantlow-loadforcescausedbysittingmakemuscletissue(orthesuperficialfascia)longerandmoredense.Weseeanincreaseincollagenandeffectivelytissuethatislockedlong.Thinkoffoamrollingasawaytocombatcreep.

Wemostoftenseecreepinthebacksideofthebody,intheupperandlowerback,glutes,andhamstrings.Thesearealsotheareasthatseemtobenefitmostfromthefoamroller.Insimpleterms,weneedtorollthebacksideofthebody(but not stretch because it is already lengthened) and then roll and stretch thefrontside.

So,whichisabetterwaytocombatcreep,massagetherapyorfoamrolling?Tometheanswerisobvious.Handsworkbetterthanfoam.Handsaredirectlyconnectedtothebrainandcanfeel.Afoamrollercannotfeel.Ifcostwerenotanissue Iwould have a teamofmassage therapists on call formy athletes at alltimes.

However, this is simply not realistic. Most athletes struggle to afford theservices of a qualified coach or the cost of a gymmembership. In the currentstate of health care, prevention is generally not a covered cost for healthyathletes.With no ability to get reimbursed, the cost ofmassage therapy alonecould approach or surpass the cost of training. The foam roller can provideunlimitedself-massageforunder20dollars.Youdothemath.

FoamRollingTechniquesandTips

Rollingcanprovidegreatbenefitsbothbeforeandafteraworkout;however,rolling at the start of a workout is essential. Foam rolling before a workoutdecreasesmuscledensityandsetsthestageforabetterwarm-up.Rollingafteraworkoutmayaidinrecoveryfromstrenuousexercise.Thenicethingaboutthefoam roller is that it can be used on a daily basis. In fact, Clair and Amber

Daviesrecommendtriggerpointworkupto12timesadayinsituationsofacutepain(2004).

Howlonganathleteorclientrollsisalsoindividual.Inoursettingweallow5 to10minutes for soft tissueworkat thebeginningof the sessionbefore thewarm-up.

Let’snowlookattheprimaryareasofthebodywhereathletesmostbenefitfromfoamrollingandthetechniquesusedtogetthebestresults.Althoughtherearenohardandfastrules,ageneralruleofthumbistodo10slowrollsineachposition.Often athletes or clients are encouraged to simply roll until the paindissipatesordisappears.

FoamRollingtheGluteusMaximusandHipRotators

Thehiprotatorssitbelowtheglutes.Toroll thehipstheathletesitsontherollerwithaslighttilttowardthesidetoberolledandmovesfromtheiliaccrestto the hip joint to address the glute max. To address the hip rotators morespecifically, the leg is crossed to place the hip rotator group on stretch (seefigure5.1).

Figure5.1Gluteusmaximusandhiprotators.

FoamRollingtheLowBack

After rolling thehips, theathlete rolls the lowerbackarea(seefigure5.2),tilting slightly right or left to get into the spinal erectors and quadratuslumborum, a large triangularmuscle layered under the spinal erectors. If youhave any concerns about spinal injury, skip the lowback.Wehavenever hadany issues with rolling the lumbar spine, but use common sense and proceedwithcaution.

Figure5.2Lowback.

FoamRollingtheUpperBack

The athlete moves up the body, continuing to roll the spinal erectors, thelargelayersofmuscleoneithersideofthespine.Whentheathletereachestheareabetweentheshoulderblades,instructhimtotrytotouchtheelbowstogetherinfronttogetintotheareaknownasthethoracicspine(seefigure5.3).Puttingtheelbowstogetherplacestheshoulderbladesasfarapartaspossible,allowingtherollertoimpactthelowertrapeziusandrhomboids.

Figure5.3Upperback.

FoamRollingtheTensorFasciaeLataeandGluteusMedius

The TFL and gluteus medius, although small muscles, can be significantfactors in anterior knee pain. To address the TFL the athlete begins with thebodyproneandtheedgeoftherollerplacedovertheTFL,justbelowtheiliaccrest(seefigure5.4a).AfterworkingtheTFL,theathleteturns90degreestoasidepositionandworksfromthehipjointtotheiliaccresttoaddressthegluteusmedius(seefigure5.4b).

Figure5.4(a)Tensorfasciaelataeand(b)gluteusmedius.

FoamRollingtheAdductors

The adductors are probably themost neglected area of the lower body.Agreatdealoftimeandenergyisfocusedonthequadricepsandhamstringgroupsandverylittleattentionpaidtotheadductors.Therearetwomethodstorolltheadductors.Thefirstisafloor-basedtechniquethatworkswellforbeginners(seefigure 5.5). In the floor technique the user abducts the leg over the roller andplacestherolleratabouta60-degreeangletotheleg.Therollingactionshouldcover three portions beginning just above the knee in the area of the vastusmedialisandpesanserine.Theathletedoes10short rolls,coveringaboutone-thirdthelengthofthefemur.Next,shemovestherollertothemidpointoftheadductorgroupandagainrolls10timesinthemiddlethirdofthemuscle.Last,shemovestherollerhighintothegroin,almosttothepubicsymphysis.

The secondary technique for the adductors shouldbeused after the athletehas acclimated to the previous technique. The secondary technique requires atrainingroomtableorthetopofaplyometricbox.Sittingwiththelegdroppedovertherollerallowstheathletetoshiftsignificantlymoreweightontotherollerandworkdeeperintothelargeadductortriangle.

Figure5.5Adductors.

FoamRollingthePosteriorShoulder

Anotherareainneedofworkistheposteriorshoulder.Torolltheposteriorshoulder, the athlete lies on the sidewith the arm draped over the roller (seefigure5.6).Therollingactionisslightlysidetosidewhilerollingtoafacedownposition and then back to faceup. This will impact the lat and rotator cuffmuscles.

Figure5.6Posteriorshoulder.

FoamRollingthePecs

Thelastareatohitwiththerolleristhepectorals,orchestmuscles.Torollthepecs,theathleteliesfacedownwiththerollernearlyparalleltothebodyandthearmdrapedover theroller (seefigure5.7).Malescanrollside toside inashortstroke.Femaleswilldobettersimplyraisingthearmoverheadandbackinareachingmotion.

Figure5.7Pecs.

Foam rolling can be hard work, particularly for weaker or overweightathletes,asthearmsareheavilyinvolvedinmovingthebody.Inaddition,foamrolling can border on painful.Goodmassagework, and correspondingly goodself-massagework,maybeuncomfortable,muchlikestretching.Itisimportantthat athletes or clients learn to distinguish between a moderate level ofdiscomfort related toa triggerpointandapotentially injurioussituation.Foamrolling should be used with discretion in those athletes or clients with lessmuscledensity.Itshouldnevercausebruising.Remember, theathleteorclientshouldfeelbetter,notworseafterabriefsessionwithafoamroller.

Rollers are available in a number of densities, from relatively soft foam,slightly harder than a pool noodle, to newer high-density rollerswith amuchmoresolidfeel.Thefeeloftherollerandtheintensityoftheself-massageworkmustbeproperlygearedtotheageandfitnessleveloftheclient.

Theuseoffoamrollershasexplodedoverthepast10yearsandwillcontinuetoincrease.Athletictrainersinhighschoolsandcollegescanteachtheirathletesto perform hands-on treatment that might not otherwise have been possible,whilestrengthandconditioningcoachescanprovideaformofmassagetherapyto all their athletes. Foam rollers are a small investment to make to see apotentiallysignificantdecreaseinthenumberofnoncontactsofttissueinjuries.

StaticStretching

Inthefieldofstrengthandconditioningthependulumneverstopsswinging.InthefirsteditionofFunctionalTrainingforSportswespecificallysaidnottostretchbeforeexercise.Tenyears later,allourathletesandclientsnowstretchbeforeeveryworkout.

Performance enhancement expert Alwyn Cosgrove is fond of saying weoverreactintheshorttermandunderreactinthelongtermtonewideas.Inotherwords,wequicklyjumponatrendandjustasquicklyabandonit.

A classic example is the use of or disdain for static stretching. Staticstretchinghasgonefromthebestwaytowarmuptosomethingnooneshouldever do again. We have seen the pendulum swing from whole teams on thegroundstretchingbeforepracticetosituationswherenooneisallowedtostretchbeforepractice.ThereactiontostaticstretchingperfectlyillustratesCosgrove’sshort-termoverreactionandlong-termunderreaction.

Research in the 1980s demonstrated that static stretching before exercisecould decrease muscular power output. This led to a huge overreaction, theeliminationofstaticstretching,andthebirthofthedynamicwarm-up.Thiswasbothaplusandaminus.

Dynamicflexibilityworkhasbeenahugeplusintheperformanceworldasawarm-uptechnique.Staticstretchingisapoorwaytowarmupforexercise,butitisstillnecessaryforlong-terminjuryprevention.Dynamicflexibilitywork,oran active warm-up, is superior before exercise. However, the effect of theresearchshowingdecreasesinpowerledtototaldisdainforstaticstretchingatanytime,foranypurpose.Thetruthliessomewhereinthemiddle.

Onesideofthetruthisthatanactivewarm-upbeforehigh-intensityexerciseisthebestwaytopreventacuteinjury.Inotherwords,ifyouwanttodecreasehamstring and groin pulls, you need to perform dynamic flexibility exercisesbeforepractices,games,orliftingsessions.

However,thereisalsotruthontheothersideofthecoin.Alackofflexibilityseemstobeacausativefactorinmanyofthegradual-onsetinjuriesthatplaguetoday’sathletes.Overuseproblemssuchaspatellofemoralsyndrome, lowbackpain,andshoulderpainseemtorelatestronglytolong-termtissuechangesthatdon’tnecessarilyrespondtodynamicstretching.

Thefactisthatathletes’warm-upsneedtobeacombinationofbothactivewarm-upexercisesandstaticstretching,allprecededbyfoamrolling.Formanycoaches, the solution was seen as active warm-up before exercise and static

stretchingafter.Althoughthisseemsrealistic, thethoughtprocess issomewhatflawed.Postworkoutstretchingdoesnotseemtoproducegainsinflexibility.

The keymay lie in performing static stretching near the beginning of theworkout, followed by dynamic warm-up. Static stretching would be done toincrease flexibility while the muscle is most prone to increase in length.Dynamicwarm-up should follow toprepare themuscles for exercise.Coachesneedtothinkaboutlengthchangesforlong-terminjurypreventionanddynamicwarm-upforshort-terminjuryprevention.Botharecritical.

Therefore,ourprescriptionisasfollows:

1. Foamrolling.Usethefoamrollertechniquespreviouslypresentedfor5to10 minutes to decrease the density of the muscle. Muscles respond toinjury, overuse, or overstress (creep) by increasing in density. Thisincreased density is often referred to as a knot or trigger point.Massage,ActiveReleaseTechniques(ART),MuscleActivationTechniques(MAT),andsofttissuemobilizationarealltermsfortechniquesdesignedtochangemuscledensity.Iliketothinkoffoamrollingasironingforthemuscles,anecessaryprecursortostretching.

2. Staticstretching.Yes,staticstretching.Yes,beforetheworkout.Oncethetissue density has been dealtwith, you canwork on changing the length.Many top soft tissue experts are now recommending that muscles bestretched“cold,”withoutthebenefitofawarm-up.Simplyrollandstretch.Thetheoryisthatwarmmusclesimplyelongatesandreturnstoitsnormallength. Cold muscle may in fact undergo some plastic deformation andincrease in length. I like static stretches thatmake it easy for athletes tostretch.Onereasonathletesdon’t liketostretchis that it’shard.Stretchesthatallowanathletetousebodyweightandpositioningtotheiradvantageareabigplusforathletes.Partnerstretchescanalsobegood.

3. Dynamicwarm-up.Thisisdoneafterrollingandstretching.Anypotentialpowerdecreasesshouldbenegatedbythedynamicwarm-upthatfollowsastatic stretch. The process for my athletes every day is the same. Foamrolling to decrease knots and trigger points. Static stretching to work onincreasingflexibility.Followthatupwithadynamicwarm-up.

StaticStretchingRules

Positioningiseverything.Bespecificabouthowyoustretch.Mostpeopledon’tstretch;theyjusttrytolookasiftheyarestretching.Goodstretching isuncomfortablebutnotpainful.Knowthedifference.A

littlediscomfortmeansyouarewellpositioned.Usedifferent techniques.Activate theantagonist;dolong,staticstretches;useactivestretches.Usebodyweight to assist.Beboth comfortable anduncomfortable at thesametime.Stretch all areas.Don’t focus on one. Include one stretch for each of thefollowingareas:

AdductorsHipflexorsLateralhamstringsHiprotators

CarolinaHurricanestrainerandstrengthcoachPeterFriesenhasatheory.Hethinksitismoredangeroustobeoverlyflexibleinonemusclegroupthantobetightinallofthem.Athletesshouldn’tjustdothestretchestheylikeoraregoodat. Infact, itmightbeagoodidea toeliminateorabbreviate theones theyaregoodatandhavethemworkharderontheonestheydon’tlike.

StaticStretchingTechniquesandTips

Thebottomlineisstretchingishighlyunderrated.Athleteswhowanttobehealthylongtermneedtoaddsomeold-fashionedstretchingtotheirworkouts.Anothertipistotiebreathingintostretching.

ForyearsIpokedfunatyogainstructorsandalltheemphasisonbreathing.Recentresearchhasproventhemrightandmewrong.Breathingmatters,anditmattersalot.

Tightathletestendtoholdtheirbreathwhilestretchingandprobablycreatemoretension.Thinkaboutholdingastretchforthreebreathsinsteadoffortime.Instructtheathletetoinhalethroughthenose(yes,thismattersbecausethenoseis anatural filter thatwarmsair) andexhale through themouth.Strive for1:2ratioofinhaletoexhale—athree-countinhalethroughthenoseandasix-countexhalethroughthemouth.Whenexhalingwewanttheathletestoexhalethroughpursedlips(yes,thismattersalso).

StandingHamstringStretch

Thisstretchisbestdoneonatrainingroomtable,largeplyobox,oranotherareaslightlybelowwaistheight(seefigure5.8).

Position

Keep both feet pointed straight forward. This is actually a neutral hipposition. Think of the feet as images of the hips. If the feet turn in, the hipinternallyrotates.

Action

The hamstrings don’t attach to the spine, they attach to the pelvis. So tostretchthehamstrings,movethepelvis,don’tflexthespine.Thisissodifficultthatweoftenhavetomanuallyteachathleteshowtodothis.

Figure5.8Standinghamstringstretch.

WallHamstringStretch

Ilovethisstretchbecauseittakesnoeffort.Thekeyistopositioncorrectly(seefigure5.9).

Position

Findtheperfectdistancefromthewall—thebuttisonthefloorandthereisaslight lumbar arch. Ideally place a small lumbar roll under the low back tomaintainasmalllordosis.Remember,thehamstringsinserttothepelvis,notthespine.

Action

Get the toes and ankles to touch. As stated previously, most tightness islateral,oroutside.Externalhiprotationwillbecomfortable;workforneutralorideallyinternalrotationtoproperlystretchthelateralstructures.

Figure5.9Wallhamstringstretch.

RollerHipFlexorStretch

Theanteriorhipstructures(iliacusandpsoas)arethemostdifficultmusclesto stretch. Most hip flexor stretches actually miss the hip flexors and applyexcessivestresstotheanteriorhipcapsule.Toeffectivelystretchthehipflexors,the lumbar spinemust be kept flat. Extending the spine actually shortens thepsoas rather than lengthens it. The addition of a foam roller between the legsallowsabetterpositiontobeginthestretchandencouragesspinalflexionversusspinalextension.

Position

To perform this stretch, straddle the roller and attempt to do a split (seefigure 5.10). This will be difficult, but the roller makes it possible for mostathletes. From this position simply bend the front leg while attempting tostraightenthebackleg.

Action

Usethearmsforsupportandtoreducepressure.Thinkaboutfiringtheback-sidegluteasthiswillhaveadirectimpactonthepsoasstretch.

Figure5.10Rollerhipflexorstretch.

BoxHipFlexorStretch

Thisisthebesthipflexorstretchwehavefound.Theadditionofasix-inch(15cm)boxunderthefrontfootandastartingpositionthatdrivesthehipintointernal rotation are the keys. The box creates greater flexion of the hip andstabilizes the lumbar spine.Positioning thebody at 45degrees to thebox andtheninternallyrotatingtogetthefootontheboxdrivesinternalrotationofthedown(stretched)leg.

Position

Beginwith the leftkneedownand the right footon the floor,not thebox.Thebodyshouldbeat45degreestothebox(seefigure5.11).Fromhereplacetherightfootuponthebox.Doingthiswill force internalrotationof therighthipasthepelvisrotates.

Action

Thinkslightposteriorpelvictilttoeffectthepsoasbodyonthelumbarspine.Therightfootshouldbepositionedslightlyoutsideoftherighthip.Thisiskeybecausetheiliacusandpsoasattachmentsareontheinsideofthefemur,andthehipinternalrotationwillcreateagreaterlengthchange.

Figure5.11Boxhipflexorstretch.

MobilityandActivation

Mobility and activation exercises weren’t addressed in the first edition ofFunctionalTraining forSports. In fact, thewords flexibility andmobilitywereprobablyconsidered interchangeable10years ago.The joint-by-joint approachto traininghelped change that.To fully understand the joint-by-joint approachyoumustunderstandthat,asfamedphysicaltherapistStanleyParissays,“painnever precedes dysfunction.” You must also understand that the goal offunctionaltrainingistopreventorrepairdysfunction.

TheJoint-by-JointApproachtoTraining

The joint-by-joint idea cameabout as a result of anoff-handconversation.Physical therapistGrayCookand Iwerediscussing the resultswehadseen inhis Functional Movement Screen. I noted that difficulty in squatting alwaysseemed tobe related to limitedanklemobility.Cook’s answer and subsequentanalysisof thebodywasa straightforwardone. InCook’smind, thebody isajustastackofjoints.Eachjointorseriesofjointshasaspecificfunctionandisprone to specific, predictable levels of dysfunction.As a result, each joint hasspecifictrainingneeds.Table5.1looksatthebodyonajoint-by-jointbasisfromthebottomup.

Note that the jointsalternatebetween theneedformobilityandstabilityasyoumoveupthebody.Theanklejointneedstobemobile,whilethekneejointneedstobestable.Thehipalsoneedstobemobile.Asyoufollowthechainup,asimple,alternatingseriesofjointsappears.

Whendesigningafunctionalworkout,thinkaboutwhatjointthemovementtargets. Themobile joints need to be addressed during thewarm-up sequencewithrolling,stretching,andmobilitywork,whilethestablejointsareaddressedduringstrengthworkouts.Inessence,thejoint-by-jointapproachgivesustargetstoaimforinspecificaspectsoffunctionaltraining.

Itshouldbeclearthatinjuriesrelatecloselytoproperjointfunction,ormoreappropriatelytojointdysfunction.Themostimportantconcepttounderstandisthatproblemsatonejointusuallyshowupaspaininthejointaboveorbelow.

The simplest example is the lower back. It seems obvious based on theadvances of the past decade thatwe need core stability, and it also should beobviousthatmanypeoplesufferfrombackpain.Butwhydowehavelowbackpain? Is the back weak? Stuart McGill has frequently said at seminars thatpeople with back pain actually have stronger backs than people without backpain,soweaknessisnottheculprit.

In thepastbackpainhasbeenblamedonaweakcore.There isno strongevidencefor thatcase,either. Ibelievelowbackpain isprimarily theresultofloss of hip mobility. Loss of function in the joint below (in the case of thelumbarspine, thehip)affects the jointor jointsabove(lumbarspine). Inotherwords,ifthehipcan’tmoveeffectively,thelumbarspinewillcompensate.Weknowthehipisbuiltformobilityandthelumbarspineisdesignedforstability.Whenthesupposedlymobilejointbecomesimmobile,thestablejointisforcedtomoveascompensation,becominglessstableandsubsequentlypainful.

Theprocessissimple:Loseanklemobility,getkneepain.Losehipmobility,get lowbackpain.Lose thoracicmobility,getneckand shoulderpain (or lowbackpain).

Lookingat thebodyonajoint-by-jointbasisbeginningwiththeankle, thisthought process seems tomake sense.An immobile ankle causes the stress of

landingtobe transferred to the jointabove: theknee. Infact, I think there isadirectcorrelationbetweenthestiffnessofthebasketballshoeandtheamountoftaping and bracing that correlates with the high incidence of patellofemoralsyndromesinbasketballplayers.Ourdesiretoprotecttheunstableanklecomeswithahighcost.Manyofourathleteswithkneepainhavecorrespondinganklemobility issues. This knee pain often follows an ankle sprain and subsequentbracingandtaping.

The exception to the rule seems to be at the hip. The hip can be bothimmobile andunstable, resulting inkneepain from the instability (aweakhipwill allow internal rotation andadductionof the femur)orbackpain from theimmobility.How a joint can be both immobile and unstable is the interestingquestion.Itseemsthatweaknessofthehipineitherflexionorextensioncausescompensatoryactionat the lumbarspine,while theweakness inabductionandexternal rotation (or, more accurately, prevention of adduction and internalrotation)causesstressattheknee.

Poor psoas and iliacus strength or function will cause patterns of lumbarflexion as a substitute for hip flexion (see figure 5.12). Poor strength oractivation of the glutes will cause a compensatory extension pattern of thelumbarspinethatattemptstoreplacethemotionofhipextension.

Figure5.12Poorpsoasandiliacusstrengthorfunctionwillcausepatternsoflumbarflexionasasubstituteforhipflexion.

Interestingly enough, this fuels a vicious cycle. As the spine moves to

compensate for the lack of strength and mobility of the hip, the hip losesmobility. It appears that lack of strength at the hip leads to immobility, andimmobilityinturnleadstocompensatorymotionatthespine.Theendresultisakind of conundrum: a joint that needs both strength and mobility in multipleplanes.

The lumbar spine is even more interesting. The lumbar spine is clearly aseriesof joints inneedofstability,asevidencedbyall thework in theareaofcorestability.Strangelyenough,thebiggestmistakeIbelievewehavemadeintrainingover the last 10years is engaging in an active attempt to increase thestatic and active range of motion of an area that obviously craves stability. Ibelievemost if not all of themany rotary exercisesdone for the lumbar spinewere misdirected. Both Sahrmann (2002) and Porterfield and DeRosa (1998)indicate that attempting to increase rangeofmotion in the lumbar spine isnotrecommended and potentially dangerous. Sahrmann states: “Rotation of the

lumbar spine ismore dangerous than beneficial and rotation of the pelvis andlowerextremitiestoonesidewhilethetrunkremainsstableorisrotatedtotheothersideisparticularlydangerous”(72).

Ibelieveourlackofunderstandingofthoracicmobilityhascausedustotrytogainlumbarrotaryrangeofmotion,ahugemistake.Thethoracicspineistheareaweseemtoknowleastabout.Manyphysicaltherapistsseemtorecommendincreasing thoracicmobility,andI thinkwewillcontinue toseean increase inexercisesdesignedtoincreasethoracicmobility.Interestinglyenough,Sahrmannadvocated the development of thoracic mobility and the limitation of lumbarmobility.

The glenohumeral joint is similar to the hip, meaning it is designed formobilityandthereforeneedstobetrainedforstability.Theneedforstabilityintheglenohumeral jointpresentsagreatcase forexercises suchas stabilityballandBOSUballpush-upsaswellasunilateraldumbbellwork.

HymanandLiponis (2005)perfectlydescribeourcurrentmedical system’smethodofreaction to injury. Icingasorekneewithoutexaminingtheankleorhip is likepulling thebatteryoutof thesmokedetector tosilence it.Pain, likethesoundofasmokedetector,isawarningofsomeotherproblem.

MobilityWork

Thekeytomobilityworkisthatitshouldbedoneonlyforthosejointsthatneed it. The joints that need stability need strength training to create thatstability. The joints that need mobility need motion. It is important to againmention that mobility and flexibility are not the same. Flexibility targets themusclesandtendstorequiresomeelementofastatichold.Mobilitytargetsthejoints and requires gentle motion. Mobility exercises may also be viewed asactivation exercisesbecause they aredesigned to, asphysical therapistShirleySahrmannlikestosay,“get therightmusclemovingtheright jointat therighttime.”

Note:Infour-dayprograms,mobilityworkwillbedoneondays2and4withthelateralwarm-updrillsandladderwork.

ThoracicSpineMobility

Thethoracicspineisoneoftheleastunderstoodareasofthebodyandwaspreviously the realm of physical therapists. Sue Falsone, former head athletictrainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, may be single-handedly responsible for

introducing the athletic world to the need for thoracic mobility and moreimportantlyforshowingmanyofusintheworldofstrengthandconditioningasimplewaytodevelopit.ThenicethingaboutT-spinemobilityisthatalmostnoone has enough and it seems to be hard to get toomuch.We encourage ourathletestodothoracicmobilityworkeveryday.

T-SpineDrill1

Our number one thoracicmobility drill is to simply foam roll the thoracicspine.Asmentioned in the rolling section, it is important to touch the elbowstogethertoprotracttheshoulderbladesandexposethethoracicvertebrae.

T-SpineDrill2

Ournumbertwothoracicmobilitydrillrequiresjusttwotennisballs,sotherereallyisnoexcuse.Simplytapethetwoballstogetherandgotowork.Thedrillis basically a series of crunches beginningwith the balls at the thoracolumbarjunction. The balls sit over the erectors and effectively provide an anterior–posterior mobilization of the vertebrae with every little mini-crunch. It isimportant to return the head to the floor after every crunch and to bring thehandsforwardata45-degreeangle(seefigure5.13).Dofiverepsateachlevelandsimplyslidedownaboutahalfrolloftheball.Workfromthethoracolumbarjunctionup to thebeginningof thecervicalspine.Stayoutof thecervicalandlumbarareas—theseareasdonotneedmobilitywork.

Figure5.13T-spinedrill2.

T-SpineDrill3

The third exercise is a quadruped T-spine mobilization (see figure 5.14).This exercise adds a combination of spinal flexion, extension, and rotation toagaintargetthethoracicspine.Beginonallfourswiththebuttbacktotheheels.One hand is placed behind the head, and the action is an elbow to elbowcombination of flexion and rotation.Generally 5 to 10 reps are done on eachside.

Figure5.14T-spinedrill3.

AnkleMobility

Anklemobility isstep twoinourwarm-up.Aswith thoracicmobility, it israretofindapersonwhodoesn’tneedsomeanklemobilitywork,whetheryouareanathletewhoexperiencedananklesprainyearsago(andwhohasn’t?)orawomanwhowearsheelseveryday.

AnkleMobilityDrill1

CreditforthisdrillgoestoOmiIwasaki,anotherEXOSphysiotherapist.Thefirstkeytoanklemobilityworkisunderstandingitisamobilitydrill(seefigure5.15),notaflexibilitydrill.Youwanttorocktheanklebackandforth,notholdthestretch.

The second key is to watch the heel. It is essential that the heel stay incontact with the floor.Most people who have anklemobility restrictions willimmediatelylift theheel.Iwilloftenholdtheheeldownforbeginnerssotheygetthefeelofit.Thethirdkeyistomakethemovementmultiplanar.Ilike15reps,5totheoutside(smalltoe),5straight,and5drivingthekneeinpastthebigtoe.

Figure5.15Anklemobilitydrill1.

AnkleMobilityDrill2

Leg swings. Leg swings are an interesting exercise. I used to think of legswings as a hip mobility exercise and a dynamic adductor stretch. Physicaltherapist Gary Gray made me realize that leg swings are actually a greattransverse-plane mobility exercise for the ankle. Yes, I said ankle.Watch anathletewithpooranklemobilitydo legswingsandyouwillsee thefootmoveinto external rotation (turn out)with each swing. The key to leg swings is tokeep the foot incontactwith the floorand todrive rotarymotion into the footandankle(seefigure5.16).Theactionofthelegswingingcreatesmobilityattheankleinthetransverseplane.

Figure5.16Anklemobilitydrill2.

HipMobility

Aswiththoracicandanklemobility, it israretofindapersonwhodoesn’tneed somehipmobilitywork. In facthipmobility isprobablymorenecessaryforamajorityofathletes.

HipMobilityDrill1

Split squats. Your first reaction might be that “split squats are a strengthexercise.” In reality, the split squat (see figure 5.17) is a sagittal-plane hipmobility exercise. To prevent soreness and develop mobility, we have ourathletes perform these in place for threeweeks beforemoving to lunges.DanJohnisfondofsaying,“Ifsomethingisimportant,doiteveryday.”Thismeansathletes can do single-leg work every day. Some days we do split squats formobilitydevelopment,andsomedayswedothemunderloadforstrength.Manyof the mobility exercises we use as warm-ups are the same ones we use forstrength.

Figure5.17Hipmobilitydrill1.

HipMobilityDrill2

Lateralsquats.Lateralsquats(seefigure5.18)arethein-placeprecursortolateral lunges. They develop frontal-plane hip mobility, an area where manyathletesarerestricted.Thekeyinlateralsquatsistowatchthefeet—theymustremainstraightahead.Externalrotationiscompensation.Lateralsquatsareabitcounterintuitive.Awiderstancemakesthemeasier,notharder,butmostpeopletrytobeginnarrower.Trytogetthefeet3.5to4feet(1to1.2m)apart.Iusethelinesonrollflooring(usually4-footrolls)orthewidthofthewoodontheliftingplatforms(alsousually4feet)asagauge.

Figure5.18Hipmobilitydrill2.

HipMobilityDrill3

Reaching single-leg straight-leg deadlift. (See figure 5.19.) As mentionedearlier, the basic patterns are donemultiple times perweek, sometimes underloadandsometimesaswarm-upandmobilitywork.

Figure5.19Hipmobilitydrill3.

UpperBodyMobilityandStability

Floorslides(seefigure5.20)offermultiplemobilityandstabilitybenefitsfortheupperbody.They

activatethelowtraps,rhomboids,andexternalrotators;stretchthepecsandinternalrotators;anddecreasethecontributionsoftheuppertraps.

Figure5.20Floorslides.

Whenfirsttryingfloorslides,someathletesaresurprisedtofindtheycan’t

evenget into theposition.This isnotunusual.Manyarealsosurprisedby theasymmetryoftheirshoulders.Athirdsurprisemightoccurwhentheytrytoslideoverhead.Many peoplewill immediately shrug. This is the dominance of theuppertrap.

Herearethekeystothefloorslide:

Retractanddepressthescapulae.Keepthehandsandwrists flatagainst thefloor(ideally thebacksofbothhandsmusttouchthefloor).Whileslidingoverhead,thinkaboutpressinggentlyintothefloorwiththeforearms.Moveonlytothepointofdiscomfort.Theanteriorshoulderwillreleaseandrangeofmotionwillincrease.Don’tforceit.

DynamicWarm-up

Thestandingdynamicportionofthewarm-upshouldgraduallyincreasethestressonthemuscle,getthejointsmoving,andactivateandelongatemuscles.Aproper warm-up moves from rolling to stretching to mobility and activationexercises and progressively increases the intensity of the movement. Theexercisesshouldfirststressflexibilityandthenstressmovement.

A secondary benefit of a functional warm-up is that it reinforces thefundamentals of proper movement while also preparing the body to performmore intense plyometric drills, speed improvement drills, or lateralmovementdrills.

A good warm-up should emphasize proper foot placement in all standingdrills so that while warming up, the athlete also begins to understand therelationshipoffootpositiontoforceproduction.Insimplestterms,feetputdownunderthehipcanbecomeaccelerators.Feetputdowninfrontofthebodyactasbrakes.Inaddition,alldrillsshouldbedonewithperfectbodyposition.Athletesshouldlearntomovefromthehipsandnottobendatthewaist.

Warm-upsandmovementtrainingcanbedividedintolineardaysandlateraldays.Thisdivision,whichisthebrainchildofEXOSfounderMarkVerstegen,isthebestwaytologicallyorganizethemovementportionsoftheworkout.Linearwarm-upisusedtopreparetheathleteforstraight-aheadspeed,plyometrics,andconditioning,andlateralwarm-upisusedtopreparetheathleteforside-to-sidemovement,lateralplyometrics,andlateralconditioning.

LinearActiveWarm-Up

The linear active warm-up is simply a grouping of dynamic stretches andsprint-related drills that prepare the body for straight-ahead sprinting. Linearwarm-up moves from standing dynamic stretching exercises to what mostcoacheswouldclassifyasformrunning.Theform-runningdrillsareavariationof a track-and-field dynamic warm-up. These drills are great not only forteachingmovement skills but also for preparing the lower body for the speedworktofollow.

Form-running drills allow an athlete to warm up the prime mover whileproviding a gentle dynamic stretch to the antagonist. This is what makes thelinearwarm-upsobeneficial.Both requirementsofaproperwarm-uparemet:Themuscle temperature is raised, and themuscle is actively taken through its

fullrangeofmotion.Neverassumethatoneofthesetwoisenough.Stretchingtakes the muscle through its full range, but not actively. Jogging increasesmuscle temperaturebut doesnot take themuscle through anything resemblingfullrange.Toproperlyprepareathletesformostsports,a linearwarm-upmustincludedrillsthataredonebothforwardandinreverse,soitmustalsoincludebackward running drills.Remember, going in reversemay notmatter in trackandfield,butitwillmatterinmostothersports.Oneofthemajormistakesmadein teaching speed is too much reliance on information from track and field.Althoughmostofwhatweknowaboutspeedcomes fromtrackandfield,youneedtothinkoutsidetheboxtoapplysomeoftheseconceptstoothersports.

There’saReasonThere’saBox

Howoftenhaveyouheardsomeonedescribedasan“out-of-the-boxthinker”or heard someone praised for “thinking outside the box”? This is usuallyconsidered a compliment. However, most people would do well to reallyfamiliarizethemselveswithwhat’sinsidethebox.IliketothinkthatthecoachesI admire achieved their success by first knowing the subjectmatter inside outratherthanbythinkingoutsidethebox.

CoachJohnWoodenhasagreatquote:“Ifyouspendtoomuchtimelearningthetricksofthetradeyoumaynotlearnthetrade.”Hewasabrilliantman,andtheway he coached basketballwas amazingly simple. In fact, he began everyyearwithadetailedexplanationofhowtoputonyoursocks toavoidblisters.Thiscouldbedescribedasvery inside-the-box thinking. In fact, somecoachesmight view something as mundane as this a waste of time. Wooden viewedplayersmissingpractice fromblisterscausedbynotputtingsocksoncorrectly(no wrinkles inside the shoes) as the real waste of time, and he was correct.Woodendrilledfundamentals.Veryinsidethebox.

To be honest,most of the best coaches I know talk about simplicitymorethancomplexity.EXOSfounderMarkVerstegenlikestousethephrase“simplethings done savagely well” in his talks, while Dewey Nielsen of ImpactPerformance Training implores us to be brilliant at the basics. There is aBuddhistquotethatsays,“Inthebeginner’smindtherearemanychoices,intheexpert’smindtherearefew.”IthinkthereisareasonIoftenagreewithsomanyofthepeopleIconsidertobegoodcoaches.Thosewhohaveattainedtheexpertlevel seem to think very much alike and react in very similar ways to newinformation.Theexpertsareopentochangeandhavegreatmentalfilters.Asaresult the best coaches seem to end up at the same places evenwhen coming

fromdifferentpaths.Peoplemightviewmeasanout-of-the-boxthinker,butthatmaybebasedon

30 years in the box. The truth is I can’t tell you how often I give the sameanswer toadifferentquestion.Peopleaskquestionsand I tell them toKISS it(andIdon’tmeanmyrearend).Itellthem,“KeepItSimple,Stupid.”Stayinthebox.Out-of-the-boxthinkingshouldbereservedforthosewhoknowtheinsideoftheboxliketheliteralbackoftheirhand.

Next time you hear someone described as an out-of-the-box thinker, askyourselfifthepersonbeingreferredtoisalsothemasterofthebox.Thekeyforus as coaches is to become masters of the box well before we start thinkingoutsideofit.

The linear active warm-up focuses primarily on the three muscle groupsmost often strained in running activities: the hip flexors, hamstrings, andquadriceps. The initial six exercises are slower, dynamic stretches. The nextseries(skipsandruns)arefasterandmoreactivetonowactivatewhathasbeenelongated.

LinearActiveWarm-Up(20yardsormeterseach)

High-kneewalkLegcradleWalkingheeltobuttWalkingheel-uptobuttwithforwardleanBackwardlungewalkwithhamstringstretchBackwardstraight-legdeadliftwalkHigh-kneeskipHigh-kneerunHeel-upStraight-legwalkStraight-legskipBackpedalBackwardrun

Bytheendofaproperlinearwarm-up,themusclegroupsshouldhavebeentakenthroughtheirfullrangeofmotioninaslowtofastsequence.Thistypeofwarm-upshouldprecedesessionsinvolvinganytypeoflinearmovementsuchassprints, plyometrics, track work, or shuttle runs. Never assume that raisingmuscletemperatureisenough.Thewarm-upmustpreparethemuscletomoveatthespeeditwillneedtomoveandthroughtherequiredrangeofmotion.

High-KneeWalk

Thehigh-kneewalkisagentlestarttothewarm-upthatbeginstostretchthemuscles of the posterior hip, most importantly the glutes. When steppingforward, grasp the shinof theopposite leg andpull theknee toward the chest(seefigure5.21).Concentrateonextendingthesteppingleg,andgetuponthetoes. The action of extending the leg and rising on the toes also stretches theopposite-sidehipflexor.

Figure5.21High-kneewalk.

LegCradle

Inthelegcradle,graspthekneewiththesame-sidehandandtheshinwiththeother.Hugthelegintothechestwhilethehandontheshinexternallyrotatesthehip(seefigure5.22).Atthesametime,extendthehipofthesupportinglegwhilerisinguponthetoes.Don’tallowtwohandsontheshin.Thiswillcausethekneetodroptowaistheight.

Figure5.22Legcradle.

WalkingHeeltoButt

Graspthefootwiththesame-sidehandandpulltheheeltothebuttwitheachstep while walking (see figure 5.23). Once the heel is to the butt, fire theadductorsandattempttotouchkneetoknee.ThistargetsthelateralquadandITband.

Figure5.23Walkingheeltobutt.

WalkingHeel-uptoButtWithForwardLean

As in the previous exercise, pull the heel to the butt. In addition, leanforward, keeping the trunk straight, and lift the knee as high as possible (seefigure5.24).Thisexercisestressesthequadricepsandtherectusfemorisoftheliftedlegwhilealsoprovidinggreatproprioceptiveinputtothesupportingfootandankle.

Figure5.24Walkingheel-uptobuttwithforwardlean.

BackwardLungeWalkWithHamstringStretch

This is themost technically demanding of all the exercises described.Theexercise involves a combination of two backward lunges with a hamstringstretch inbetween(see figure5.25).Thebackward lunge isagreatexercise tostretchouttheanteriorhipwhilewarmingupallofthelegandhipextensors.Itshouldbedonewithastrongoverheadreach.Addinganoverheadreachtothebackward lungestretches theanteriorcoreandhipflexorssimultaneously.Thepush-offmakesthisanexcellentexerciseforwarmingupthequadriceps.Fromthe first backward lunge,placebothhandsoneither sideof the front foot andextend the front leg to create a hamstring stretch. From the hamstring stretch,return to the back lunge position and then push off and switch legs. Thesequenceisbacklungewithoverheadreach,hamstringstretch,backlungeandswitch.I liketodothreerepsoneachsidetoreallyconcentrate.Ifyoudothisfordistance,athleteswillrushthroughandmissthedetails.

Note:Forwardlungewalksplacemorestressonthelegsthanmanyathletesareusedto,and10yardsofforwardlungewalkscanleavebeginnerssosorethatthey are unable to complete the rest of the workout. Athletes who have notperformed lunge walks may describe a feeling like a pulled groin muscle.Actually,thissingle-legstrengthworkouthasstressedthelongadductorsintheirfunctionashipextensors.Thisresultsinanunusualandunfamiliarsorenessformany athletes. Generally, athletes at our training facility begin with thebackwardlungewalk(seefigure5.25a),asthisstressesthekneeextensorstoagreaterdegreeandplaceslessstressonthelongadductors.

Figure5.25Backwardlungewalkwithhamstringstretch.

BackwardStraight-LegDeadliftWalk

The straight-leg deadlift walk is another great active hamstring stretch. Inaddition,itoffersexcellentproprioceptivestimulusforthemusclesintheankle.Reachbotharmsasfarforwardaspossiblewhileattemptingtoliftoneleguptowaistheight(seefigure5.26).Thisactionprovidesanexcellentdynamicstretchofthehamstringofthesupportinglegwhilealsoactivatingthehamstringofthe

opposite leg as a hip extensor. The instruction should be to “get as long aspossible.” I like to reinforce thevisualof reaching foroneendof the roomorfieldwith the handswhile reaching for the other endwith the foot. From thislongstretchposition,simplyfallbackonebigstep,landingontheoppositefoot.Be careful with this exercise, as it can cause some hamstring soreness inbeginners.

Figure5.26Backwardstraight-legdeadliftwalk.

High-KneeSkip

The high-knee skip (see figure 5.27) is the first exercise to move fromdynamic stretching to a more active warm-up. The action should be gentleskipping designed to put the hip flexor and extensor musculature into action.Thereisnoemphasisonheightorspeed,onlyonrhythmicaction.Thehigh-kneeskip begins the shift toward a faster, less flexibility-oriented portion of thewarm-up.Withskips,thinkkneeup,heelup,toesup.Thekneeshouldcomeuptowaistheight,theheelshouldcomeuptowardthebutt,andthefootshouldbepulleduptotheshin.

Figure5.27High-kneeskip.

High-KneeRun

The stress on the hip flexor group is increased in the high-knee run. Thisactionissimilartorunninginplacewithasmalldegreeofforwardmovement.Emphasis is on maintaining an upright posture (weak athletes tend to leanforward or back) and getting a large number of foot contacts. The key to thisdrillistomaintainperfectposturesothatthestressisonthecorrectmuscles(seefigure5.28).Thebestcueinthehigh-kneerunistohavetheathletethinkaboutsteppingovertheheightoftheoppositeknee.Wetellourathletestovisualizeapeg stickingout of thedown leg at theknee.The cue is to stepover thepeg.Again the key is the cue of “knee up, heel up, toe up.” Thismeans the kneeshouldbeliftedtowaistheight,theheelspulledtowardthebutt,andtheanteriortibialisactivatedtoliftthetoes.

Figure5.28High-kneerun.

Heel-Up

Theheel-up,orbuttkickasitissometimescalled,shiftstheemphasisfromthehipflexorstothehamstrings.Activelybringingtheheeltothebuttnotonlywarmsupthehamstringsbutalsotakesthequadricepsthroughitsfullrangeofmotion.Inheel-upstherecanbeaslightkneelift(seefigure5.29).

Figure5.29Heel-up.

Straight-LegWalk

The straight-leg walk (figure 5.30) increases the dynamic stretch on thehamstringswhile also activating thehip flexors.Thehip flexorsmust contractpowerfully to flex the hipwith the leg straight. The key is to actively get thehamstringstopulldown.Asmentionedlater, thehamstringsareverypowerfulhipextensorsandneedtobewarmedupintheirextensorcapacity.

Figure5.30Straight-legwalk.

Straight-LegSkip

The straight-leg skip simply adds the rhythmic skipping action to thestraight-legwalk(figure5.31).Inaddition,thedynamicstretchtothehamstringisincreasedbythestraight-legskippingaction.

Figure5.31Straight-legskip.

Backpedal

It is important to clearlydistinguish thebackward run from thebackpedal.They may appear similar, but they have completely different purposes in thewarm-up sequence.Thebackpedal is used towarmup the quadriceps, not thehamstrings.Inthebackpedal,thehipsarekeptlow,andthefeetareeitherunderthebodyorinfrontofit(seefigure5.32).Theactionisaquadriceps-dominantpushwithnoreachtotherear.Thefeetnevergetbehindthebodyastheydointhebackwardrun.Concentrateontheextensionactionofthepushingleg.Thisisa motion that football defensive backs perform easily but that many otherathletesstrugglewith.

Figure5.32Backpedal.

BackwardRun

Thebackwardrun(figure5.33)isliterallyrunninginreverse.Theemphasisisonactivelypushingwiththefrontlegwhilereachingoutaggressivelywiththebackleg.Backwardrunningstronglyactivatesthehamstringsasahipextensorand dynamically stretches the anterior hip. This movement activates thehamstringswhile stretching the hip flexors. In effect, it is the opposite of thestraight-legskip.

Figure5.33Backwardrun.

DevelopingLinearSpeedSafelyandEasily

Let’sclearuponepoint:Sportisaboutacceleration,notspeed.Wehaveaprobleminsports.Coachesconsistentlyusethewrongtermwhen

discussing thequality theycovetmost.Testssuchas the10-,20-,and40-yarddashareactually testsofaccelerationnotspeed.Youneedonly lookatworld-class sprinters to realize that top speed is not achieveduntil approximately 60meters.Ascoachesourinterestisnotintopspeedbutratherinacceleration,thezerotosixtyoftheautoworld.Howrapidlyanathleteaccelerateswilldeterminesuccessinteamsports,notwhatherabsolutespeedis.

Whydoes thismatter?Agreat deal of the research on speed developmentfocusesonspeedinatrackandfieldcontextandnotinasportcontext.Intrackthe shortest event is the 55meters. In sport the long event is a 40-yard dash(althoughbaseballwillgo to60).The track influencemayinfacthave limitedapplication to sport because of sport’s frequent use of accelerationmechanicsversusspeedmechanics.Intrainingfortrack,coachesfrequentlymakereferenceto thepullingaction in runningandworkondrills todevelopapawingactionagainst the ground. In sport the action is primarily pushingwith the center ofgravityslightlyaheadofthefeet,kindofareverseMichaelJohnson.Thismay

mean that much of what we currently view as speed development work mayhave limitedapplication to teamsportathletes. In truth littlecanbesaidaboutspeeddevelopmentthathasnotalreadybeensaidbyrespectedcoachesintheirvideosandlecturesoverthepast20years.Informationonthetechnicalaspectsofspeeddevelopmentisreadilyavailablefromanumberofdifferentsources.

Coaches are increasingly aware that athletes need to train for strength andpower to improve speed. Many coaches use resisted methods of speeddevelopment.Numerouscompaniesprovidecoacheswithcommercial tools forspeed development, such as sleds.One thingwe do know is that if an athletewants tobe fastover shortdistances, shehadbetterbe running fastover shortdistances.Anotherthingweknowisthatputtingforceintothegroundmatters.Thereisastrongcorrelationbetweenspeedandverticaljumpandaprettygoodcorrelationbetweenvertical jumpand lowerbody strength. In a sense, gettingfast issimpleandhardat thesametime.Theconcept issimple.Theexecutioncanbehard.

I propose a system of speed development, or more aptly accelerationdevelopment,withanemphasisoninjurypreventionforteamsportsandlargeorsmall groups. This system of linear speed improvement is simple and easy toimplement.Themajorityofspeedworkinthissystemisdoneoverlessthan10yards or meters and is actually acceleration work. Acceleration is of muchgreater importance in team sports than speed; however, coaches often use thewords interchangeably.Coachesoftenexpressadesire forgreaterspeedwhen,in fact,most sports favorathleteswithgreateracceleration,notnecessarily thefastestathletes.Thesimplestanalogy todescribe thedifferencebetweenspeedandaccelerationistolookatautomobiles.Everycarcango60milesperhour.WhatseparatesaPorschefromaYugoishowfast itcangetfrom0to60.Anunnecessary concernwith speed rather than acceleration is the pitfall ofmanytreadmill-orientedspeeddevelopmentprogramsandmanytrack-and-field-basedprograms.

Thebigquestionsindesigningaspeeddevelopmentprograminvolvewhichdrillstoperform,howfartoperformthem,andhowoftentoperformthem.Theproposed systemwas initially field-tested with 400 athletes in the summer of2000inapproximately19,000workouts(400athletesworkingoutfourdaysperweekfor12weeks)andyieldedfewerthan10groinandhamstringstrains.

Thekeystothesystemareasfollows:

Everyspeedworkoutisprecededbyatleast15minutesofdynamicwarm-upandagilitywork.Plyometrics are done after warm-up and before sprinting. This seems to

provideagoodspeed-of-contractionbridgetosprinting.

Theprogramisbrokendowninto three three-weekphasesbasedonsimpleconcepts.

Weeks1to3:NoncompetitiveSpeed

In the noncompetitive speedphase, simple drillswork on the first three tofive steps.Emphasis is on starting technique and first-stepquickness.Athletesexecutethreetofivehardpushesandthencoast.Atfirst,encouragethemtorunat slightly less than full speed to facilitate gradual muscular adaptation tosprinting. At no time should athletes race or compete in any form in thisnoncompetitivephase.Theprimarydrillsusedinthisphasearethelean,fall,andrun (figure 5.34) and the 90-degree lean, fall, and run fromVernGambetta’sStraightAheadSpeedvideo(1995).Generallyonlysix10-yardsprintsaredoneeachday.

Figure5.34Thelean,fall,andrun.

Weeks4to6:ShortCompetitiveSpeed

Thesecondphaseintroducesaseriesofcompetitivedrills,butthedistanceislimited.Theintensityofthesprintworkincreaseswhilethedistance(volume)ismaintained. One of the difficulties of speed development programs is thatcoachesoftencannotcontrolordiscernwhetherathletesareactuallyattemptingto reach top speed during speed development sessions. The introduction of acompetitiveincentiveensuresthatathletesattempttoaccelerate.Thecompetitiveincentiveissimplyatennisball.Theshortcompetitivespeedphaseconsistsofball-drop sprints from various double-and single-leg start positions (see figure5.35).Ball-dropsprintsensurethatathletesaccelerateforashortburstofspeed.Evengiftedathletesdonotgenerallyexceed7yards.Athletesfrequentlylayout

to get the ball, although this is discouraged. Ball-drop sprints create acompetitive environment that encourages acceleration without excessivelystressingthehamstringsorhipflexors.

Figure5.35Ball-dropsprints.

Weeks7to9:LongCompetitiveSpeed

Inthethirdphaseathletessprintagainstapartnerfrommanydifferentstartpositions.Chasesprintsandbreakaway-beltsprintsaredonefromstandingandlyingstartingpositions.At thispoint, sprintworkoutsbecome taggames,withathletes alternating as the chaser or the chased.Athletes’ accelerative abilitiesarechallengedinacompetitiveatmospherethatguaranteesmaximumeffort.Inthisphase,athletesarelimitedtoa10-to20-yardtagzone.

This speed development program yields excellent results when combinedwithaproperwarm-up,aproperlowerbodystrengthprogram,andaprogressiveplyometric program. Athletes progress gradually from individually pacedstarting and first-step drills to highly competitive tag races over a nine-weekperiod to ensure proper muscular adaptation. Either volume or intensity isincreased in each phase, but never both. In the lower body strength program,exercisesareperformedtwiceweeklyforbothkneeextension(splitsquatversusfrontsquatandsingle-legvariations)andhipextension(straight-legandbent-legvariations that emphasize glutes and hamstrings). The combination ofprogressivespeed,progressiveplyometrics,andprogressivestrengthtraininghasresulted in an injury rate of less than 1 per 1,000 workouts at our trainingfacility.

SledTraining

There isnothingbetter thanaweightedsled tohelpanathlete improvehisspeed.Infact,ifIhadlimitedtimeandcoulddoonlyoneexercise,itmightbea

sledpush.Numerousstudieshaveattempted todiscredit theuseofaweightedsledasatoolforspeeddevelopment,citingtheweightedsleds’limitedeffectontopspeed.

Intruth,theevidencethatweightedsledsmaynotimprovetop-speedrunningdoes not apply to acceleration and may have led coaches to undervalue apotentially valuable pieceof equipment. In fact,many authorswho stated thattheweightedsleddidnotimprovespeedindicatedthatitimprovedacceleration.Ourproblem,asisoftenthecase,wasthatwemisinterpretedtheresultsof theresearch.

Mostcoachesspendtimeworkingonformrunningandtechniquetoimprovespeed. These same coaches also include lower body strength workouts toimprovestrength.Althoughthesearebothobviouslyimportant, theremaybeamissing link—the development of specific strength. How often have we seenathleteswhorun“pretty”butnotfast?Inmyopinion,manycoachesattemptingtodevelopspeedspendfar toomuch timeon techniquedrillsand far too littletime on developing the specific power and specific strength necessary to runfaster.

In 2000 the Journal of Applied Physiology published an article called“MechanicalBasisofHumanRunningSpeed.”Thearticlesynopsisbeginswiththeline“Fastertoprunningspeedsareachievedwithgreatergroundforces,notmorerapidlegmovements.”ThishasbecomeknownastheWeylandstudyafterleadresearcherPeterWeyland.Weightedsleddrills target thespecificmusclesusedinsprintingandhelpbridgethegapbetweenform-runningdrillsandweightroomexercisessuchassquatsandOlympiclifts.

Manyathletescansquatlargeamountsofweight.Farfewerathletesseemtobeabletorunfast.Anystudentofspeedwilltellyouthatmanyofthestrengthexercises commonly recommended for speed developmentwork hip extensionbutnothiphyperextension.Inrunningspeed,alloftheforceproductionisfromhiphyperextension.Theabilitytoapplyforcetothegroundandcreateforwardmovementcanoccuronlywhenthefootisplacedunderthecenterofmassandpushed back. Although squats and other exercises will train the musclesinvolved, the training is not specific to the act of sprinting. Thismay be onereasonweseeahighercorrelation tovertical jumpimprovement than tospeedimprovementthroughstrengthtraining.Aweightedsledteachesstrongathleteshowtoproducethetypeofforcethatmovesthemforward.Thesportsscientistslike to break this down into special strength and specific strength.Although Ibelieve the difference is minimal, it is important to understand the differencebetweenthetwo.

Specialstrengthisproducedbymovementswithresistancethatincorporatethe joint dynamics of the skill. Sledmarchingwould fall into the specialstrengthcategory.Ibelievesledmarchingmaybethebesttoolavailableforspeeddevelopment.Anathlete’sinabilitytoproduceforceintheactionofsprintingbecomesglaringlyobviousinsledmarching.Specific strength is produced by movements with resistance that areimitative of the joint action. I would place sled running in the specificstrengthcategory.

AtMBSCweliketodosledmarchingwithheavyloadsforthefirst6weeksof a 12-week training cycle and then do 6 weeks of sled sprints with lighterloads.

Inthepastcoacheshaverecommendedthatresistedspeeddevelopmentworkmustnotslowtheathletedownmorethan10percentormustnotinvolvemorethan10percentoftheathlete’sbodyweight.Theserecommendationsseemtobebasedonmotorlearningresearchindicatingthatexcessiveloadswouldalterthemotor patterns of activities such as sprinting and throwing. I have always felttherewasamissinglinktospeeddevelopment,butuntilafewyearsagothisso-called 10 percent rule kept me from aggressively pursuing my gut feeling.Presently,myfeelingisthatloadsuptoandexceedingtheathlete’sbodyweightcan be used for special strength work as long as the athlete exhibits a motorpatternsimilartotheaccelerationphaseofsprinting.Thinkofsledmarchingasaspecial type of leg press. Athletes incorporate the joint dynamics of sprintingthroughhiphyperextensionagainst resistance.Thiscanbeanextremelyheavymovementaslongaswegetatechnicallysoundmarchaction(perfectposture).

With sled running, the approach moves toward specific strength. In sledrunning the loads will obviously be lighter, but I still do not follow the 10percentrule.Themainvariableinsledtrainingisnottheweightonthesledbutthemotorpattern.Ifanathletecanholdanaccelerationpositionandrunwithoutalteringmechanics, then this is a specific strength exercise for sprinting.Whyshould we be limited by arbitrary guidelines like a 10 percent load or a 10percentdecreaseinspeed?Over20yards,10percentistwoone-hundredthsofasecond.Thekeyshouldbetolookattheathlete’spostureandmotorpattern.Iftheathletehastoalterthemechanicstoproducethedesiredaction,thentheloadis too heavy. The 10 percent rule does not allow us to apply progressiveresistanceconceptstothisformoftraining.

Anotherobviousbutoverlookedvariablethataltersthe10percentruleisthesurface being run on. Loads used on the sled need to be lighter on grass andheavieronAstroTurf.Thissimplyrelatestocoefficientoffriction.Lessweight

produces a large amount of friction as the sled moves through grass. OnAstroTurf or a similar surface, the same weight would be too light. Anothervariable is a flat sled versus a double-runner sled. A flat sled will producegreaterfrictionandasaresultwillnecessitatealighterloadonthesledtogetasimilareffect.

Therealityisthatwemayhavemisinterpretedthemessagewhenitcomestoresistance training for sprints.Although research shows that sled trainingmaynot improvetheathlete’sability torunat topspeed, itwillhelp theathletegetfaster. Remember, sport is about acceleration, not top speed. Very few teamsport athletes ever get to what track coaches like to call absolute speedmechanics. The weighted sled may be the most underrated tool for speeddevelopment because of our misinterpretation and misunderstanding of theresearchandterminologysurroundingspeeddevelopment.

LateralWarm-up:ImprovingLateralAgilityandSpeed

The lateralwarm-upprepares thebody forworkouts devoted to improvinglateralmovement. It consists of approximately eightminutesofmobilitywork(see the sections on foam rolling, stretching, and mobility) followed by alaterallyorienteddynamicwarm-up.Thelastfiveminutesfocusonagilityladderwork. The key to the lateral warm-up is to stress the abductor and adductorgroups toagreaterdegree than ispossibleornecessary in the linearwarm-up.Mostwarm-ups tend tohaveavery linear track-and-field influenceanddonotgettheathletemovingsidetoside.Itisimportantthatthewarm-upbespecifictothedemandsoftheactivitiesplannedforthatday.Thelateralwarm-uppreparestheathleteforthelateralmovementandlateralspeedprogressionstofollow.Thelateral dynamic warm-up emphasizes movement from side to side or in thefrontalplane.

LateralSquat

Mostcoachesrecognizethelateralsquatasagroinstretch.Iprefertoviewthelateralsquatasadynamicflexibilityexercisedesignedtoimprovethehips’rangeofmotioninthefrontalplane.Beginwiththefeetfourfeet(1.2m)apartandsittotheright,keepingtheleftlegstraightandtheleftfootflat(seefigure5.36). Sit as tall and as low as possible, keeping theweight on the right heel.Holdthebottompositionforonesecond,andthenswitchtotheleftheel.

Figure5.36Lateralsquat.

LateralSkipSeries

Thelateralskipseries(seefigure5.37)isoneofthemostdifficultthingstoteachandlearn.Itisbesttobeginwithskippinginplace.Tolateralskiptotheright,athletesmustpushlaterallywiththeleftleg.Thisintroducestheideathattheymovetotherightbypushingwiththeleftleg,notbysteppingwiththerightfoot.Iliketoteachathletestoskipinplaceandthenthinkthateveryleftcontactbecomesaleftpush.Iwillcue“left,left,left”astheylaterallyskiptotheirright.Theactionisoneofabduction,orpushingouttotheside.

Figure5.37Lateralskip.

CrossOverSkip

Afterthelateralskipismastered,movetoacrossoverskip(seefigure5.38).Nowthetoplegcrossesoverandexecutesthesamelateralpush-off.Againusingtheexampleofmoving right, the left legcrossesoverandcomesdownwithalateral push.The cueing is again a “left, left, left” sequencewhere the athletefocuses on the action of the left leg pushing down and across. Crossoverskippingaddsaslightrotationalcomponenttothelateralmovementasthekneecrossesthemidlineofthebody.

Figure5.38Crossoverskip.

Cross-UnderSkip

The cross-under skip is identical in appearance to the crossover but themuscleactionchanges.Insteadofanaggressivepushwiththecrossoverleg,thepush is with the cross-under leg. This will be the most difficult of the threelateralskipsforathletestolearnandinsomecaseswilltakeweeks.Thechangehereisthateventhoughtheathleteismovingtotheright,theemphasisisonanaggressivelateralpushwiththerightleg.Thebestwaytograspthismentallyistothinkofcrossoverskipasabductionskipping,alateralpush-offusingthehipabductors, and the cross-under skip as adduction skipping, a lateral push-offachievedbyemphasizingtheactionoftheunderleg.

Note:Incrossoveractions,boththeabductorsandadductorsmustwork,andthisskippingsequencebeginstogetathletesfamiliarwiththequalitiesnecessaryto move laterally. It is extremely important that athletes begin to grasp theconcept thatacrossover involvesanabductionpushof the leg that iscrossing

overincombinationwithanadductionpushofthelegthatisunderneath.

LateralShuffle

The lateral shuffle (see figure 5.39) is as simple as it seems. The athletemoveslaterallybypushinglefttogoright.Emphasisisonanathleticposition,feetpointedstraightahead.Thisisagreatdrillforsport-specificcues.Basketballathletesmayuseapalms-updefensivestance,whilefootballplayersmayhavethehandsinfrontinamoreprotectivepositionanticipatingablocker.

Figure5.39Lateralshuffle.

Carioca

Weusethestandardfast-footdrill(seefigure5.40).

Figure5.40Carioca.

LateralCrawl

Lateral crawling (see figure 5.41) warms up the core and scapulothoracicareafromalateralemphasis.

Figure5.41Lateralcrawl.

QuickFeet?

I can’t tell you how often I hear someone ask, “How can I improve myson’s/daughter’s/athlete’sfootspeedoragility?”Itseemsthateveryonealwayswantstheshortcutandthequickfix.Thebetterquestionmightbe“Doyouthinkyou can improve foot speed?” or maybe even the larger question “Does footspeed evenmatter?”This leads to “Does foot speed have anything to dowithagility?”

Coaches and parents reading this are probably saying, “Is this guy crazy?Howmany times havewe heard that speed kills?” I think the problem is thatcoaches andparents equate fast feetwithbeing fast andquick feetwithbeingagile.However, having fast feet doesn’tmake you fast anymore than havingquick feet makes you agile. In some cases fast feet might actuallymake youslow.

Often I see fast feet as a detriment to speed. In fact some of our quick-turnover athletes, those whowould be described as having fast feet, are veryslowoff the start.Theproblemwith fast feet is thatyoudon’tuse thegroundwell toproduceforce.Fast feetmightbegoodonhotcoals,but they’renotsogreat on hard ground. Think of the ground as thewell fromwhich you drawspeed.Itisnothowfastthefeetmovebutratherhowmuchforcegoesintotheground. This is basic action–reaction physics. Force into the ground equalsforwardmotion.This iswhy theathleteswith thebestvertical jumpsaremost

often the fastest. It comesdown to forceproduction.Oftencoacheswill arguethatverticaljumpdoesn’tcorrespondtohorizontalspeed,butyearsofdatafromtheNFLCombinebegstodiffer.Forceintothegroundisforceintotheground.The truth is parents should be asking about vertical jump improvement, notaboutfastfeet.Mystandardlineis“LordoftheDanceMichaelFlatleyhasfastfeetbuthedoesn’treallygoanywhere.”Ifyoumoveyourfeetfastanddon’tgoanywhere,doesitmatter?It’stheold“treefallinginthewoods”thing.

Thebest solution for slowfeet is toget stronger legs.Feetdon’tmatterasmuchaslegsmatter.Thinkaboutitthisway.Ifyoustandatthestartinglineandtakeaquickfirststepbutfailtopushwiththebackleg,youdon’tgoanywhere.

Therealityisthataquickfirststepistheresultofapowerfulfirstpush.Weshouldchangethebuzzwordsandstarttosay,“Thatkidhasagreatfirstpush.”Lowerbodystrengthistherealcureforslowfeetandtherealkeytospeedandagility.

I think the essence of developing quick feet lies in single-leg strength andsingle-leg stability work (landing skills). If you cannot decelerate you cannotaccelerate,atleastnotmorethanonce.OneofthethingsIloveisthemagicdrillidea.Thisisthetheorythatdevelopingfootspeedandagilityisnotaprocessofgainingstrengthandpowerbutratheramatteroffindingthatperfectdrill.ItelleveryoneIknowthatifIbelievedtherewasamagicdrillwewoulddoiteveryday.The reality is that it comesdown to horsepower and the nervous system,twoareasthatchangeslowlyovertime.

Sohowdowedevelopspeed,quickness,andagility?Unfortunately,weneedtodoittheslow,old-fashionedway.Thekeyistoincreasethehorsepower,thebrakes, and the accelerator. The answer for me is always the same—development of speed, agility, and quickness simply comes down to goodtraining.Weneed toworkon lowerbodystrengthand lowerbodypower,andweneedtodoitononeleg.

DevelopingAgilityandDirectionChange

Theoldadagethatyoucan’tteachspeedwasdisprovedyearsago.However,many coaches still believe that agility and coordination cannot be taught. Intruth, change of direction, the essence of lateralmovement, can be taught andcomesdowntothreesimplecriteria.

1. Doyouhave thesingle-legstrengthnecessarynotonly tostopmovementbutalsotorestartmovementafterastop?

Single-leg strength is the essential quality for developing agility.Withoutsingle-legstrength,noamountofagilityoragilityworkwillenableathletestomakecutsattopspeed.Thismeanssingle-legworkintheweightroom.

2. Canyoudecelerate?Eccentric strength is the real key to deceleration. Think of eccentric

strength not as the ability to lower a weight but instead as the ability tobringthebodytoarapidstop.Eccentricstrengthistheabilitytoputonthebrakes.This comes throughplyometric drills and can also be taughtwithagilityladderdrills.

3. Canyoulandwithstability?Istheproprioceptivesystempreparedtocreateastablelanding?Again,

jumpsandladderdrillsarekey.

Athletesneedtounderstandthemostbasicconceptofagility:Tomovetotheleft, you must push off with the right foot. You never get anywhere fast bysteppinginthedirectionyouaregoing;youhavetoliterallypushyourselfinthedirectionyouwanttogowiththefootthatisfarthestaway.However,beforeyoucanmakethepushnecessaryforchangeofdirection,youneedtodecelerateandland with stability. Most of what passes as agility training is simply timingmovement.Abetterphilosophyistoteachmovement,nottotimemovement.Donotjustaskathletestorunaroundconesinanattempttolowertheirtime.Teachathletestheproperwaytoexecutearightturn,aleftturn,ora45-degreecut.

To do this, we begin with simple ladder drills. Note that this piece ofequipment is called an agility ladder and not a speed ladder. A ladder won’tmakeanathletefaster,butitcanimprovecoordinationandhelpteachchange-of-directionconcepts.

AgilityLadderDrills

Aspreviouslymentioned,theagilityladderisatoolforwarm-up,directionchange, andmultiplanarmovement. The ladder is used for approximately fiveminutestwiceaweekandisnotacure-alloramagicdrill.It issimplyagreattool to teach footwork, direction change, and braking concepts as part of thewarm-up.Weusehalfladdersthatareaboutfiveyardslong.Inaddition,whenchoosing ladder drills I like to think aboutmoving in all three planes. Pick atleastonedrillwhere theathletemovesacross the ladder in thefrontalplane,adrillwhereshefacestheladderandmovessagittally,andadrillwitharotaryortransversecomponent.Remembertheladderisnotaconditioningtool,andlongladdersandshortrepsaretheroadtoslowfeet,notfaster.

ShuffleWideandStick

PopularlyknownastheIckeyShuffleafterCincinnatiBengalsrunningbackIckeyWoods’touchdowndance,theshufflewideandstick(seefigure5.42)isathree-count drill. Ladder drills break down into two-count drills with a 1-2cadence,three-countdrillswitha1-2-3cadence,andfour-countdrills.

Theactionisin-in-out.Inotherwords,theathletebeginsontheleftsideoftheladderstandingontheleftfoot.Theactionofthedrillisnowright-left-right:twofeetintotheladderfollowedbyastablelandingontheoppositesideontherightfoot.Hewants tostickthat landingforacountofoneonethousand.Theessence of this drill is the stutter step, which is the basic component ofmostoffensive evasivemaneuvers in sport. The crossover dribble in basketball andthewidedribble in fieldor icehockeyare just a fewexamplesof executingastuttersteptoeludeanopponent.

Thefeetshouldmovequickly,accurately,andlowtotheladder.Weliketocue “in-in-out” and “stick it.” The key here is fast in the ladder and a stablelandingonone foot outside.Withour agility ladderdrills, all drills that beginfacing forward are done backward on the return, so the athlete would shufflewideandstickgoing forwardand return in reverse.Remember, inmost sportsmovementisn’tonlyforward.

Figure5.42Shufflewideandstick.

ShuffleQuick

Theshufflequickisthesamedrillminusthestick.Insteadoflandingstableon the outside foot, use a quick foot action to immediately cross to the otherside.

ShuffleQuickandStick

After three weeks of learning the shuffle wide and stick and the shufflequick,progresstostickingononesideandquickontheother(seefigure5.43).Thisentiresequence takes twotripsupanddownthe ladder.Goup the laddergoing quick on the right and sticking the left, coming back in reverse. Thenswitchsidesandgoquickleftandstickright,bothforwardandbackward.Thisisagreatdrilltocombinethefeetandthebrain.Theathletehastomovethefeetandthink,whichmightbetheessenceofsport.

Figure5.43Shufflequickandstick.

CrossinFront

This is another basic three-count, quick-foot ladder drill (see figure 5.44).The sequence now is in-out-out. The athlete begins on two feet outside theladder.Fromtheleftside, thefirststepisacrossoverstepinto theladderwiththe left leg. The right then steps across the ladder, followed by the left. Thesequenceisleft-right-left.Iliketocue“crossin,out,out”sotheathletescangetthethoughtandrhythm.IalsoliketouseaWaltztempoof1-2-3,1-2-3togetathletestothinkaboutfootcontacts.Goupforwardandbackbackward.

Figure5.44Crossinfront.

HardCrossOver

This is the same foot action as the cross in front, but it is much moreaggressive. Where the previous drill is a quick-foot drill, this one is a realchange-of-directiondrill.Inthehardcrossoverwecueareallyaggressivepush-offwiththeinsideleg,reallyencouragingtheathletetoleanintotheladder.Thelandingisaveryaggressivestopinatwo-footbaseposition,soratherthana1-2-3rhythmitismoreofatwo-countdrill.Theactionisleanintotheladder,pushhardwiththeinsidelegtocrossintotheladder,andlandsolidontwofeetontheoppositeside.Thelandingshouldmimicaskater’sstoportheactionofatwo-footbaseballslide.

CrossBehind

Thisisthesamedrillasthecrossinfrontbutthefootisnowcrossedbehind.Many athletes struggle because this is not a common action, but teachingathleteshowtogettangledupintheirownfeetandkeepmovingisvaluable.Inaddition,insportssuchassoccerandhockey,passesareoftenbehindandcanbefieldedwithaback-foot,cross-behindaction.

In-In-Out-Out

In-in-out-outisoneofmyfavoritedrillsbecauseitcanbedoneforward(seefigure5.45a),backward,movingright,andmovingleft(seefigure5.45b).Thisisafour-countdrillthatproceedsexactlyasitsounds.Intheforwardversiontheathletebeginswithfeetstraddlingtheladderandmovesforwardbygoingin-in-out-out.The twofeetoutside the laddermove intoandoutof theboxesas theathletemoves forward.Right and left are done the same, but the athlete startsfacingtheladderratherthanstraddlingit.

Figure5.45In-in-out-out.

Out-Out-In-In

I love this drill because it ismore of a spatial awareness drill.The athletebeginssideways in the ladderbutnowmustgo rightor leftmovingoutof theladder(seefigure5.46).Althoughthisseemssimple,thereversalofthepositionoftheladderdrasticallyincreasesthedifficulty.

Figure5.46Out-out-in-in.

Scissors

Thescissorsdrill (see figure5.47) isasimple lateral, sagittal-planedrill inwhich the athlete begins with one foot in the ladder and moves laterally bysimplyalternatingfeet.Ifgoingtotheright,theathletebeginswiththerightfootin the first box and simply moves down the ladder in a left-right-left-rightsequence.

Figure5.47Scissors.

HipSwitch

Hipswitch(seefigure5.48)isbasicallyscissorswithacrossover.Asthefeetswitch, the far foot crosses over to the next box. This drill adds a rotary, ortransverse,componenttoalateraldrill.

Figure5.48Hipswitch.

Therearenumerousotherdrillstochoosefromwithinfinitevariations.Thekeyistokeepitsimple.Useamixoflinearandlateralladderdrills,andincludesomethataddarotarycomponent.Seetheladderforwhatitis—agreattoolforwarm-upandagreattoolforfootworkanddirectionchange.

This chapter provides some simple yet effective progressions to improveboth linear speed and lateralmovement. The athletemoves through a specificwarm-updesignedarounddrillsthatareappropriateforthemovementemphasisoftheday.Specificdaysaredevotedtolinearspeed,andothersaredevotedtolateralmovement.Thissimplesystemallowscoachestodesignworkoutseasilyand athletes to be properly prepared for the stresses to follow. Thewarm-upsincorporateprogressionsfortheneuromuscularsystemandarebasedoncurrentscienceonwarm-upsandinjuryreductiontoensureasafeapproach.Remember,functional training is training thatmakes sense.Awarm-up that relates to thedrillsandactivitiesabouttobeperformedalsomakessense.

References

Currier, D.P., and R.M. Nelson. 1992.Dynamics of Human Biologic Tissues.Philadelphia:Davis.

Davies,C., andA.Davies. 2004.The Trigger Point TherapyWorkbook.NewHarbingerPublications.

Gambetta,V.1995.StraightAheadSpeed(video).GambettaSportsSystems.Hyman,M.,andM.Liponis.2005.Ultra-Prevention.AtriaBooks.McGill, S.M., and S. Brown. 1992. Creep response of the lumbar spine toprolongedfullflexion.ClinicalBiomechanics.7:43-46.

Myers, T. 2009. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for MovementTherapists.2nded.Philadelphia:ChurchillLivingstone,Elsevier.

Porterfield,J.,andC.DeRosa.1998.MechanicalLowBackPain:PerspectivesinFunctionalAnatomy.Philadelphia:Saunders.

Sahrmann, S. 2002. Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement ImpairmentSyndromes.St.Louis:Mosby.

Weyland, P. 2000. Mechanical basis of human running speed. Journal ofAppliedPhysiology.89(5):1991-1999.

Wilhelmi,B.J.,S.J.Blackwell,J.S.Mancoll,andL.G.Phillips.1998.Creepvs.stretch:Areviewofviscoelasticpropertiesofskin.AnnalsofPlasticSurgery.41:215-219.

Chapter6LowerBodyTraining

My views on lower body training have changed drastically since thepublicationofthefirsteditionofFunctionalTrainingforSports.Overthepastdecadewehavemovedfromaveryconventionalbacksquatorientedprogramtoa front squat oriented program and finally to a program centered primarilyaround unilateral deadlifts and unilateral squat variations. In certain situationswe initially use bilateral squats and bilateral deadlifts, but the emphasis hasclearlymoved tomoreunilateral exerciseswhen it comes todeveloping lowerbodystrength.

Theprimaryreasonforthisevolutioninlowerbodytrainingstrategyisourdesiretomosteffectivelyachievethesethreegoals:

No injuries in training.Almost all our athletes’ back pain issues resultedfromperformingheavysquats.Decreased injuries in the competitive season. A program of unilateralexercises seems to have greater injury reduction benefitswhen comparedwithaprogramthatemphasizesbilateralwork.Improvedperformance.Athletes’usingunilateraltrainingexercisessawthesameorbetterperformancegainsaswhentheyusedbilateralexercises.

Although we can agree that functional lower body strength should be theprimaryemphasis in anyhigh-quality trainingprogram,manywilldisagreeonhow to develop it. We do know that nearly every team sport, and manyindividual sports, relies heavily on speed, and the first step in speedimprovement is strength improvement. Whether the goal is performanceenhancement,injuryprevention,strengthgains,orsizegains,trainingthelowerbodyisthebestwaytoaccomplishallofthese.

StartingWithBody-WeightSquats

Ourlowerbodystrengthtrainingoftenbeginswithlearningtobody-weightsquatandtodoakettlebellsumodeadlift,bothbilateralexercises.Thesquatandhinge are still considered fundamental movement skills. However, for manyathletesmorehip-dominantexercises suchaskettlebell sumodeadliftsor trap-bardeadlifts are abetter startingpoint than squatting. In fact, deadlifts canbeeasiertolearnandareoftenlesslimitedbymobilityissues.Teachinganathleteto perform a body-weight squat is still important, however, and will revealimportantinformationaboutflexibilityandinjurypotential.

The question now is how and whether to load the squat. Squatting andsquatting under load present unique problems from both a physical andpsychological standpoint. In the simplest sense we need to ask ourselves,“Should we place external load on an athlete who cannot properly perform aperfectbody-weightsquat?”

To understand the challenges of teaching squatting, it is critical to firstexaminethepsychologyof liftingweights ingeneral.Thereisamachoaspect,mostevidentwithyoungmales, thatmakes learningstrength trainingexercisesvery difficult. This motor learning process becomes particularly difficult in agroup setting. Very few athletes want to go through the motion of squattingwithout weight to develop the mobility necessary to squat properly. Instead,athleteswanttoliftweightsandwanttobechallenged.

All too often an athlete who squats poorly is still encouraged by a well-meaning coach to “get strong.” Physical therapist Gray Cook describes thismistakeas“addingstrengthtodysfunction.”WhatCookissayinginthesimplestsense is that if you can’t squatwell, don’t squatwithweight. Ifwe allow anathletewithpoor technique tosquatunder load,wearesimplyaddingstrengthontopofmovementdysfunction.Theathleteorclientstillhasapoorpattern,butthe poor pattern can now be demonstrated with an external load. This is acommon high school and college strength trainingmistake andmay be at therootofmanyathletes’backpain.

So instead, the initial advice a coach should give the athlete is to “getmobile” or “perfect your squat pattern.” Only after the correct technique isestablishedshouldanathleteaddloadtothelift.

Our current approach is to work onmobility to develop the squat patternbeforeweloaditandtodothemajorityofourlowerbodysquatpatternloadinginunilateralexercises.Theunilateralknee-dominantpatternisasimpleroneto

teachandismuchmoreusable.Thebilateralsquatisprobablybestlearnedaspartofwarm-up,assumingthe

warm-upisperformedoutsideoftheweightroomsotheathleteisnotthinking,Howmuchweightisonthebarandwhoislookingatme?Fromapsychologicalstandpoint we have removed one barrier to success in learning to squat. Thedesiretocontinuallyaddexternalloadintheweightroomforcestheathletebacktofaultyandfamiliarmovementpatterns.Workingonsquatmobilityaspartofwarm-updoestheopposite.Althoughweworkonsquatmobilityinourwarm-ups we simultaneously work on single-leg strength in the strength programthroughourunilaterallowerbodyprogressions.

Ourathletescanalsodevelophipandbackstrengthwithexercises suchaskettlebellsumodeadliftsortrap-bardeadlifts(amuchsimplerexercisetolearnthan the squat because of the decreased hip range of motion) whilesimultaneouslyworkingonsingle-legstrengthandmobility.

DistinguishingtheSquatandDeadlift

WhenpeopleaskmetodefinethedifferencebetweenasquatandadeadliftIusedtobeabletogiveasimpleanswer.Inthedeadlifttheweightisinthehands(seefigure6.1a).Tome,thatwastheeasiestwaytodistinguishbetweensquatsanddeadlifts.Forsquatsthebarisontheshoulders(seefigure6.1b),eitherfrontorback.Bothliftslookalotalike.Butifadeadliftisdefinedbyaweightinthehands,whatisdepictedinfigure6.2?

Figure6.1(a)Deadliftand(b)squat.

Figure6.2Rear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat.

Readersfamiliarwiththeexercisewouldsaythat’sarear-foot-elevatedsplit

squat, or if you like silly names, aBulgarian lunge (silly because it is neitherBulgariannoralunge).Butisn’ttheweightinthehands?Theargumentwillbethatit’sasquatbecausethetorsoismoreerect.

Lower body strength training can be broken down into knee-dominantpatterns and hip-dominant patterns. In the old days, this broke down intobilateralsquatsandbilateraldeadliftsandtheirvariations.

Mypoint is that the picturewe have now ismuchmore complicated.Ourexercisemenuhasevolvedsomuchthattheolddefinitionsofsquatanddeadliftnolongerapply,andweneednewones.Inthegobletsquat,theweightisinthehandsbutabovethewaist.It’sasquat.Maybeatypeoffrontsquatbutasquatnonetheless. In the kettlebell sumodeadlift, theweight is in the hands but thelowerbodypatterncanbeturnedintoaknee-dominantonethatlooksmorelikeasquatthanadeadlift.

Isfigure6.3atrap-bardeadliftortrap-barsquat,ordoesthatdependonhowthe exercise is done? If an exercise that is called a trap-bar deadlift has asquatting-type lower body pattern, does it then become a trap-bar squat? In asuitcase-stylerear-foot-elevatedsplitsquattheweightisinthehandsandbelowthewaist,buttheseclearlydon’tseemlikedeadlifts.

Figure6.3Atrap-bardeadliftortrap-barsquat?

So thenwecomeback to thedefinitionof adeadlift. Is it a deadlift if the

weightispickedupfromthegroundandthenbroughtbacktotheground?Thatmight have beenmy definition until I readDan John and Pavel Tsatsouline’sEasyStrength.Theauthorsmayhaveredefinedsquatsanddeadlifts.Theymakethe distinction of a deadlift having “deep hip movement with minimal kneebend”andasquathaving“deepmovementofthekneesandhips”(179).

Inotherwordsahip-dominantmovementisadeadliftandaknee-dominantmovement is a squat.Ahip-dominantmovement has, as John andTsatsoulinesay,“deephipmovementwithminimalkneebend.”Thinkkettlebellswings(seefigure6.4)andthemisnamedstraight-legdeadlift(seefigure6.5).Ilikethetermmodifiedstraight-legdeadlift.Withthepopularityofswingsandtheemergenceofthetrapbar,thelandscapehaschangedquiteabit.

Figure6.4Kettlebellswing.

Figure6.5Straight-legdeadliftormodifiedstraight-legdeadlift.

Perhapsweshouldreexaminesomeexercisesandclassify themusingJohn

andTsatsouline’sdefinitions.Let’s analyze the sumo deadlift (see figure 6.6). Anterior chain? Maybe.

Posteriorchain?Maybe.Adductortarget?Definitely.Isthisadeadlift?WhenIwasapowerlifter thiswas thedeadlift for squatters. Inmypowerliftingdays Iwasasumo-styledeadlifterbecausemylegsweremuchstrongerthanmyback.

Figure6.6Sumodeadlift.

A widestance squatter who is more anterior-chain dominant will probably

pull more in the sumo deadlift than the conventional deadlift. Such a lifterbasicallysquatsthedeadliftwhileholdingthebarinthehands.Intermsofkneedominantorhipdominant,Ithinkwehavetovoteforknee.InthefirsteditionofFunctionalTrainingforSportsIcalledthesehybrids,exercisesthatdidn’tseemtofitneatlyintotheknee-orthehip-dominantcategories.

Infigure6.7a,theunloadedversionwouldbeasumosquat.Addakettlebellasindicatedanditbecomesasumodeadlift(figure6.7b).Movetheloaduptogobletpositionanditbecomesagobletsquat(seefigure6.7c).Confused?Ihopenot. The point is that things are never as clear or as simple aswewould likethemtobe.

Figure6.7Sumosquat.

Bottomline:Whocares?It really is justsemantics. Inapowerliftingmeet,

thedeadliftwillalwaysbe the liftpickedupfromthe floor.However ingymsandsportperformanceprogramsthemenuhaschanged.Hiphingewithminimalkneemovement?Deadlift.Sharedkneeandhipmovement?Squat.

Tomakemattersworse(orbetter),Iwantyoutoteachyourathletestosquat,butwhentheystarttogetstrong,toswitchtounilateralvariationsofthesquatorto the trap-bar deadlift if you reallywant a bilateral exercise. The concept of

relyingprimarilyonunilateraltrainingforthelowerbodyisbasedononesimplethought (werunand jumponone legmostof the time)andonenot-so-simplethought,somethingknownasthebilateraldeficit.

“Thebilaterallimbdeficit(BLD)phenomenonisthedifferenceinmaximalornearmaximalforcegeneratingcapacityofmuscleswhentheyarecontractedalone or in combinationwith the contralateralmuscles.A deficit occurswhenthesummedunilateralforceisgreaterthanthebilateralforce.TheBLDhasbeenobservedbyanumberofresearchersinbothupperandlowerlimbs,inisometricandindynamiccontractions”(Kuruganti,Murphy,andPardy2010)

Whatdoes thismean?Itmeansanathleteonone leg isable tosquatmorethanhalfofwhathecansquaton two legs.Weareactually strongerwithonefootonthegroundthanwearewithtwofeetontheground,ifyoudividebytwo.Everyathletewe traincandoa rear-foot-elevatedsplit squatwithsignificantlymorethanhalfofwhattheycandoinabacksquat.Infactwhenwetestedbothfront squats and rear-foot-elevated split squats, many of our athletes couldsplitsquatandfront-squatwiththesameloads.Iknowitseemsimpossible,butit’snot.

Sosteponeisstillteachingthesquatpattern.NoticeIsaidsquatpatternandnotsquat.Thegoalismobilityinthesquatposition,notgettingabarinthebackor front squat position. Simply attempting to teach an athlete the body-weightsquat,gobletsquat,orkettlebelldeadliftcanrevealimportantinformationaboutstrength, flexibility,andinjurypotential.Body-weightsquatsandgobletsquatscan be used to assess mobility in the hips and ankles, flexibility in thehamstrings,andthegeneralstatusofthelowerbody.

Athleteswhocannotbody-weightsquattoapositionwiththethighsparallelto the floor (see figure 6.8) tend to be deficient in ankle or hip mobility,hamstringflexibility,oracombinationofthethree.Thefirststepincorrectingaproblem with the squat pattern is to attempt a squat with the heels elevated.Raisingtheheelsonaone-byfour-inch(2.5by10cm)boardoraspeciallymadewedge should enable most athletes to squat to the proper depth. The boardsimplyprovidesartificialanklemobility.

Figure6.8Athleteswhocannotbody-weightsquattoapositionwiththethighsparalleltothefloortendtobedeficientinankleorhipmobility,hamstring

flexibility,oracombinationofthethree.

Note:Raising theheelsdoesnotharmtheknees inanyway.The idea that

elevating the heels increases the stress on the knees is not supported by anyscientific research we have ever seen. In fact, Olympic weightlifters andcompetitivepowerliftershaveusedheeledshoesinbothcompetitionandtrainingfordecades.

Propersquatpatterning involves teaching theathlete tokeep theweightontheheels and to sit back into the squat.Whenmost athleteshear thedirective“squat,”theirmindstelltheirbodiestolowertheirhipstheeasiestwaypossible.

Forweakerathletestheeasiestwayisoftenonethatdoesnotoverstresstheweak muscles (usually the quadriceps). Weaker athletes or athletes returningfrominjuryoftenattempt to lower thecenterofgravityby initiallydriving theknees forwardoutover the toesuntil the limitof theankle rangeofmotion isreached(seefigure6.9).Thenandonlythendoesthemovementbegintocenteronthekneejoint.Thistypeofankle-dominantsquattingleadstoexcessivekneeflexioninordertoreachapositionwiththethighsparalleltotheground.

Figure6.9Weakerathletesorathletesreturningfrominjuryoftenattempttolowerthecenterofgravitybyinitiallydrivingthekneesforwardoutoverthe

toesuntilthelimitoftheanklerangeofmotionisreached.

SquattingtoPowerliftingParallel

Mosttherapistsandathletictrainersmakethemistakeofdescribingsquattingsolelybasedonkneeangle,withpatientsofteninstructedtosquatto90degrees.However,thegoalisapositionwherethefemurs(thighbones)areparalleltothefloor. A knee angle of 90 degrees can be reached far before a thighs-parallelsquatisreached.

Strengthcoachesontheotherhanddonotusuallydefinesquatdepthbykneeanglebutratherbythisparallelrelationshipofthefemurstothefloor.Squattingto a femurs-parallel position often results in a knee angle greater than 135degreesiftheathleteisanankle-dominantsquatter.Thistypeofankle-dominantsquatting is frequently seen in athletes with knee pain or patellar tendinitis(tendinitisinthequadricepstendon).

Thekeytoteachingandlearningthesquatpatternistocombineatherapist’sdesiretolimittheathlete’skneeflexionrangeofmotionwithacoach’sdesiretoget the athlete’s thighs parallel to the floor. Coaches, trainers, and therapistsneed to speak the same language. The athletemust be given instructions thataddressboththecoach’sconcernsandthetrainer’sortherapist’sconcerns.Theathlete must be taught to perform a body-weight squat in a manner thatminimizes rangeofmotionat theankleandmaximizes rangeofmotionat theknee.

Full-depthsquattingisalwaystaughtinourprogram.Wedefineafullsquatasthetopsofthethighsbeingparalleltothefloor.

Wehave taken tousing12-inch(30cm)plyometricboxesasdepthgaugesforteachingsquatting.WeadjustheightwithAirexpadstogetaparalleldepth,butyouwillbesurprisedbyhowmanyathletescanusea12-inchbox.

Pleasenotethesearenotboxsquatsbutbody-weightorgobletsquatsdonetothebox togaugedepth.Half squats or quarter squats shouldneverbeusedortaught.Thehalfsquatsandquartersquatsoftenseeninpoorlydesignedstrengthandconditioningprogramspresentalargerriskofbackinjuryduetotheheavierweightsusedinthesepartialmovements.

Athletes with normal flexibility can squat to a position with the thighsparallel to the floorwith noheel elevation.Less flexible athletes canuse heelelevation.Learning the squat pattern is the first step in increasing lower bodystrength,speed,andverticaljump.

Theconceptofsquattingbelowparallelhasbecomepopularinsomecircles.However, caution should be used below the depth I would call “powerlifting

parallel.”CarlKlein, in his landmarkwork of the 1970s,TheKnee in Sports,cautioned against performing full squats. Sadly,many readKlein’s commentsbutnothisbook.Astheysay,thedevilisinthedetails.Kleincautionedagainstfull squattingandstarteda significantcontroversy.However,very fewdoctorswhopickeduponKlein’sadviceactuallyreadthebookorlookedatthepictures.

Kleincautionedthat“asfullflexionisapproachedtheanteriorfibersofboththemedialandlateralcollateral ligamentsare tightenedandstretchbeyondthestateof theirnormal length.Theanteriorcruciate isalsostretched in fullkneeflexionasthekneeisforcedapartbythefulcrumeffectespeciallyif thebulkyposteriorthighandcalfmuscleispresent.Continuousactionofthisnaturewilleventually weaken the integrity of these supporting ligaments and possiblydecrease‘stretch-effectreadiness’(proprioceptivestimulus)incallingformusclesupportinstretchsituations”(14).

Kleingoesontosaythat“thedepthofthesquatshouldbecontrolled,withthe thighs just breaking the parallel position. Much beyond this point, thereaction between the hamstrings and the calfmuscle begins to act as a pry toforcethejointapartatthefrontaswellasonthesides,stretchingtheligaments”(30).

Evenfortyyearslaterit’stoughtoarguewithKlein’slogic.Therearesomelegitimateinjuryconcernswithsquattingtobelowparallel.

The major problem was in Klein’s definition of a full squat. Klein’s fullsquatwasabelow-parallelversionusedprimarilybyOlympicweightliftersbutnowpopularwithsomeofthehard-corestrengthcrowd.

Klein brings up a very valid concern that “in the full squat position theposteriorhornorrimofthemedialcartilageislockedbetweenthetibiaandthefemur...ifanydisruptionofthemechanicsofthejointtakesplaceatthistime,when the posterior part of the cartilage remains fixed and the anterior part ismovingforward,aposteriortearresults”(56).

Thekeyisthat“itispossibletodevelopgreatlegstrengthwithouttakingtherisk of bending the legs past parallel. Therefore, unless you are a competitiveweightlifterwhohasfound thesquatstyleespeciallyefficientyouwillbewelladvisednottosquatbelowtheparallelwhenexercising”(57).

Bottomline:Keepsquats to“powerliftingparallel”andavoid thecurrentlyfashionablepistol-stylesquats.

Baseline,Regressions,andProgressions

Weclassifyourupperandlowerbodyexercisesasbaseline,regressions,orprogressions. Baseline exercises are the general starting point for the averageathlete. From here, the athlete either progresses or regresses. Progressions arenumbered in order from easy to difficult. Regressions are also numbered, butthink easy, easier, easiest. Therefore progression 3 will be a fairly difficultexercise,whileregression3willbeverysimple.

Body-WeightSquat

BaselineForthebody-weightsquat(seefigure6.10),startwiththearmsextendedout

infrontofthebodywiththehandsatshoulderheight.Thechestshouldbeup,andtheupperandlowerbackshouldbeslightlyarchedandtight.Feetshouldbeapproximatelyshoulder-widthapartandslightlyturnedout,approximately10to15degrees.Thestancemaybewidenedtoobtainproperdepthifflexibilityisaproblem.Aone-byfour-inch(2.5by10cm)board,a10-pound(5kg)plate,oraspeciallymadewedgemaybeplacedundertheheelsiftheathletetendstoleanforwardduring thedescent, if theheels losecontactwith theground,or if thepelvis rotates posteriorly in the descent. Although many authorities cautionagainst an object under the heels, athletes at our training facility haveexperiencedgreatsuccessandnokneepainwiththismethod.

Figure6.10Body-weightsquat.

TheDescent

1. Beforedescendingintothesquat,inhaledeeplythroughthenose.2. Whendescendingintothesquat,concentrateonsittingbackandplacingthe

bodyweightontheheels.Iliketocuebeginnerstopullthetoesuptothetopsoftheshoes.Placingthebodyweightonthemidfootortoescausesanundesirable forward lean.Donot let thebreathout.Keep thehands levelwiththeshoulders.

3. Descendslowlyuntilthetopsofthethighsareparalleltothefloor.4. Inthedescent,thekneesshouldstayoverthetoes.Donotpinchtheknees

in;allowthekneestospreadoutwardoverthetoes.

TheAscent

1. Concentrateondrivingupwardwiththechestout,bringingthehipsupandforward.

2. Drivetheheelsintothefloor.3. Exhale by blowing out forcefully through pursed lips as if blowing out

candles.

LearningtheGobletSquat

Regression1+Progression1The first regression in squatting involves adding weight. Surprisingly, so

does the firstprogression. In fact theprogressionand regressionsare thesameexercise.Iknowthissoundscontradictory,butbearwithme.

GobletSquat

Regression1AtonlyoneotherpointinthisbookdoIadvocateaddingweighttomakean

exerciseeasier(moreonthislater).Infact,Iknowthisiscounterintuitiveadvice.Iwillgoas faras to say that90percentof the time, techniqueproblemsstemfrom using too much weight. Learning to body-weight squat is one of theexceptions.

Thefirstcorrectionforanyless-than-perfectsquatisalwaysaheelboardorwedgeasmentionedalready.Thesecondcorrectionistoaddadumbbellinthegobletposition.

In the goblet position (see figure 6.11), popularized by strength andconditioningguruDanJohn,thedumbbellisheldupsidedownbyoneend.Johnlikens it to holding a large beverage goblet or bowl of soup (note: soup bowlsquatsisnotnearlyascatchyaterm).Thekeyisthatthetopofthedumbbellistouchingthesternumandcollarbonewhilethebottomstaysincontactwiththelowersternum,orxiphoidprocess.

The effect of the goblet load is nothing short of miraculous. Holding adumbbellinthegobletpositioncaninstantlyturnabadsquatintoagoodsquat.Itisnothingshortofmagic.

AfterhearingDanJohnsingthepraisesofthegobletsquatoverandover,weconductedasimpleexperimentatMBSC.Wetookallourbadsquatters,mostlyteenageboys,andadded10to20pounds(5to10kg)inthegobletposition.Theresults were 100 percent favorable. Every athlete looked better. The gobletseemstoserveasareactivetooltoturnonthecoreandupperbodystabilizers.Thisresultsinasignificantimprovementintechnique.Again,thekeytogobletsquatsiskeepingtwocontactpoints(collarboneandxiphoid)throughoutthelift.Ifthelowercontactpointislost,thisindicatesanundesirableforwardleanthat

mustbecorrected.Importantnote:Everylowerbodyexercisethatcanbegobletloadedshould

begobletloadedfirst.Usethegobletpositionuntiltheathletecannolongergetthedumbbellintoplace.Usedumbbellsinsteadofkettlebellstogetgoodcontactpoints.

Figure6.11Gobletsquat.

GobletSquat

Progression1Notsurprisingly,thesametechniquethatturnsabadsquatgoodalsomakes

a good squat better. Our first loading option is the same for someone withperfecttechniqueasitforsomeonewithpoortechnique—addadumbbellinthegobletposition.Thisistheonlywayweloadasquatuntiltheathleteisnotabletomaintain the two contact points. It is not unusual for ourmale high schoolathletestouse120-pound(55kg)dumbbellsinthegobletposition.Ourfemaleseasilyget in the70 to80pound(30 to35kg)range. Infact, theonly timewesquat with a bar is to help our athletes with Olympic lifts (more on this inchapter10).

KettlebellSumoDeadlift

Regression2Iknow,moreconfusion.First I say that ifyoucan’tsquatwell, tryadding

weight.Verycounterintuitive.Now I’msaying to regress to adeadlift? I havereallyfalleninlovewithsinglekettlebellandsingledumbbellsumodeadlifts.Ifyoudon’thavekettlebells(whichhaveconvenienthandles),theathletecanjust

flipthedumbbellupsidedown,placeitonthefloor,andgrabtheend.Thenicethingaboutakettlebellsumodeadliftisthatitcouldn’tbesimpler.

Take a squat stance, drop the butt down until the dumbbell end or thekettlebellhandleiswithinreach,grabit,squeezethelatsandlowtraps,andpickitup(seefigure6.12).Somelifterswillusealittlemoreofthedeadliftpattern(morehipmovement,lesskneemovement),butthat’sfine.

In our experience the last few years, this has been a key regression. Wecontinuewithkettlebellordumbbellsumodeadliftsasourprimarylowerbodyexerciseuntiltheathletecanhandletheheaviestdumbbell.

Note:Wealmostalwaysendupmovingfromkettlebellstodumbbells.Ourheaviestkettlebellis46kilograms(about100pounds).Ourheaviestdumbbellis120pounds.

Figure6.12Kettlebellsumodeadlift.

Feet-ElevatedDumbbellDeadlift

Progression2Once athletes canhandle120pounds (55kg) (or yourheaviest dumbbell),

elevatethefeetonsix-inch(15cm)boxestoincreasetherangeofmotion.Thisgivesthreetofourmoreweeksofprogression.Generallywhenweaddrangewegodownabout20pounds(10kg),so120×5becomes100×5.

Trap-BarorHex-BarDeadlift

Progression3Thetrap-barorhex-bardeadlift(figure6.13)joinsthekettlebelldeadliftand

gobletsquatinourbigthreebilateralexercises.Wherethekettlebelldeadliftandgobletsquatcanbeviewedasbasicbeginnerexercises,thetrap-bardeadliftcanbeusedasamajorbilateralstrengthexercise.

Figure6.13Trap-barorhex-bardeadlift.

Thetrapbarisagreatinventionthatallowsadeadliftaction(weightinthe

hands)incombinationwithmoreofasquatpattern(deepmovementofthekneesand hips). In effect the bar passes through the body, so the issue of pulling astraightbaroffthefloorandhavingtomovearoundthekneesiseliminated.Thiseliminates the shear forces that can make the deadlift problematic for somelifters.

Thetrapbarcanalsobeusedinmoreofaconventionaldeadliftpattern(deepmovementofthehipswithlimitedkneebend)oramodifiedstraight-legdeadliftpattern. The trap bar is a really valuable tool because it allows bilateral total-bodyexercisethatissaferonthebackthansquattingwhendoneproperly.

Thekeytounderstandingwhythedeadliftmaybelessstressfulonthelowerback than squats strangely enough relates to shoulder mobility. Thecompensation for poor shoulder mobility is lumbar extension. Poor shouldermobilityisamajorcausativefactorinbackpain.Ifanathletetriestoplaceabaron the shoulders to squat but lacks shoulder mobility, what does he do? Heextends the lumbar spine. If he tries to get his elbowsup in a front squat andlacksshouldermobility,whatdoeshedo?Heextendsthelumbarspine.

Just as the hips and spine are linked, so are the lumbar spine and theshoulders.Nexttimeyouhaveanathletewithlowbackpain,don’tjustlookathipmobility;lookatshouldermobilityandatexerciseselection.Thisiswhylowback pain is less common in the deadlift versus the squat. The elimination offorcedexternalrotationinthosewholackitmaycauseasignificantdecreaseinbacksymptoms.It’samazingwhatyoulearnwhenyoulistenandthink.

Thetrap-bardeadliftiswhatwecalledahybridexerciseinthefirsteditionofFunctionalTraining forSports, a crossbetweena squat andadeadlift. In anycase,itissimpletoteachandsaferthantheconventionaldeadliftbecauseofthedesignofthebar.Thediamond-shapedtrapbarallowstheathletetobegininsideandsimplystandupwiththeweight.Unlikeinconventionaldeadlifts,stresscanbekeptoffthebackbecausetheathletecansitmorethanlean.Thetrapbardoesnot requirekeeping thebar close to the shins and thuseliminatesmanyof thepotentialhazardsoftheconventionaldeadlift.

DeloadingtheSquatPattern

Regression3If goblet squats fail to produce acceptable technique, another option,

particularly for older clients, may be to deload the squat pattern. Some olderclientsorinjuredathletesmaysimplybetooweaktoproperlyexecutethesquatpattern. Deloading allows work at less than body weight without resorting tomachines such as the leg press. Deloading can be done with any suspensiondevice (e.g., rings, TRX) or any pull-downmachine. Load is added by eitherusinglessupperbodyassistance(inthecaseofringsorTRX)orbydecreasingtheweightonthepull-downmachine.Ipreferthepull-downmachinebecauseitallowsyoutoquantifythedecreaseinassistance.

Afterappropriatemovementismasteredatsomelevel,it’stimetoaddload.Therearemanytoolsforload,includingbutnotlimitedtobarbells,kettlebells,dumbbells,rocks,andbricks,butremember:Appropriatemovementfirst.

DevelopingSingle-LegStrength

Theprocessofdevelopingsingle-legstrengthhasadvancedsignificantly inthepastdecade.Tenyearsagoitwasraretoseeanathleteperformafunctionalsingle-legexercise.Infact,manycoachesridiculedsingle-legexercisessuchaslunges and single-leg squat variations. If an athlete performed single-legexercises,theywereoftenunilateralmachine-basedexercisessuchasunilaterallegpressesorunilateral legextensionsand legcurls.Nowsomecoacheshavecompletelyabandonedconventionaldouble-legexercises infavorofaprogramofstrictlysingle-legversions,especially forathleteswith lowerbackproblemsorathleteswhoareskepticalaboutstrengthtraining.Manyathletesinsportsthattraditionallyhavenotemphasizedheavystrengthtraininghaveaclosed-mindedapproachtoexercisessuchasbacksquatsandpowercleansbutareveryopentothe idea of single-leg strength and plyometrics. Single-leg training allowsaggressive lower body work for athletes who might otherwise avoid strengthtrainingentirely.

Although ithasbeen ignored inconventional strengthprograms, single-legstrengthmayactuallybeessentialfortheimprovementofspeedandbalanceandthepreventionof injury.Single-leg strength is the essenceof functional lowerbody strength training; a case can be made that all double-leg exercises arenonfunctionalformostsports.

Although viewing bilateral squatting and deadlifting as nonfunctionalmaybeconsideredextreme, theclaimillustrates theneedforsingle-legexercises inany strength program. Unfortunately, many strength programs still focusexclusivelyonconventionaldouble-legexercises, suchas squats anddeadlifts,orworsestilloncompletelynonfunctionallegexercisessuchaslegpresses,legextensions,andlegcurls.

Toproperlyframethefunctionalversusnonfunctionaldebate,goback toasimplequestionweaskedearlyinthisbook.Howmanysportsareplayedwithboth feet in contact with the ground at the same time? The answer is one:Rowersproduceforcesimultaneouslywithbothlegs.However,mostsportsskillsare performed on one leg. For this simple reason, it is critical that single-legstrengthbeafocalpointofthestrengthprogram.

Single-leg strength is specific and cannot bedeveloped throughdouble-legexercises.Theactionsofthepelvicstabilizersaredifferentinasingle-legstancethan in a double-leg stance. Single-leg exercises force the gluteus medius (amuscle in the buttocks), adductors, and quadratus lumborum (a lower back

muscle) to operate as stabilizers, which are critical in sports skills. Thesemuscles (gluteus medius, adductors, quadratus lumborum) do not need toperform their stabilizer role in conventional double-leg exercises. In addition,single-leg strength is now recognized as a key in injury reduction and hasbecomeastapleofallrehabilitation,reconditioning,andkneeinjurypreventionprograms.

Thesesingle-legexercisesareclassifiedasbaseline,asprogressions(1,2,3,or 4), or as regressions from the baseline. All athletes, regardless of trainingstage, should begin with the appropriate baseline exercise for the first threeweeks of training. Almost all progression 2 exercises can be donewith sometype of external load by more advanced athletes, but remember that athletesshouldprogressonlywhentheyhavemasteredanexercise.Afterathleteshavemastered a baseline single-leg strength exercise, they can progress to the nextsingle-legstrengthexerciseintheprogression.

Most of the single-leg exercises can initially use a simple body-weightprogression.Thismeanstheathleteusesbodyweightonly(noexternalweight)forthefirstthreeweeksbutincreasesrepseachweekfrom8to10to12perleg.This is a simpleprogressive resistance concept.More advanced athletesmightwant to beginwith external loads (bar, dumbbells, orweight vest), but this isdiscouraged initially if the athletes do not have experience with single-legtraining. As athletes become more advanced, any single-leg exercise can beaddedintotheprogramaslongasnofewerthanfiverepsareused.

SplitSquat

BaselineThe split squat (see figure 6.14)might be the best exercise for developing

single-legstrength.Splitsquatsarebotheasytoperformandeasytolearn,soitis always step 1 in our single-leg progression. We have regressions andprogressions,butourbaselineexerciseisthesplitsquat.

Figure6.14Splitsquat.

Toperformthesplitsquat,assumeasplit-stancepositionwiththefeetinline

withtheshouldersandaboutthreetofourfeet(1to1.2m)apart.Thispositionprovides two solid, stable points on the ground. For body-weight split squats,clasp the hands behind the head or place the hands on your hips. From thispositiondropthebackkneedowntothefloor(oranAirexpad)whilekeepingtheweightovertheheelofthefrontfoot.Itiscriticaltocuethebackkneedownandweightonthefrontheel.Youdonotwantabigforwardweightshiftontothe ball of the foot. The knee canmove forward over the toes as long as theweightstaysontheheelofthefrontfoot.

TeachingCue

Tampa-based strength and conditioning coachBradKaczmarski gave us agreat suggestion to help teach the split squat. Kaczmarski suggests using a“bottom up” approach, and this is one of the first things we do if an athletestrugglestolearnthemovement.Toteachbottomup,simplygettheathleteintoakneeling lunge stretchposition andhaveher pushup through thebackheel.Cueing “bottom up” quickly cures athletes who struggle with the back hippositionorcorecontrol.

Pleasenotethatthesplitsquatisnotalunge.Theexerciseinvolvesnofootmovementorstepping.Splitsquatshavetheaddedbenefitofdevelopingbalanceanddynamicflexibilityinthehipflexormuscles.

TechniquePoints

Concentrateondropping thebackkneedownto thefloorwith theweightonthefrontheel.Keep the head and chest up. A position with the hands behind the headworksbestforbeginners.Thinkofthebackfootasabalancepoint.Don’tattempttousethebackleg.Thinkbottomupifathletesstruggle.The knee of the back leg should be slightly flexed. A slight hip flexorstretchwillbefeltinthebottomwhenpositionedcorrectly.

Initialloadingforallthesesingle-legexercisesisbestdoneinthepreviouslydescribedgobletposition.Loadinthegobletpositionuntiltheathletestrugglestoget thedumbbell intoplace (twocontactpoints), and then switch to a side-loadingpositionwithtwodumbbells.

Note:Foranumberofyearswequicklyswitchedfromsplitsquats torear-foot-elevatedsplitsquats.Inretrospectthismayhavebeenamistake.Thequickswitchwasmadebecauseathletescomplainedaboutthepressureonthebigtoeof the back foot as the loads got heavy. So we switched everyone and thenrealizedweshouldcontinuewiththesplitsquatuntiltheathletecomplainsofbigtoe discomfort instead of simply split-squatting for three weeks and thenjumpingquicklytoamoreadvancedvariation.Wehavefoundthatourathletesgetverystronginthesplitsquatwithnocomplaints.

Rear-Foot-ElevatedSplitSquat

Progression1Therear-foot-elevatedsplitsquathasbeentheprimarylowerbodystrength

exerciseinourprogramforthelastfiveyears.Weuseconventionalsplitsquatsforatleastthefirstsixweeksbeforeswitchingtotherear-foot-elevatedversion.

For the rear-foot-elevated split squat (see figure 6.15), get into a positionsimilar to that for the split squat, except place the back foot on a bench or a

specially designed rounded stand. The footmust be placedwith the shoelacesdown.Donotallowathletestoplacethetoeonthebench.Athleteswillnotbeabletohandleheavyloadsintherear-foot-elevatedsplitsquatiftheyattempttobalanceonthetoe.

Figure6.15Rear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat.

Inthispositionthereisstillonestablepointofsupportonthefloor,butnow

there is one slightly less stable point on the bench or stand. This is a fairlysignificant increase indifficulty from thesplit squatbecause theback legnowprovideslessstabilityandassistance.Fromthisposition,descenduntilthefrontthighisparalleltothefloorandthebackkneeisnearlytouchingthefloor.Likethesplitsquat,thisexerciseisdonewithnofootmovement,anditalsoimprovesthedynamicflexibilityofthehipflexormuscles.

This exercise can begin as a body-weight exercise, following the 8-10-12body-weight progression described earlier, but it is best used as a strengthexercise with dumbbells or kettlebells. Begin loading with a dumbbell in thegoblet position. Continue to goblet load as long as the athlete can move thedumbbellintoplace(twocontactpoints).Ourmaleathleteshaveusedinexcessof100pounds(45kg),andourfemalesroutinelyuse50to60pounds(23to27kg)beforeswitchingloadingstyles.Kettlebellsworkextremelywellfromagripandbalance standpointonceathletescanno longergoblet load.Wewillgoaslowasfiverepsperlegperset(e.g.,threesetsoffiverepsperleg).Athleteswillquickly get to the point where they are using the heaviest dumbbells orkettlebellsavailable.Weightvestscanaddadditional loadasneeded.Loads intherear-foot-elevatedsplitsquatwillneedtobe30to40pounds(13to18kg)less than loads in the preceding split squat. This means the progression inexercisedifficultyresultsinaregressioninload.

To provide a perspective on loading, we have female athletes who canperform 10 reps with 36-kilogram kettlebells (80 pounds per hand) and maleathleteswhocanuse120-pound(55kg)dumbbellsineachhandfor10reps.

Single-LegSquat

Progression2Thesingle-leg squat (see figure6.16) is thekingof single-legexercises. It

maybethemostdifficultbutisalsoprobablythemostbeneficial.Thesingle-legsquat requires the use of a single leg without any contribution to balance orstabilityfromtheoppositeleg.Unlikethekickstand-likeeffectofthebackfootin the splitsquat variations, the pelvic muscles must function as stabilizerswithout the benefit of the opposite leg touching the ground or a bench. Theimportanceofthispointcannotbeoverstated,aspelvicorhipstabilityisneededinall sprintingactions. Insprinting, thestance legmustproduce forcewithoutanyassistancefromtheswingleg.

Figure6.16Single-legsquatonaplyobox.

Some athletes are unable to perform this exercise immediately and should

not become discouraged. Most athletes feel unsteady or clumsy the first fewtimes,anditmighttakeafewsessionstobecomecomfortable.Oneofthemajorbenefitsofsingle-legsquatsisthesenseofbalancetheydevelop.

Note:Single-legsquatsshouldnotbeconfusedwithpistolsquats.Weneitherdo nor endorse pistol squats for a number of reasons. Although these twoexercisesseemverysimilar,theyarenotinterchangeable.Inthesingle-legsquatthereissignificantlylessstressonthehipflexorsandsubsequentlylessstressonthe lower back than in a pistol squat.Working off a box versus off the floorallowsthefreelegtodroplower.Pistolsquatscanoftencauselowbackpaindueto overuse of the hip flexors to hold the free leg extended and parallel to thefloor. In addition, the single-leg squat is done to a thigh-parallel position.Noattempt ismade to go belowparallel.Below-parallel squatting often results inlumbarroundingandmaycausetheposterioraspectsofthemedialmeniscustobe compressed in the joint line. Remember, during flexion of the knee themeniscusmoves forward in the joint, and theposterior aspectof themeniscus(theposteriorhorn)canbepinchedinbelow-parallelsquatting.

TechniquePoints

Stand on a plyometric box or bench holding a pair of 5-pound (2.5 kg)dumbbells. This is the second case inwhich a loadmakes the lift easier.Thecounterbalanceof5pounds ineachhandmakesperformingasingle-legsquateasierthanifitweredonewithoutweight.Attempttolowertoapositionwith the thighparallel to the floor.Although the dumbbellsmaynot seem like a good idea, the counterbalance definitely makes themovementeasiertolearn.While beginning to lower into the squat, raise the dumbbells to shoulderleveltofacilitatesittingbackontheheel.Concentrate on keeping theweight on the heel tominimizemovement atthe ankle and to keep the knee from moving beyond the big toe in thebottomposition.Standingwiththeheelonaplateorspeciallymadewedgecanbeextremelyhelpful.Itiscriticaltobeginbybendingatthekneeandnotbybendingattheankle.Watchcarefullyforthis.

Most athletes should begin with three sets of five reps with 5-pounddumbbells. Progress by increasing reps or by increasing the weight of thedumbbells,dependingonthestageofthetrainingcycle(e.g.,strengthphaseoraccumulationphase).Aswiththerear-foot-elevatedsplitsquat,donofewerthanfiverepsperleg.

PartialSingle-LegSquat

Regression1Thesingle-legsquatisoneofthefewexercisesthatcanbedoneforlessthan

the described range of motion. Although partial-range exercises are generallyavoided,thevalueintheexercisefromahipandpelvicstabilitystandpointissogreatthatitiswellworthteachingclientsorathleteswhoareunabletoperformthe exercise as deeply as possible (until parallel is reached). I call thisprogressive range of motion training. Instead of progressive resistance, theresistance(bodyweightplus5poundsineachhand)iskeptconstantwhiletheathleteorclientworkstoattainthedesiredrange.WegenerallystackAirexpadstoincreaseordecreasedepth.

Single-LegDeadlift

Regression2InthefirsteditionofFunctionalTrainingforSportswecalledthisexercisea

skater’ssingle-legsquat.Weusedthistermbecausetheexercisewasdescribedasahockey-specificversionofthesingle-legboxsquat.Insteadofkeepingthetorso erect and placing the free leg out in front, the torso is brought down totouchthethigh(seefigure6.17)andthefreelegisbentattheknee.Thisforwardflexed position simulates a skater’s starting position.However, as our thoughtprocessonsquatsanddeadliftschanged,werealizedthisexercisehasdeephipmovement and should be classified as a deadlift. In fact, if observed from thesidethejointanglesarenearlyidenticaltothetrap-bardeadlift.

Figure6.17Single-legdeadlift.

The single-leg deadlift is an excellent alternative for those who cannot

deadliftbecauseof lowbackissues.It isnot thesingle-legstraight-legdeadliftpresented later, although the exercises have shared movement of the hip andknee.Thisisthethirdexercisethatactuallyseemsbetterwithload.Beginwith5-pound(2.5kg)dumbbellsinthehands,asinthesingle-legsquat.

Follow the 8-10-12 body-weight progression, and then add weight with acombinationofdumbbellsandweightvests.

Lunge

Progression3The lunge (see figure 6.18) is another great single-leg exercise. It is

mistakenlyconsideredbymanytobeaneasyalternativetothesquat.Infact,thelungeisabigsorenessproduceranddoesnotfallintheeasycategoryatall.Thekeybenefit of the lunge, and the reason it is an advanced exercise, is that thelowerbodymusclesmustworktodeceleratethebodyasitmovesforward.Thelunge is an advancedprogressionbecause thebodymustbeproperlypreparedfor the deceleration component. In addition, lunges are an excellent dynamicstretching movement for the hip area and can be included in both strengthtraining and warm-up routines for this reason alone. Athletes who have hadgroinorhipflexorproblemswillfindthelungeaverybeneficialexercise.

Figure6.18Lunge.

TechniquePoints

Thebackshouldstaytightandslightlyarched,andtheupperbodyshouldstayerect.Themovementbeginsinstandingwiththefeettogether.The step should be just slightly shorter than the athlete is tall. The stepshouldbelongenoughtoslightlystretchthehipflexormusclesoftherearleg.Themovement is a step forwardonewith a “pushback”actionandendswiththefeetbacktogether.

Asmanyas10repsoneachlegcanbedoneforendurance.Lungescanbeincludedinlegcircuitsincombinationwithotherexercises.

Slide-BoardLunge

Progression3AThe slide-board lunge is an excellent single-leg exercise that combines

single-legstrength,dynamicflexibility,andmoderateinstability.Thisisagreatmovement forboth trainingandrehabilitation.Tokeepfrommonopolizing the

slide boards, this exercise can be done on a four-foot (1.2m) length of slide-board-topmaterialratherthanaslideboarditselfor,withaValslide.Wearoneslide-boardshoeon thebackfoot,andslide thefootback inaback lunge(seefigure6.19).Thebackfootslidesforwardandbackwhilethefrontfootperformsasingle-legsquat.Placethehandsbehindthehead,andkeepthefrontkneeoverthemidfoot.

Figure6.19Slide-boardlunge.

Thisisaveryinterestingexercise.Itlookslikeasplitsquat,butthepulling

actionprobablyplaces it in theposterior-chaincategorywithexercisessuchasthe single-leg straight-leg deadlift. A hip-dominant exercise that looks like aknee-dominant exercise is a great choice if you can do only one lower bodymovement.Onedrawbackoftheslide-boardlungeisthatwehavenothadgreatexperiences with heavy loads. The effectiveness of the exercise seems to becompromisedwhenusedasastrengthexercise,soitisbestdoneinearlyphasesofhypertrophyandanatomicaladaption.

Useabody-weightprogressionwith thisexercisebecauseof theadditionalstretchandinstabilitycomponent.

LateralSquat

Progression3BThelateralbody-weightsquatcanbeusedbothasawarm-upexerciseandas

astrengthexercise.Itisanexcellentexercisetopromotedynamicflexibilityoftheadductormusculatureandtoimprovestrengthforathleteswhomoveinthefrontal plane such as baseball players or hockey players. Stand with the feetapproximatelyfourfeet(1.2m)apartandsittooneside(seefigure6.20).Keeptheweightontheheelasyousit,andkeepthekneeoverthetoe.Widerisbetterin this exercise.Athletes taller than five feet eight inches (173 cm)will havedifficultyperformingthisexercisewiththeirfeetlessthanfourfeetapart.

Usethebody-weightprogressionforthelateralsquat.

Figure6.20Lateralsquat.

LateralLunge

Progression4Thelaterallungeisadecelerativeexercisedoneinthefrontalplane.Inother

words,thebodymovessidetoside.Athleteswhohavelearnedthelateralsquatwill progress seamlessly to the lateral lunge. Both lateral lunges and lateralsquatscanbeusedaseitherdynamicwarm-upsorasstrengthexercises.

ThumbsDownonStepups

Thestep-upcanbeanalternativetothesquat,butstepupsmaycausemorediscomfortforathleteswithkneeproblemsthananyofthepreviouslymentionedsingle-legexercisesbecauseof the lackofan initial eccentriccontraction.Thestep-up is not a preferred single-legmovement because athletes can cheat tooeasilybypushingoffwiththefootontheground.

ImprovingSingle-LegStability

Athletesoftenperformexercisessuchasthesplitsquatandsingle-legbenchsquatreasonablywellbutstrugglewith truesingle-legsquats.Frequently theseare the same athleteswho suffer from knee problems such as chondromalaciapatellae (softening of the knee cartilage), patellar tendinitis, or otherpatellofemoral syndromes. In my experience, these athletes generally share acommondifficultyinstabilizingthelowerextremitywhilesquattingbecauseofaweak lateralhip.Thegluteusmedius isanoften-neglectedmuscleof thehipwhose primary function is to stabilize the lower extremity in single-legmovementssuchasrunning,jumping,andsquatting.

Inmanyathletesthismuscleiseithertooweaktoperformitsfunctionorisnot“turnedon”neurologically.Asaresult,thesupportstructuresofthekneeareforcedtoprovidestabilityinsteadofthegluteusmedius.Thismaymeanpainintheiliotibialband,inthepatellartendon,orunderthekneecap.Formanyyearsthese problems were blamed on poor quadriceps strength, and doctors andtherapists prescribed simple nonfunctional exercise such as leg extensions tosolve the problem. Recently therapists and athletic trainers have begun torecognizetheroleofthelateralglutesinthesekneeproblems.

Wehavefoundtwowaystoturnonthesemuscles:mini-bandsidestepsandcross-bodyreaching.

Mini-BandWalks

Mini-bandwalks are an easyway to turnon the lateral glutes.The athletesimplyplaces thebandaround theanklesandmoves laterally.Withmini-bandwalksbothhips are abducting simultaneously, the stance leg is a closed chain(footincontactwiththeground),andtheotherisinopen-chainabduction.Therearetwobigkeystomini-bandwork:

Maintainbandtension.Thefeetmustbekeptfarenoughaparttokeepthebandtight.Don’t rock. Often people with weak lateral glutes will rock side to sideinsteadofsteppinglaterally.

To stimulate the hip rotator group, place the band on the feet. Placing thebandon the feet instead of at the ankles creates an internal rotation force and

resultsingreaterstimulationofthehipexternalrotators.

Cross-BodyReaching

Cross-body reaching can be used in any knee-or hip-dominant exercise tofacilitatemoregluteinvolvement.Reachingacrosstheworkinglegincreasesthecontribution of the glutes. The complicated anatomical explanation is that thepelvis rotates against the fixed femur, resulting in internal rotation of the hip.Because theglutes are external rotators, they are stretchedand respondwith agreatercontribution.Thiswillresultinmorehipstability.Interestinglyenough,manyseehipstabilityaskneestabilityanddescribeinstabilityasthe“thekneecavingin.”Inrealitythekneevalgusishipadductionandinternalrotationandisreallynotakneeissueatall.

HipExtensionsandHealthyHamstrings

As mentioned previously, the muscles that extend the hip, primarily thegluteus maximus and hamstring group, are still neglected in many trainingprograms. Many programs place excessive emphasis on the squat and squatvariationsandneglectthehipextensors.

Inprogramming it is important tounderstand thatknee-dominant exercisessuch as squats and the single-leg squat variations affect the glutes andhamstringsdifferentlythanthehip-dominantexercisesthatJohnandTsatsoulinedescribe in Easy Strength as having deep hip movement with minimal kneebend.Althoughourfunctionalanatomyconcepttellsusallmusclesareinvolvedineverylowerbodyexercise,thedegreetowhichthehipsandkneesbendcandetermineareasofemphasisorconcentration.Tomorefullyinvolvetheglutesand thehamstrings, themovementmustbecenteredon thehipandnoton theknee.

To understand this concept, envision a single-leg squat. The hip movesthroughanapproximately90-degree rangeofmotion inconcertwith theknee.Generallythereis1degreeofhipmovementforeachdegreeofkneemovement.The focus of the exercise is shared equally by the knee extensors and the hipextensors,andthereisdeepmovementofthekneesandhips.Inanexercisesuchas thesingle-legstraight-legdeadlift, thehipmovesthrougha90-degreerangeofmotionwhilethekneemaintainsaslight10-to20-degreekneebend.Thisisdeep movement of the hips. A properly designed program must include abalanceofknee-dominantexercisesandhip-dominantexercises.

Single-LegHip-DominantProgressions

Theremaybenothingmoreimportantthanunilateralhipdominantexercisesforimprovingperformanceandpreventinghamstringinjury.Imightgosofarastosaythatexerciseslikeonelegstraightlegdeadliftsandit’svariationsarethemostimportantexercisesinthelowerbodyprogram.Themajorreasonforthismightbe that theposteriorchain issooftenneglected inconventionalstrengthprograms. You rarely hear about a pulled quadriceps in sports but, pulledhamstringsareverycommon.Don’toverlookthiscriticalareawhendesigningafunctionalstrengthprogram.

Single-LegStraight-LegDeadlift

BaselineThe single-leg straight-leg deadlift has become the king of posterior-chain

exercises.Itnotonlydevelopstheentireposteriorchain(glutes,hamstrings,andlong adductors) but also enhances balance. This exercise is safe, challenging,and extremely beneficial and is the classic illustration of what we referred topreviouslyasdeephipmovementwithminimalkneemovement.Thecurrentlyfashionable term that best describes the motion of the single-leg straight-legdeadliftistheconceptofhiphinge.Hiphingingistheabilitytomovefromthehipwithoutflexingthelumbarspine.Thekneesarebent10to20degrees,withallremainingmotioncomingfromthehip.Thekeyiszeroflexionofthelumbarspine.Thismotionisfrequentlyreferredtoasa“golfer’slift”becausetheactionresemblesthemotionusedtoretrieveateefromthegrass.

IfIcanprogramonlytwolowerbodyexercises,theywillalmostalwaysbesplitsquatsandsingle-legstraight-legdeadlifts.IfIamstartingabeginneronaprogram, Iwill startwith the same two. The single-leg straight-leg deadlift ispreferredinourprogramsoveranydouble-legposterior-chainversions.Single-legposterior-chainworkisobviouslymorefunctionalthandouble-legposterior-chainwork,andsingle-legposterior-chainworkthatalsochallengesbalanceandproprioception is the most beneficial. One of the secondary benefits of thesingle-leg straight-leg deadlift is the tremendous proprioceptive work at theankle.Otherplusesare thathigh loadsarenotnecessaryand thepossibilityofbackinjuryisalmostnonexistent.

This isanotherexercise, like the lateral squat, thatcanandwillbeusedasbothabody-weightwarm-upandasaloadedstrengthexercise.Onthedayswedon’tdosplitsquatsandsingle-legstraight-legdeadliftswithloadsforstrength,wedothemasbody-weightexercisesformobilityworkandwarm-up.

It is important tonote that this isdesignedtoeventuallybecomeastrengthexercise. We have had athletes use upwards of 225 pounds (100 kg) in thesingle-legstraight-legdeadlift.

TechniquePoints

Asinglekettlebellordumbbellisheldinthehandoppositethefootonthefloor.(Kettlebellsarepreferredbecausetheyareeasytoholdandcreateaconsistent downward force.) Lean forward from the hip while lifting thefreelegtotherearinlinewiththetorso.Thinkaboutmovingasonelongpiecefromhead to toe(see figure6.21).Keep thechestupand the lower

backflat.Attempt to place the kettlebell or dumbbell on the ground just inside thegroundedfoot.Thinkaboutgetting as longaspossible through theback leg.Thinkbacktoesuptotheshinandbackheelpressingintoanimaginarywallbehind.Thegoaloftheexerciseisnottogetthekettlebellordumbbelltothefloor.Focusonthesensationofahamstringstretchtoreinforcepropertechnique.Bigtip:Ifthekneecavesin,trytoreachacrosstotheoutsideofthefoot.Thisrotationalactionrotatesthepelvisagainstthefemurandstretchestheglute.

Dotwoorthreesetsof5to10repsperleg,dependingontraininglevelandphaseoftraining.

Figure6.21Single-legstraight-legdeadlift.

ReachingSingle-LegStraight-LegDeadlift

Regression1Thereachingversionofthesingle-legstraight-legdeadlift(seefigure6.22)

isanexcellentwaytoregressthosewhostruggletolearnwhatisnowcommonlyreferredtoasthehiphinge.Manybeginnertraineeswillstruggletomovefromthehipandwillwant tomove from the lumbar spine.Manywill also initiallystrugglewithbalance.

The reaching version begins with no weight and is best done to a cone,whichwillencourageandreinforcethereachingaction.Thekeyinthereachingversionisagaintogetaslongaspossible,butthistimetheinstructionistoreachbackwith the free footwhile reaching forwardwith thehand.Thisexercise isclosetofoolproofbecausetheextensionofthebacklegturnsontheglutesandhamstrings of the free leg, while the reaching of the hand turns on both thelumbar and thoracic extensors. Athletes and clients can progress to a lighthandledmedicineballs in thehand,but the initial teaching requiresonlybodyweight.Thisexercisecanbecomethebaselineexerciseforyounger(11or12)orolder(30-plus)clients.

TechniquePoints

Thinktoesuptoshinsandhandsreachingasfarforwardaspossible.Getaslongaspossible.Longisthebigcue,andcueing“long”willprevent

lumbarflexionandencouragehiphinging.Loading can be done via a medicine ball in the hand. Light handledmedicineballsworkparticularlywell.

Figure6.22Reachingsingle-legstraight-legdeadlift.

Cross-ReachingSingle-LegStraight-LegDeadlift

Regression2If the reaching regression does notwork, it is often because the athlete or

clientcannotproperlyusetheglutestostabilizethehips.Thiscanleadtoseveralinstabilityandtechniqueerrors.Tocombatthis,encouragetheathleteorclienttoagainmove thepelvison the fixed femur,describedascross-body reaching inthe section on single-leg stability (see figure 6.23). (Don’t try to explain thepelvismovingagainst thefemur; just tell theathlete toreachacross thebody.)Thecross-reachdrivesthepelvisandcreatesaninternalrotationofthepelvisonthefixedfemurofthestanceleg.Theresultisastretchtotheglutes,increasedrecruitment,andincreasedstabilityonthestanceleg.

To create thismotion, line the athlete up in front of a conewith the coneplaced12”outsidethefootonthegroundaskhertoreachacrossthebodytotheopposite-sideupright.Thisisamagiccorrectiveexercisethatcanoftentakeanunstable,wobblyathleteandcreate immediate stability.To loaduseahandledmedicineball.

Figure6.23Cross-reachingsingle-legstraight-legdeadlift.

CableLoadedSingle-LegStraight-LegDeadlift

Progression1Thelowpulleyversionofthesingle-legstraightlegdeadlift(seefigure6.24)

canbeusedasabaselineexerciseifplentyoflowpulleycablesareavailable.Inone-to-one situations thismight be thebestway to initially teach andperformthesingle-legstraight-legdeadliftpattern.However,forlargergroupsorteams,thismaynotbethebestpracticalchoice.Thisexercisecanbealoadprogressionandagreatteachingtoolatthesametimebecausetheexerciseseemstohaveaself-correctingcomponenttoit.

Thekey is thevectorof the load resistance.Rather than lowering the loaddowntowardtheground,thetraineeisactuallypulledforwardbytheload.Thischanges the loading of the posterior chain and creates a great pulling, hipextensionvector.

Setupinfrontofalowpulleywithasinglehandle.Grippinghandisoppositeofstancefoot.Againcue“longbody”andaverystronghipextensionaction.Frontlegcontinuestobeinthe10-to20-degreekneebend.

Figure6.24Cableloadedsingle-legstraight-legdeadlift.

BandLoadedSingle-LegStraight-LegDeadlift

Progression2This is the same as the previous exercise except the load is providedby a

bandinsteadofalowpulley.Theadvantagesherearetwofold.

ExercisebandssuchasPerformBetterSuperbandsaremuchlessexpensivethanalowpulleysystem.Theresistanceincreasesasthehipmovesintoextension.

Oneofthebenefits(andpotentialdrawbacks)ofbandworkisthatresistanceis increasedat end rangeas theband is stretched.This isviewedpositively inloading the posterior chain because the greatest stresses on themuscles are atendrangeasthepush-offphaseofrunningbegins.

Executionoftheexercisedoesn’tchange.Theemphasisisstillongettingalongbodyandhingingfromthehip.Thedifference is that theexercise is easiest in the stretchedposition, andtheloadincreasesasthelengthofthebandincreases,resultinginmaximalloadingathipextension.

LowerBodyStrengthandPowerCaseStudy:GosderCherilus

The tackle position in football is played by men with basketball height,footballsize(usuallyover300pounds),andremarkableathleticism.TampaBayBuccaneeroffensivetackleGosderCherilusfits themoldataboutsix-foot-five(196 cm) and 315 pounds (143 kg). Often the height of these athletesmakesexercises such as the squat anddeadlift difficult.Taller athletes often strugglewith technique in bilateral lifts and can frequently experience back pain.However, exercises such as single-leg squats, split squats, and single-legstraight-leg deadlifts allow these giants to train hard and stay healthy.Gosderhasused these functionalexercises tokeephimselfhealthy in theNFLfor thelast fiveyears.Unilateralworkcanbegreat foranyathletebut isofparticularvaluetolargerathleteslookingtoworkaroundinjuriesastheyage.

The great thing about large men and unilateral training is that their bodyweight is automaticallypartof the load.Asingle-leg squator split squatdonewith10pounds(5kg)createsaloadof325pounds(147kg).Theresultisthatlarger players get an additional benefit from functional trainingbasedon theirlarge body weight. An exercise such as a single-leg squat can be a majorchallenge for a larger athletewhodemonstratesgreat strengthwith thebarbellbutlacksrelativefunctionalstrength.

BridgingProgressions:LearningtoLegCurl

Hip-dominantexercisescanbebrokendownfurtherintothosethattargettheglutes and those that target the hamstrings.Bridges and single-leg bridges arecoreexercisesthatcanbeusedinitiallytotargettheglutesandthenprogressedintolegcurlvariationsthattargetthehamstrings.

To make matters more difficult, the muscles that help extend the hip,especially the hamstrings, are still oftenmistakenly trained as knee flexors. Inmany outdated strength programs, some muscle groups are still trainedaccording to antiquatedunderstandingsof their functionoriginating fromwhatwedescribedpreviouslyasorigin–insertionanatomy.

Although some anatomy texts still describe the hamstring group as kneeflexors,thehamstringsareactuallypowerfulextensorsofthehipandstabilizersoftheknee.Thehamstringsserveaskneeflexorsonlyinnonfunctionalsettings.Inrunning,jumping,andskating,thefunctionofthehamstringsisnottoflexthekneebuttoextendthehip.

Asaresult,exercisessuchaslyingorstandinglegcurlsareawasteoftime.Machinelegcurlsexercisethehamstringmusclesinapatternandmannerthatis

never used in sport or in life. The fact that we often train or rehabilitate thehamstring muscles in these nonfunctional patterns may explain the frequentrecurrenceofhamstringstrains inathleteswhorehabilitatewithexercisessuchaslegcurls.

Please note: Stability ball leg curls and slide-board leg curls, which areillustrated later in this chapter, are an exception because these particularexercises use a closed-chain movement (foot in contact with a supportingsurface)andaredoneinconcertwiththegluteswhenperformedcorrectly.

Trainingtheglutesandhamstringsashipextensorsratherthankneeflexorsgoesalongwaytowardeliminatingthehamstringstrainssooftenseeninsport.Athletes and coaches are reminded to think about the true function of themuscles, not the anatomy-book description. Forget about hamstrings as kneeflexors. See the hamstrings as powerful hip extensors and as muscles thateccentricallydeceleratekneeextension inrunning.Alsoremember towork thehamstringsandgluteswiththekneeflexedandthekneeextended.Thismightbeamajorshiftinthinkingforsome,butitwillpayoffinhealthierhamstrings.

There are anumberofnames forbridges andbridgeprogressions.Bridgesarealsocalledhipliftsandhipthrusts.Idislikethenamehipthrustandpreferthetermhiplift.Tome,thrustdenotesapowerfulactionthatlacksthecontrolsonecessaryinthisexercise.Bridgingisthepointofcrossoverfromcoretrainingto lower body training. The initial stages of bridging are often done in themobilityandactivationportionoftheprogramastheathleteorclientundertakesthedifficultmotor learning taskof separatinghipextensionandglute functionfromlumbarextension.However,thesameactionprogressesintosinglebridgesorsingle-leghipliftsandintoshoulder-elevatedbridgesandhiplifts.Eventuallythe act of bridging forms the beginning of the slide-board or stability ball legcurl.

Single-LegBridgeorCookHipLift

BaselineNoted physical therapist Gray Cook popularized this exercise to teach

athleteshowtoquicklyandeasilyseparatethefunctionofthehipextensorsfromthe lumbar extensors.Most athletes areunawareofhow little rangeofmotionthey possess in the hip jointwhen the range ofmotion in the lumbar spine isintentionally limited. The great thing about properly performed hip lifts orbridgesisthatyouhaveacoreexercise,anactivestretchingexercise,andaglutestrengthexerciseallrolledintoonesimplemovement.

To perform the movement, lie on the back with the feet flat on the floor(hook-lyingposition).Thenplaceatennisballonthelowendoftheribcageandpullthekneetothechesthardenoughtoholdthetennisballinplace.Fromthisposition, push down through the foot on the floor and extend the hip whilekeeping the tennis ball tight against the ribswith the opposite leg (see figure6.25).The rangeofmotion in this exercise isonly two to three inches (5 to8cm).Therangeofmotioncanbeincreasedsignificantlybyrelaxingthegriponthe opposite knee, but this defeats the purpose. Relaxing the hold on the legsubstituteslumbarspineextensionforhipextension.

Figure6.25Single-legbridgeorCookhiplift.

Thisexercisehasthreedistinctbenefits.

1. Theexerciseuses theglutesas theprimaryhipextensorwhiledecreasingthecontributionofthehamstringsashipextensors.

2. Theexercise teaches theathletehowtodistinguishbetweenhipextensionandlumbarspineextension.

3. Thecoachortrainercanevaluatetightnessinthehipflexorgroupthatmaybelimitinghipextensionandcontributingtolowerbackpain.

If an athlete experiences cramping in the hamstrings, the glutes are notworking properly. Physical therapistMike Clark of the National Academy ofSportsMedicine(NASM)usesthisasanexampleofsynergisticdominance, inwhichthehamstringsareforcedtocompensateforaweakgluteusmaximus.

Shoulder-ElevatedHipLift

Progression1Theshoulder-elevatedhipliftisanexcellentprogressionfromtheCookhip

lift. The shoulders are elevated on a standard exercise bench to increase thedifficultyoftheexercise.

Forallthesehip-liftexercises,usethe8-10-12body-weightprogression.

StabilityBallLegCurl

Progression2Thestabilityball legcurl isanadvancedexercisebecause it requiresusing

theglutesandspinalerectorstostabilizethetorsoandthehamstringstoperforma closed-chain leg curl. This exercise develops torso stability while alsostrengtheningthehamstrings.Thestabilityball legcurlandtheslide-boardlegcurlaretheonlylegcurlmovementsIrecommend.

TechniquePoints

Heels are placed on the ball, and the body is held with the hips off theground.The ball is curled under the body with the heels while the body is keptstraight(seefigure6.26).

Figure6.26Stabilityballlegcurl.

Slide-boardLegCurl

Progression3Theslide-boardlegcurlisidenticaltothestabilityballversionexceptaslide

board, mini slide board, or Valslides are used. The action is identical. Slide-boardlegcurlsaremoredifficultthanstabilityballlegcurlsasthestabilityballcreatesadownhillslope.

This chapter describes the foundation of a proper lower body strengthprogram.Learningtosquatandperformingsingle-legexercisesaretwokeysfordeveloping speed and power. Follow the progressions and guidelines given.Don’t look foraneasywayoutby reverting tomachine training for the lowerbody.Anathletecannotdevelopbalance,flexibility,andstrengthwhilesittingorlyingdown.Thedifficultroadisoftenthebestroad.

References

John,D.,andP.Tsatsouline.2011.EasyStrength.St.Paul,MN:DragonDoor.Klein,K.,andF.Allman.1971.TheKneeinSports.Austin,TX:Jenkins.Kuruganti,U.,T.Murphy,andT.Pardy.2011.Bilateraldeficitphenomenonandthe role of antagonist muscle activity during maximal isometric kneeextensions inyoung,athleticmen.EuropeanJournalofAppliedPhysiology.111(7):1533-1539.doi:10.1007/s00421-010-1752-8.

Chapter7CoreTraining

One of the stated purposes of this book is to give you ideas you canimmediatelyputtouse.Theinformationinthischaptercanbeusedtoimprovethehealthandthecorefunctionofanyathleteandwillbeofparticularinteresttocoaches and athletes involved in striking sports such as baseball, golf, tennis,fieldandicehockey,andcricket.

Thecoreexercisespresentedaredesignedtodevelopamorestableplatformfromwhichtostrikeorthrowanobject.Inaddition,thecoreprogramswillhelpany athletewho suffers from low back pain. Themedicine ball exerciseswillimprove the power and coordination of all themuscle groups used in strikingandthrowingskills.Coretrainingisthemissinglinktodevelopingthepowertohit a baseball or golf ball farther or a hockey puck or tennis ball harder andfaster.Inaddition,coretrainingmaybeakeytoalongandhealthysportscareer.

Any training that works the abdominals, hips, and even scapulothoracicstabilizers can be viewed as core training. In fact, the best functional coreexercises may be many of the unilateral knee-and hip-dominant exercisesdiscussedinothersectionsofthisbook.

The word core is broad by intention to include all muscles in the body’smidsection.Thecoremusclesincludethe

rectusabdominis(abdominalmuscle);transversusabdominis(abdominalmuscle);multifidusmuscles(backmuscles);internalandexternalobliques(abdominalmuscles);quadratuslumborum(alowbackmuscle);spinalerectors(backmuscles);andtosomeextentthegluteal,hamstring,andhiprotatorgroups(whichcrossthehipjoint).

Thesemusclesarethevitallinkbetweenupperbodystrengthandlowerbodystrength.Andyet,despitethiscriticalrole,coremusclesareoftentrainedinanunintelligent, scientifically unsoundmannerwith no real regard for the actualfunctions of the muscles involved. Furthermore, many commonly used andprescribedcoreexercisesmayexacerbatebackpainratherthanpreventorrelieveit.

In the past core training consisted primarily of flexion–extension exercisesfortherectusabdominismusclessuchascrunchesorsit-ups,andtheneedforastable and powerful link from the lower body to the upper body was neveraddressed. Core training is done poorly primarily because it has always beendonethatway.ThisleadsusbacktoLeeCockrell’sideafromCreatingMagic:“Whatifthewaywehavealwaysdoneitiswrong?”

CoreFunction

Totrulyunderstandcoretraining,thinkbacktotheinformationonfunctionalanatomy in chapter 1. The abdominal muscles by design are stabilizers, notmovers.Even if thesemusclesweremovers, askyourself howmany sports orsportingactivitiesinvolveflexionandextensionofthetrunk.Theanswer,ifyoureallyknowsport,isveryfew.Sportisaboutcorestabilizationandhiprotation.Arethecoremusclesactuallyflexorsorrotatorsofthetrunk?

Functional anatomyhasdemonstrated that theprimarypurposeof the coremusculatureisthepreventionofmotion.Infact,notedphysicaltherapistShirleySahrmann in her landmark work Diagnosis and Treatment of MovementImpairment Syndromes says, “During most activities, the primary role of theabdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree ofrotation of the trunk” (2002, 70). In much the same way, noted low backresearchers JamesPorterfield andCarlDeRosa state, “Rather than consideringthe abdominals as flexors and rotators of the trunk—for which they certainlyhave the capacity—their function might be better viewed as antirotators andantilateralflexorsofthetrunk”(1998,99).ThesetworelativelysimplethoughtstotallychangedmyviewoncoretrainingasIbegantoseethecoremusclesforwhat they reallywere rather thanwhat I had been told theywere inmy1980anatomyclass.Insteadofseeingthemusclesastrunkflexorsandlateralflexorsandprescribing exercises such as crunches and sidebends, I now see themasantiextensors and antilateral flexors andmore importantly can now envision aconcept that has come to be called antirotation. Core training is really aboutmotionprevention,notmotioncreation.

Over the past two decades strength and conditioning training has movedfrom a sagittal-plane orientation to an emphasis on unilateral training andmultiplanar training. Part of this process, particularly for athletes, has been amisdirected push toward developing spinal mobility in rotation. Any athletecompetinginasportrequiringrotation,suchasbaseball,hockey,andgolf,wasoftenblindlyurgedtodevelopmorerangeofmotioninrotation.

Likemanyotherstrengthandconditioningcoaches,Iinitiallyfellvictimtothissameflawedpremise.IwasoneofthelemmingsIdislikesomuch,blindlyfollowing the recommendations of others and using exercises I would nowconsiderquestionableordangerous.Evenasabackpainsufferer,Isimplywroteoffmydiscomfortasagerelatedandcontinuedtoperformrotarystretchesandrotarydynamicwarm-upexercises.

The aforementioned Shirley Sahrmann (as well as others such as StuartMcGill and Phillip Beach) made me reconsider my position and eventuallyeliminateawholegroupofstretchesanddynamicwarm-upexercisesthatwereonce staples of our programs. As Sahrmann stated in her book, “A largepercentageoflowbackproblemsoccurbecausetheabdominalmusclesarenotmaintainingtightcontrolovertherotationbetweenthepelvisandthespineattheL5-S1level”(71).Thelumbarrangeofmotionthatmanypersonaltrainersandcoaches have attempted to create may not even be desirable and is in factpotentiallyinjurious.

The ability to resist or prevent rotation may be more important than theabilitytocreateit.Clientsorathletesmustbeabletopreventrotationbeforeweshouldallowthemtoproduceit.

Sahrmanngoes on to note a key fact I believe has beenoverlooked in theperformancefield.“Theoverallrangeoflumbarrotationis...approximately13degrees.Therotationbetweeneachsegment fromT10 toL5 is2degrees.Thegreatest rotational range is between L5 and S1, which is 5 degrees. . . . Thethoracic spine, not the lumbar spine should be the site of greatest amount ofrotationofthetrunk.”Whenapersonpracticesrotationalexercises,heshouldbeinstructedto“thinkaboutthemotionoccurringintheareaofthechest”(61-62).

Sahrmannplacesthefinalicingonthecakewiththesestatements:“Rotationofthelumbarspineismoredangerousthanbeneficialandrotationofthepelvisandlowerextremitiestoonesidewhilethetrunkremainsstableorisrotatedtotheothersideisparticularlydangerous”(72;seefigures7.1and7.2).

Interestinglyenough,Sahrmannagreeswith theconclusionsofnotedsprintcoachBarryRoss.Rossrecommendsprimarilyisometricabdominaltrainingforhissprinters.Sahrmannconcurs:“Duringmostactivities,theprimaryroleoftheabdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree ofrotationofthetrunkwhich,asdiscussed,islimitedinthelumbarspine”(70).

What does all this mean? It means we need to eliminate stretches andexercisesthatattempttoincreaselumbarrangeofmotion.Thisincludesseatedtrunkrotationalstretches(figure7.1)andlyingtrunkrotationalstretches.

Wemustalsoeliminatedynamicexercisesdesignedtoincreasetrunkrangeofmotion, such as the dynamic bent-leg trunk twist (figure 7.2), the dynamicstraight-legtrunktwist(figure7.3),andthescorpion(figure7.4).

Figure7.1Seatedtrunkrotationalstretch.

Figure7.2Dynamicbent-legtrunktwist.

Figure7.3Dynamicstraight-legtrunktwist.

Figure7.4Thescorpion.

Mostpeopledon’tneedadditionaltrunkrangeofmotioninthelumbarspine.

Whatwereallyneedistobeabletocontroltherangewehave.Wehaveseenasignificant decrease in the complaints of low back pain since eliminating theexercisesjustillustrated.Wenowemphasizedevelopinghiprangeofmotioninbothinternalandexternalrotation.

Inthefuturewewillseecoachesworkingoncorestabilityandhipmobilityinsteadofworkingagainstthemselvesbysimultaneouslytryingtodevelopcorerangeofmotionandcorestability.

CoreTrainingintheProgram

Thesubjectofwhen todocorework in theprogramis frequentlydebated.Thoseinfavorofcoreworkattheendofthetrainingprogramcitethepossibilityoffatiguingthemusclesimportantforstabilitybeforetheworkout.Someareinfavorofdoingcoreworkbeforetrainingatleastpartiallytoshowitsimportance.Thethoughtisthatplacingcoreworkatthebeginningoftheworkoutestablishesthecoreasakeyareaforsport training,sortofafirst-things-firstapproach.Inpastyears, thatwas theapproachwefavored.Ourcurrentapproach is toplacecoreexercisesthroughouttheworkout,almostasanactiverestcomponent.

Themainthingisthatcoreworkbemadeapriorityandplacedintelligentlyinto theworkoutwhere appropriate.Another important point to realize is thatcoreworkisnotlikemaximalstrengthwork.Manycoreexercisesareisometricin nature andwill probably domore to activate or upregulatemuscles than tofatiguethem.Iliketothinkofexercisesthatactivateorupregulatemuscleslikeusing a dimmer switch for a light. You are simply turning up the power tomusclesthatshouldbe(andare)alreadyworking.

Core trainingmaynotworkthe“mirror”musclesasbenchpressesorcurlsdo,butitisoneofthekeystoinjuryreductionandimprovedsportperformance.Remember that a strongcorehasnothing todowith lowbody fat.Abdominaldefinition is the result of diet, not core work. Athletes might train the coremusclestohelpthemshootharder,throwfarther,orstayhealthylonger,butforthemusclesthey’vedevelopedtobevisible,theyneedtowatchwhattheyeat.

CoreExerciseCategories

Therearethreebasicclassesofcoreexercises.

1. Antiextension is the primary function of the anterior core muscles andshould be addressed in the first two or three phases of all programs. Fordecades we have developed the anterior core via flexion (bringing theshoulders toward the hips as in a crunch or sit-up, or the hips to theshoulders as in a knee-up or reverse crunch).We now realize that thesemusclesare stabilizersdesigned tomaintaina stablepelvisundera stableribcageandmustbetrainedasstabilizers,notastrunkflexors.

2. Antilateralflexiondevelopsthequadratuslumborumaswellastheobliquesas stabilizers of the pelvis and hips, not as lateral flexors of the trunk.

Similar to the antiextension concept, varying isometric challenges areemployedtoworkthelateralstabilizers.

3. Antirotation might be the key to core training. Antirotation strength isdevelopedthroughprogressionsofantiextensionexercisesandthroughtheuse of diagonal patterns and rotational forces. The program contains norotationalexercises,suchastrunktwists,Russiantwists,ortwistingsit-ups.

BreathingandCoreTraining

The first edition ofFunctional Training for Sports leaned heavily on twosourceswhen it came toguidelines for training the core:PaulHodges and theAustralian physical therapists, who initially gave usmany of our stabilizationconcepts,andMikeClarkofNASM,whopopularizedtheconceptofdrawingin.Sincethentherehasbeenalong-running“who’sright?”debateaboutcorework,core stabilization, and the concepts of bracing and drawing in. Rather thangetting tied up in that debate, I adopted a “whatever works, just get tight”approach and let the experts in academia compete to prove their particulartheoriesright.

Then, in 2014, Iwas fortunate tomeet a physical therapy assistant namedMichaelMullinwhowastrainedbyagroupfromLincoln,Nebraska,calledthePosturalRestorationInstitute.Mullin’steachingofferedasimpleexplanationofbreathing, theprocessof respiration,andhowit relates to theconceptsofcoretraining and core stability. This fundamentally changed thewaywe teach ourcore exercises. The key to understanding core training is realizing that therespirationprocessisnotpassivebutactive.

Thefirstthingtounderstandaboutcoretrainingisthatthediaphragmis,infact, a muscle. And that muscle has as its antagonists the deep abdominalmusclesthatweseektoactivateinourcoretraining.Uponinhalationthedome-shaped diaphragm contracts concentrically and flattens, much like a group ofchildrenatcamppullingdownonaparachute.Onexhalation,specificallylateinamaximal exhalation, the deep abdominals contract concentrically, effectivelypushing thediaphragmbackup into itsdomeshape.Withproperbreathingwehaveaninterplayofeccentricandconcentriccontractionsofthediaphragmanddeepabdominals.

Mullinreinforcedthisconcept inanarticleentitled“TheValueofBlowingUpaBalloon”(Boyle,Olinick,andLewis2010).Thearticledescribestheactionof blowing up a balloon without taking the balloon out of the mouth. Whatoccurs is a process of nasal inhalation and aggressivemouth exhalation.Witheachexhale thedeepabdominalsare forced toworkharderandharderagainst

the elastic energyof the balloon.By the time the balloon is ready to pop, theconnectionbetweentheabdominalsandexhalationhasbeensolidlyreinforced.What we used to call a draw-in can actually be viewed as the maximalconcentriccontractionportionofpropermaximalexhalation.

Sonowbreathingisanintegralpartofourcoretraining.Indeed,everycoreexercise essentially revolves around breathing.We eliminated time and countbreaths in an attempt to get our athletes and clients to lengthen both theirinhalationandexhalationtogetpropermuscularsynergy.

CoreTrainingProgressionintheWeeklyProgram

Progressingcorework is simple.Threesetsof8 to12 repetitionsaredoneinitiallyforexercisesthatutilizeweights.Stabilizationexercisesgenerallystartwith three sets of 25 seconds done in five sets of 5-second holds. PhysicaltherapistAlVisnick introduced this concept tomewith the statement: “Ifyouwant to train the stabilizers, you have to give them time to stabilize.” One-secondholdscannotworkthestabilizersaseffectivelyasa5-secondcontraction.Youcanusetimeinsteadofrepstodeterminethelengthofaset.Fiverepstakeapproximately 30 to 60 seconds. These are general guidelines and can beadjustedbasedontheathlete’sageandexperience.

For any exercise using bodyweight, progress over a three-week period asfollows:

Week1:3×8Week2:3×10Week3:3×12

After week 3, progress to a slightlymore difficult version of the exercise(usuallydenotedasprogression1),reducethenumberofrepetitions,andagainfollowthesameprogression.

Rememberthatcoreworkmustbetaughtandcoachedlikeanyotherportionofaprogram.Simplydoingcoreworkatthebeginningofthestrengthprogramrather than leaving it until the end is not enough. Coaches should teach coreworkaswellasorbetterthananyotherfacetoftheprogram.Aproperlytaughtcoretrainingprogramaidsininjuryreduction,strengthimprovement,andspeedimprovement by increasing the ability to maintain trunk position in strengthexercises, jumps, and sprints. In addition, a well-designed torso program canmarkedly improve performance in striking sports. These benefits cannot beoverstated.

AntiextensionProgression

Developingtheabilityoftheanteriorcoretopreventextensionofthelumbarspine (and the resultant accompanying anterior pelvic tilt) may be the mostcriticalpartofcore trainingandmostcertainlyshouldbe thestartingpoint forthe core program. With anterior pelvic tilt and lower crossed syndrome, the

anterior coremuscles areunable to control extensionof the spineandanteriorrotationofthepelvis.Inthepastacombinationofstretchingandstrengtheningwas often recommended, but the obvious step of working the anteriorabdominals to prevent extension of the lumbar spine and the accompanyinganterior tilt was not recognized. Current concepts now tell us to train thesemusclestopreventextensionandtostabilizethepelvis.Iliketoteachboththeplankandthestabilityballrolloutinphase1toeveryathlete,hencethe1Aand1Bdesignationsintheexercises.

FrontPlank

Baseline1AEveryathleteshouldlearnhowtoholdaperfectplank(seefigure7.5)for30

seconds.(Iamnotafanofplanksbeyond30seconds.Long-durationplanksarebothunnecessaryandboring.)

1. Start on the elbows and forearms. Begin with 15-second holds, thinkingabout one long 15-second exhale. This will really fire up the deepabdominalmuscles.(Don’tbesurprisedif10-secondexhalesaretough.)

2. Remember aperfect plank looks like apersonwho is standing. It’s not aprone isometric crunch. The pelvis should be neutral or normal. In otherwords, do notmove into a large posterior tilt via a big rectus abdominiscontraction.

3. Squeeze everything.Push the floorwith the forearms, squeeze theglutes,andtightenthequadsandthedeepabdominals.

Figure7.5Frontplank.

Torso-ElevatedFrontPlank

Regression1Ifyourathletesorclientscan’tholdagoodfrontplank,simplyusephysicsto

youradvantageandreducetheirrelativeweightbyincliningthem.Trystartingwithelbowsandforearmsonastandardexercisebench.

StabilityBallRollout

Baseline1BThestabilityballrollout(seefigure7.6)isreallyjustashortlever(kneeling)

plank in which the lever arm is lengthened and shortened by rolling the ballaway.Visualizethestabilityballlikeabigabwheel.Theweakertheathlete,thebiggertheballshouldbetostart.Stabilityballscomeincentimetersizes;65and75 cm balls are good for beginners. It is essential that everyone start theantiextensionprogressionwithacombinationofstabilityballrolloutsandfrontplanks.Evenathleteswhohavestrongabs(orthinktheydo)shoulddostabilityball rollouts twice a week for the first three weeks. Starting with a wheelincreasesthechanceofstrainingtheabdominalmusclesorhurtingtheback.

1. Beginintallkneelingwiththeglutesandabstight.Handsareontheball.2. Exhalewhilerollingforward,movingfromhandstoelbows.Stayinthetall

kneelingposition,tightfromthetopoftheheadtotheknees.3. Thinkaboutsqueezingtheglutestokeepthehipsextendedandexhalingto

tightenthecoreandkeepthespinestable.Thekeyisthatthecore(thespinefromhipstohead)doesnotmoveintoextension.

Figure7.6Stabilityballrollout.

BodySaw

Progression2Thebodysaw(seefigure7.7)issimilartothestabilityballrolloutinthatit

is a plankwith a lengthening and shortening lever arm. In the body saw, theathletebeginsinaplankpositionwiththefeeteitheronaslide-boardsurfaceorontwoValslides.Insteadofpushingdownintothefloor,theactionislikethatofa saw, with a forward and back action coming from the shoulders. As theshouldersmove into flexion, the lever arm is lengthened and the anterior corestressisincreased.

1. Think of the body saw as a plankwithmotion. The body should remainrigidfromheadtoheels.

2. Goonlyasfarasnecessarytofeelanincreasedstressontheanteriorcore.Ifitisfeltintheback,therangeofmotionistoogreat.

3. Thekey toaddingmotion is toaddagreatercore stabilitychallenge. It’snot how far an athlete can go, it’s how far he needs to go to create anincreasedcorechallenge.

Bodysawsmovefromtimetoreps.Followthebody-weightprogressionof8-10-12.

Figure7.7Bodysaw.

AbDolly

Progression3Iknow,aninfomercialpieceofequipment.AbDolliesareabitpricey,but

theymakethetransitionfromthestabilityballtotheabwheelmucheasier.It’saphysics thing.TheAbDollyallows theuser tobeon theelbows first toget ashortleverversionoftheabwheelrollout(seefigure7.8).

Figure7.8Abdolly.

AbWheelRollout

Progression4AnAbDollycanbesubstitutedforawheelinthisexercise.Simplygraspthe

sidesoftheAbDollywiththehandstolengthenthelever.Ilikethewheelbetterbecauseyougetbetterdiagonalswhenyougetmoreadvanced,butforphase3itreallydoesn’tmatter.Thekeyisthatthemovingpieceisnowafullarm’slengthaway.Abwheelrollouts(seefigure7.9)areanadvancedcoreexercise.Startingwithabwheelrolloutscancauseanabdominalstrain,somakesuretofollowtheprogressionsequence.

Figure7.9Abwheelrollout.

ValslideorSlide-BoardRollouts

Progression5TheValslideorslideboardaddsafrictionalcomponent.Insteadofthewheel

rolling, bodyweight creates drag.Thismakes the exercise harder, particularlytheconcentric,orreturn,portion.Theathletehastopullherselfbackin.

AntirotationExercises

Antirotationisthenewtrendincoretraining.Whenyouthinkofantirotation,think of a force being delivered that is trying to cause trunk rotation, and theathlete’sjobistopreventthatfromhappening.Aswementionedearlier,thatistherealjoboftherotarymusclesofthecore.

There are two categories of antirotation exercises. The first group isprogressions of the plank that move from what we would call a four-pointposition (two elbows or two hands and two feet) to a three-point position(generallyoneelboworhandandtwofeet).Thesearethree-pointversionsoftheplank.Thesecondcategoryofantirotationexercisesisbestdescribedasdiagonalpatterns. Forces are introduced at various angles, and the core muscles mustcounter these forces in their antirotary function. This antirotation category

includes exercises such as chops, lifts, press-outs, and push–pulls. These arestabilityexercises.Earlyattemptsat rotaryexercises included flawedactivitiessuch as wood choppers. Many early attempts at rotational core work werecompletelyoffbaseandweresimplyhipflexionpatternsdoneinadiagonal.

AntirotationPlankProgressions

Anytimeanarmorlegismoved,afrontplankmovesfromanantiextensionexercise to an antirotation exercise.For this reasonourplankprogressions areunder the antirotation category. Please note: All our plank antirotationprogressionsarearmreachesormovements.Iamnotafanoflegliftsasplankprogressions because I think the significant weight of the lower limbs makesthesedifficulttodosafely.

PlankReach

Progression1The plank reach (see figure 7.10) is the simplest progression from the

antiextensionfrontplanktotheantirotationcategory.Inaplankreachtheathleteissimplyaskedtoreachforanobjectinfrontofhim.Wegenerallyuseaconeplacedapproximately12 inches(30cm)away.Theathlete isstill inapositionon the forearmsandelbows.Thekey to theplank reach is themaintenanceofcorestability.Theathletemustcontinue toholdaperfectplankpositionwhilereaching.Everything should continue to look just like the plank as the athletetransitions from four-point support to three-point support. The three-pointsupport position produces a diagonal force across the core that must becounteredtopreventmovement.

Figure7.10Plankreach.

ClockPlank

Progression2Theclockplankissimilartotheplankreachbuttheathleteisonthehands

insteadoftheelbows(seefigure7.11).Insteadofsimplyreachingforward,theathletemovestherighthandto12o’clockandthenthelefthandto12o’clock.Therighthandthenmovesto1whiletheleftmovestothe11o’clockposition.This continues around the imaginary clock face,with the handsmaking seventouchesoneachside.Clockplankscanbedoneinanynumberofways,using12to6as1setordoing12to6to12toincreasedifficulty.Againthekeyiscoreandscapularstabilityinthepresenceofdiagonalrotationalforces.

Figure7.11Clockplank.

PlankRow

Progression3Intheplankrow(seefigure7.12)theathleteisagaininanelbow-extended

position but has a set of dumbbells in the hands. The action changes fromreaching to rowing. Plank rows have numerous names and variations, but allshouldbeseenasantirotationcoreexercises,notstrengthexercisesoracircusact.Myrecommendationistousehexdumbbellsthatdon’trollandtoneverusekettlebells.Theriskofwristinjuryfaroutweighsanypotentialbenefit.

Figure7.12Plankrow.

AntilateralFlexion

In the sameway thatwewant to see the anterior core assume the role ofantiextension, we want to see the lateral muscles also assume the role ofstabilizers.Inthepast,exercisessuchassidebendshavebeenusedtotrainthelateral flexioncapabilityof thecore.However,wenowsee thatallof thecoremusclespreventmotionmorethancauseit.Thelateralflexors(primaryobliquesandquadratus lumborum)actuallyact toprevent thecore fromcollapsing intolateralflexion.

SidePlank

BaselineThesideplankisthelateralversionofthefrontplankandisthebestplaceto

begintoincorporatetheideaofantilateralflexion.Allyourathletesandclientsshouldlearnhowtoholdaperfectsideplankfor30seconds.

1. Start on the elbowwith the shoulder blade pulled down and back.Beginwith15-secondholds,thinkingaboutone,big,long15-secondexhale.Thiswill really cause you to fire the deep abdominal muscles. (Don’t besurprisedif10-secondexhalesaretough.)

2. Theperfect sideplank looks likewhat thepersonwould look like if theywere going to be shot out of a cannon.Think long and straight. I like toextendandholdtheoppositearm.

3. Squeezeeverything.Squeezetheglutesandtightenthequadsandthedeepabdominals.

Short-LeverSidePlank

Regression1Toregressthesideplank,allyouneedtodoisshortentheleverbybending

theknees.

SidePlankRow

Progression1Asimplewaytoprogressthesideplankistoaddarowwithabandoroffa

cable column.Basically, this adds a transverse plane stress towhat is initiallyfrontal plane stability. Think of the row as a fairly light exercise basicallyincorporated to increase the concentration need in the plank. Instead of time,nowdorepetitionsoftherowfollowingour8-10-12progression.

SuitcaseCarry

Progression2Thesuitcasecarryisbasicallyawalkholdingasingledumbbellorkettlebell

inonehand.Thekeytothesuitcasecarryisthatitisactuallyaloadeddynamicversion of the side plank. I can recall sitting in a Stuart McGill lecture andhavingtheah-hamomentofanexerciseIdidn’t trulyunderstandbecominganexercisethatIunderstoodandappreciated.IcanrememberseeingmanyoftheloadedcarriesusedinStrongmaneventsandthinkingofthemasfoolish.NowIseemyself as foolish. Progression here can be distance travelled, load, or anycombinationofthetwo.

Farmer’sWalk

Progression3The farmer’swalk is a progression from the suitcase carry, but actually it

shiftsfromacoreexercisetoahipexercise.Theadditionofabalancedloadineachhandmakes theexercisepotentially lessof anantilateral flexionexerciseand more of a challenge to the hip stabilizers. McGill has also noted in hislectures that thegreatesthip loadsherecordedhavebeeninStrongmanloadedcarry events suchas theYokeWalk. In anycase, all loadedcarries fall in thecoretrainingcategory.

ChopandLiftPatternsandProgressions

PhysicaltherapistGrayCookfirstintroducedthechopandliftpatternsinthelate 1990s, basing them on the PNF diagonal concepts of Knott and Voss.Cook’s article “FunctionalTraining for theTorso” (1997) took these diagonalconcepts from the rehabworldanddevelopedanentirelynewclassificationofexercises.

Cookadvocateddiagonalpatternsfromhightolow(chop)andfromlowtohigh(lift) todevelopcorestabilityagainstdynamicforces.In thechopandliftvariations,thearmstransferforceonadiagonalplanethrougharelativelystabletorso. The exercises presented here have beenmodified from Cook’s originalconcepts. Any rotation in these exercises should come from turning theshoulders.

Forallthechopandliftexercises,dothreesetsof10andincreasetheweightinweek2,oruseasetweightandan8-10-12progression.

Half-KneelingIn-LineStableChop

Progression1AProgression1Abeginsinthehalf-kneelingpositionwiththefeetinline.This

means the front foot, back knee, and back foot are all in a straight line. Thisnarrowbaseof support forces the athlete to learn thepropermechanics and isdoneintentionallytorequiretheuseoflightloads.Weusesmallrubberbalancebeamstocreateourin-lineposition,butatwo-byfour-inch(5by10cm)boardcanwork just aswell.Thebeamorboard shouldbepositionedapproximatelytwo to three feet (.6 to .9m)awayfromthecablecolumntocreate theproperdiagonal.

AtMBSCweusea tricepsropehandleheldwitha thumb-upgripforbothchops and lifts.We teach the chop as a pull to the chest followed by a pressaway.Themovementpresents likeapull-downcombinedwitha tricepspress-

down done on a diagonal across the body (see figure 7.13). Teach this as adistinct two-partaction,apullandapush. It isalso important that indiagonalpatternstheeyesfollowthehands.Lookingatthehandscreatestheidealamountofcontroloverthoracicrotation.

Thereare twokeys to thehalf-kneelingchop.The first is thecorestabilityandbalancenecessarytomovetheloaddiagonallyfromhightolow.Thesecondistheantirotationalstrengthtoresistbeingpulledbacktowardtheweightstackontheeccentricportionofthelift.Theathletemusthavesagittal-planestabilityon the beam while controlling a force moving through the frontal plane. Inaddition,theathletemuststabilizeinboththefrontalandtransverseplanes.Thekeyactionhereisfiringtheglutesonthedown(outside)legtostabilizethehipand core.The concept of antirotation is based on stabilizing against rotationalforces rather than producing rotation. Sahrmann (2002) states: “During mostdailyactivitiestheroleoftheabdominalmusclesistoprovideisometricsupportand to limit thedegreeof rotationof the trunk. . . . a largepercentageof lowbackproblemsoccur because the abdominalmuscles are notmaintaining tightcontrol over the pelvis and the spine at the L5-S1 level” (71). AntirotationprovidesthetightcontrolSahrmannrefersto.

EXOSfounderMarkVerstegenprobablydeservescreditformovingCook’srehabthoughtsintotheperformanceworldandmakingrotarytrainingapartofthetrainingvocabulary.

1. Insidekneeisup.Outsidekneeisdown.2. Frontfoot,backhip,andbackfootareinline.3. Actionisapulldowntothechestfollowedbyapressaway.

Figure7.13Half-kneelingin-linestablechop.

Half-KneelingIn-LineStableLift

Progression1BThinkoftheliftastheoppositeofthechop.Liftpatternsarediagonalsfrom

lowtohighandareprogressedinmuchthesamemanneraschops.Progression1B uses the same in-line position as the chop, except in the lift pattern theoutsideknee isupand the insideknee isdown(seefigure7.14).Theaction isnowapulltothechestfollowedbyadiagonalpushingaction.Thesametricepsropesetupisusedasinthechoppattern.

1. Insidekneeisdown.Outsidekneeisup.2. Feet,hip,andkneesareinline.3. Actionisapulltothechestfollowedbyadiagonalpressaway.

Figure7.14Half-kneelingin-linestablelift.

Lunge-PositionChop

Progression2AThe second progression is a simple yet difficult change. The back knee is

now lifted off the ground or beam, and the athlete must hold a static lungeposturewhileperformingthechoppingaction(seefigure7.15).Again,loadsarelight and the exercise is a controlled pull–pushmovement. This remains verymuchacorestabilityexercise.

TheseprogressionsarebasedonCook’sconceptsofmovingfromkneelingtoasplitstance(lunge)tostandingandeventuallytoasinglelegandarebasedonCook’sobservation that thebestway to simplifyanexercise is to limit thenumberof joints involved. Inkneeling it isveryeasy to focuson thehipsandcore because the knees are to a great extent eliminated from the focus of theexercise.Lungepositionprovidesanincreasedstabilitychallengefromthehalf-kneelingpositionbydecreasingthenumberofstablepointsincontactwiththegroundfromthree(foot,knee,foot)totwofeet.Eliminatingthekneejointasastablepointprovidesanadditionalstabilitychallengetothecore.

1. Backkneeisonetotwoinches(2.5to5cm)offthefloor.2. Insidekneeisup,outsideisdownasinasplitsquathold.3. Upperbodyactionremainsunchangedandstill featuresacontrolledpull–

pushorpull–press.

Figure7.15Lunge-positionchop.

Lunge-PositionLift

Progression2BThisexerciseisidenticaltothein-lineversionexceptthebackkneeislifted

offthegroundorbeam.Allotheraspectsremainthesame.

1. Insidekneeisdown,outsideisupasinasplitsquathold.2. Upperbodyactionisacontrolledpulltothechestwithapressaway.

StandingChop

Progression3AThestandingchop(see figure7.16) isaverydifferentexercise.Thepush–

pullactionbecomesonesmooth,fluid,explosivemovement.Unliketheprevioustwoversions,thefootpositionmovesfromasplitstancetothefeetparallel.Inphase3thediagonalpatternsceasetobestabilityexercisesandbecomedynamicrotational power exercises. I like to have my athletes visualize grabbing anobject and throwing it aggressively to the ground with the same pull–pushpattern used in the in-line and lunge versions. In truth, we havemoved from

antirotationtoexplosiverotation.

Figure7.16Standingchop.

StandingLift

Progression3BThe standing lift pattern (see figure 7.17) is what EXOS president Mark

Verstegenoncedescribedasadiagonalpush–press.Themotionisanexplosivecross-bodysquattostandfinishingwiththearmsextendedonthesideoppositethecablecolumn.Wedonotcoachrotationbutrathersimplycoachasquat tostand action. The rotation comes naturally because of the combination of theparallelfootplacementandtheloadposition.

Figure7.17Standinglift.

StandingTransverseChop

Progression3CThe transverse chop (see figure 7.18) is a great exercise for hitting and

strikingathletesandissomethingwehaveaddedtoourexercisemenuthepastfewyears.Theexercise isstilldone inapull–pushpatternandfromaparallelstance as in the previous two exercises. The triceps rope is heldwith thumbspointing toward the cable column. This is extremely important to make theexercisefeelsmoothandtotakepressureoffthewrists.

Figure7.18Standingtransversechop.

Step-UpLift

Progression4Thestep-uplift(seefigure7.19)mightbethemostfunctionalofthediagonal

patternsbecauseitincorporatesunilaterallowerbodyexercisewithmultiplanarupperbodyactions.Inthestep-uplifttheinsidefootisplacedona12-inch(30cm)plyobox,andinsteadofasquattostandpattern,astep-uptostandpatternisused. All upper body actions remain the same, but the lower pattern nowbecomesunilateralsupportintheextendedposition.Thisexercisecreatesagreatdiagonal connection between the glutes, pelvic stabilizers, and upper bodymuscles.

Figure7.19Step-uplift.

BridgingYourWaytoHealthyHamstrings

The bridging exercises are included in the core chapter butmight also befeatured in the section under activation or mobility. Bridging exercises andquadrupedexercisescanbeviewedascoreexercises,asmotorcontrolexercises,orasactivationexercises.Inanycase,theyshouldbedoneinitiallyaspartofthewarm-upandtheneventuallymorphintoexercisessuchasslide-boardlegcurls.

CookHipLift

Baseline1This baseline exercise places dual emphasis on the glutes and the core

muscles. The Cook hip lift (see figure 7.20) develops glute and hamstringstrength, but more importantly, it teaches the critical difference between hipmotion and lumbar spine motion—an important goal of all the bridging andquadrupedexercises.Inmanyexercisesthattargetthehamstringsandglutes,itiseasytomistakenlyusemorerangeofmotionat thelumbarspinethanat thehip.Thisteachestheathletetoarchthebackinsteadofextendthehip.

ToperformtheCookhiplift,lieonthebackwithbothfeetflatonthefloor.Fromthestartpositionpullonekneetightlytothechestwithbotharmstolimitmovement at the lumbar spine.To ensure that the knee stays tight against thechest,placeatennisballnearthebottomoftheribcageandpullthethighuptohold the ball in place. The ballmust not fall out during the set. The oppositekneeisbent90degrees,andthefootonthefloorisdorsiflexed.Extendthehipby pushing the heel down into the floor. Pushing though the heel encouragesposteriorchainuseandpreventstheathletefrompushingwiththequads.Keepthetoesup.Lastkeyistocueabigexhaleontheconcentriccontraction.Thinkinhale through the nose and exhale hard through the mouth for the entire 5-secondisometrichold.

Don’tbesurprisediftherangeofmotionislimitedinitiallytoafewdegrees.Thisexercisehastwopurposes:

1. It teaches thedifferencebetween rangeofmotionof thehipand rangeofmotionofthelumbarspine.

2. It develops additional flexibility in the psoas because of the reciprocalnatureoftheexercise.It’simpossibletocontracttheglutesandhamstringsononesidewithoutrelaxingthepsoasontheoppositeside.

Perform five 5-second holds on each side and progress by adding one perweek.

Figure7.20Cookhiplift.

Hands-FreeCookHipLift

Progression1Thefirstprogressionistousethehipflexorsontheflexed-hipsidetohold

thetennisball.Thisaddscomplexitytotheexercisebecausetheathletenowhastocontractflexorsononesideandextensorsontheother.

Staywiththesamefivetimes5-second-holdformat.

Double-LegBridge

Baseline2This is another baseline exercise that requires the athlete to transfer the

knowledgegainedabouthiprangeofmotionfromtheCookhiplift.Beginagainin a hook-lying position with both heels down and toes up (dorsiflexed), andraise the hips to create a straight line from the knee through the hip to theshoulder(seefigure7.21).Createandmaintainthisposturebyusingtheglutesand hamstrings, not by extending the lumbar spine. Any drop in the hipsdrastically reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. At the top point, exhalemaximallytodrawintheabdominals.Maintainthistoppositionfora5-secondexhale.

Figure7.21Double-legbridge.

Before attempting this exercise, it is important to learn the difference

betweenhipmovementandlumbarspinemovementthroughanexercisesuchastheCookhiplift.Mostathleteswhodonotunderstandthisdistinctionarchthebacktoattempttoextendthehips.

Dofive5-secondholdstocompleteoneset.Addonemorerepperweek.

BridgeWithAlternateMarch

Progression1The next step in the progression is to add a small alternate march to the

isometric bridge. Simply alternate lifting one foot and then the other off theground.Donotlettheoppositehipdropwhenthefootislifted.Thisprogressiontargetsthehiprotatorsandmultifidusbecauseoftherotationalstressappliedtothespinalcolumnasaresultofmovingfromfoursupportpoints(shouldersandfeet) to three support points (shoulders and one foot). Push down through theheelandactivate theglutesonthesamesideas thesupportingfoot.Seefigure7.22.

Formarchesdosetsof8-10-12eachside

Figure7.22Bridgewithalternatemarch.

QuadrupedProgression

The quadruped exercises are frequently viewed as rehabilitative and havelargelybeenignoredbystrengthandconditioningcoachesandathletictrainers,possiblybecauseoftheoldtheorythatstrongabsequatetoahealthyback.Likethe supine progression, the quadruped exercises may not make sense at firstglance,butonlybecausetheyareoftenperformedincorrectly.Inmanycasestheresultsoftheseexercisesbecometheoppositeofwhatwasintended.

Quadruped exercises should teach athletes how to recruit the glutes andhamstrings while maintaining a stable torso. Instead, athletes often learn thatthey can mimic hip extension by extending (or hyperextending) the lumbarspine. The purpose of the quadruped progression is to teach the athlete tostabilize the core with the deep abdominals and multifidus muscles and tosimultaneouslyusethehipextensorstoextendthehip.Agreatdealoflowbackpain is related to poor function of the hip that must be compensated for bylumbarextensionorlumbarrotation.

QuadrupedHipExtensiononElbows

BaselineThe beginning point for the quadruped progression has the athlete on the

elbows and knees instead of the hands and knees (see figure 7.23). Thisautomaticallycreatesagreaterdegreeofhipflexion,closingtheanglebetweenthehipandtrunkfrom90degreesdownto45degrees.Theresultislessabilityto extend the lumbar spine. The athlete is in effect forced into using the hipextensorstoagreaterdegree.

In this exercise the hip is extended with the knee bent. This flexed-kneepositioncreatesapoorlength–tensionrelationshipforthehamstringsandagainforces the glutes to be the primary hip extensor. Effectively, by correctpositioningwehavedecreasedtheabilityofthelumbarspinetoextendandactas a hip extensor, and we have decreased the ability of the hamstrings tocompensateforaweakorunderactiveglute.

Do5×5seconds,withabigexhaleontheconcentriccontraction.Progressto6×5secondsand7×5seconds.

Figure7.23Quadrupedhipextensiononelbows.

QuadrupedHipExtension

Progression1Progress frombeing on the elbows to being on the handswith the elbows

extended. This exercise can be done with bent legs or as a hip and kneeextension.Forthestraight-legversion,itiskeythatthetoesremaindorsiflexedand the foot come up no higher than the butt. The hip extension should be astraight-out“heel to thewall”action.Thisversion ismostoftendonewith toomuch lumbarmovement. Think core stability. If the heel stays level with thebutt,thebackcannotextend.

Do5×5seconds,withabigexhaleontheconcentriccontraction.Progressto6×5secondsand7×5seconds.

QuadrupedAlternatingArmandLeg

Progression2Nowaddanalternatingarmand legaction to thequadrupedhip extension

(see figure 7.24). This is an advanced exercise that is often done poorly bybeginners.Remember thatwhen these exercises are done incorrectly, they arepotentiallydamagingbecausetheyreinforcethepatternoflumbarextensionforhipextensionthatwearetryingtoeliminate.

Do5×5seconds,withabigexhaleontheconcentriccontraction.Progressto6×5secondsand7×5seconds.

Figure7.24Quadrupedalternatingarmandleg.

Get-UpsandSit-Ups

Althoughweemphasizedoingcoreexercisesprimarilyforstability,therearetwoexercisesweincorporatethatmightbeconsideredinthemoreconventionalcategory: theTurkishget-up (we just use the termget-up) and the straight-legsit-up. Both exercises involve some element of trunk flexion, but the lowrepetitionsmake them both beneficial and relatively safe.We caution againstcrunches and conventional bent-leg sit-ups but still incorporate the get-up andthestraight-legsit-up.

Straight-LegSit-Up

Thestraight-legsit-up(seefigure7.25)isexactlywhatitsaysandisactuallyaverydifficultcoreexercisethatisbestdoneforlowreps.Weneverexceedsetsof 10. The straight-leg sit-up involves a small amount of trunk flexion and alarge amount of hip flexion. Some of the old wives’ tales of fitness havecautionedagainststraight-legsit-ups,buttherealityisthereisnogoodreasontoavoidthem.Thekeyisaslowascentandaslowdescent.Ifmomentumisneededtocompletearep,thentheathleteisnotreadyforthisexercise.

Progression is very simple. Beginwith the arms at the side to control thelengthoftheleverarm.Thinksqueezingupandloweringdown.Thereshouldbeno rocking or momentum. To progress, move the hands across the chest andeventuallyaddaplateintheextendedarms.Dotwoorthreesetsof10reps.

Figure7.25Straight-legsit-up.

Get-Up

Five years ago I would have told you this exercisewas foolish.My, howthings change.An old quote says that “when the student is ready, the teacherappears.”Iknowthisistrueforme.TheteachersinmycasewereaclientandGrayCook.

IhadheardGrayCookpraiseget-upsforafewyearsandwonderedwhyhehad started to become a kettlebell enthusiast. The epiphany for me came notthroughGraybut througha60-year-oldclient.Myclienthaddifficultygettingup from the floor. The process often looked painful and uncoordinated. Iwasoften tempted to help him up but resisted, as it seemed necessary for him tolearn.Onedayaswebothstretched,Ithoughtthroughmyactionsandhis.Myclientstruggledonallfourstogetup,sometimesmovingfromadeepsquat.Iontheother hand seemed tobounce right up. I attempted to explain tomyclienthowIdidthis.Isaid,“Rollontoyourelbowandthenuptoyourhand.Thengetupononeknee.”Suddenlyithitme:Iwasteachinghimhowto“get-up.”InaflashtheTurkishget-upwentfromasillyYouTubefeatofstrengthintoabasic

primalmotorpattern.Theget-upinitssimplestsenseishowwegetupfromthefloor. Oh, how I hate those aha moments that make me feel foolish. Noweveryoneworksonget-upsjustliketheydosquats.

We do our get-ups progressively because they take some time to learn.Althoughthepuristswillbehorrified,theget-upisbasicallyaloadedvariationofthestraight-legsit-upandinvolvessomeoftheelementsofthephenomenonofrollingthatisnowsopopular.

TheGet-UpSetup

Volumesofbothwrittenandvideo informationareavailableonhowtodotheget-up.Insimpleterms,theathleteliesonthebackwiththekettlebellattheend of one extended arm. The same-side leg is bentwith the foot flat on thefloor.Theoppositelegisstraightandabductedabout20to30degrees.

QuarterGet-Up

BaselineThequarterget-up(seefigure7.26a) issimplyaroll to theelbowopposite

the kettlebell. The elbow drives down hard into the floor as the kettlebell isdriventowardtheceiling.Thinkrotationalsit-up.Inphase1,thatisallwedoforthreeorfourrepseachside.

HalfGet-Up

Progression1In thehalfget-up (see figure7.26b) theathletemoves fromelbow tohand

andthentoabridge.Effectively,theactionisastraight-legbridgeoppositethekettlebellandabent-legbridgeorhipliftonthesamesideasthekettlebell.

FullGet-Up

Progression2Fromthebridgetheathletemovestoahalfkneelandthenstands(seefigure

7.26c).Togetback,theprocessissimplyreversed.TheDVDKettlebellsFromtheGroundUp(CookandJones2010)isagreatteachingresourcefortheget-up.

Figure7.26(a)Quarter,(b)half,and(c)fullget-ups.

MedicineBallTraining

Themedicineballmaybethesimplestandsafest toolfordevelopingtotal-body power, rotary power and, anterior-core power. In fact, themedicine ballhasbecomeastapleinjustabouteveryfunctionaltrainingprogram.

The key to medicine ball training is the ability to develop power in hipinternalandexternalrotationandtomovethatpowerfromthegroundthroughthecore.Manycoacheshavemistakenlyattemptedtodevelopcorepowerwithweights using exercises that focus on lumbar rotation. This is a potentiallydangerousmistakethatcanleadtobackinjury.Rotarypowerliesinthehipsandnotinthecore.Asdiscussedpreviously,lumbarrotationispotentiallydangerousandnotatallfunctional.Hiprotationontheotherhandisnotonlyfunctionalbutsafe.

Manyathletesmistakenlythinkthatrotarypowermeanslumbarrotationandmust be shown that many of the movements previously viewed as lumbarrotationareactuallyhiprotation.Movementssuchasthegolfswing,thebaseballswing,and justaboutanystrikingor throwingskill areaccomplishedwithhipmovementandarelativelystablelumbarspine.

Many of these medicine ball drills can be viewed as multipurpose andmultifunction.Overheadthrowscanbeusedtotraintheanteriorcoreforpowerbutarealsovitalforthrowingathletestoworkonthedecelerativecapabilityoftheposteriorshouldermusculature.Rotational throwsdevelopthepowerinthehipnecessarytostrikeobjects,whilechestthrowsdeveloppowerinthepushingmuscles.

Themedicineballisasafe,adaptable,andeffectivetoolfordevelopinghipand core power. Medicine ball training is best viewed in the same way thatOlympicliftingandplyometricsareconsideredforthecoreandhips.Mostofthecore exercises previously described in this chapter address core stability andstrength.Medicineballtrainingconvertsallthestrengthandstabilitydevelopedthrough other core exercises into usable power. Most importantly, propermedicineballprogressionsdevelopexplosivepowerbothsafelyandeffectively.

Again, credit formany of these concepts should go toMarkVerstegen ofEXOS, who heavily influenced my thinking on the subject of medicine balltrainingbeginninginthe1990s.BeforemeetingMarkandwatchinghisathletestrain, I had never envisioned a solid concrete wall to throw medicine ballsagainst as a requirement for a facility.Now,nearly20years later, I couldnotimaginedesigningafacilitythatdidnotincludeamedicineballwall.

Medicineballtrainingisfarsuperiorwhendoneagainstawall.Apartnerisapoor substitutebecause theathletecannot throwwithmaximumpower. Inanycase,masonrywallspaceisnowabasicrequirementforamedicineballprogramandforawell-designedfacility.

Medicineballthrowsarecriticalforallclientsbutmaybemostimportantforouradultclients.Adultsare losingpoweratarateofalmost1.5 times theratetheylosestrength.Inotherwords,aclientwholoses10percentofherstrengthloses15percentofherpower.

Agoodsetofthrowsmimicsagoodseriesofshotsorswingsandshouldbefluid, with explosive concentric contractions. For standing throws, athletesshould standapproximately abody length away from thewall and throwas iftheywanttodamageboththewallandtheball.Athletescanmoveclosertoorfartherfromthewall,dependingontheirpoweroutput.

Proper ball selection is vital.Most strength athletes believe that heavier isbetterinallthings.Withthemedicineball,thisiscertainlynotthecase.

Anytimeanathletestrugglestothrowamedicineball,theballistooheavyorpotentiallytoolarge.Theguidelinesformedicineballweightintable7.1arebasedonourexperiencewiththousandsofathletes.Forbeginners,alighterballworksbetter.Forsmallerathletes,asmallerdiameterworksbetter.Ifyouhaveany doubts about ball weight, go down 2 pounds or 1 kilogram. Initially allmedicineballswereavailableonlyinkilograms;however,therapidacceptanceof medicine balls in the United States has resulted in balls now beingmanufacturedinbothpoundsandkilograms.

Foroverheadthrowsforbaseballplayers,westayat4pounds(2kg).Thekeytomedicineballtrainingisvelocity.Emphasizespeedofmovement,

notballweight.Andalwaysrememberthissimplerule:Ifitlookstooheavy,itprobablyis.

AdvantagesofMedicineBallTraining

Themedicine ball allows the user towork in a sports-general positionorpattern.Thesepatternsaresimilartothegolfswing,tennisswing,baseballswing,andnumerousotherstrikingskills.Medicine balls bridge the gap from conventional strength and enduranceexercises for the core to power development through the core. Think ofmedicineballworkasplyometricsforthecorestabilizersandhiprotators.Themedicineballallows themuscles tocontractat speedssimilar to thatencounteredinsports.Themedicineballteachessummationofforce,fromthegroundthroughthelegs, through the core, and finally out through the arms. This transferprocessistheessenceofcorefunction.Theathletelearnstotransferforcefromthegroundtotheball,withthecoreasthevitallink.Medicine ball training can be done alone if a concrete block wall isavailable.Workingwiththemedicineballalsohasatotal-bodyconditioningeffect.

DisadvantagesofMedicineBallTraining

Youdon’tfeelit.Athletesoftenjudgecoreworkbytheburn.Youdonotfeeltheeffectofmedicineballtraininguntilthenextday.Youneed space.Medicineball training takesup a large amount of spaceandrequiresmasonrywallstothrowagainst.Youneedmanymedicineballsinarangeofsizes.

UsingNonbouncingMedicineBalls

I love the nonbouncingmedicine balls, but I can’t say I always did. You

know the ones I mean—they look like the old-school leather balls yourgrandfather used in gym class. They are now covered in vinyl or Kevlar (orsomefakeleather),buttheyarestillthesame.Theyarerelativelysoft,andtheydon’tbouncewell.

About 10 years ago I bought some of these heavy, nonbouncing, vinyl-coveredballs for performingupperbodyplyometrics.Primarilyweused theseballsformedicineballbenchpresses.Wewouldhaveonepartnerdropan18-to20-poundballtoanathletelyingonhisbackwitharmsextended,andtheotherathlete would throw the ball back. I really like this exercise for upper bodypowerbecauseitdoesnotstresstheshoulderslikeexercisessuchasplyometricpush-upsdo.The reasonweused thenonbouncingballs is that theyare softerandeasiertohandlewhendropped.

A few years ago someone on my staff ordered some lighter nonbouncingballsfortheyoungerathleteswetrain.Theballssatinthestoragecloset,andIwonderedifwewouldeverusethem.OnedayItookthemallout.Wehadpaidalotofmoneyfortheballs,andIwastryingtothinkofagooduseforthem.Justfor the heckof it I threwoneoff thewall in a sidetwist throw.Normally thisthrowisourstandardrotationalcoreandplyometricexercise,butthethrowhadalways been done with a more conventional rubber medicine ball to get aplyometriceffect.

MyfirstthoughtwasTheseballsstink.Theydon’tbounceback.InresponseIthrewtheballashardasIcouldoffthewalltogetittobounceback.Itdid,butweakly. Suddenly the lights came on. What I had initially perceived as adrawbacktothenonbouncingballsuddenlybecameahugepositive.Thinkaboutthis.Initiallywehadusedrotationalmedicineballthrowsforanexplosivecoreexercise,acoreplyoifyouwill.Thefactthattheballsbouncedbackallowedusto get a rhythmic pace and a plyometric effect. The ball coming off thewallforced us to use the core not only to accelerate the ball but also to create adeceleration and a switching effect. For years I thought thatwas such a greatidea.

WhenIthrewthelightnonbouncingball,Isuddenlyaskedmyself,Whatarewe doing rotational power exercises for? I immediately answered my ownquestion.Thegoalwasshootingorhittingharderinsportssuchasbaseball,icehockey, field hockey, and golf. The next question I asked myself was Is theeccentric component of the ball recoiling off the wall important? The answerseemedtobeno.Theskillofstrikingseemedtobea1RMmovementthatwasverypowerfulbutwasnotrepeatedmultipletimes.

Allofasuddentheselightballswerenotamistakebutagreatnewtool.Wenowactuallyusethenonbouncingballsformoreofourthrowsthanweusethe

rubberballsfor.Infact,Ithinkmedicineballslamsandsidethrowsarefarbetterwiththenonbouncingballsthanwithbouncingrubberones.Theexceptiontotherule might be overhead throws. Here we still focus on light rubber medicineballs.Wepositionourselves farther from thewall and catch the ball after onebounce.

Ifyouhaveamedicineballwallandliketousemedicineballthrowsinyourprogramforcorepower,orderafewnonbouncingballs.Ilikethe8-pound(4kg)ball formost athletes. The balls now come in two diameters to accommodatesmallerathletes.Forkids,a6-pound(3kg)mini-ballworksgreat.

Inaddition,thesofterballsavesonfingers.Wehavesprainedafewfingersand even broken one or two with our medicine ball throws. Yes, thenonbouncingballsaremoreexpensive,butgoodtoolsareexpensive.Trythem.Ithinkyou’lllikethem.

RotationalThrows

Rotational throws are the best technique for developing power in the coreandhipmuscles.Theseexercisesareparticularlygoodforhockey,golf,tennis,baseball,andanyothersportthatrequiresexplosiverotaryaction.Medicineballthrows develop hip power by teaching the athlete to better utilize hip internaland external rotation to draw power from the ground. The goal is not torsorotation but rather powerful hip rotation. The objective is to learn to transfergroundforcesthrougharelativelystiffandstablecore.

Much like some of our other core exercises, we progress from either tallkneelingorhalfkneelingtostandingthrowsandeventuallytosteppingthrows.The lunge position is difficult formedicine ball throws, sowe often progressfrom a kneeling variation directly to a standing variation, skipping the lungeposition.

Side-ThrowProgressions

The side throw imitates anumberof sports skills.Thesedrills develop theexplosive rotational torso strength so necessary for sports such as tennis, fieldhockey, icehockey, lacrosse,andbaseball. Inside throws theemphasisshouldbeonthrowingfromthehips.

Agoodside throwshould look likeagoodswingoragoodshot.Strive todevelopathrowingstylethathastheappearanceoftheskillbeingimproved.For

ahockeyplayer,forinstance,thesidethrowshouldlooklikeaslapshot;foratennis player, it should look like a good swing.When teaching, draw on theathlete’sorclient’sfamiliaritywiththesport.

Perform10throwsontherightside(seefigure7.27),then10throwsontheleft.Dothreesetsof10 throwsoneachsidefor threeweeks.Don’tattempt toincreasevolume; throwharderand throwbetter.This is theprogression forallrotationalmedicineballworktofollow.

Ifmedicineballsareforpower,whydowedo10reps?Imightaswelldealwith this question right off the bat.Those fascinatedwith sciencewill look atmedicine ball throws, see 10-rep sets, and say, “That’s not a power exercise.”Myansweristhatscienceagreeswithyoubutempiricismdoesnot.Wetriedtofollowscienceanddosetsoffiveorsixreps,buttobehonest,itjustdidn’tseemlikeenough.Theload(ballweight)islightenoughthat10repscanbedonewithnolossofpowerorvelocity.

Figure7.27Medicineballsidethrow.

Half-KneelingSideTwistThrow

Progression1Aswithourothercoreprogressions,formostbeginnerswestartwithahalf-

kneelingversionofthesidetwistthrow(seefigure7.28).Thiswillbephase1inmost of our athlete programs. As mentioned before, physical therapist GrayCookpopularizedtheideaofeliminatingjointsforteachingpurposes.Thehalf-kneelingpositionteacheshiprotationinthethrowsbyeffectivelytakingoutthekneesandankles.Byhavingtheinside(closesttothewall)kneeup,theathleteorclientisforcedtousethehipsandthekneeling(backside)glute.

We teacha long-arm, long-lever throwwith the insidehandunder theballandtheoutsidehandbehindtheball.Makesurethisisalong-leverrotationandnotapush.Encouragethementallinktoashotorswingtoteachtheuseofthelongleverarm,andwatchforathletesrevertingtomoreofapush.Also,maketheclientsawareitwillfeelawkwardontheirnondominantside.

1. Beginwhilehalfkneelinginashortlungeposition,twotothreefeet(.6to.9m)fromthewall;shouldersareperpendiculartothewall.

2. The arms are long,with the front hand under the ball and the back handbehind.

3. Thinkaboutthrowingfromthebackkneeandhipwithsomehip“pop.”

Figure7.28Medicineballhalf-kneelingsidetwistthrow.

StandingSideTwistThrow

Progression2Asmentioned earlier,we skip the lunge-position throws for a very simple

logistical reason. Our athletes and clients struggled to maintain the lungepositionandtofocusonthethrowitself,sonowwesimplyskiptostanding.Incertain cases we start younger or older athletes or clients immediately instanding(seefigure7.29).Forhighschoolandcollegeathletes,westickwithaprogressionfromhalfkneeling tostanding tostepping,butwithmiddleschoolkids and our adults,we begin in standing and simply say, “Throw the ball ashardasyoucan.”Thisemphasisonagrossmotorpatternoftenovercomessometechnicalhurdles.Inmuchthesameway,olderclientsmaybetoostiffthroughthehipsandcore tobenefit from thehalf-kneelingposition thewayanathletedoes and may also start in standing. Remember, progressions are fluidsuggestions,notrigidrules.

Figure7.29Medicineballstandingsidetwistthrow.

SideTwistThrowWithStep

Progression3The next step in the progression is to add movement to the throw. In

progression3,steptowardthewallwiththefrontfoottoincreasetheforcebeinggeneratedfromthebackfoot.Emphasisisonshiftingweightfromthebackfoottothefront.Allotheraspectsofthesidethrowremainthesame.

Two-StepSideTwistThrow

Progression4In our fourth progression, the athlete takes two steps toward the wall.

Obviouslytheclientorathletenowneedstobefartherawayfromthewall.Thetwo-stepthrowismoreaggressiveandviolentandreallymimicstheactionsofshootingonthemove.Thetwo-stepthrowalsoplacesgreaterstressonthefrontfootandhip.

Side-ThrowVariations

Here are some side-throw variations athletes can work into their

progressions.

FrontTwistThrow

Progression4The fronttwist throw (see figure 7.30) is another great general rotational

exerciseforthecore.Fronttwistthrowsareinitiallyperformedonesideatatime.Again, teach the athlete or client to throw from the hips and feet and thenthroughthetrunk.Throwfromthegroundupwiththehandsasthefinalpoint.Facethewallwiththebodyparalleltothewall.Thisbasicdefensivestance,withthe knees bent and the hips down and back, is a fundamental sports-generalstanceandasimplestartingpointforanyathlete.Fronttwistthrowsareexcellentfor tennis players, who often hit from a perpendicular position, and for icehockeyplayers,whooftenshootfromasimilarstance.Don’tlimitthesethrowstojusttheseathletes,though;thisdrillcanbebeneficialforanyclient.

Figure7.30Medicineballfronttwistthrow.

AlternatingFrontTwistThrow

Progression5Inthealternatingfronttwistthrow,insteadofperforming10throwsfromone

sideand then10fromtheother, theathletealternatessidesfor20 throws.Theside-to-side movement should be fluid and athletic. This exercise demandsslightlymorecoordinationandathleticism.

Single-LegFrontTwistThrow

Progression6This advanced exercise adds difficulty as well as great proprioceptive

stimulus for theankle,knee, andhip. It requiresahigher levelofbalanceandcoordinationandheavily involves thehiprotatormusculatureof thestance leg(seefigure7.31).Executethefronttwistthrowdescribedearlierfromasingle-legstance.Ifthrowingfromtheleftside,standontherightfoot.Thethrowbeginswith the left footoff thegroundandforwardof thebody,with theballbehindthehip.Asthethrowisexecuted,thehipsrotate,thearmscomeforward,andthelegmovesback.Thiswilleventuallybecomeasmooth,coordinatedmovement.

Figure7.31Medicineballsingle-legfronttwistthrow.

OverheadThrows

Overhead throws target the anterior-core musculature and also providetrainingfortherotatorcuffandposteriorshoulder.Wedonotdohalf-kneeling,tall kneeling, or lunge-position versions. The answer is again found inempiricismandpracticality—theseversionsarenoteasytoteachorperform.Wealsodonotusethenonbouncingballsformostoverheadthrows,insteadoptingfor the rubber versions. I do not recommend single-arm throws because thestressofcatchingwithasinglearmistoogreatfortheshoulder.Dothreesetsof10repsforoverheadthrows.

StandingOverheadThrow

Progression1The standing overhead throw (see figure 7.32) is the starting point for all

overhead throwingvariations.Thedrill issimilar toasoccer throwin,butwiththe feet shoulder-width apart and not staggered. Use the trunkmore than thearmstothrowtheball.Thisisanexcellentdrillforanythrowingathlete.Standfarenoughawayfromthewallsotheballreturnsononebounce.Donotcatchtheball.

Figure7.32Medicineballstandingoverheadthrow.

StandingOverheadThrowWithStaggeredFeet

Progression2Thenextprogressionof the standingoverhead throwmoves toa staggered

stance. This makes the exercise more sport specific and provides greater leginvolvement, increased velocity, and a greater diagonal core load. Do notprogress to the staggered standing overhead throw until the skill of throwingwiththetorsohasbeenmastered.

Dothreesetsof10withtherightfootinfrontandthenthreesetsof10withtheleftfootinfront.

StandingOverheadThrowWithStep

Progression3Thisthrowisthesameasthestandingoverheadthrowinastaggeredstance,

exceptinsteadofastatic,staggeredstanceyouarenowsteppingintothethrow.Again, the velocity increases, as does the stress on the posterior shoulder.Stepping and throwing now has more similarity to any overhead throwing orstrikingsport.

ChestThrows

Chest throws are not really a core exercise but are included with ourmedicine ball work. They develop the power of the pushing and pressingmuscles. The key to chest throws is that they take the strength developed inexercises such as the benchpress and create a transfer tomany contact sportsskills that involve pushing an opponent. Chest throws are basically our upperbody plyometric exercise. Please note we do not use exercises such asplyometricpush-upsbecausetheyhavebeenshowntobehardontheshouldersandthewrists.

TallKneelingChestThrow

Progression1Thefirstchestthrowprogressionstartsintallkneeling(seefigure7.33).This

exercisecanbedonefromastricttallkneelingpositiontoemphasizeupperbodypower,butwetendtolettheathletesdropthehipsandexplodethroughtoteachlinkingthehipstothehands.Dothreesetsof10throws.

Figure7.33Medicineballtallkneelingchestthrow.

StandingChestThrow

Progression2Progression2movestostandinginaparallelstance.Hereweencouragethe

athletetousethehipsandexplode.Athletesbegininanathleticstance,withthefeetslightlywiderthantheshouldersandthehipsandkneesslightlyflexed.Dothreesetsof10throws.

SteppingChestThrows

Progression3Progression 3 begins in a staggered stance with the right foot back. The

athletedrivesoff the left footandsteps toward thewall.Do five repsoneachside.

Single-ArmRotationalChestThrow

Progression4Progression 4 combines a rotational throw with a chest throw. The chest

throwisdonewithonearmfromthesamestaggeredstanceusedpreviously.The

emphasis is on adding a trunk rotation component to a unilateral upper bodythrow.

Dothreesetsof10repswitheacharm.

Football-SpecificStanceWork

Progression5For football players,wedo throws froma three-point anda low two-point

stancedependingonposition.Defensive linemenbegin in a three-point stanceandthrowfrombothleftandrightstancesmovingtowardthewall,linkinghipsandhands.

Offensivelinemendothepreviousversionaswellasadrop-stepversionthatmimicspassprotection.

Note:Generallywegroupourpowerexercisestogetherandalternatesetsofthrows with sets of lower body plyometrics. This allows for a preworkout“powerperiod” that addresses lowerbodypower,upperbodypower, andcorepower. Pairing jumps and throws allows greater rest thanwould otherwise beprovidediftheseexercisesweredonealone.

Core trainingmaybe theareaof functional training thathaschangedmostsignificantly. A well-designed core program can have a positive influence onhealth and all areas of performance. Design your core program to includeantirotation exercises, antilateral flexion exercises, diagonal patterns, andmedicineballthrows.Thecoreprogrammustbewellroundedandwelldesignedtohitallthekeyareas.

CaseStudy:RegainingHealthandVelocity

CraigBreslow,aRedSoxpitcherandYalegrad, isknownas the smartestman in baseball. Craig trained at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning inpreparationforthe2015MajorLeagueBaseballseason.Breslow’sgoalwastoreboundafteradifficultyeardealingwithshoulderissues.AbigpartofCraig’straining involved medicine ball work to develop the total-body power soimportanttosuccessfulpitching.Hedidmedicineballtrainingineverysession,workingthroughalltheprogressionstogainpowerproductionfromthegroundto his hands. The result was a healthy spring with an ERA of 0.00 and an

increaseinvelocity.

References

Boyle,K.L,J.Olinick,andC.Lewis.2010.Thevalueofblowingupaballoon.NorthAmericanJournalofSportsPhysicalTherapy.5(3):179-188.

Cook,G.1997.FunctionalTrainingfortheTorso.StrengthandConditioning.19(2):14-19.

Cook, G., and B. Jones.Kettlebells From the Ground Up (DVD). FunctionalMovementSystems.

Porterfield,J.,andC.DeRosa.1998.MechanicalLowBackPain.Philadelphia:Saunders.

Sahrmann, S. 2002. Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement ImpairmentSyndromes.St.Louis:Mosby.

Chapter8UpperBodyTraining

Many books and articles detail how to do upper body strength exercises.Unfortunately, in spite of all the advice to the contrary, athletes stilloveremphasize thedevelopmentof the“mirrormuscles” in thechestandarmsthatcontributetoamuscularappearance.Thischapterreinforcestheneedforabalance between pressing and pulling and to emphasize the use of chin-ups,rows,andvariationstopreventshoulderinjury.

Functional upper body exercise can be divided primarily into pushing andpulling. Other single-joint movements may not be truly functional and workmusclesonlyinisolation.Althoughsingle-jointmovementsmaybenecessaryincorrectiveorstabilizationexercises,thekeytofunctionalupperbodytrainingisthebalancebetweenpushingandpulling.

PullingforInjuryPrevention

Moststrengthtrainingprogramsplacelittleemphasisonpullingmovementssuchaschin-upsandrows.Althoughmanyarticleswrittenoverthelast50yearshave cited pull-ups and chin-ups as keys to upper back development, mostathletesignoretheseexercisesforonesimplereason:Pull-upsandchin-upsarejust toohard.Theseathletes insteadperform latpull-downs for themusclesoftheupperbackunder themistakenassumption that this isall that isnecessary,and many completely ignore rowing movements. This type of unbalancedprogrammingoften leads tooverdevelopmentof thepressingmuscles,posturalproblems,andshoulderinjury.

Anessentialgoalofasoundupperbodyprogramistoequallyemphasizeallthemajorupperbodymovementpatterns.Unfortunately,fewathletesvaluethedevelopment of back musculature. They’d rather work on building up theirchests,apreference that reflects the limitsof their (andperhaps their trainers’)musclemagazineeducation.

Awell-designedupperbodyprogramshouldincludeaproportionalnumberof sets of horizontal pulling (rowing), vertical pulling (chin-up), overheadpressing,andsupinepressingexercises.Insimpleterms,thereshouldbeasetofpullingexerciseforeverysetofpushingexercise.Inthevastmajorityofstrengthprograms, this isnot thecase.Mostconventionalprogramsgenerallyoffer lotsofpressingandverylittlepulling.

This overemphasis on pushing and pressing can lead to postural problemsbecauseof theoverdevelopment of thepectorals andunderdevelopment of thescapular (shoulder blade) retractors.More important, a program that does notprovideanequalnumberofpullingandpushingmovementspredisposesathletestooveruseshoulderinjuries,especiallyrotatorcuffissues.

Theincidenceofrotatorcuffproblemsamongathleteswhoprioritizebench-pressing is extremely high. Inmy opinion, this is due less to the bench pressitselfandmoretothelackofanequivalentnumberofpullingexercises.

The ratioof pulling topushing strength is best estimatedby comparing anathlete’smaximumchin-uptohermaximumbench-pressweight.Considerationmustbegiventobodyweight,butathletescapableofbench-pressingwellovertheir body weight should also be capable of pulling their body weight plusadditional external load, regardless of their size. In fact, we estimate a 1 RMchin-up by adding chin-up max to body weight. The total number should beequaltoorgreaterthanthebenchpress.Forexample,ifa200-poundathletecan

do45poundsinthechin-upforfiverepetitions,his1RMwouldbe280basedontable8.1.Tousethechartforchin-upsdeterminethetotalweightused(inthiscase245lbs).Thenfind245inthe5RMcolumn.Slideovertothelefttoseethe1RMin the1RMcolumn. If theathletecouldbench-presssignificantlymorethan 280, he would be considered at risk of injury from a lack of push–pullbalance.

Takeamomenttoquicklyfigureoutyourpush–pullratio.Findyourchin-upplus body-weight RM and then simply slide over to the far left for a 1RMnumber.Next, do the same for thebenchpress.Remember that the chin-up isbodyweightplusweightonthebelt,whilethebenchpressisjustweightonthebar.

Aproperlydesignedstrengthprogramforanathleteshould includeat leastthreesetsofachin-upvariationperweekaswellasaminimumofthreesetsoftworowingmovementsperweek.Seetable8.2.

An importantprinciple inprogramdesign is tousenumerousvariationsofthe same typeofmovement.Either the specific typeofvertical andhorizontalpullshouldchangeeverythreeweeksorthenumberofrepetitionsshouldchangeeverythreeweeks;insomecases,bothshouldchange.

StrengthStandards

Ilovetheideaofstandards.DanJohn’sstrengthstandardissimple:

Bench=frontsquat=clean

Wenolongerfrontsquat,sowecanamendthisto:

Bench=splitsquat=clean=chin-up

Manyreaderswilltakeoffensetothis,butifyoutrainathletesthiscouldnotbemore true.Thereality is that ifanathletecanbench-press300pounds(136kg),hecanalsosplitsquat120-pound(55kg)dumbbellsforeightrepetitionsandclean265pounds(120kg)fivetimes(basedontable8.1,allprojectedtoa300-poundmax).Ifhecan’tthereasonissimple:Heisn’ttryinghardenough.

Danprovidesastandardforhighschoolfootballasfollows:

Clean:205pounds(93kg)Bench:205pounds(93kg)Squat:255pounds(116kg)Clean+jerk:165pounds(75kg)

Not really impressivenumbers, but they addup to agoodathletewhohasspentsometimeintheweightroomdoingtherightthings.

Here’sanotherwaytolookatstandards:

Bench 5RM = hang clean 5RM = rear-foot-elevated split squat 5RM =chin-up5RM

Thechin-up5RMcancomefromtable8.1butstillneedstobeequaltothebenchpress5RM.

IfmyathletescandothisIknowtheyareworkinghardinallareas.Iftheycanexceedtheirbench5RMinthehangcleanandrear-foot-elevatedspitsquat,allthebetter.Ialwaystellmyathletes,“Ifyouaregoingtostinkatonelift,stinkatthebench.It’stheleastimportant.”

Thesestandardsapplytowomenalso.Afemalewhocanbench135pounds(61kg)willmostoftenfarexceedthechin-upstandardbutshouldalsobeabletohangclean135poundsanddosplitsquatswith55-pound(25kg)dumbbellsfor

eightrepetitions(that’s110poundsintable8.1;110×8=1351RM).

VerticalPullingMovements

Variationisthekeytocontinuedstrengthgain.Itisimportanttovaryeitherthetypeofexerciseortheloadingpatterneverythreeweeks.

Chin-up

Progression1AThe chin-up is the easiest of the body-weight vertical pulling movements

because of the supinated grip (palms facing in toward the body) andcorrespondinggaininbicepsassistance.Usea12-to14-inch(30to36cm)gripwidth. Essential techniques for all the vertical pullingmovements are to fullyextendtheelbowsandtoallowthescapulaetoelevateslightly.Athletesshouldnotbeallowedtocheat.Akippingpull-upischeating,anddon’tletanyonetellyouotherwise.Theonlythingkippingisgoodforisegoinflation.

Overthefirsteightweeks,don’tbeconcernedaboutvariety.Beginnersneedlessvarietythanadvancedtrainees.

Chin-ups and the variations are best cycled in the strength program tocorrespondwiththeothermajorexercises(hangclean,splitsquat,benchpress).Dothreesetsof8to10chin-ups,threetofivesetsof5,andthreetofivesetsof3.

Althoughmachines are available to assistwith chin-ups and pull-ups, youcansetupamuchsimplersystemforfarlessmoney.Simplyloopaheavy-dutyresistance band (such as the ones made by Perform Better, which are wellconstructedandcomeinheavy,medium,andlightresistances)overthepull-upbar.

Theathleteplacesonekneeinthebandandlowerstothestartposition.Theelastic energy of the band assists in the ascent. The athlete can work downprogressively from heavy to light resistance bands and then to unassisted fullbodyweight.Largerorweakerathletescanalsostandwiththefootinthebandto better benefit from the elastic energy.An athlete can also stand on a bandplacedacrosstherackontheJhooksusedtobenchpress.Ipreferstandingontheband(seefigure8.1),butthesetupformorethanoneathletecanbedifficult.

Figure8.1Assistedchin-up.

Eight-WeekChin-UpProgression

This program is intended to be done two times per week only. Once anathletecanperformoneunassistedchin-up,shecanusetheeight-weekprogramin table8.3. It is not unusual for athletes to advance fromone chin-up to fiveafterthiseight-weekprogression.

Athleteswhocanperformmorethan10chin-upsshoulduseadipbelttoaddadditionalweight.Wehavemovedawayfromthehigher-repchin-up testsanddevelopedasystemwheretheathletesarepushedtogetstrong.Ifanathletecando10chin-upsorpull-ups,thenexttestiswithadipbeltat25pounds(11kg).

Usingthedipbeltletsanathletecycletheverticalpullingmovementswhiledoingtheothermajorlifts.Whentheprogramcallsforthreerepetitions,increasetheweightandperformsetsof three repetitions. It isnotunusual forourmaleathletes touse90pounds (41kg)ormore for setsof threeand forour femaleathletestouse25to45pounds(11to20kg).

Ahealthyathletewhocanperformfiveassistedchin-upswithaheavybandshould never do pull-downs. Extremely overweight athletes who have a poorratio of strength to body weight should perform pull-downs. Young kids andolderadultsmayalsobenefitfrompull-downs.However,thereisnorationaleforpull-downsbyhealthyathleteswhoarecapableofchin-upsorassistedchin-ups.Pull-downsaresimplyaneasywayoutforpeoplewhodonotwanttodochin-ups.

Parallel-GripPull-up

Progression1BThis excellent upper body pulling exercise is similar to the chin-up but

targetstheforearmandelbowflexors(brachialisandbrachioradialis)becauseofthe neutral hand position. Parallel-grip pull-ups can be done on a pull-up barequippedwithaVhandleorparallelhandles (see figure8.2).Execution is thesameasforthechin-up;onlythehandpositiondiffers.Theparallel-grippull-upis similar in difficulty to the chin-up because of the increased forearm flexorcontribution. Athletes with shoulder or wrist issuesmay find the parallel-gripversionmorecomfortablethaneitherchin-upsorpull-ups.

Figure8.2Parallel-grippull-up.

Pull-up

Progression2Thepull-upisamoredifficultexercisethanthechin-uporparallel-grippull-

up. In the pull-up the hands are pronated (palms forward). There is lessassistancefromthemusclesoftheupperarmandcorrespondinglymorestressonthebackmuscles,whichsignificantlyincreasesthedifficulty.Thepull-upshouldbethethirdexercisedoneintheupper-bodyprogram,afteraminimumofthreeweeks of chin-ups and parallel-grip pull-ups. The pull-up is also the leastshoulder-friendlyversionbecauseoftheabductedandexternallyrotatedpositionoftheshoulder.Avoidthesewithanyathleteswithshoulderissues.

SternumChin-up

Progression3Thesternumchin-upisadifficultvariationforevenadvancedathletes.Todo

the sternum chin-up, pull the sternum up to the bar rather than pull the chinabove the bar (see figure 8.3). This requires using the scapular retractors to agreaterdegreeandincreasestherangeofmotionbythreetofourinches(8to10cm).

Figure8.3Sternumchin-up.

Pull-DownVariations

Regression1Inever thought I’dbe including latpull-downs in thisbook. Ihavealways

advocated for chin-ups andpull-ups as superior choices.But, as always, timeschange.IfyouaskedmetodaywhattodoforupperbodypullingImighttellyouto do body-weight rows on the TRX or rings (featured in the next section onhorizontalpulling)andthenfollowthatupwithoneofthevariationsofthepull-downyouareabouttoreadabout,especiallyifyouhadanyshoulderissues.

Think of the suspension rows as the heavyhorizontal pulling exercise andthelatpull-downsasthelighterverticalpull.Asamatteroffact,fromhereonin, I’ll just call thempull-downs becausepull-downexercisesworka lotmorethan just the lats. They work the lats, the lower and middle trapezius, therhomboids,andtheserratus,tonameafewmuscles.And,bytheway,pleasedonotevercallthemlateralpull-downs.Latisshortforlatissimus(asinlatissimus

dorsi)notlateral.Why the change of heart? Some people (primarily younger athletes and

female athletes) are simply not able to do vertical pulls such as chin-ups andpull-upswell.Asmuch as I like them for elite athletes, I have been guilty ofoccasionallyjammingasquarepegintoaroundhole.Inaddition,olderclientsorthosewithshoulderissueshavetroublewithbody-weightverticalpullssuchaspull-upsbutusuallyhavezeroissueswithheavyhorizontalpulls.TherealityisthatasuspensionexercisesuchastheTRXorringrowisfarmorescalablethanthe pull-up. I know, we can use bands, we can do isometrics, we can doeccentrics,butnoteveryonecandothesethingswell.Wemighthavetoaccepttheideathatforsomepeoplepull-downsmaypresentanacceptablealternative.

Whatweseeinourfacilityarepeopleoverusingtheiruppertrapsandbicepsinverticalpullingexercisessuchaschin-upsandpull-ups.Idon’tseethisnearlyas much in the suspension rows. The TRX and ring row are fully scalableexercisesthatyoucanprogressorregresseasily,somethingfarmoredifficulttodowellwithapull-uporchin-up.

Another reason I like pull-downs again is the invention of the functionaltrainer. No, not the person standing on the BOSU, themachine with the twoarms.

Thinkaboutthis.Whydidweusedtodoallourpull-downswithbothhandsonafixedbar?Becauseeveryoneelsedidandwereallyhadnootherchoice.Foryears the pull-downbar or theV-handle orwhatever handle you chose to usedetermined how the shoulder would function in the pull-down exercise.SuddenlycompaniessuchasFreeMotionandKeiserdevelopedunitstheycalledfunctionaltrainerswithtwoindependentarmsandtwoindependenthandles.Inthe process, a whole new group of shoulder-friendly exercises was born.Wecould now select the best hand position instead of having the hand positionselectedforus,andwecouldusebotharmsatthesametimebutseparately.Thefunctionaltrainerbecamelikeadumbbellfortheshoulderinpullingpatterns.

Whydoesthismatter?Well,howmanyathletesdoyouknowwithshoulderproblems?Lots,right?Doyouknowthatoneoftheprimarycausesofshoulderproblemsistheconstantrubbingoftherotatorcufftendonsundertheacromialarch?Therubbingleadstoattritionoftherotatorcufftendon,muchlikepullinga rope back and forth across a rock. If you pullwith a fixed bar, you rub thesameportionofthetendonundertheacromioneverytime.

Now grab the handles of a functional trainer. What’s funny is that mostpeople try to mimic the position of the straight bar. This is just dumb. Ourinstructions are clear: Start thumb down (internally rotated at the shoulder).Finish thumbup (externally rotated at the shoulder). If Imove froma thumb-

down position to a thumb-up position, what action have I added to my pull-down?Externalrotation!Ihavemadetheshouldermoveinaveryjoint-friendly,spiral,diagonalpattern, and I’veaddeda little rotatorcuff twist.Thisexercisejustwentfromzerotoheroinmybook.

Another big teaching point comes courtesy ofmy friendMicholDalcourt.Tellyourclientstopushthechesttowardthemachine.Guesswhat?Youjustgotthemtoretracttheirscapulaejustlikeyouwantedthemto,butyoudidn’tneedtocuethemtopinchtheshoulderblades.Dalcourtmadeagreatpointyearsagoinaseminar:Youcan’tpushyourchestforwardandshrugyourshouldersatthesametime.Pushingthechestforwardisretraction.Shruggingiselevation.Wanttoeliminateshruggingatthetopofthepull-down?Cuechesttobar,notbartochest.Therearenomusclesthatmovethechestforward,onlymusclesthatmovetheshouldersback.However, theresultofthetwocues(shouldersbackversuschestforward)canbetotallydifferent.Tryit.Itworkseverytime.

XPull-Down

BaselineWe use the termX pull-down because the arms begin crossed (see figure

8.4).Withtheindependenthandlesofthefunctionaltrainer,youcannowadductand depress the scapulae, extend the shoulders, and incorporate some externalrotation. This adds a frontal-and transverse-plane component to what wasbasicallyasagittalexercise.

Figure8.4Xpull-down.

Note:Ifyoudon’thaveafunctionaltrainerbutwantthebenefits,simplydo

yourpull-downsonearmata timeoffacablecolumn.Also, ifyougetabovebodyweightonthepull-downmachine,itmightbetimeforchin-ups.

Asmentionedalready,startwiththearmscrossedandthethumbsdown.

AlternatingXPull-Down

Progression1Want toaddascapularstabilitycomponent?Holdingonearmin thedown

positionresultsinmorelowtrapandrhomboidwork(thinkWfromtheY-T-Wseries presented later in the chapter), while the opposite side gets retraction,depression, extension, horizontal adduction, and external rotation. Talk aboutbang for the buck. Alternating X pull-downs combines a scapular stabilityexercisewithaverticalpullingexercise.

Want a little variety?Try alternatingwithout the crossedgrip.These threevariationsprovideaselectionofshoulder-friendlyexercises forallourathletesandclients.

Doesthismeanwenolongerdoanypull-upsorchin-ups?No.Whatitdoesmeanisthatwematchtherightexercisewiththerightathlete.Ifwehaveyoungathletescapableofdoingpull-upsandchin-ups,youcanbettheywilldothem.Ifwe have older clients with neck and cervical issues or younger clients withstrengthissues,you’llseethesuspensionrow,pull-downcombination.

HorizontalPullingMovements

Horizontal pulling movements, or rowing movements, are extremelyimportantandmustbeincludedandprioritizedintheupperbodyprogram.Rowsare a priority because they are the true antagonistic movement to the benchpress.Althoughchin-upsandtheirvariationsareimportant,rowingmovementstarget both themuscles and themovement patterns that directly oppose thosetrained (andoftenovertrained)with thebenchpress.Despite their importance,rows are frequently omitted from strength programs or are performed withlimitedintent.

Rowingmotionsinfunctional trainingareundergoinggreatchange.Recentadvancesinathletictrainingandphysicaltherapyhaveillustratedthatthebodyislinkedposteriorlyinadiagonalpattern.ForceistransmittedfromthegroundthroughthelegtothehipandthenacrosstheSIjoint(sacroiliacjoint)intotheoppositelatissimusdorsi(thelat,asurfacebackmuscle)andshouldercomplex.Thekeys in this systemof cross-linkageare thegluteusmedius andquadratuslumborum,whichstabilizethepelvis,andthehiprotatorgroup,whichstabilizesthehip.

The hip rotator group is of particular importance because all forceoriginating at the ground, whether a golf swing or a home run, must betransferred througha strong, flexible,andstablehip toproperly transfer to theupper body.Until very recently, this vital group has been effectively ignored.Thehiprotatorsaretherotatorcuffofthelowerbodybutdonotgettherespectandattention that therotatorcuffmuscles in theshoulderget.Thehiprotatorsmustbegivenparticularattentioninprogramdesign.Rowingmovementsdonewithacablecolumncanhelpstrengthenthisundertrainedarea.

DumbbellRow

Progression1The dumbbell row is the simplest of rowing movements and can help

beginnerslearnproperbackposition,askillthatcantransfertoanumberoflifts.Inspiteofbeingarelativelysimplemovement,thedumbbellrowmaybeoneofthemostdifficultexercisestoteach.

Begin in awide squat-type stance, with the knees out over the feet. Leanforwardandplaceonehandonabenchtostabilizethetorsoandtakestressoffthe low back. The back stays slightly arched, and the abdominals are tight.

Concentrate first on moving the scapula and then the elbow to bring thedumbbellbacktothehip(seefigure8.5).Thismovementisgreatforbeginnersbut does notwork the hip rotator group because of the double-leg stance.Dothreesetsof5to10repetitions,dependingonthetrainingphase.

Figure8.5Dumbbellrow.

Cat–Cow

Regression1Wehavedevelopedafewregressionstohelpteachthedumbbellrow.Oneof

themajorfailuresofthedumbbellrowistheinabilitytomaintainaslightarchintheback.Cat–cow(seefigure8.6)isayogaexercisedesignedtoteachathletestomovethespineintoflexionandextension.Weuseitasanawarenessdrilltoteach an athlete to keep a slight arch in the back during the row. The athletestarts on all fours and alternately creates a hump like an angry cat and thenreversestoasubstantialarch.Teachingspinalmovementwithouthipmovementreinforces the start position for the dumbbell row. One or two sets of two orthreerepetitionsisoftenenoughtocreatetheawarenessneeded.

Figure8.6Cat–cow.

BenchStraddleRow

Regression2Anotherflawinthedumbbellrowistheinabilitytokeepthekneeswideina

squat stance. Having an athlete straddle a bench can reinforce the knees-outposition. If the row is being performedwith the right hand, the athlete standsparallel to the bench with the left hand on the bench and the left leg on theoppositeside,theinsideofthekneelightlytouchingthebench(seefigure8.7).Inthisposition,theleftkneeisunabletocavein,andabetterbodypositionismaintained. The combination of a few cat–cow repetitions and a straddlepositionisoftenallthatisneededtocleanupdumbbellrowtechnique.

Figure8.7Benchstraddlerow.

SuspensionTrainerInvertedRow

Progression2Thesuspensiontrainerinvertedrowmaybethebestexercisenotdoneona

regularbasis.Invertedrowsareawonderfullysimpleyetchallengingmovementthat teaches torso stabilization and develops strength in the scapular retractorsand rear deltoid. Although themovement appears simple, the inverted row isoften a humbling exercise for even the strongest athletes.Athleteswith strongpressingmuscles are often unpleasantly surprised at how few quality invertedrowstheycanperform.

The advent of suspension trainers such as the TRX or rings hasmade theinverted rowsimple todo inany facility thathaspower racksorwallmounts.The ability to lengthen or shorten the straps has made it easy to scale theexercisetoanyathleteatanystrengthlevel.Inthefirsteditionofthisbook,theinvertedrowwasahumblingexercisethatwasn’talwaysagreatprogrammingfitbasedonequipmentsetup.Thesuspensionstrapshavechangedall that.Wenolongerrecommendthebarversionof theexerciseanduseonly theTRXorringversion.InadditiontotheeaseofadaptingtheringsorTRXtoanystrength

level, the suspension trainers also allow the shoulders to move from internalrotationtoexternalrotationbybeginninginathumb-downpositionandendinginathumb-upposition.Thisbenefitishugeforshoulderhealth.

Toperformtheinvertedrow,setupthesuspensiontrainerwiththehandlesatapproximatelywaistheight.Thekeyistofigureoutthebodyanglethatwillbethe best challenge.Because of the adjustability of the suspension trainers, thebodycanbepositionedat anyangle.Maximumdifficulty isobtainedwith thebodyparallel to the floor and the feet on abenchplaced approximately three-quartersofabodylengthaway.Withthefeetonthebenchandthehandsonthehandlesthetorsoisperfectlystraight.Thetoesarepointedup,andthefeetaretogether.Fromthisposition,simplypullthechesttothehandles(seefigure8.8).Most athletes are unable to touch the chest to the handles after the first fewrepetitionsbecauseofweaknessinthescapularretractorsandposteriordeltoid.This exercise stresses not only the upper back but also the entire torso. Toincrease the functional overload of the torso muscles, advanced athletes canperformthisexercisewiththeadditionofaweightvest.

Figure8.8Suspensiontrainerinvertedrow.

Do three sets of 8 to 10 repetitions, and attempt to decrease the angle (as

measuredfromthefloor)everyweekuntilthefeetareonthebench.

Single-Arm,Single-LegRow(StaticHips)

BaselineThesingle-arm,single-legrowisthefirstexerciseintherowingprogression

toaddress thehiprotatorsasstabilizers.It requiresanadjustablecablecolumnset at approximately waist height. To do this exercise, stand on one foot toexecutearowwiththeoppositehand(seefigure8.9).

Figure8.9Single-arm,single-legrow.

The single-leg stanceelevates the row toa complexexercise thatdevelops

proprioception, strength, and stability in the ankle, knee, and hip. The single-arm,single-legrowshouldinitiallyemphasizestabilization.Attempttostabilizetheankle,knee,andhipwhilerowingtoapositionontheribcagejustbelowthechest. As in all cable rowing movements, shoulder rotator cuff work can beaddedbybeginningwiththethumbdownandfinishingwiththethumbup.Therotatorcuffbecomesinvolvedintherowastheshoulderpositionchanges.

Dothreesetsof5to10repetitions,dependingonthetrainingphase.

Single-Arm,Single-LegRow(DynamicHips)

Progression1Theonlydifferencebetweenthedynamicandstaticversionsofthisexercise

is that the athlete is allowed to reach into the cable column in the dynamicversion.Thereachinvolvestrunkrotationandhipinternalrotation,andaloadisplaced on the lateral (external) hip rotators as the rowing movement iscompleted. This movement dynamically stresses the body from ankle toshoulder. In a sense, the athlete is allowed to “cheat” by increasing hipmovement.Dothreesetsof5to10repetitions,dependingonthetrainingphase.

Single-Arm,Double-LegRotationalRow

Progression2The single-arm, double-leg rotational row is borrowed from performance

enhancementexpertMarkVerstegen’sEXOSteam.Itisanextremelydynamicmovement that incorporates leg extension, hip internal rotation, and trunkrotationintoatotal-bodyrowingexercise.

This functional and integratedexercise isbestdescribedashalf squat, halfrow.Ibelievethisrelativelynewexercisewillsoonbeastapleinallfunctionaltrainingprograms.Thebestpartaboutthesingle-arm,double-legrotationalrowisthewayitmimicsthemechanicsofdirectionchange.

To teach theexercise Ioften tellourathletes toenvision the stop-and-startmechanicsofalateralshuffle.Assumeapositionwiththeshouldersalignedwiththelineofpullofacablecolumnorlowpulley.Reachacrossthebodytograspthehandle,andpullthehandletothehipwhilestandinguptall(seefigure8.10).

Figure8.10Single-arm,double-legrotationalrow.

The squattingmuscles are used in conjunctionwith the rowingmuscles to

simultaneously extend the legs, rotate the trunk, and extend the shoulder. Theonly muscles not stressed by this exercise are the pressing muscles. Try tovisualizetheforcesneededtobrakeandchangedirection,andtheexercisewilltakeonwholenewrelevance.Dothreesetsof5to10repetitions,dependingonthetrainingphase.

UpperBodyPressingExercises

Thissectionfocusesonfunctionalupperbodystrengthratherthanthebenchpress. I want to make it clear that athletes we train perform bench presses,dumbbell bench presses, and numerous other variations of supine pressingmovements. I am not against the bench press, butmy philosophy is balancedtraining in which performance in one relatively unimportant lift is notoveremphasized. In functional training it is important that the combination ofsupineandoverheadpressingshouldnottakeupmorethan30minutestwiceperweek. Any additional time spent on pressing movements detracts from thetrainingofothermusclegroupsanddisturbsthebalanceoftheprogram.

Table 8.4 presents a set of general guidelines that are helpful in programdesign and strength evaluation. The guidelines are provided to help coaches,trainers,andathletesachievegreaterbalanceamongthedifferentsupinepressingexercises. You can improve your bench press numbers by increasing otherrelated lifts.Often athletes are so focused on one lift that they actually retardtheir progress. Strive for balanced pressing strength in which strength isdevelopedatavarietyofangles(incline,overhead)alongwithstability(byusingdumbbells). One angle or one action should not become dominant. All upperbodydumbbellworkisprescribedwiththeseguidelinesinmind.Beginnersneedtoincreaseweightsslowlytodevelopthenecessarybalanceandstabilitytoliftheavierweights.

Push-Up

BaselineOneof themostunderratedexercises in theupperbodyprogram,push-ups

are pressing movements that require no equipment and offer numerousvariations.Thepush-upisanexcellentexercisefor largerathleteswhoneedtoimprovetheirstrength-to-body-weightratios.Forthisreasonalonepush-upsarea great exercise in football training programs.Another great advantage of thepush-up is that it combinesupperbody trainingwith coredevelopment.Manylarger athletes or athletes who are weak throughout the core have difficultymaintainingtheproperbodypositionforapush-up.Inaddition,push-upsworktheshoulderbladeareainawaythatthebenchpresscannot.

Feet-ElevatedPush-Up

Progression1The feet-elevatedpush-up (see figure8.11) is the simplestway to increase

difficulty.Athleteswhofindthepush-upeasycanelevatethefeetfrom12to24inches (30 to 60 cm) to increase the difficulty without adding any externalresistance. From here, athletes can progress to the BOSU push-up or add aweightedvestoraplateontheback.

Figure8.11Feet-elevatedpush-up.

BOSUBallPush-Up

Progression3The BOSU ball push-up (see figure 8.12) can be done in a feet-elevated

versionorwithaweightvest.Itdevelopsproprioceptionintheupperbodyandthetorsoandplacesthehandsinamuchmoresports-generalposition.

Dothreesetsof5 to10repetitions,dependingon the trainingphase.Morepush-uprepetitionscanbedoneinendurancephases.

Theproperprogressionforpush-upsisillustratedinfigure8.13.

Figure8.12BOSUballpush-up.

Figure8.13Push-upprogression.

StandingCablePress

Regression1Single-arm standing cable presses can be done on any adjustable cable

column and might be the most functional way to press. The AT Sports FlexmentionedintheTrainingToolssectionofchapter4allowsforagreatdouble-armstandingversionofthisexercise.Theexercisecanalsobedoneunilaterally.An added benefit of the standing cable press is that the core is loaded instanding.

OverheadPressing

Overhead pressing is another area not covered in the first edition ofFunctionalTrainingforSports.Inmanyways,thethoughtprocessesremainthesameaswediscussedinthepullingchapterandcorechapters.Wedonotuseastraight bar, we choose unilateral versions, and we begin with positions thatimprovestability.

Asmentionedinthesectiononverticalandhorizontalpulling,straightbarsdeterminethebarpathandtheshouldermotionforthelifter.Liketheindividualhandlesonthenewerfunctional trainersor thehandlesofasuspensiontrainer,dumbbells allow the shoulder to havemore freedom.This is a hugeplus overusing a straight bar for overhead presses. Overhead work will begin in halfkneelingtostabilizethelumbarspineandtoforcetheliftertousetheshoulders.

Themostcommonmistakeinoverheadpressingiscreatingabackwardleanora lumbararchthateffectivelyturns theoverheadpress intoaninclinepress.Thebackwardleanallowstheupperpecstobecomeactiveasinaninclinepress.However,thetrade-offisalargestresstothelumbarspine.

Half-KneelingAlternatingKettlebellPress

BaselineMychoice forwhere to start overheadwork iswith ahalf-kneeling stance

and kettlebells. The offset nature of the kettlebell produces a natural externalrotationmomentat the shoulder, and this seems to recruit the subscapularis (akey shoulder stabilizer). Often athletes or clients who complain of overheadpresses being uncomfortable will find the alternating kettlebell version to becompletelypainfree.

Beginwith both kettlebells at shoulder levelwith the thumbs touching thefront deltoids. Elbows are about 45 degrees to the torso. Press up with onekettlebell,drivingtheshoulderintointernalrotation(thumbtowardtheface)(seefigure8.14).Reversethemotioninthedescentandswitchtotheoppositeside.Performthreesetsof5to10repetitions.

Figure8.14Half-kneelingalternatingkettlebellpress.

Bottom-UpKettlebellPress

Regression1Ifthehalf-kneelingalternatingpressisstillpainfuloruncomfortable,trythe

bottom-upversion.Thekettlebellisheldbottomupbythehandleandpressedasforthepreviousexercise.Thebottom-uppositionisanevengreaterrecruiteroftheshoulderstabilizersandmayagainsurprisinglyproduceapain-freeoverheadpress.

HighSplitAlternatingPress

Progression1Inthehighsplittheliftermovesfromthehalf-kneelingpositiontoastanding

position with one foot placed on a 30-to 45-degree incline bench (see figure8.15).Thekeyistoleanintothefrontfoottoreallystabilizethelumbarspine.Thisisalmostastandingversionofthehalf-kneelingpositionthatagainforcestheliftertoreallyusetheshouldersversuscreatingapseudoinclinepress

Figure8.15Highsplitalternatingpress.

StandingAlternatingDumbbellPress

Progression2Oncetheathletehaslearnedtopresswiththeshouldersandnotarchtheback

or shift the hips forward to create an incline press, the athlete canmove to amorestandardstandingpressposition(seefigure8.16).However,dumbbellsarestillusedandalternatedfromthebottom.

Figure8.16Standingalternatingdumbbellpress.

ScapulothoracicandGlenohumeralJointTraining

Someexercisesthatinitiallyappearnonfunctionalmayinfactbeusefulandimprovefunctionatcertainjoints.Thescapulothoracic(shoulderblade–ribcage)joint and glenohumeral (shoulder) joints are two areas that may benefit fromisolationexercisestoimprovetheirfunctionandatthesametimethefunctionoftheentireshoulderjoint.

The mistake in shoulder training has been to approach it as an either/orproposition.Somecoachesoperate from thepremise thatyoueitherbelieve infunctional training or you don’t. These coaches view training for the shouldermusculature asmultijoint training and tend to avoid any isolation exercises orrotatorcuffexercises.Thethoughtprocessadvancedbysomeoftheseexpertsisthat any isolation is nonfunctional and a waste of time. I believe that someisolationforboththehipandshoulderjointscanbebeneficial.

Thebestapproachistocombineoverheadpressesforstrengthwithexercisestoimproveshoulderstabilityforinjuryprevention.Thetargetoftheseshoulderprehabilitation exercises should be movement and stabilization of the scapulaandtheglenohumeraljoint.

Thefunctionofthescapulothoracicjointandthestrengthoftherotatorcuffarecritical for injury reduction.Strengthening the rotatorcuffmuscleswithoutstrengthening the scapular stabilizers does only half the job. Even a strongrotator cuff needs a stable base from which to operate. This stable base isprovidedbythescapulothoracicjoint.

StandingShoulderCircuit

The standing shoulder circuit uses the AT Sports Flex, which bringsscapulothoracictrainingtoanentirelynewlevelinbothpositionandeaseofuse.The letters Y, T, andW describe the positions in which to perform scapularretractionormovements.Theshapeof the letter suggests theplacementof thearmsinrelationtothebody.

Y=Armsfrom45degreesaboveshoulderlevel,withthethumbspointeduptofacilitateexternalrotation.T=With theupperarmata90-degreeangle to the torsoand the thumbspointedup.Thekeytothispositionistoretractthescapulaeandmaintaina90-degree angle at the shoulder. Many athletes with weak scapular

retractorspullthearmsdowntothesidesslightlytosubstituteactionofthelats for that of the scapular retractors. This produces an adductionmovementinsteadofaretractionmovementandshouldbeguardedagainstcarefully.Theangleshouldneverbelessthan90degrees,whichindicateslatsubstitution.W = Upper arm at a 45-degree angle to the torso, which emphasizesscapularretraction.

This thought process is simple and probably familiar to many physicaltherapistsandathletictrainers,butthekeyisinhowtheathletethinksabouttheexecution of themovements. The athlete must move the arms bymoving thescapulothoracicjoint,notthereverse.Theinitialemphasisisonscapulothoracicmovement, not glenohumeralmovement. This approach changes the exercisesfromshoulderexercisestoscapularstabilizingexercises.

SportsFlexHigh–Low(Y–WCombo)

Inthehigh–lowtheathletemovesonearmintotheWangleandtheoppositearmintotheYposition(seefigure8.17).ItellmyathletestoimaginedoingtheGatorChompataUniversityofFloridagame.

Beginwitheightrepetitionsononeside,andswitchtotheoppositewithoutrestingbetweenexercises.

Figure8.17SportsFlexhigh–low(Y–Wcombo).

SportsFlexT

After doing the Y–W combination, perform eight Ts by adducting theshoulder bladeswith the arms at 90 degrees (see figure 8.18). In this onewethink,GimmeaT.

Add2repetitionsperweek,uptosetsof12repetitionsineachposition(36repetitionstotal).Atthispointyouthinkaboutamaintenanceprogram.

Figure8.18SportsFlexT.

StandingExternalRotation

Thefirsteditiondidnotincludeanyrotatorcuffexercises,whichmayhavebeenamistake.Althoughthereisstillsomedisagreementaboutwhetherornotrotator cuff isolation is needed, we have adopted a “better safe than sorry”approach.Althoughmanyso-calledexpertssayisolatedrotatorcuffworkisnotnecessary,almosteveryMajorLeagueBaseball teamstilldoes them.This isalargepieceofstronganecdotalevidence.

Thebestwaytoperformrotatorcuffexercisesisintheclosedpackposition,thepointatwhichthejointsurfacesmatchupideally(i.e.,theballlinesupwellin the socket) and the joint is effectively in the best position towork.For therotator cuff, this is best described as a 90–45 position. For years rotator cuffexercisesweredonestandingorside-lyingwiththearmatthesideandtheelbowbent to 90 degrees. This is an extremely nonfunctional position because themusclesneverworkinthatfashion.Insteadof0degreesofabduction,thinkofthearmwith90degreesofabductionbuttheelbowpointingoutata45-degreeangle(seefigure8.19).

Ipreferhighrepetitionsinthe15to20rangeforrotatorcuffworkbecausethesemusclesarereallystabilizers.

Figure8.19Standingexternalrotation.

ClosingPointsonUpperBodyTraining

The upper body may be the most difficult area to train because of afascinationwith training for appearance rather than function.Athletesmay bereluctant to perform push-ups instead of bench presses or to work on backmusclestheycannotsee.

Experimenting with the chin-up and push-up variations can be valuable.Athletes may find that they do not have the torso stability and strength toperformtheinvertedroworthepush-upandthuscometoappreciatefunctionaltrainingfortheupperbody.Don’tfighttoremovesacredcowssuchasthebenchpress; simply incorporatemore functional exercises into the program. A slowtransition in the upper body area can help overcome resistance to functionaltraining.

Chapter9PlyometricTraining

Trainingforpowermaybethemostimportantpartoftrainingforanathlete.Ultimately strength should be gained to allow the production of power andspeed.Increasesinstrengththatdonotproduceaconcurrentincreaseinpowerare really of limited use, particularly in no-collision sports. The truth is thatmanyathletes spend far toomuch time strength trainingand far too little timetrainingforpower.

Thequestion isnot“shouldwetrainforpower?”but“howdowetrainforpower?” In a perfect world, with a healthy athlete, power training is done inmultipleways.Plyometrics,medicineballthrows(chapter7),andOlympiclifts(chapter 10) are all effectivemeans bywhich to develop power output. Eachmethodcanbeessentialincreatingapowerfulathlete,andallhavetheirplaceina well-designed program. The best program uses each of the following threemethods.

Method1:Light-ImplementPowerDevelopment

Light-implement power development is basically medicine ball throwing.Light implements (usually under 5 kilograms) are used to develop power in anumberofpatterns.Thekeyisthattheweightoftheimplementcanbechosenbasedontheathlete’sorclient’sstrengthsorneeds.

Light-implement power development is generally divided into overheadthrows, chest throws, slams, and rotational patterns. For overhead work werarelyexceed6pounds(3kg).Forchestthrowsweuse8-to10-pound(4to5kg)nonbouncingmedicineballs.Wegenerallyusethesame8-to10-poundballsforrotationalpower.Thenonbouncingballsaregreatbecausetheyforcethethrowertoemphasizetheconcentricpartofthethrow.

In this method, light implements are thrown at high velocity. The load isreleased from the hands.With medicine balls we can more easily access thevelocity end of the force velocity curve because the load is light and easy toaccelerate. Light implements such as the medicine ball can also be used forlowerbodypoweralthoughwerarelydoitatMBSC.

Method2:Body-WeightPowerDevelopment

Body-weight power development is basically lower body plyometrics, thesubjectoftheremainderofthischapter.Body-weightpowertraininginvolvesawide continuum, from amature, highly elastic professional athlete to a youngathlete just learning to jump.Coachesand trainersmustbe farmorecareful inplyometric training thanwithmedicine ball training. Inmedicine ball trainingthe load can be selected and controlled. In plyometric training body weightpresentsadifficult,butnotimpossible,constantthatmustbeaccountedfor.

Unfortunately,bodyweightisaconstantforcethatcanbegreatlymagnifiedbygravity.Body-weightpowerworkwilldevelop thepowerproductionof thehipsandlegs,butproperprogressionsandregressionsareessential.

Itisimportanttonotethatwhatconstituteswarm-upinanathlete’sprogrammightbeconsideredbody-weightpowerworkforanadultclient.Body-weightpowerplyometricexercisesmustbeprescribedwithgreatcare.

MachinessuchastheShuttleMVPandTotalGymJumpTrainer(seefigure9.1) are excellent tools for developingpower in adult or larger clients such asfootball linemen and basketball centers and forwards. The Shuttle MVP andTotal Gym allow for working at gradually increasing percentages of bodyweight.APilatesReformerorTotalGymcanalsobeusedfor thesepurposes.Thekeysareagainthespeedcomponentandtheeccentricresponsetogravity.

Figure9.1TotalGymJumpTrainer.

Method3:Heavy-ImplementPowerDevelopment

In heavy-implement power work, athletes or clients use heavier externalloadsintheformofkettlebellsorOlympicbars.Thevastmajorityofourclientsusethisthirdmethod.Theexclusionmightbesomeofourolderathletesorthoseathleteswithchronicbackpain.Ingeneral,older,noncompetitiveclientsdonotperformOlympiclifts.IthinkOlympicliftingforadultsisapoorchoiceontherisk–rewardorrisk–benefitscale.Ourhealthyadultclientsusekettlebellswingsfor external-load power development. There is amuch smaller learning curveandlowerloadswiththekettlebell.

Thebigtakeawayisthatpowerdevelopmentisessentialforbothathletesandnonathletes.Athletesobviouslyneedpowerworktoimproveperformance,whileadultsneedpowerworktooffsettheaging-relatedlossoffast-twitchcapability.Acasecouldbemadeforadultshavinggreaterneedsforpowerworkbecausescience has shown that adults lose power faster than strength. However, theprocessmustproceedlogically.Aswesooftenmention,thekeyistochoosetheright tool for the right job.Ascoaches,weoften force squarepegs into roundholesinourdesiretousealift,atool,oranexercise.Whatisgoodfora20-year-oldathletemaybeapotentialdisasterforayoungoroverweightathlete.

KeyFactorsinPlyometricTraining

A coach’s likes, dislikes, and areas of expertise should in some waysdeterminethemethodused.CoacheswhoarenotcomfortableteachingOlympicliftingshouldrefrainfromusingthisskill.However,everyathleteshouldjumpand throwmedicine balls.These are simple exercises that can bemastered byanycoachandanyathlete.

At our training facility healthy athletes are exposed daily to all threemethods.AcombinationofOlympiclifts,medicineballthrows,andplyometricsisthebestwaytodevelopexplosivepower,andthiscanbeaccomplishedsafelyifcertainguidelinesarefollowed.Thischapterdiscussesplyometrictraining,orusingbodyweightforpowerdevelopment.

One initial point is that we use the common term plyometrics to apply towhat is actually a system of learning to jump and land. Plyometrics by strictdefinition is a system of reactive exercises, not just a series of jumps. Theprogram detailed here is really a jump training progression, but for simplicityandfamiliarityweusethenow-generictermplyometricstoencompassallphasesofthejumptrainingprogram.

True plyometric drills require the athlete to reduce the time spent on theground. The athlete learns to minimize the amortization (shock absorption)phase and to respond aggressively to theground.Although the sciencebehindplyometrictrainingissound,wehavedoneapoorjoboffacingtherealitiesanddisparitiesofthehumanbody.Wemustcrawlbeforewewalkandwalkbeforewerun.

Thesameappliestoplyometrics.Wemustlearntojumpoffthegroundandproperly land on the ground beforewe attempt tominimize time spent on theground. Gravity is the enemy of the large athlete, the young athlete, and theweakathlete,andgravitymustberespectedwhenteachinganathletetojumporwhenattemptingtodevelopexplosivepower.

Plyometric training can be controversial. Some experts have cautionedagainst the initiationofaplyometricprogramwithathleteswhodonothaveaproper leg strength base. In fact, some articles on plyometric training havesuggestedthatanathleteneedstobeabletodoabacksquatwithaweightequalto two times bodyweight before even commencing a plyometric program. Inreality,thisisaridiculousrecommendationthateliminatesnearly90percentofathletes.The two-times-body-weightguidelinewassuggesteddecadesagoasaprecursortobeginninghigh-levelplyometrics,butsomewherealongthelinethe

conceptwasincorrectlyappliedtoallplyometrictraining.Other authors suggest an 8-week strength phase before commencing a

plyometricprogram.Althoughthissuggestionisslightlymorerational,itisstillnot practical because most athletes train for only 10 to 12 weeks in the off-season.An8-weekstrengthphaseleavesonly4weeksofplyometrictrainingatmost,aperiodfartooshortinwhichtoimplementaperiodizedprogram.

The essential elements of an effective plyometric program are that theexercises are taught in a progressive manner and that progress is based oncompetence,notonapredeterminedtimeline.Ifanathletecannotmovebeyondphase1jumps,thatathleteshouldstayinphase1foranadditionaltwoorthreeweeksbeforeattemptingtoprogress.Don’ttrytoforceprogress.

Muchhasbeenwrittenaboutplyometrictrainingforathletes.However,veryfewarticlesorbookshavedetailedaprogressiveprogramthattakesintoaccounttheneedforasystemoftrainingthatcanbeappliedtoabroadrangeofathletes.PastworksonplyometricsbypeoplesuchasDonChu,JimRadcliffe,andVernGambettawereoutstanding,butnotenoughhasbeenwritten thatconnectsourcurrent knowledge of functional training and functional anatomy with theprocessofhow todesignand implement a systemofplyometric exercises.Tobegin to understand plyometrics, we must look at the basics of terminology,exercisetype,andexercisevariables.

Terminology

Thelanguageofplyometricsmustbeuniversalsothatanycoachorathletecanviewtheprogramofanyothercoachorathleteandunderstandtheexercisesin the absence of photos or video. Discrepancies in terminology were firstbrought to my attention by Mike Clark of the National Academy of SportsMedicine.Clarkpointedoutina2000lecturethatmanycoachescurrentlyusednamestodescribeplyometricexercisesthatwerenotproperlydescriptiveofthemovement. Clark went on to detail the types of exercises and the specificactions:

Jump:double-legtakeofffollowedbydouble-leglandingHop:single-legtakeoff,landingonthesamefootBound:single-legtakeoff,landingontheoppositefootSkip:single-legtakeoffwithtwofootcontacts

Althoughthesedescriptionsmightbeviewedassimpleandcommonsense,Irealized Ihad inadvertentlymisclassifiedexercises.Wehadalways referred to

double-leg jumps over hurdles as hurdle hops. I believe this confusion interminologywasandstilliscommonamongmanystrengthandconditioningandtrackcoaches.

Clarkpointedoutthat“bunniesdon’thop,theyjump.”Amatterofsemanticsorjustaminordiscrepancy,yousay?IthoughtsotoountilIreceivedacallfroma coach in California whomademe realize the potential cost of such “minordiscrepancies.”Thecoach inquestioncalledmeandsaid,“Boy,areyourguysgreatathletes.Ican’tgetoneguyonmyteamtodothose30-inchhurdlehopsyour guys do.” I quickly realized thatmy “minor discrepancy” hadmade thiscoachtrytoperformanexercisewithonelegthatwehadbeendoingwithtwo.Hehadhisathleteshurdle-hoppingas theprogramindicated,whileIhadminehurdle-jumping. This is just one example of how lax attention to descriptiveterminologyor incorrect interpretationofwhat is described canput athletes atriskofseriousinjury.

ExerciseCategories

Afterterminology,thenextareatoexamineisthetypesofjumps,hops,andbounds. I believe this is the major failing of the most popular commerciallyavailableanteriorcruciateligament(ACL)injurypreventionprograms.Thetwomost popular, the SantaMonica PEP program and the Sportsmetrics program,focus almost exclusively on jumpswith no emphasis on bounds or hops. TherealityisthatthemechanismoftheACLtearismostfrequentlyasingle-leghop(actuallyaredundancyasthetermhopdenotesasingleleg)orboundscenario,notadouble-legjump.Doingjumpstopreventinjuriesthatoccurinhoppingorboundingsituationsbordersonawasteoftime.

Asoundplyometricprogrammustincludeabalanceofexercisesfromeachterminologycategory.Muchlikewebalancepushandpullinstrengthtraining,athletesmustperformabalanceof jumps,hops,andbounds. Inaddition,hopsmust be done both forward and side to side. It should be noted that hoppingmediallyandlaterallyareentirelydifferentinboththemusclesstressedandtheinjury prevention potential. Medial hops (hops toward the midline) are moredifficultandprovidemuchneededstresstothehipstabilizers.

JumpVolume

Thenumberofjumpspersession,orjumpvolume,hasmostfrequentlybeenmeasuredbythenumberoftimesthefeetcontacttheground.Amajorfailingof

manyplyometricprogramsisthattheyrequiremanyfootcontacts.Ourapproachis tokeep thenumberof foot contacts deliberately lowandgradually increasetheintensityofthejumpsorhopsratherthanincreasingthevolume.

Wetrytokeepthenumberoffootcontactsatroughly25perdayand100perweek.Failingtocontrolthenumberoffootcontactsperdayandperweekisasurefireroadtooverusekneeinjuries.

Intensity

The intensity of plyometric training is difficult to measure and reallyinvolves understanding the difference between a program of controlled jumptraining and a true plyometric program. As previously mentioned, manyexercisesthatweconsidertobeplyometricinnatureareactuallysimplyjumpingexercises.

Controllingtheintensityofplyometricexercises isbasedonhowgravityisallowed to work on the body. Intensity is increased by either increasing thecontributionofgravityorbyattemptingtochangethenatureoftheamortizationphase.Thisisaccomplishedeitherbyjumpingoveranobjectratherthanupontoanobjectorby introducinganelasticcomponent throughabounceand thenarebound.

Jumpsorhopsup to aboxare the lowest intensitybecause they involve astrongconcentriccontractionbutminimizeeccentricstressbynotallowing thebody to“ineffect”comedown.Thebody isacceleratedup toaheightbut theathletestepsdown,effectivelynegatinggravityasanaccelerantandapotentialstressor.

Chu’searlyworkclassified intensityof jumpsbasedonwhether theyweredoneinplaceorcoveredhorizontaldistance.Althoughthisearlyquantificationsystem of in-place, short, and long was state of the art in the 1980s, ourincreasedawarenessoftheeffectsofphysicsonthebodyledustoasystemthatI believe better describes the effect and stress of jumps, hops, and bounds. Iprefer classifying jumps as gravity reduced (jumps up to a box) or gravityenhanced (jumps over a hurdle) and then moving to semi-elastic jumps andfinallytrueelasticplyometrics.

Earlyplyometricdescriptionsdidnotacknowledge thatcertain jumpswerenotactuallyplyometricinnature.Trueplyometricsinvolveanefforttominimizetimeon theground and an attempt to enhance reactivity to theground. Inoursystem these trueplyometric exercises aredone in the fourthphase.Generallyathletesdonotexceed100footcontactsperweek,eveninthelaterphases.Whatchangesistheintensityofthejumps,notthevolume.

Frequency

One of the first questions when discussing the frequency of plyometricexercisesrelatestotheNationalStrengthandConditioningAssociation’sinitialposition statement on the subject.TheNSCA took the stance that plyometricsshouldbedoneonlytwiceperweek.Thishassincebeenamendedtoreadthatthe same joints should not beworkedon consecutive days. (Note:TheNSCAtakesnopositiononintensityorvolumeotherthantoindicatethatdepthjumpsmaybetoointenseforlargerathletes.)

Mybeliefisthatplyometricscanbeperformeduptofourtimesperweekbutmustbedividedintolinearandmultidirectionaldays.Linearplyometricsinvolvepuresagittal-plane jumpsandhops,whilemultidirectionalplyometricswork inthefrontalandtransverseplanes.

AgeandLevelofExperience

AnotherinterestingpointintheNSCAstatementrelatestothedevelopmentof a proper strength base for plyometrics. Unfortunately, no one has definedwhatthatproperstrengthbaseis.

In my opinion, strength training and plyometric training can be doneconcurrentlyprovidingcommonsenseisused.Therealityisthatyoungathletesbeginintenseplyometricprogramswithoutastrengthtrainingbaseorarequiredstrength level every day. Both gymnastics and figure skating involve intenseplyometric activity fromvery young ages. The key is tomanage the effect ofgravityonthebody.

Quiet,Please!

Goodplyometricsarequiet.Failuretolandquietlyindicatesthattheathletelacks eccentric strength and that the exercise is inappropriate.All thatmaybenecessaryistodecreasetheheightoftheobstacleinvolved.Athletesshouldonlyjump onto boxes that they can land on quietly and should land in the samepositionordepthofsquat that they tookoff from. In thesameregard,athletesshouldonlyjumpoverobjectsthatallowthemtolandproperly.

ProgressiontoPlyometrics

Aneffectiveprocessofreadyinganathlete’sbodyforplyometrictrainingisto teach jumpingandlandingskillsbefore introducingwhatmanycoachesandathleteswouldclassifyasplyometrics.Thestrengthofthistypeofprogrammingisthatitprioritizesinjurypreventionoverpowerdevelopment.

Phases1 through3of thisprogressiveplyometricprogramarenot the trueplyometrics thatmany coachesmight recognize. They are actually a series ofdrillsdesignedtoteachjumpingskills, todeveloptheabilitytolandwithgreatstability,andtointroducetheelasticcomponentofjumping.Thisprogressiontoplyometrictrainingdoesnotintroducetrueplyometricsuntilphase4.

Theplyometricdrills foreachphaseareclassifiedas lineardrillsor lateraldrills. One inadvertent failing of many plyometric programs is that theprogrammingisverytrackandfieldinfluenced.Becausetrackandfieldispurelysagittal,manyprogramstendtojumporhoponlyuporforwardandneglectthefrontalplanethatissoimportanttomostteamsports.

To be truly functional an athletemust be able to jump, hop, or bound notonly forwardbut to the rightand left aswell.The influenceof trackand fieldand its inherently sagittal nature is felt heavily in the areas of speed andplyometrictraining.

Aquickrecommendationforplyometrictrainingequipment:Ifyouaregoingtobuyboxesforyourphase1plyometrics,spendtheextramoneyandgetfoamboxes.Thenewfoamboxesnotonlysoftenthelandingbutalsopreventinjuriescausedbymissingthebox.

Phase1:Jumps,Hops,andBoundsWithaStableLanding

In a progressive plyometric program, the emphasis of the first phase is onlearning to jump and more importantly to land. Athletes should be taught tosummateforcesusingthearmsandhipsandtolandsoftly.Themoresoftlytheathletelands,thebetter.Athletesmustlearntoabsorbforceswiththeirmuscles,notwiththeirjoints.

Thepurposeofphase1 is todevelopeccentricstrength.Thinkofeccentricstrengthasthebrakesonamovingvehicle.Thisfirstphaseisthemostimportantand unfortunately the most overlooked and underappreciated phase ofplyometric training. Skipping or attempting to abbreviate phase 1 is themaincauseofinjury.You’llbesurprisedhowpoorsomeeliteathletesareatlanding.

Nomatterwhatperformancelevelanathletehasachieved,sheshouldalwaysbegininphase1.Whethertheathleteisaprooramiddleschoolstudent,phase1lastsaminimumofthreeweeks,butcoachesandathletesshouldtakeaslongastheyneed to in this phase.Thegoal of phase1 is to develop stability and theeccentric strength necessary to land. Another way to think of phase 1 is astendontraining.

Thefollowingexercisesshouldbedoneonceortwiceperweek.

BoxJump

Thislinearexerciseis themostbasicofall thejumpingdrills.Selectaboxheightthatisappropriateforathleticability.Manyathleteswanttoinflatetheiregosbyusingaboxthat is toohigh.Thecoachshouldnotbeafraidtochoosethebox for theathlete if theathletedisplaysapoor senseofhisown jumpingability. For beginners, box height ranges from 4 to 24 inches (10 to 60 cm)dependingontheskillleveloftheathlete.Dothreetofivesetsof5jumps,upto25jumpstotal,orinplyometriclingo,25footcontacts.

Thecriteriaforevaluatingwhethertheboxheightiscorrectaresimple.

1. Cantheathletelandquietly?Ifnot,thentheboxistoohigh.2. Does the athlete land in the same position that she took off in? If the

landing knee bend is significantly deeper than the takeoff knee bend, theboxistoohigh.

ThecomparisonbetweenlandingandtakeoffisagreatsuggestionmadebyOregonstrengthcoachandplyometricsexpertJimRadcliffeinhislecturesandwritings. This simple, no-nonsense concept helps coaches determine whetherathletes are performing the box jump correctly. The landing position shouldneverbedeeperthanahalf-squatposition.Seefigure9.2.

Figure9.2Boxjump.

TheIdiotBox

If youhaveplyoboxes of either 36-or 42-inch (90or 105 cm), please putthemaway.Infact,unlessyouaretrainingsomegreatathletes,putyour30-inch(75cm)boxaway,too.

I have dubbed the big plyo boxes Idiot Boxes because they are used byyoungmen looking to show off. I have begun to refer to such youngmen as“skin donors.” I can tell you something for sure. Therewas a timewhenmyathletes and I were foolish—just like everyone else—and did these foolishexercises.Aftercoachinga fewskindonors, I realized thatwhatmatteredwasthemovementofthecenterofmass,nottheheightofthebox.Inolongerkeepa36-inchboxatmyfacility,butIdohavelotsof18-inch(45cm)and24-inch(60cm)boxesandafew30-inchboxes.

Single-LegBoxHop

Even though theory tells us that single-legboxhops are less stressful thansingle-leghopsoveranobstacle,forsomeathletesweusesingle-leghopsoveralowobstacle(intheoryaphase2exercise)inplaceofthesingle-legboxhoporlateral box hop. Often younger or weaker athletes can be intimidated by theprospectofhoppingandlandingonalowbox,andsomethinglikea6-inch(15cm)mini-hurdleorevena lineon the floorwillbe less intimidating.Withourpost-ACL athleteswe just use a line on a field to begin our hop progression.Veryoftenasingle-leghopup toeven the lowestboxcancausesomeanxietythat results in amissed landing and an injury.Wedo notworry greatly aboutgravityhereasthesebecomealmost“confidencehops.”

Use the same technique described for the box jump, but begin withsomethingaslowasa4-inch(10cm)box.Dothreesetsof5hopsperleg,foratotalof15hopsperleg.Seefigure9.3.

Figure9.3Single-legboxhop.

Single-LegLateralBoxHop

This lateral exercise is also done one day per week. To do the single-leglateralboxhop,hopfromthesideofa4-inch(10cm)boxtothetopofthebox(seefigure9.4).Thekeyisastable,quiet landingononeleg.Dothreemedialjumps(towardthemidlineofthebody)andthreelateraljumps(awayfromthemidlineof thebody)per leg.Thestabilizationforcesaremarkedlydifferent ineach case.Do three sets of six jumps (threemedial and three lateral) per leg.Thesecanalsobedoneoveraverylowobstacle,suchasa6-inch(15cm)mini-

hurdle,orevenovera linetoallowyoungeror largerathletes todevelopmoreconfidence.

Figure9.4Single-leglateralboxhop.

LateralBoundandStick

In theoriginalversionofFunctionalTraining forSportsweused the termHeiden, named after legendary speed skater Eric Heiden, to denote a lateralbound.Thelateralboundandstickisabasiclateralexerciseknownbynumerousnames, includingskatersorskatehops.Theathletemovesfromright to leftorlefttorightandholdsthelandingforafullsecondbeforeboundingbacktotheopposite side. The term stick emphasizes thatwewant the athlete to stick thelandingandholdit.Beingabletostickastablelandingiscriticalforallphase1exercises. Often athletes ask, “Am I trying to go high or far?”My answer is“both.”Agood lateralbound isdone foracombinationofheightanddistance

(seefigure9.5).Dothreesetsoffiveboundsoneachleg,for30totalfootcontacts.

Figure9.5Lateralboundandstick.

Phase2:Jumps,Hops,andBoundsOveranObstacle

Inphase2ofourplyometricprogram,gravitybecomesalargercomponentof the drills. Instead of jumping or hopping up on a box or over a very lowobstacle as in phase 1, the athlete now jumps over a relatively challengingobstacle, usually a specially designed mini-hurdle. These jumps, hops, andboundsnow includebothaverticalandahorizontalcomponent.Theactionofjumpingoveranobstaclegreatlyincreasestheeccentricloadonthemusclesandtendons.

Thegoalofasoftlandingremainsthesame,buttheadditionoftheforceofgravity greatly increases the eccentric strengthdemand. Insteadof progressioncoming in the form ofmore jumps, progression is achieved by increasing theeccentricloadofthelandings.

Theobstacleusedisgenerallyahurdlesomewherebetween6and30inches(15to75cm)tall,dependingonthetypeofjumpandtheathlete’sskilllevel.AlVermeil, thelegendaryChicagoBullsstrengthandconditioningcoach, likes tosay, “The bigger the athlete, the smaller the obstacle.” This might seemcounterintuitive, butVermeil’s statement is brilliant. Six foot 6 inch (198 cm)basketballandfootballplayerswillstrugglemightilywithsingle-leghopsover6-inchmini-hurdles.

HurdleJumpandStick

Thehurdlejumpandstickisajumpoveraseriesofhurdles.Thehurdlescanrangeinheightfrom12to30inches(30to75cm)dependingontheskillleveloftheathlete.CompaniessuchasPerformBettersellmoldedplastichurdlesin12-inch,18-inch(45cm),and24-inch(60cm)sizes.Generallythehurdleheightwillcorrespondtotheboxheightusedforaproperlyperformedboxjump.Thekeytothehurdlejumpistoagainfinishwithaquiet,stablelanding(figure9.6).

Figure9.6Hurdlejumpandstick.

Hurdlejumpsareanatural,logicalprogressionfromtheboxjump.Thebig

differenceisthatthebodynowexperiencestheaccelerationduetogravityonthewaydown.The concentric action is almost exactly like the box jump, but theeccentricloadisdrasticallyincreasedbasedontheheightoftheobstacleandthecorresponding movement of the center of mass. Perform three sets of fivehurdles,foratotalof15jumps.

Single-LegHurdleHopandStick

Inthesingle-leghurdlehopandstick,theathletejumpsoffofandlandsonthesameleg(seefigure9.7).Thisdrillcanbedoneoverlinesiflandingstabilityorlandingconfidenceisanissue;however,thegoalofadvancingfromphase1tophase2istheadditionofahurdleoranincreaseinhurdleheight.

Dothreesetsoffivehopsoneachleg,foratotalof30footcontacts.

Figure9.7Single-leghurdlehopandstick.

Single-LegLateralHurdleHopandStick

Use the techniquedescribed for the lateralboxhop,onlyover three6-inchmini-hurdlesplaced18to24inches(45to60cm)apart.Thisisadownandbackdrill.Theathletehopsinalateraldirectionoverthreehurdlesplacedroughly18inchesapart, stickingeach landing,and then returnsbyhoppingmediallyoverthe same three hurdles, sticking the landing for a count of one, one thousandeachtime(seefigure9.8).Thedrillcanbedoneoverlinesiflandingstabilityorlandingconfidenceisanissue.Dothreesetsof6hopsoneachleg(3medialand3lateral),for36hopstotal.

Figure9.8Single-leglateralhurdlehopandstick.

45-DegreeBoundandStick

The45-degreeboundandstickaddsalinearcomponenttothelateralactionoftheboundasaprogression,ratherthanaddinganobstacle.Insteadofjumpingdirectlytotheside,thepush-offisnowforwardata45-degreeangle(seefigure9.9).Dothreesetsof5jumpsoneachleg,for30totaljumps.

Figure9.945-degreeboundandstick.

Caution

Anothertypeofplyometricexerciseisadecelerativejumpinthetransverseplan. To visualize this jump, think about taking off in one direction and thenturning90or180degreesbeforelanding.Athletesshouldtakegreatcarewhenperformingtransverse-planejumpsandhops.Unfortunately,someauthorshaverecommended transverse-plane exercises that look very much like the injurymechanismswearetryingtoavoid.

Phase3:Phase2ExercisesWithanAdditionalBounce

Exercisesperformedinthethirdphasebegintoresemblewhatmanycoachesandathletesconsiderrealplyometrics.Theemphasisinphase3isonswitchingfrom an eccentric contraction to a concentric contraction rather than simplydeveloping eccentric strength by sticking the landings. Although eccentric-to-concentric switching is the essence of plyometric training, most plyometric-relatedinjuriesstemfromthefailuretodevelopeccentriclandingskills.

Phases1and2 laid theessentialgroundwork for injurypreventionand forthe later stretch-shortening-cycle work that follows. Phase 3 introduces thestretch-shorteningcyclebyincorporatingabounceintothedrills.Thekeyistograduallyincreasethetypeandamountofstressappliedtothemuscleand,more

importantly,totheconnectivetissue.The exercises performed in this phase are identical to those performed in

phase 2, but they are now done with a small bounce before the next jump.Stretchshortening is introducedwithoutadrasticchange inprogram. Intensityincreasesagain,butnotvolume.

HurdleJumpWithBounce

Use the same technique as for the hurdle jump and stick, but instead ofstickingthelandingaddabouncebeforethenexttakeoff.

Single-LegHurdleHopWithBounce

Usethesametechniqueasforthesingle-leghurdlehopandstick,butreplacethestablelandingwithabouncebeforethenexttakeoff.Ifathletesstrugglewiththisdrill,theyshouldresumephase2andstickthelanding.

Single-LegHurdleLateralHopWithBounce

Usethesametechniqueasforthesingle-leglateralhurdlehopandstick,butreplace the stable landing with a bounce before the next takeoff. If athletesstrugglewiththisdrill,theyshouldresumephase2andstickthelanding

45-DegreeBoundWithBounce

Use thesame techniqueas for the45-degreebound inphase2,butbouncebeforethenexttakeoff.

Phase4:Explosive,Controlled,andContinuousMovements

Phase 4moves into the realm ofwhatmost coaches and athletes considertrue plyometrics. In this phase, the emphasis is on reacting to the ground and

minimizinggroundcontacttime.Ifyouarewondering,Whattookyousolong?the answer is that our approach is to emphasize safety andmastery first. Thebiggestmistakeofanapproach that is tooconservative is that theearlyphasesareextendedlongerthannecessary.

In phase 4 athletes now strive to minimize time spent on the ground andmake an elastic, explosive, but quiet, transition from eccentric to concentriccontraction.Whengreatathletesperformplyometrics,onethingisimmediatelynoticeable. You see a great deal of explosiveness but hear very little. Thenervoussystemandthemuscularsystemdomostofthework,withlittlestressonthejoints.Thisisthegoaloftheprogressiveplyometricprogram.

HurdleJumps(Continuous)

Theathleteperformscontinuousdouble-legjumpsoverhurdles.

Single-LegHurdleHops(Continuous)

As with the linear jumps, the single-leg hops are now continuous, withemphasisonalimitedgroundcontacttime.

LateralHurdleHops(Continuous)

Followinginthesamethoughtprocess,thedownandbacklateralhopactionisnowalsodoneincontinuousfashion.

45-DegreeLateralBound(Continuous)

The45-degree lateral bound is an aggressive lateral push-offmoving fromright to left or left to right (see figure 9.10). The athlete performs aggressiveabductiontogeneratelateralpower.

Figure9.1045-degreelateralbound.

PowerSkip

Thisisalineardrillinwhichtheathleteaddsaggressivehipextensiontothewarm-upskiptogainbothheightanddistance(seefigure9.11).

Figure9.11Powerskip.

PlyometricsandACLInjuryPrevention

Anteriorcruciate ligament tearsareapproachingnearepidemic level in thesports world. Some estimates are as high as 100,000 torn ACLs per year.Accordingtoa2001lecturebyphysicaltherapistMikeClark,morethan30,000of theseACL tears are believed to occur in youngwomenwho participate insports such as soccer, basketball, and field hockey. These staggering numbersalone justify addressing ACL injury prevention in any program designed forfemaleathletes.

AnumberofphysicaltherapyandathletictraininggroupshavebeguntosellorpromoteprogramsdesignedforACLinjuryprevention.Somearegood;somearedrasticoversimplifications.AsoundACL injurypreventionprogramneedstofocusontwothings:

1. Single-legstrength2. Landinganddecelerationskills

MostACLinjuriesoccurwhenanathletewhoistooweakattemptstolandor change direction. Many studies point to predisposing female physiologicalcharacteristics such as hip structure, knee structure, and menstrual changes.Coaches,athletes,therapists,andtrainerscannotchangethebonestructureoftheathlete or attempt to keep them out of competitive situations at critical pointsduringthemenstrualcycle.

WecanobsessaboutwhyfemaleathletesgetACLinjuriesmoreoftenthanmale athletes, but our time and energy is better devoted to the thingswe canchange. Coaches and trainers can wring their hands about the physiologicalpredispositionofyoungwomentoACLtears,butthiswillnotchangethefacts.Girlsandyoungwomenwillcontinuetoplaysportsinincreasingnumbersandat higher levels. What can be controlled is the development of single-legstrength,bothconcentricandeccentric,andthedevelopmentoflandingskills.Acombination of strength training and a properly designed and progressedplyometricprogramisthebestACLinjurypreventionprogramintheworld.

AtMBSC,we tell everyonewhowill listen thatACL injury prevention isjustgoodtraining.TheideaofanACLinjurypreventionprogramisreallyjustanotherwaytopackagetheideaofgoodtrainingandsell thatideatoafemaleathleteorhercoach.Itisamazinghowdifferenttheresponseofafemaleathleteor coach is to an ACL injury prevention program than a strength and power

developmentprogram.Regardlessof its label,aplyometricprogrammustbeproperlydesigned to

includehops, jumps,andbounds;beproperlyplanned;andbeproperly taught.Poorly taught or poorly progressed plyometric exercises can result inpatellofemoral joint problems, another area of particular concern for youngfemaleathletes.

A plyometric program, and therefore the ACL injury prevention program,shouldalwaysbeginwiththephase1exercisesdescribedearlier.Thetechniquespresented throughout this book are the building blocks of the ACL injurypreventionprogram.Single-legstrengthexercises,aproperplyometricprogram,andaconditioningprogramthatemphasizeschangesofdirectiongoalongwaytowardthepreventionofACLinjuries.

The development of strength cannot be overemphasized for young femaleathletes.Theyshouldworkthroughthesingle-legstrengthprogressioninchapter6,fromsplitsquattosingle-legsquat,progressingtothenextlevelwhenthey’vemastered the previous one. Most young female athletes need weeks or evenmonths to progress to a true single-leg squat, but the ability to perform thesingle-legsquatmightbethebestACLinjurypreventiontechniqueavailable.

Whileyoungathletesaredevelopingconcentric single-leg strength throughstrength training, they should simultaneously be developing eccentric strengthandlandingskills throughproperlyprogressedplyometrictraining.It iscriticalthatplyometrictrainingbeproperlytaughtandthatallprogressionbebasedoncompetence. The four-phase progressive plyometric program described in thischapterisafundamentalbuildingblockoftheACLpreventionorrehabilitationprogram. The initial nine weeks gradually introduces the skills of jumping,hopping,andboundingandmoreimportantly,thestressesoflanding.

As mentioned previously, many plyometric experts caution againstbeginningaplyometricprogramuntil theathletehasdevelopedahigh levelofleg strength, but if their guidelines are followed, young athletes would nevergainthebenefitsofaprogramofcontrolledjumpingandwouldmissoutonthevital landing skills training thatphase1plyometricsprovide.Notonlydoyounotneedastrengthbasetobeginplyometrictraining,beginningathletescanstartwithbeginning-levelplyometricsonday1.Fallingintothetrapof“strengthbasefirst”onlydelaystheimplementationofmeasuresthatcanpreventACLtears.

PleaserememberthattopreventACLinjuriesitisimportanttobalancehip-dominantandknee-dominantstrengthwork;toincludeallthelinearandlateraljumping, hopping, and bounding drills; and to follow the progressions. It iscritical towork firston landing skills. Ifonly twoworkoutdaysareavailable,linearandlateralplyometricworkshouldbedoneeveryday.

Aprogressiveplyometricprogramisonewaytoimprovepoweroutput.Thesequenceinthischapterallowsyoutosafelyimprovespeed,horizontaljumpingability,andverticaljumpingabilitywhiledecreasinginjurypotential.Thekeyistofollowthesequenceandnotskipsteps.Thereisnoshortcuttoimprovement,onlyshortcutstoinjury.

Plyometrictrainingisonlyoneofthethreemethodsproposedforimprovingpower. Plyometrics, medicine ball throws (chapter 7), and Olympic lifting(chapter 10) can be successfully combined to produce great gains in powerproduction.

Rememberthatmoreisnotbetter.Donotexceedtherecommendednumberof foot contacts or the recommended number of training days per week.Plyometricscansafelybedoneuptofourdaysaweekiftheprogramisfollowedas described. Two linear days and two lateral days, each preceded by thecorresponding warm-up (chapter 5), will not result in overuse injury if thisprogramisfollowed.Athletesseekingtosafelyincreasespeed,verticaljump,oroverall power, or simply to prevent injury, can benefit from the plyometricprogressionsinthischapter.

Chapter10OlympicLifting

Athletesandcoachesarealwayssearchingforthebestandsafestmethodstodeveloppower.Increasedpowertranslatesintoafaster,moreexplosiveathlete.Evidencecontinues tomount thatexplosivelifts,suchas theOlympicliftsandtheirvariations,maybethebestmethodstorapidlyimprovepoweroutput.

Thedownside is thatOlympic lifting requires a great deal of teaching andconstant supervision. Many coaches have added Olympic lifting to theirprograms because of the significant evidence for the benefits; unfortunately,someofthesesamecoachesarenotableorwillingtoteachtheirathletespropertechnique. More recently coaches have begun to use Olympic lifts as high-repetition challenges insteadof for powerdevelopment.Weare in a periodofhugelyincreasedpopularityandexposureforOlympiclifting,butoftenwhatweseeisakintowatchingsomeoneattempttopoundnailswithascrewdriver.

The end result of poorly taught, poorly implemented, or unsupervisedOlympicweightlifting is often injury.When injuries occur, the blame is oftenplacedontheexerciseswhentheblameshouldbelaidsquarelyontheshouldersof thecoachor the trainer.Thekey is to thinkofOlympic liftingasa tool—apowerfultoolthatcanbothhelpandhurt.Iliketousetheanalogyofachainsaw.Achainsawcanhelpyoucutdownatree,butitshouldn’tbeusedbythosewithnoexperience.

Let’s begin with a basic premise. Anyone who is uncomfortable withperforming or teaching theOlympic lifts should not use them.Get your high-velocity power developmentwork frommedicine balls, kettlebell swings, andplyometricexercises.

The key to developing a safe and effective training program is learning tobalance what is great in theory with what becomes great in practice. Beforeaddinganyexplosivemovementstoaprogram,coachesmustknowhowtoteachthe movements, and athletes must learn how to perform them with greattechnique.Don’tbeconcernedaboutweight;worryabouttechnique.Rememberthatyouhaveyourhandsonapowerfultool.

Withthatsaid,Olympicliftingisgreatfunctionaltraining.Itisdonestandingandusesalmosteverymuscleinthebodyinanexplosive,coordinatedfashion.Largeamountsofworkcanbedoneinashortperiodoftimeafterthetechniques

aremastered.Thedisadvantagesaretheneedstoteachandcoachconstantlyandtheneedtobeconcernedwithtechniqueoverweight.

Almost all the young athletes at our facility are taught to Olympic liftregardlessof sport,unless theyhaveahistoryofback injury.AdultsgenerallyarenotOlympicliftersinoursystem.Adultpostureandlimitationsdon’ttendtomixwellwiththeOlympiclifts.Baseballplayers,tennisplayers,andswimmersalso refrain from explosive overhead movements such as the snatch so as toavoidexcessivestressontherotatorcuff.Ourathleteshaveaninjuryratenearzero for supervisedOlympic lifts done fromapositionwith thebar above theknees and for the appropriate number of reps.Never useOlympic lifting as ahigh-repetition endurance activity, but always as a low-to medium-repetitionpowerdevelopmentactivity.

WhyWeOlympicLift

Olympicliftingenhancesathleticism,developseccentricstrength,andmostimportantlyisfun.

Athleticism

AlthoughOlympicliftinghasbeenshowntohaveexcellenteffectsontotal-bodypower,increasingpoweroutputsmightbethefourthmostimportantreasonweOlympiclift.ThenumberonereasonwedoOlympicliftsisfortheeffectoncoordinationandathleticism.Idon’tknowifthereisanythingmorebeautifultowatchintheweightroomthanawell-performedOlympiclift.

Thirty years of experience tellsme that the best athletes are also the bestOlympic lifters. Coaches might ask themselves if this is a chicken and eggscenario.ArebetterathletesbetterOlympiclifters,ordoOlympicliftsmakeyouabetterathlete? Iamnotcompletelysure,butbasedonwhat Ihaveobserved,heard,andread,IbelieveOlympicliftingenhancesathleticism.IhavecomparedOlympic lifting to tumbling in relation toOlympic lifting’s ability to developathleticability.Ilovethatanathletehastoperformajump(theconcentricpartofthelift)andthennavigateamovingobjecttocreatethereceivingposition(theeccentricportion,orthecatch).

EccentricStrength

The number two reason to Olympic lift is to develop eccentric strength.Pulling a weight is one thing. Actually catching and decelerating that sameweight is another. Teaching an athlete to produce a powerful concentriccontractionandtothencatchanddecelerateamovingobjectmightbethemostdifficultandbeneficialskillthatonecandointheweightroom.Italsomightbethebestinjurypreventionworkyoucando.Learningtonotonlyproduceforcebuttoalsoabsorbforceanddecelerateloadisacriticalskillincontactsports.

Ihappentothinkthereistremendousinjurypreventionvalueintheeccentricstrength developed in the catch portion of theOlympic lifts. In sport, injuriesoften come while absorbing contact, not while delivering a blow. This rapideccentric component is not present in any exercise besides the Olympic lifts,which makes them of particular benefit to the muscles around the shouldergirdle.Inmyyearsinhockeyandfootball,shoulderseparationsandconcussions

wererare.IthinkOlympicliftingplayednosmallpartinthat.

Fun

Fun?Yes,fun.Olympicliftingisfun.Someathleteslearntoenjoythegrindof attempting to lift a heavy load.However, I don’t thinkmanypeoplewoulddescribe a heavy set of squats or deadlifts as fun. Athletes seem to enjoyOlympicliftsmuchmore.Infact,IalwaysbelievedOlympicliftswerethegreatequalizer in the weight room. In sports such as football, the smaller, moreexplosiveathleterarelycompetedwithhis larger teammates in thebenchpressandthesquattingmovements,butintheOlympiclifts,theskilledathletecouldoftenoutliftaheavier,largerteammate.Thiswasbothrewardingandfun.

LearningtoOlympicLift

TheeasiestwaytolearntheOlympicliftsisfromthehangposition.Inthisposition,thebarisnotliftedfromthefloorandinfactisalwayskeptabovetheknees (see figure10.1).Thehangpositioneliminatesagreatdealof the lowerback stress often associatedwith theOlympic lifts and allows athletes of anysize to start learning in very similar, joint-friendly positions. Any athlete canbecome a great technician from the hang position. Conversely, many athleteswillhavedifficultylearningtheOlympicliftsfromthefloor.

Figure10.1Hangposition.

Not all athletes possess the physiological characteristics that make great

competitive Olympic weightlifters (good biomechanical lever system,mesomorphic body type, great hip flexibility). In fact, the very qualities thatmakeagoodbasketballplayerorrowermakeapoorcompetitiveweightlifter.

Ihaveneverbeenafanofcleaningfromthefloor.Infact,Idon’tthinkin30yearsIhaveeverhadanathletedoit.Inmymind,Olympicliftsareforpower.To improve starting strength, load the bar in the deadlift. If the goal is toimprovepower,thenmychoicewouldbeOlympicliftsdonefromahangabovetheknees.

Thekeyinanyprogrammingdecisionistochoosetherighttoolfortherightjob.Theinitialpullfromthefloorissimplyadeadliftthatgetsthebarintotheproperpositiontoperformthehangclean.AnathletewhobeginsanOlympicliftfromtheflooris,ineffect,choosingthewrongtoolforthejob.

The objective of any training program is to become a better athlete in aspecificsport,nottobecomeacompetitiveOlympicweightlifter(unlessthatisyoursport).Olympicweightliftingshouldalwaysbethemeanstoanend,notanenditself.EXOScoachDenisLogansaiditbestwhenhesaidwewanttomake“greatathletes thataregoodweightlifters.”Whatdoes thatmean?ItmeansweseeOlympicliftingforwhatitis—atooltomakegreatathletes.

Olympic lifts and theirvariationsprimarilydeveloppowerandathleticism.Although theOlympic liftsdevelop impressivemusculature, thisshouldnotbetheprimaryobjective.Theobjectiveisnottojustmoveaweightbuttomoveaweight inafast,powerful,andathleticmanner.TheOlympicliftsare intendedprimarily to train the nervous systemand secondarily to develop themuscularsystem.

GuidelinesforPerformingtheOlympicLifts

FollowingareafewguidelinesforlearningtheOlympiclifts.

Thinksafetyfirst.Beconsciousofthesurroundings.Usealiftingplatformifoneisavailable.Theplatformsays“keepback,”muchlikecautiontape.Practice proper technique. This is simple. If it doesn’t look right, itprobablyisn’t.TheobjectiveofOlympicliftingisnotjusttomovethebarfrompointAtopointB.TheobjectiveistomovethebarquicklyandinatechnicallycorrectmannerfrompointAtopointB.Onceyoucompromiseon this point, you have failed as an Olympic lifter or as a teacher ofOlympiclifts.Emphasize speed of movement over weight on the bar. Most of thetechnicalmistakesmadeinlearningtheOlympicliftsaretheresultofonething:toomuchweight.Thebattleisbetweenegoandcommonsense.Yourbest correction is often the simplest and most obvious one: reduce theweight.

Anyonewithcommonsenseandtheability torecognizesomefundamentalpositionscanlearntocleanandsnatch.

TheremaybenosinglecorrectwaytoteachtheOlympiclifts.Expertswilldisagreeaboutmanypoints.Thereis,however,asimplemethodwehaveusedwith great success to teach athletes in sports from football to field hockey.RememberthatyourgoalisnottoproduceOlympicweightlifters.Thegoalistouse Olympic lifting as a tool to make better athletes. Don’t get caught up indesigningorduplicatingaprogramcreatedforOlympicweightlifters;designaprogramforathletestodeveloppowerusingOlympicliftsandtheirvariationsasaportionoftheirtraining.

MasteringtheKeyOlympicLiftingPositions

LearningthemainOlympicliftingpositionsisafour-stepprocess.

Step1:Hands-FreeFrontSquat

Itisimportanttobeproficientinthefrontsquatbeforelearningtheclean.AtMBSC this is the only timewe teach front squatswith theOlympic bar. Theability to front-squataffects theunderstandingof thecatchportionof thehangcleanbecausethebaris“caught”inaquarterfrontsquat.

Startwiththebarrestingonthedeltoids(musclesthatcovertheshoulders),withthearmsextendedoutinfront(seefigure10.2).Thehandsaredeliberatelynotonthebar.Thisstepbeginstoteachtheathletetorackthebarproperlyandto carry the bar on the shoulders, not on the wrists or in the hands. Mostcomplaints associated with the hang clean result from not catching the barproperly.Don’tskipthisstep;itiscritical.

Figure10.2Hands-freefrontsquat.

Step2:Clean-GripFrontSquat

Donotuseacrossovergripinthefrontsquat(seefigure10.3).Athletesmustbeabletoexecuteaproperfrontsquattobeabletoproperlycatchaclean.Thisisnotastrengthliftforusbutratherateachingtooldesignedtoteachanathletehowtoproperlycatchahangclean.

Anathletehavingtroublewithpropersquattechniquemayhaveinadequatemobilityinthehipsandankles.Theoptimalwaytostretchforthesquatistositinthefull-squatposition,placetheelbowsontheinnersidesof theknees,andpushthekneesoutoverthetoeswhilearchingtheback(seefigure10.4).

Figure10.3Donotusethecrossovergripinthefrontsquat.

Figure10.4Clean-gripfrontsquat.

Step3:StartPositionfortheCleanandSnatch

This is thebasicpullingposition.Standwith the feet shoulder-widthapart,knees slightly bent, chest slightly behind the bar, wrists curled under, armsstraight,andelbowsturnedout(seefigure10.5).Thisisachangefromhowtheinitial position was taught in the original version of Functional Training forSports. Credit here goes toOlympic lifting coachGlenn Pendlay.Rather thanteaching an athlete to get the chest over the bar by sliding the bar down thethighs, Pendlay recommends simply bending the knees and keeping the chestslightlybehind thebar.Thischangemakes it easier forathletes toexecute thesimplebeginner’s jumpandcatch that comes later. Insteadofhinging forwardand trying toget thechestover thebar, theathletes simplybend theknees. Inthis position the chest will be just over the bar or slightly behind the bar.Bendingthekneesalsocausesaslighthipflexion.Fromhere theathletehasabetterchanceof immediatesuccess.ThePendlay technique,as I like tocall it,wasthefirstchangewehadmadeinour teachingprogressioninmorethan20years.OnethingIamproudofisthatwearenotsomarriedtoourownmethodsthatwemissopportunitiestoimprove.

Figure10.5Cleanandsnatchstartposition.

Step4:OverheadSupportPosition

Thispositionisusedforthesnatchfinish,pushjerkorpushpressfinish,andoverhead squat. Practice supporting the bar overheadwith the arms extended.Thewristsshouldbelocked,theheadslightlyforward,thebaroverthebackofthehead,andthelegsbentslightly(seefigure10.6).

Figure10.6Overheadsupportposition.

RemembertoperformallOlympicliftsfromthehangposition(barabovethe

knees).Thisisasimpleandsafepositionthatcanbeusedeasilybyathletesofall body dimensions. Larger, taller, or inflexible (i.e., most) athletes havedifficultylearningtocleanfromthefloor.Don’tlistentoso-calledexpertswhoinsistyoumustcleanfromthefloor.RememberinathleticsOlympicliftingisatoolforpowerdevelopment,notasport.

MasteringtheHangCleanandClose-GripSnatch

Step1:Reviewhowtoproperlypickupandputdownthebar.

Whenever thebar ispickeduporputdownthebackshouldbearchedandtight.Thismayseemsimple,butmanyinjuriesarecausedbyimproperlypickingupandputtingdownthebar.

Step2:Reviewthehands-freefrontsquat.Learntocontrolthebaronthedeltoids.

This positionmust be learned first. Progress to a clean-grip front squat toestablishflexibilityinthewrists,shoulders,andelbows.

Step3:Reviewthestartposition.

WristscurledunderArmsstraightBackarchedShouldersslightlybehindthebar

Step4:Bendtheknees.

Asmentioned,thisisamajorchange.

Step5a:Performthehangclean.

Withaslightlywiderthanshoulder-widthgrip,jump,shrug,andcatchinthefront squat position (see figure 10.7).Grip is relaxed,with the elbowsup andpointedeitherstraightaheador45degreestotheside.

Figure10.7Hangclean.

Step5b:Performtheclose-gripsnatch.

Theclose-gripsnatchusesagripidenticaltothatoftheclean.Thewidegripgenerallytaughtforthesnatchisdiscouraged,asitsonlytruepurposeistoallowthe athlete to lift more weight. Review the overhead support position with ashoulder-width grip.Keep the bar over the back of the head, knees bent, andback arched (see figure 10.8).While executing the snatch, visualize trying tothrowthebaruptohittheceiling.Ioftentellathletesjustthat.Mybestteachingcueis“Trytothrowthebarupandhittheceiling,butdon’tletgo.”You’llbeamazedhowquicklythatonecueteachesthesnatch.

Note: Snatches are easier to teach and to learn than cleans. Coaches andathletesmayinitiallybeintimidatedbutwillgrasptheliftquickly.Theabilitytolearnthehangcleancanoftenbelimitedbyupperbodyflexibility,buttherewillbenosuchproblemwiththehangsnatch.

Figure10.8Close-gripsnatch.

Step6:Returnthebarproperlytotheblocks.

Keepthebackflatandtight.

TeachingCueReview

Cuesforthestartposition:

Eyesarestraightahead.Chestisup.Backisarched.Armsarelongandlooseattheelbows.Wristsarecurledunder.(Thisiskeytokeepingthebarclosetothebody.)Kneesarebent.(Rememberthattheshouldersshouldbejustoverthebarorslightlybehindthebarinthestartposition.)

Cuesforthepull:

Jumpandshrug.

Jumpandsit.Jumpandgettheelbowsup(forthepull).

Cuesforthecatch(cleanonly):

Situnderthebar.Keep the elbowsup.Note:Oneout of 30 athletes is actually not flexibleenoughtogettheelbowsup;29outof30saytheycan’t.Keepthehipsback.

UsingLiftingStraps

When advanced lifters begin to struggle to hold the bar and seem to beconcentrating as much on grip as on the lift, we introduce lifting straps. Thebottomlineisweneverwanttolimitlowerbodypowerbecauseofalackofgripstrength.Thatmakesnosense.Wedonotteachahookgrip.Wedonottellthemthey need to concentrate.We do not tell them they need additional carries toworkongrip.Weteachthemtousestraps.

Ourprimarygoalispowerdevelopment.Strapsundoubtedlyhelpthat.Learnhowtoproperlyusestrapsandhowto teachanathlete touse them.Theymayregressinitially,buttheywillthankyoulater.

AlternativestoOlympicLifting

Whatifyoudon’twanttoorcan’tOlympicliftbutstillwanttomakegainsin lower bodypower in theweight room? Jump squats, kettlebell swings, andevensingle-legorsingle-armversionsofthehangcleanandhangsnatchmaybetheanswer.

Note:VeryfewofouradultclientsOlympiclift.ThepopularityofCrossFithas ledmany adults to attempt to learn them, but I believemost adults haveundergonetoomuchposturalchangetobecomeefficientOlympiclifters.Adultsaremuchbetteroffwith jumps,swings,and throwsforpower.Froman injuryprevention standpoint, it is a mistake to try to teach Olympic lifting to theaverageadult.

Single-ArmDumbbellSnatch

Thesingle-armdumbbellsnatchisagreatalternativeforathleteslookingtoget the value of the Olympic lifts with lower loads on the low back. Thisexerciseisbestgearedtoathletesbecausetheshoulderloadswillbesubstantial.Most athletes will dumbbell snatch more than 50 percent of what they arecapable of snatching. The hips and legs are still producing force but aretransferringthatforceintoonedumbbell,throughonearm.

Step1:Learnthestartpositionforthedumbbellsnatch.

Thisisstillthebasicpullingposition.Standwiththefeetslightlywiderthanshoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, dumbbell between the knees, chestoverthedumbbell,wristcurledunder,armstraight,andelbowturnedout.

Step2:Performthesingle-armdumbbellsnatch.

From the startpositionwith thedumbbellbetween theknees, jump, shrug,andcatchthedumbbellintheoverheadsupportposition(seefigure10.9).Ihavefoundithelpfultocuetheathletewith“Youshouldtrytohittheceilingwiththedumbbell”and“Pullitasifyouweregoingtoletgo.”

Figure10.9Single-armdumbbellsnatch

Single-LegCleansandSnatches

Many coaches believe this is a crazy idea and some consider it outrightblasphemy.However,forathleteswithbackissuesorotherinjuryproblems,thesingle-legversionsofthecleanandsnatchmaybejustwhatthedoctorordered.

Startwitha load that is50percentofwhatyouwouldnormallyuse in thehangcleanorhangsnatch.Single-legOlympicliftingcanbeagreatwaytotakeadvantageofcrosstransfer(usingtheoppositelimbtoproduceastrengtheffectin the injured limb)as athletes return from lowerbody injuryandalsoagreatwaytokeepanathletereturningfromabackinjuryengagedandinvolvedintheprogram.Ascrazyasthissounds,givethematry.

Step1:Learnthestartpositionforthesingle-legcleanorsingle-legsnatch.

Everythingabouttheupperbodystaysexactlythesame.Themajorchangeisthattheathleteisnowstandingononeleg.

Step2:Performthesingle-legcleanorsingle-legsnatch.

Fromthestartposition, jump,shrug,andcatchexactlyasyouwouldinthebilateral version (see figure 10.10). These are quite fun for athletes and canreallyreengageanathletecomingbackfrominjury.

Figure10.10Single-legcleanorsingle-legsnatch.

JumpSquats

Jump squats have been popular for years with European track-and-fieldathletes andcanbeagreat alternative toOlympic lifts. JumpsquatsprovideagreatdealofthehippowerthatmanyathletesseekfromOlympicliftingandareperfect for athletes who have reservations about technique or athletes withshoulderorbackproblemsthatpreventthemfromOlympiclifting.

Toperformthejumpsquat,simplyjumpfromapositionslightlyabovefull-squat depth. Beginners can land and stabilize between jumps, and moreadvancedathletescaneventuallyutilizeaplyometricresponseoffthefloor.

An important issue for jump squats is load selection. Older guidelinesrecommend using a percentage (most often 25 percent) of the athlete’s backsquat1RMasaload.Thismethodofloadingisextremelyflawed,asitdoesnottake into account the athlete’s bodyweight. The following example illustratesthispoint.

IfathleteAhasa1RMinthebacksquatof500pounds(227kg)andathleteBalsohasa1RMof500pounds,thenbothathleteswoulduse125pounds(57kg)forjumpsquatsusingtheguidelineof25percentofbacksquat1RM.Nowassume that athlete A weighs 200 pounds (90 kg) and athlete B weighs 350pounds (160 kg).Obviously, athleteA has a strength-to-body-weight ratio farsuperior to that of athlete B. Loading athlete A with 125 pounds may bereasonable, but athlete B, who weighs 350 pounds, would probably havedifficultyexecutinga technically sound jumpsquatwithanadditionalexternalloadof125pounds.InfactathleteBmayhavedifficultyperformingjumpsquatswith just body weight because of his relatively poor strength-to-body-weightratio.Insteadofa1RMpercentage,thefollowingformulaissuggested.

[(Squat+bodyweight)×.4]–bodyweight=jumpsquatweightAthleteA:[(500+200)×.4]–200=80AthleteB:[(500+350)×.4]–350=–10

TheexampleactuallyproducesanegativenumberforathleteB.Thisshowsthat the350-poundathletegetssufficient loadingfromperformingjumpsquatswithbodyweightbutwouldbeoverloadedbyatleast125poundsifhefollowedthesimplisticpercentageof1RMguideline.ForathleteA,aloadof80pounds(36kg)issufficient.

Consider the total weight an athlete can squat as a combination of body

weightandtheweightonthebar,andusethisnumbertocalculatetheloadforjump squats. This guideline can be used by both weaker athletes looking todeveloppowerorbylargerathletes.

KettlebellSwings

Kettlebellshaveexplodedinpopularityoverthelastdecade.Whenourfirstedition was published in 2004 there was no mention of kettlebells. Now thekettlebell swing has become a mainstream exercise and one of our go-toexercisesforpowerdevelopmentinthosethateitherdonotwanttoOlympicliftorshouldnotOlympiclift.Althoughvolumeshavebeenwrittenabouthowtodoaproperswing,itisarelativelyeasyexercisetoteachandtoprogram.

But a couple of cautionary notes areworthmaking.All athletes should beable to touch their toes before deadlifting or swinging. And athletes shouldmasterthekettlebelldeadliftbeforestartingtoperformswings.

MasteringtheKettlebellSwing

Figure10.11Kettlebellswing.

Step1:Learnthestartpositionfortheswing.

Thisisstillthebasicpullingposition.Standwiththefeetslightlywiderthanshoulder-width apart, hips flexed, back arched, knees slightly bent, kettlebellbetween the feet but about a foot (30 cm) in front, chest over the kettlebell,wristscurledunder,armsstraight,andelbowsturnedout.

Step2:Performthekettlebellswing.

Fromthestartpositionwiththekettlebellout infront, thinkabouthikingafootball.Agood swing startswith thathikingactionand thekettlebell stayinghigh.Dan John likes to say, “Attack the zipper.” Theoutside of the forearmsshould make contact with the inside of the thighs, and the kettlebell shouldalmostsmackyouinthebutt.Fromherethinkhipextension.Withlongarmsandatightlowback,snapthehipsforward.Thinkofthearmsasjustconnectorstothekettlebell.Thekettlebellshouldrisenohigherthanshoulderlevelandshouldget to that level from the aggressive hip action, not from any upper bodycontribution.

CommonMistakes

Squatting the swing.The swing is a hip-dominantmovementwith lots ofhipflexionandverylittlekneebend.Badswingerssquattheirswings.Using the arms. The swing is not an upper body exercise. Move thekettlebellwithasnapofthehips.Rounding the back. This is a huge mistake and probably the mostpotentiallydangerous.

Explosiveliftingcanbefun,safe,andchallengingwhendonecorrectlyand

supervised aggressively. Work on developing great technique, and put lessemphasisontheamountofweightlifted.Chooseyourcandidatescarefully,andavoidOlympicliftswithadults.Thisprocesswillleadtoimprovementsinpowerandathleticismthatyoumightnothavethoughtpossible.

WhetheryouchoosetodevelophipandlegpowerthroughOlympiclifting,byperformingjumpsquats,orthroughkettlebellswings,usingexternalloadstotrainfor legandhippowercanbethefastestwaytoachievegains inspeedorjumpingability.ThebeautyofOlympiclifts,jumpsquats,andswingsisthattheathlete can develop power without necessarily developing muscle bulk. Theemphasis is on the nervous system, not the muscular system, making this anexcellent training method for athletes such as figure skaters, wrestlers, andgymnasts. Many athletes and coaches have the mistaken impression thatexplosiveliftingisforfootballplayersonly.Thiscouldnotbefurtherfromthetruth.Olympicliftinganditsvariationsaresuitableforathletesinallsportsandofallsizesandshouldbeofparticularinteresttoathleteslookingfortotal-bodystrengthwithoutincreasesinsize.

RoleoftheRock

First, let me explain the evolution of the rock, the shift, or the scoopdepending on your choice of name.What is clearly evident in both the hangsnatchandhangclean is thatsomethinghappensasagoodathlete initiates theexplosivephaseofthelift,andithappensnaturally.

Ourathleteshavebeen takingadvantageof rotaryhipactionformore than20years.Wedidn’t initiallyteachthisweightshift.Infact, it justhappenedasthe loads got heavier. Better lifters soon realized that trying to hang clean aheavyweight fromadead stop is adifficult task.Thebetter athletesnaturally

begantorockorweightshift.Theyalsobegantohangcleanalotofweight.Fora fewyears Isimply let the liftevolveandatnumerouspoints in the ’80sand’90s had more than 30 football players hang cleaning more than 300 pounds(136kg).NotbadforaI-AAfootballteam.

AfewyearslaterImadethefoolishmistakeoflisteningtomycritics,whosaid that rocking orweight shiftingwaswrong and that we needed to stop. Istartedvigorouslycoachingmyathletestobeperfectlystillbeforetheexplosivepartof the lift. Iessentiallyforbadethemfromrockingorweightshifting.Theresultsweresimpleandobvious.Ournumbersdroppedanddroppedalot.Oneofmyathletesactuallycameuptomeandsaid,“Nicejob,you’vemanagedtomakeusallweaker.”Hishangcleanmaxhaddroppedfrom370to340.(Pleasenote:Thisplayer’sverticaljumpincreased12inchesinfouryearsfrom20to32inches.)Iwasconflicted.Ijustwantedtodowhatwasbestformyathletes.Noonewas injured rocking, and everyone could lift more weight. I began to dosome analysis of the situation and came to the conclusion that rockingwas anormalpartofbothathleticsandofOlympicweightlifting.

IcanrememberreadingCarlMiller’sOlympicLiftingtrainingmanualinthelate1970sandreadingaboutwhathereferredtoas“doublekneebend.”Myfirstreactionwastothinkitwasimpossible.However,afterwatchinggoodOlympicweightliftersonvideo, itbecameobvious that itwasnotonlypossiblebut thatevery great lifter did it.Watch some video in slowmotion and you’ll see. Inorder for the bar to clear the knees, the hips and knees extend. After the barclearstheknees,thekneesflexorrebendtomovethehipsintoposition.Inthejumpportionoftheliftthekneesextendagain.Thecycleisextend–flex–extend.Thishasbeenreferredtoasrocking,scooping,ordoublekneebend.Inanycase,itisrealandithappens.

TherockyouseeinOlympicliftsisthissameaction.Weightshiftsbacktothe heels, knees extend.Weight shifts forward, knees flex. Hips explode, andhipsandkneesextend.Whatwearedoing iswhateveryathletedoes tocreatemaximalexplosivepower.WatchtheverticaljumpsattheNFLCombine.Whatdoyousee?Rocking,prestretch,weightshift.Callitwhatyouwant,butitisthebestwaytoproduceapowerfulmaximaleffort.

Weroutinelyhavefemaleathletescleaning135pounds(61kg)forreps,andthemajority ofmy hockey players hang clean between 250 (113 kg) and 320(145kg).Healthyathletes,greatcleannumbers,greatspeedimprovement,greatvertical jump. So, am I wrong? I don’t think so. As Lee Cockrell says inCreatingMagic,whatifthewaywealwaysdiditwaswrong?

Chapter11PerformanceEnhancementPrograms

Sport-specificprogrammingisoneofthegreatestmisconceptionsinathleticstoday. The notion that each sport needs its own individual program isfundamentally flawed. Themajority of team sports and evenmany individualsportshavesimilargeneralneeds.Allrelyonspeedandpower,withstrengthasthe underlying base. The development of speed, strength, and power does notandshouldnotvarygreatlyfromsporttosport.

Mostof thebest strengthandconditioningcoaches in thecountryuseverysimilarprogramstotrainathletesacrossawiderangeofsports.Veryrarelydocoachesencounterathleteswhoaretoostrong,toofast,ortooefficientinlateralmovement.Thinkaboutitthisway:Isafastbaseballplayerinanywaydifferentfromafastfootballorsoccerplayer?Asacoach,wouldyoudevelopspeedforbaseballdifferentlyfromspeedforfootballorsoccer?

Coachesmayarguethatthetestingisdifferent,butthatisnotthequestion.The training would probably not differ. What probably matters most is theathlete’sabilitytoaccelerateina10-yardareaandtodeceleraterapidly,notherabilitytoperformthefavoredtestfortheparticularsport.Thesameideaappliestostrength.Ifabaseballplayerwantedtogetstronger,wouldtheprocessbeanydifferentfromthatformakingafootballplayerstronger?Idonotbelieveso.Forsports such as baseball, tennis, and swimming, the program might take intoaccount the high stresses on the shoulder and thus reduce the amount ofoverhead lifting, butmost other elementswould remain the same. Strength isstrength.

There is not oneway to get stronger thatmakesmore sense for one sportthananother, and there isnot anyone speeddevelopmentprogram thatmakesmoresenseforonesportthananother.Whatisimportantarethesimilarities,notthe differences. This is the beauty of functional training. Usable strength andusablespeedaredevelopedinasensiblefashion.

What may be more sport specific is the amount of time dedicated to thedevelopmentofstrength,notthemethodsused.Programscanrangefromatwo-dayin-seasonprogram,toathree-dayprogramforahighschoolathleteduringtheschoolyear,tothefour-dayprogramswefollowinthesummerorwithourprofessionals in the off-season.Tellmehowmuch timeyouhave and I’ll tell

youwhichprogramtouse.The ideal isa four-dayprogram,butschedulesandlogisticsoftendon’tallowforusingthefour-dayprograms.

All programs begin with a preparation period and follow a set recipe.Extendingtheanalogybetweenacookandachefatthebeginningofchapter4,Iconsider a trainingplan to be a recipe, not amenu.You can’t addor subtractitemswithoutaffectingthefinaloutcome.So,notcoincidentally,therecipethatfollowsisverysimilartothechaptersequenceofthisbook.

Step1:FoamrollingStep2:StaticstretchingStep3:Mobility,activation,anddynamicwarm-upStep4:Powerwork,medicineballthrows,plyometrics,andspeedworkStep5:PowerandstrengthworkintheweightroomStep6:Conditioning

The sample programs in this chapter take a phase-by-phase approach topreparationandwarm-upskillsandaphase-by-phaseapproach tostrengthandpowerintheweightroom.Thisisconsistentwithallthematerialleadinguptothis point, andwith the underlying philosophy of trainingwith a purpose andusingprogramsthatwillachievethataim.

DesigningthePowerandStrengthProgram

Ideally all strength training programs begin with power development viaexplosiveexercisesorOlympiclifts.Inotherwords,thefaststuffgetsdonefirst.Theintervalbetweensetsisallocatedtocoretraining,mobilityexercises,orbothtomakethebestpossibleuseoftime.

After the explosive lifts are completed, athletes typicallyperformapairofstrengthexercises,usuallythemajorliftsforthatspecificday.Again,thispairofstrength exercises may have a core exercise or a mobility exercise addedbetweenthemtomakegooduseofresttime.Wecallapairofstrengthexerciseswithmobilityorcoreinbetweenatri-set.

Forus,programmingisallaboutdensity,anddensityisbasicallyhowmuchwork we can do per hour. In our programs what others view as rest time isinsteadusedforactivestretching,mobilitywork,orcorework.

The remainingexercisesaredone inanother tri-setor inmini-circuit style.Thismeanstheyareeitherdoneasalreadydescribedordoneoneafteranother,from exercise one down to exercise four. This tri-set or mini-circuit containswhat we view as auxiliary lifts or accessory movements. They are generallydone for twoor three sets or circuits,withoneminuteor less of rest betweensets. The exception to the rule is the two-day programs. Both tri-sets containmajorexercisesforthatday.

Asmentionedalready,themajorsport-specificdifferencesarenotprimarilyin the strength training programs but instead are in the development of theenergy systems for particular sports. The exception is overhead athletes andoverhead sports. Baseball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball are examples ofoverheadsportsthatmighthaveslightlyalteredstrengthprograms.

Conditioning programs need to bemuchmore sport specific than strengthprograms.The strength programs presented are applicable to a broad range ofsports,buttheconditioningprogramsmaybemorespecifictoasinglesportorgroupofsports.

ProgramComponents

Therearethe9essentialcomponentsofawell-designedfunctionalstrengthprogram. All of these are covered in detail in the preceding chapters. Thecomponents are utilized and combined based on the number of training daysavailable.Asthenumberoftrainingdaysdecreasesfromfourtothreetotwo,the

decisions about priority become increasingly difficult. In two-day programsthings become very simple: an explosive exercise, a push, a knee-dominantexercise, a pull, and a hip-dominant exercise. In a four-day program certaincomponentsmaybedonetwiceperweek.Inatwo-dayprogrameachcomponentisaddressedonlyonce.

1. Explosive power development—most often Olympic lifts, but plyometricwork,swings,orjumpsquatscanbesubstituted(seechapters9and10)

2. Bilateralhip-dominantexercises—generally trap-bardeadlifts (seechapter6),butkettlebellsumodeadliftsandgobletsquatsmayalsobeused

3. Single-leg knee-dominant exercises—single-leg squats, split squats, andvariations(seechapter6)

4. Unilateral hip-dominant exercises—straight-leg deadlifts and variations(seechapter6)

5. Corework—antiextension,antirotation,antilateralflexion(seechapter7)6. Horizontalpresses—benchpresses,inclinepresses(seechapter8)7. Verticalpresses—dumbbellorkettlebelloverheadpresses(seechapter8)8. Horizontalpulls—rowsandvariations(seechapter8)9. Verticalpulls—chin-upsandvariations(seechapter8)

The key to a properly designed functional training program is combiningthese categories without overemphasizing or underemphasizing any particularcomponent.

Two-dayworkouts follow the same thought process as three-and four-dayworkoutsandgenerallybeginwithanOlympicmovementsuchasahangclean,hangsnatch,ordumbbell snatch. Inclinepressescanbeusedasacompromisebetweensupinepressingandoverheadpressing.

StrengthProgramPhases

Wehave used the Poliquin undulatingmodel of three-week phases,whichalternatebetweenhighervolume(accumulationphases)andlowervolumewithheavier loads(intensificationphases),withgreatsuccess.Threeweekstendstoworkwellwithmostoff-seasonprogramsbecauseyoucanusefourphasesthatare3weekslongduringa12-weekoffseason.

Phase1is thebasephase.Poliquinrefers tothisasanaccumulationphase,meaningtheathleteaccumulatesmorevolumeduringthisperiod.Thismayalsobereferredtoasananatomicaladaptationphaseorasahypertrophyphase.Westart with two sets of 8 to 10 reps in week 1 to acclimate our athletes with

relatively lowervolumes,progressing to three sets inweeks2 and3.Olympicliftingisperformedforfivereps.

Phase 2 makes strength development the focus and is referred to as anintensificationphase.Inotherwords,intensityincreaseswhilevolumedecreases(theweightgoesupandtherepsgodown).Wemayusesetsofthreeforbenchpresses,chin-ups,andOlympiclifts,withsetsoffiveforourlowerbodystrengthexercises, such as rear-foot-elevated split squats and single-leg straight-legdeadlifts. In thisphase thevolume for exercisesdecreases from24 reps (threesetsof8)tobetween9(threesetsof3)and15(threesetsof5).Intensitiesmovefromthe70percentrangeintothelow80percentrange.

Phase3isasecondaccumulationphase,butmethodscanvary.Wemayusecomplex training (pairinga strengthexercisewithapowerexercise), eccentricemphasis (accumulating time and volume with lower reps), or a modifiedprogramofthreesets(10-5-20)toworkacrossarangeofspectrums.Inanycase,duringphase3thetotalvolumeofworkagainincreases,movingbacktoward24repstotalvolume.

Phase4,formostsports,isastrength–endurancephasefocusingonslightlyhigherrepsthatbeginstopreparetheathleteforthepreseasonpracticestocome.But it can be another lower-rep strength phase for some athletes involved inhigh-absolute-strengthsportssuchasfootball.Complextrainingmaybeusedinthisphaseifithasnotbeenusedinthepreviousphase.

Wehaveusedthismodelverysuccessfullyfora longtimeandcontinuetofine-tuneit.

SampleStrengthPrograms

Please note that all programs should be preceded by a thorough dynamicwarm-up session. Allot 60 to 90 minutes for each training session to coverpreworkoutsofttissuework,stretching,warm-up,andstrengthwork.

All the workouts shown are copies of spreadsheets used. In Excel, if theathletes’maxliftsareknown,theycanbeusedtocalculateloads.Maxweightsare thekeydata thatallow the sheet tocalculatebench loads, splitsquat loads,andclean loads.Thesemaxweightsareonly relevant in that theyproduce theactualspreadsheetnumbers.

Tousethechart,simplyreadacrossfromlefttoright.Performtheliftlisted,withthegivenweightandnumberofreps.

Four-DayPrograms

Four-day programs (see tables 11.1-11.5) are preferred for off-seasontraining for most sports because coaches can easily combine all the elementsneeded for strength development, speed development, and conditioning. Fewcompromises are necessary to address all the critical variables. The four-dayworkout allows inclusion of additional core work or prehabilitation exercisesthatmightnotfitintoatwo-orthree-dayworkout.

Three-DayPrograms

Three-day programs (see tables 11.6-11.8) are slightly more difficult todesign than four-day programs because they provide 25 percent less trainingtime.Threedaysistheminimumtimerecommendedforoff-seasontraining.Theexceptionsareprogramsforathleteswhohavelessneedforabsolutestrengthorathletes suchas figure skaters,gymnasts, and swimmerswhoalreadydevotealargepartof their time to trainingandwouldhavedifficultycomplyingwithathree-day program. In most team sports, three days should be considered theminimumamountofoff-seasontraining.

In a three-day program you can still balance the key components. Fewercompromises are needed than for a two-day program, although some are stillnecessary.Inthree-dayprograms,athletesstillbeginwithanexplosiveexerciseeverydayandperformaprimarypairfollowedbyatri-set.

Two-DayPrograms

Two-dayprograms(seetable11.9)arethemostdifficulttodesign.Theyaregenerallyusedduringtheseasonorinsportsthatdonotrequirealotofabsolutestrength. I recommend two-day programs only for in-seasonworkouts. Pleasenote that all programs should be preceded by a thorough dynamic warm-upsession.Allot60to90minutesforeachtrainingsessiontocoverpreworkoutsofttissuework,stretching,warm-up,andstrengthwork.

Thedifficultywithtwo-dayprogramsisattemptingtotrainall theessentialareasinonlytwosessions.Compromisesmustbemade.

DevelopingConditioningPrograms

Conditioningforsport isconstantlydevelopingandchanging.Coachesandtrainers havemade huge advances in their understanding of the physiology ofsports and in designing programs that stress the appropriate energy systems.Althoughmanyprogramsnowusework-to-restratiosthataremoreappropriatefor team sports, not enough programs address change of direction as a vitalcomponentofsportconditioning.

A comprehensive performance enhancement conditioning program mustfactor in all you have learned throughout this book about functional training.Programsshouldbedesignedwithsomesimpleconceptsinmind:

Utilize the minimal effective dose concept, beginning with body weightwhenpractical.Designaprogramthatcanbecompleted in theallotted time.Thinkabouthow long each setwill take andhowmuch rest to allowbetween sets.Agoodguidelineisabout16to20setsinaone-hourworkout.Design a workout that addresses all the key components, or as many aspracticalinthetimeavailable.Designaworkoutthatpreparesanathletetoplayasport,notaworkoutthatmimics one of the strength sports (bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympiclifting).Simulatingastrengthsportmaybethelargestmistakeinprogramdesign.

Good conditioning program design takes time and thought. Don’t wastevaluabletrainingtimewithworthlessexercises.Alwaysgoforthemostbangforthe buck. Most single-joint exercises do not work a movement pattern butinsteadwork one joint action in one plane.Exercises such as lunges and splitsquatscanbeusedtodevelopsingle-legstrength,balance,andflexibility.Thisthree-prongedbenefitisthekeytogoodexerciseselection.

The areas of conditioning that now need to be developed are muscularspecificityandmovementspecificity.Alltheprogramsillustratedinthischapteraddresschangeofdirectionasakeycomponentoftheconditioningprocess.Theabilitytotoleratethemuscularforcesgeneratedbyacceleratinganddeceleratingandtheabilitytoadapttotheadditionalmetabolicstresscausedbyaccelerationand deceleration are the real keys to off-season conditioning. Deficiencies inthese components are often why athletes describe themselves as not being in

“gameshape.”Mostathleteshavetrainedbyrunning,orworse,ridingasetdistanceinaset

amountoftimewithnothoughttotheadditionalstressesprovidedbyhavingtospeed up and slow down. Athletes frequently are injured in training campsettings in spite of following a prescribed conditioning program to the letter.This is usually due to following a conditioning program that ignores the vitalcomponentsoftheconditioningprocess:

1. Acceleration2. Deceleration3. Changeofdirection

DevelopingtheConditioningBase

Ourphilosophy towarddevelopinga conditioningbase intentionally leavesoutthetermaerobic.Asstatedinchapter2,theconceptofaerobicbasemaybefine in the simplistic sense, but the pursuit of an aerobic base through steady-state exercise can be counterproductive. The key to any conditioning programshouldbetopreparetheathletetoplaythesport.

Asking athletes in sprint-dominant sports (most team sports) to develop abaseconditioning level through long, steady-state activitycan lead tonegativephysiologicalchangesat thecellular levelandtonegativemuscularchangesintissuequality, tissuelength,andjointrangeofmotion.Inaddition,steady-stateconditioning exposes the muscles and joints to potential overuse injury. Toprepareproperly,athletesneedtoaccelerateanddecelerate,andthemusclesandjointsneedtomoveinamotorpatternthat issimilar to thepatternusedat topspeed.

Withthissaid,theobviousquestionis,Howdoyoudevelopaconditioningbase without jogging? The answer in my mind is that you work backward.Instead of beginning a conditioning programwith multiple bouts of 30 to 40minutes of jogging or cycling, begin with small amounts of extensive temporunning, gradually increasing the amount and correspondingly the time. Ourconditioningworkoutsinitiallymaytakeonly10minutes,buttheyareprecededby up to 20 minutes of dynamic warm-up. The end result is 30 minutes ofelevated heart ratewith an emphasis on dynamic flexibility and propermotorpatterns.Contrast thiswith30minutesof range-limited jogging todevelop theaerobicbase.

It is important tomention thatextensive temporunning isneithersprintingnorjogging;rather,itisperiodsofstridinginterspersedwithperiodsofwalking.

Athletes stride 30 to 100 yards ormeters, depending on the facility size, andwalk 30 to 40 yards or meters after each stride. Athletes should begin withapproximately6to8minutesoftemporunsandelevatetheheartratethroughacombination of striding and walking. In general, athletes should never jog orrevert to the short-stride motor pattern that is often implicated in loss offlexibility.

Thetemporunsaredoneonceperweek.Fromtemporunsathletesprogressto shuttle runs that emphasize acceleration, deceleration, and change ofdirection.Theshuttlerunsarealsodoneonceperweek.Initially,150-yard(150m)shuttlerunsaredoneona25-or50-yardcourse.Thisallowstheathletes tochangedirectionwhileacceleratinganddecelerating.

Inthefirstweekofshuttlerunsthetotaldistancecoveredisdecreased(fromapproximately1,000yardsoftemporunningto750yardsofshuttlerunning)tocompensate for the increased muscular stress of the shuttle runs. Shuttle-rundistances are then increased by either 10 to 20 percent per week (about 150yards).

It’s important to note that the use of a 25-yard course results in increasedmuscularstressbydoublingthenumberofchangesofdirectionandchangesinspeed. However, many facilities do not have access to the 60 yards ofstraightawayspaceneededtorunat50-yardintervals.

Usingaprogressionoftemporunstoshuttlerunsallowstheathleteto

1. developabasewhilemaintainingtheappropriatemusclelengthsand2. achievealevelofconditioningtosafelyandeffectivelyperformstopsand

starts,whicharepartofsomanysports.

CustomizingConditioningforaSport

In general, conditioning programsmust be sport specific in terms of thesecharacteristics:

Time. In chapter 2 we discussed analyzing the needs of a sport.Conditioningprogramsshouldnotbedesignedtoallowtheathletetopassanarbitraryconditioningtestbuttopreparetheathletetoparticipateinthesportitself.Movement.Conditioningprogramsshouldincorporatechangesofdirection.Injuriesmost often occur in acceleration and deceleration. Often athletesare injurednotbecause theyareoutof shapebutbecause theyarepoorlyprepared.Oneminuteofstraight-aheadrunningonatrackandoneminute

of stop-and-start shuttle running are drastically different, bothmuscularlyandmetabolically.Motorpattern.Conditioningmust incorporate thepatternof a sprint (i.e.,the stride patternmust be similar to sprinting).To properly condition thehip flexors and hamstrings (the muscles most often injured in thepreseason), the athlete must aggressively extend and recover the hip.Consider thatasix-minutemile isrunat thespeedofaneight-second40-yard dash. No wonder many athletes who think they are prepared ofteninjurethemselves.Movement emphasis. The workouts are arranged so that on lateralmovementdays,conditioninghasalateralmovementemphasis.Thismeansthattwodaysperweek,conditioningisdoneontheslideboard,regardlessof the sport. The slide board provides repeated frontal-plane accelerationanddeceleration.There isnobetter complement to running than the slideboard.

Francis’sHigh–LowConcept

Another key component to conditioning programs involves how hard towork.Therehasbeenbacklash in recentyears about coachesworkingathletestoo hard, with too much change-of-direction running. An example is runningtimed shuttle runs on every conditioning day. Legendary sprint coach CharlieFrancisespousedasimplehigh–lowapproachyearsago thathasbeenadoptedby thousands of coaches. What Francis effectively said was to make yourconditioningworkoutseitherabove90percenteffortorunder80percenteffort.Toomuchhardwork froma conditioning standpoint can be detrimental.As aresultwetendtohaveonehardconditioningworkoutaweekandtwoor threedaysinthe70percenteffortrange.Those“low”dayscanbetemporuns,slide-boardworkouts,orbikeworkouts.

LinearandLateralTraining

Temporunningandshuttle runningareusedon lineardays,whereasslide-boardwork is doneon lateral days.The slideboard is an excellentmethodofconditioningthatmeetsanumberofneedsinallsports.

The slideboardwasmadepopularbyOlympic speedskaterEricHeiden inthe1980s.Speedskatershavebeenusingtheslideboardfordecadestodevelop

skating-specificconditioningandmechanicswhenicesurfacesareunavailable.However,otherathletesandcoacheshavebeenslow to recognize thevalueofthe slide board as part of their off-season and preseason training. Continuedimprovementinslide-boarddesignhasresultedinsomedurableboardsthatcanbeusedbyathletesatalllevels.Boardsthatareadjustablefrom7feetto10feet(2to3m)arenowavailable.

The slide board may offer the most bang for the buck of any functionalconditioningtool.Nootherpieceofequipmentcandoallofthefollowing:

Placetheathleteinasport-specificposition(foralmostallsports)PositivelystresstheabductorandadductormusclesforinjurypreventionAllowathletestoworkingroupsofthreeorfourononepieceofequipmentProvide functional conditioning in an interval format for three or fourathleteswithnoadjustments(e.g.,seatheight)forunder$,1000

All athletes regardless of sport (unless they are rowers) should performlateralmovementconditioning twooutof fourdaysperweek.Theslideboardmay be the best, most cost effective conditioning mode available except foractualrunning.

Theslideboardmayalsobethemostimportanttrainingdeviceavailableforhockey.Untiltheadventoftheslideboard,hockeyplayerswererelegatedtooff-seasontrainingonanexercisebikeoronthetrack.Althoughbothrunningandbiking can increase aerobic capacity and anaerobic endurance, there is littlesimilarity to themotionof skating.The slideboardprovides a highlyhockey-specificmethodfordoingwork-capacityworkouts.Inaddition,itallowsathletesto improve skating technique. Athletes can easily self-correct by placing theboardinfrontofalargemirrorandviewingtheirkneeflexion,kneeextension,andankleextensionwhile training.Trainingwitha slideboardduring theoff-seasoncanhelphockeyplayersimproveworkcapacityandskatingtechniqueforin-seasoncompetition.

The slide board also drastically reduces all athletes’ chances of incurringpreseason groin injuries. The motion of the slide board works the abductor,adductor, and hip flexor muscles, which does not occur on a bike or on anycommerciallyavailableclimber.Inaddition,theslideboardworksonthedirectlateralpattern that isused inanychangeofdirectionand in top-speedskating.Whencombinedwithaprogramofplyometricsandsprints,theslideboardisamajortoolforimprovingspeed.

Combining the slide boardwith aweight vest offers another sport-specificmodeofhockeyandfootballtraining.Onlyfootballandicehockeyinvolvethe

additionalweightofequipmentasavariableintheconditioningprocess.Forthelasthalfofthesummerconditioningprogram,footballandhockeyplayersatourtraining facility trainwith 10-pound (5 kg)weight belts on the slide board tobeginacclimatingthemtotheweightoftheirsport’sequipment.Somecoachesminimize the impact of the equipment, but consider how different the resultswouldbeifathletesweretestedinamilerunandthenretestedthreeorfourdayslater while wearing a 10-pound weight vest or belt. Equipment weight is animportant factor in some sports and should be considered in conditioningprograms designed for those sports. Not adding weight to the body whenconditioningforsportssuchashockeyandfootballisfoolish.

SeasonalConditioningConsiderations

Manyathletesnowparticipateinsportyearround,andthismustbefactoredinto the off-season conditioning programs. Basketball players, soccer players,andhockeyplayerstendtobeonthecourt,field,oriceyearround,asaremanyothers.Thismeanstheseathletesmightdonon-weight-bearingconditioningsuchas an elliptical machine or a stationary bike for additional conditioning. Indesigningtheconditioningprogram,thinkaboutwhetheryouareaddingstresstoanalreadystressedsystem.

Programs that force athletes to increase speed, decrease speed, and changedirection drastically reduce the incidence of early-season groin and hamstringinjuries and better prepare the athletes for the demands of an actual game orevent.However, if theathletesareengagingintheseactivitiesdailyasasport-specific workout, alternative activities that complement rather than repeat themovementsandstressorsofplayingthesportshouldbeconsidered.

Sport-SpecificConditioningConsiderations

Strengthandconditioningcoachesandsportscoachesalwaysneedtokeepinmindwhat physical capabilitiesmake athletes outstanding in their sport.Withthatinmind,thesearemyrecommendations.

Football

Footballisoneofthefewsportsthatisnotyearroundandrequiresagoodoff-seasonintervalrunningprogram.Footballplayersshouldrun,notbikeordocircuits. Football practice is demanding, and running before the start of

preseasonpracticesbetterpreparestheathletestomeetthatchallenge.Ibelievethe big increase in NFL injuries correlates directly to fewer organized teamactivitiesandthusareductioninoff-seasonconditioningdaysandrunning.

Baseball

Baseball is unique because it requires on-demand speed but not a largefitnessrequirement.Forthisreason,athletesmustperformbothshortsprintsforspeedandsprintintervalsforconditioning.Baseballplayerswillrampuprapidlyinspringtrainingbecausegamescomequickly,soadheringtoasprint-intervalconditioningprogramintheoff-seasonisessential.

Baseballat theprofessional levelmaybethemostuniquesport in thatyouhavethreeverydistinctgroupsofplayers:positionplayerswhoplayeveryday,startingpitcherswhopitch every fifth day, and relief pitcherswhopitchmorefrequently but with significantly less volume. All have different conditioningrequirements.Positionplayersfurtherbreakdownintoinfieldersandoutfielders,andbothgroupshavedifferentspeedandconditioningrequirements.Thisbearsno resemblance to baseball at the lower levels, high school and below,whereplayers playmultiple positions. In either case, baseball playersmust work onspeeddevelopmenttoprepareforthedemandsofthegameandonconditioningdevelopmenttoensurehealththroughouttheseason

Pitchershaveoftendonedistancerunningwiththemistakenimpressionthatit will develop the endurance necessary to throw 100-plus pitches. Gameobservationshowsapatternof10to12pitchesperinningfollowedbyabout15minutes’ rest. So since those 100 pitches are often thrown over the course ofthreetofourhours,long-distancerunningmakesverylittlesense.Therealityisthatintervaltrainingisthebestpreparationforanybaseballplayer.

Basketball

Mostbasketballplayersplaypickupgameswhenevertheyaren’t in-season.Sotheir

off-seasontrainingshouldaugment theconditioningtheyaregettingonthecourt and ensure the knees and ankles aren’t getting stressed toomuch or toooften.Therefore,Irecommendbikeandslide-boardworkoutstokeepplayersinshapeplus a lateral componentwith reducedpoundingon the lower extremityjoints.

Bikeandslide-boardworkoutskeepbasketballplayersinshapeplusaddalateralcomponentneededforthemovementsoftheirsport.

EdSubaJr/ZumaPress/IconSportswire

IceHockey

Icehockeyhaschangedfromasportlikefootballthathasaverydistinctoff-seasontoasportlikebasketballthathasalmostnooff-season.Althoughgamesstop,more andmore players stay on skates for a large portion of the summerwithpowerskatingandoff-seasontournaments.Ilikeourhockeyathletestorunin the off-season to get them out of the “skater’s crouch” and lengthen theanteriorhips.However,Idonothavethemrunandskateonthesamedaysintheoff-season,soweendupdoingmorebikeworkthanIlike.

Keephockeyplayersoffspin-typebikesthatfeedtheflexionpostureofthesport.IlovetheAirdyneandAssaultAirBikesforhockeybecauseresistanceisautomatically adjusted, they add an upper body component to the workout(similartorunningandskating),andtheyencourageamoreuprightposture.

Soccer

Aerobic training for most soccer players, particularly young, developingplayers, is counterproductive. Soccer players are notorious for focusing on

fitnessat theexpenseofspeed.Although thisapproachmayappear toworkatthe elite level, it should be noted that elite players already have world-classspeedandskills.Theassumptionthatthefitness-over-speedapproachcanworkwithyoungerplayersisbotherroneousandcounterproductive.

The information in this book can help soccer players and soccer coachesdevelop the important skillsof speedandchangeofdirection that separate thegreatfromtheneargreat.Soccerplayersneedtodevelopfitnessthroughtemporunning and shuttle running, not jogging. The key to developing great soccerplayers is todevelopsprinters.Coachesmustunderstand that the trainingdoesnotneedtolooklikethetesting.

WrestlingandCombatSports

Conditioningforwrestlingandothercombatsportscanbecomplicateddueto the intense nature of the practices. Often these sports come with weightrequirementsandathleteswillattempttouseexerciseinsteadofdiettoreducetotherequiredweight.Inadditionthesesportsarerelativelyuniqueinthattherestbetweenperiodsislessthantheperioditself.Thisisreferredtoasanegativerestto work ratio. Combat sport athletes will obtain the majority of theirconditioning through the actual practice and should be judicious in the use ofadditionalconditioningto“makeweight”.

MultisportHighSchoolAthletes

Multisportathletesshouldfollowanoff-seasonrunningprogramiftheyhaveaseasonoff.Rarelydoathletescompeteinmorethantwosports,sotheyshouldhaveatleastonetrueoff-season.However,mosthighschoolathletescontinuetoplaythepreferredsportyearround.Theseathletesneedaproperbalanceofrestandworkduringthetimeofyeartheyaren’tinacompetitiveseason.Butsuchathletesareusuallyhighlymotivatedandalwaysactive.That’swhyIalwaystellcoachestoasktheathletes,“Whatelseareyouplanningtodotoday?”

ConditioningConclusions

Most sports have farmore similarities than differences. There are obviousdifferences, but what most sports have in common are the key skills ofacceleration,deceleration, andchangeofdirection.Whetheryouare a footballplayerorafigureskater,theseskillsarecritical.Toimproveconditioningwhilereducing the chance of injury, conditioning programs must train acceleration,deceleration, and change of direction. In addition, youmust think outside thebox.Slideboardsandweightvestsaretwonot-so-obvioustoolsthathelpmakeconditioning programs both sport specific and, more important, movementspecific.

The following movement tables demonstrate how the nonstrength-trainingportionoftheworkoutisorganized.

References

Poliquin,C.1988.Varietyinstrengthtraining.SciencePeriodicalonResearchandTechnologyinSport.8(8):1-7.

AbouttheAuthor

MichaelBoyle is oneof the foremost experts in the fieldsof strength and

conditioning, functional training, and general fitness. He is knowninternationallyforhispioneeringworkandisanin-demandspeakeratstrengthandconditioningconferencesandathletictrainingclinicsaroundtheworld.

Because of his expertise in sport performance training,Boyle has coachedeliteathletesonteamssuchastheBostonRedSox,BostonBruins,NewEnglandRevolution,andBostonBreakersaswellastheU.S.women’sOlympicteamsinsoccerandicehockey.In2012,BoylejoinedtheBostonRedSoxcoachingstaffas a strength and conditioning consultant for the team, which later won theWorldSeries.Hisclient listover theyears reads likeaWho’sWhoofathleticsuccess, including retired American football defensive end Marcellus Wiley,2012OlympicjudogoldmedalistKaylaHarrison,andLiverpoolstrikerDanielSturridge.

Boyle was the head strength and conditioning coach at Boston Universityfrom 1984 to 1997. From 1990 to 2012 hewas the strength and conditioningcoachformen’sicehockeyatBU.

Boyle provides performance-enhancement training for athletes of all levelsthrough hisBoston-based gym,MikeBoyle Strength andConditioning,which

has been named one of America's 10 Best Gyms byMen's Health magazine.Boyle’s range of experience includes training athletes from themiddle schoolleveltoall-starsinmostmajorprofessionalsports.

BoyleistheownerandeditorofStrengthCoach.com,awebsitededicatedtoeducatingstrengthandconditioningcoachesandpersonaltrainers.