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Over the years, we typically change our minds constantly. What was once important loses its significance, and what was once useless becomes the center of our universe. The purpose of this article is to explain why I changed my mind about the seated calf raise and now feel that it is a vital and often overlooked exercise for training.

At one point in my career, I felt that training the calves was pointless. I viewed them as useful but not crucial, sort of like an appendix, says @jbryanmann. Share on X

At one point in my career, I felt that training the calf was pointless—the hip and knee joints were where it was at for sprinting and running, and the calves were just there. I felt that they were useful but not crucial, sort of like an appendix. Since they weren’t a big deal, I wouldn’t waste my time training them. Looking back on this, I see how laughable this thought was.

My Eureka Moment with Athletic Performance

I started to question myself, as well as the intelligence of others, when I read an article about Natalia Verkhoshansky and then asked her about it myself in person. She made a statement that the exercise in the weight room most related to change of direction for her athletes was the seated calf raise. I thought there was an issue with the translation or some other language barrier and refused to believe it.

I was still very skeptical when I talked to her in person at a hotel bar in New Orleans. She told me that it was indeed the seated calf raise that had the biggest relationship to improved change of direction ability in her athletes. Then I started teaching anatomy and kinesiology in the same semester, and her statement completely made sense as to the how and why.

Examining the biomechanical modeling literature, when gait is studied at walking speeds, 80% of the propulsive forces come from the ankle and 20% come from the hip.¹ Some of you may gawk and ask, “That’s 100%, what about the knee?” The knee takes care of 100% of the negative forces, which are braking forces. These are what stops the momentum downward to allow for the other joints to utilize propulsive forces.

When gait is studied at maximal sprinting speeds, 80% of the propulsive forces come from the hip and 20% come from the ankle, with the knee again providing the braking forces. The gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles are what account for those propulsive forces. I never in my wildest dreams thought this was possible, and it wasn’t until I further examined the gait cycle and realized how it worked that everything clicked. When the foot touches down directly underneath the body, the hip works as a hip extensor to propel the body forward after the thigh passes the imaginary perpendicular line drawn from the center of mass to the ground. It is actually the calf that causes those propulsive forces, rather than the hip.

When looking at the line of pull of the muscles on the joint, this becomes more apparent. The hips would have to rotate anteriorly and have a fairly significant accompanying lumbar extension to be able to continue being the primary driver. This is obviously inefficient, and it wouldn’t be done unless there were several factors necessitating its use. Instead, it is the calf pulling on the calcaneus that drives the forces at the ankle to cause plantar flexion for this further drive.

You may read this and think, “Okay, I get the calf raise now, but why is this kook talking about the seated calf raise?” I’m glad you asked. If we go back to our anatomy, we need to examine the origin and insertion. For most actions, the origin of the gastrocnemius is on the medial and lateral epicondyles of the femur, with the insertion being at the calcaneal tuberosity via the Achilles tendon.²

When explained more simply: The gastrocnemius crosses both the knee joint and the ankle joint and can serve as a knee flexor and a plantar flexor. For most actions of the soleus, the origin of the soleus is on the fibular head and lateral plateau of the tibia, with the insertion being at the calcaneal tuberosity via the Achilles tendon. To put this simply: The soleus only crosses the ankle joint. This is a very important distinction to make.

Muscular restrictions occur when a muscle is too tight to allow for a greater range of motion. Once the knee bends (provided that the gastrocnemius wasn’t so tight that the knee couldn’t extend), the gastrocnemius is now no longer at a stretch, and its tightness can no longer be the limiting factor if there is a dorsiflexion restriction, as there is slack in the muscle. If the restriction is one of the triceps surae group, it must be the soleus, since that is the only muscle now at maximal length.

This is not to say that the only thing impacting dorsiflexion is the soleus; of course, it could be muscles impacting arch control like the tibialis posterior, an issue such as a bone spur, or another reason for locking one of the many joints of the foot distal to (and including) the talocrural joint. I will say that most strength and conditioning and personal training professionals will lack the training to determine the other issues. For me, if the soleus intervention does not work, I punt and refer the athlete out to an individual whose scope of practice includes the areas that are the issue.

If we examine the deep squat movement of the functional movement screen (FMS), we should remember that the first attempt to get a 2 rather than a 3 is to elevate the heels. By elevating the heels, you start out in plantar flexion and allow a greater number of degrees of dorsiflexion before hitting the end range of motion. In other words, it allows an individual to get around the dorsiflexion restriction. Often, simply elevating the heel by an inch and a half will allow the person to do well on the deep squat.

For some reason, when this cleans up the pattern, many people tend to want to go stand on slant boards to try and stretch out the calf (which is not a bad idea). However, most end up doing them on a straight leg. This stretches out the gastrocnemius, which couldn’t be the issue during the deep squat—it is either the soleus or something else that isn’t the triceps surae group. The likelihood increases when bending the knee and allowing the stretch to be placed on the soleus.

More Mounting Evidence for Training the Soleus Muscle

One other interesting thing about the soleus is that it can actually posteriorly translate the tibia. While most people refer to the origin as the part closest to the joint off of the torso and insertion as the point most distal to the joint off of the torso, that’s not completely correct. The origin is simply the least movable bone, and the insertion is the most movable bone. Hence the term, “the insertion is drawn to the origin.”

The origin is simply the least movable bone, and the insertion is the most movable bone. Hence the term, “the insertion is drawn to the origin,” says @jbryanmann. Share on X

This is important because when the foot is planted (the heel is down and stays down) and the soleus turns on, plantar flexion can actually occur by the tibia moving backward. This allows the soleus to aid in the hamstring muscle group to posteriorly translate the tibia during activity.^3-5 This is important due to the ankle and its role in ACL injuries. Research has shown that the mechanism of the non-contact ACL tear is an internal rotation and adduction force of the hip, as well as an anterior translation of the tibia in relation to the femur.⁶

A major point to this, especially as it relates to ACL tears, is that the studies by Elias et al., Fleming et al., and Mokhtarzadeh et al. found that while the soleus was an agonist to the ACL, the gastrocnemius was an antagonist—meaning that it worked against the ACL. It does so by working as a knee flexor, but from below the knee joint rather than above, as the hamstrings do. This distinction is important as it indicates that the line of pull is different even though the end result is the same (knee flexion). Yet they have different impacts as far as how the muscle works with the ACL (the hamstrings are agonists and the gastrocnemius is an antagonist).

When changing direction, which is how the non-contact ACL tear occurs, the body understands that it needs to drop the center of mass. Movement forces (moment) are reduced at that point in time and required to stop and redirect the body properly. To accomplish this lowering of the center of mass, there is a “triple flexion” (as opposed to triple extension) that occurs: dorsiflexion of the ankle joint, flexion of the knee, and a flexion of the hip.² If there is a range of motion (ROM) issue at any of those joints, the other two will increase their flexion to compensate for it.

As the ankle tends to be dorsiflexion-restricted in many athletes, the additional flexion comes from the hip and the knee, and the heel tends to lift up to compensate for this lack of dorsiflexion in accommodation of the additional flexion of the other two joints. This results in an anterior translation of the tibia, which is one of the major mechanisms of the ACL tear and may be one of the reasons that those with dorsiflexion are at a greater risk of tearing their ACL. Now, increasing the soleus length (again, if it is in fact the muscle that is restrictive) will decrease the likelihood of a dorsiflexion restriction and thus reduce the likelihood of anterior tibial translation. The strengthening of the soleus will increase its ability to posteriorly translate the tibia.

Connecting the Scientific Dots by Implementing the Exercise

I have talked a great deal about anatomy, biomechanical modeling, and kinematics. How does this relate back to the seated calf raise and the reason I like it? It targets the soleus like no other exercise can.

Since the knee is bent, when the athlete goes from full stretch to full contraction, not only does it improve the ability to dorsiflex (in terms of ROM), but it also improves the force that will be provided by ground reaction forces during sprints and jumps. It will also increase the ability to posteriorly translate the tibia to help prevent injuries. This is especially important if athletes already do standing calf raises, as this targets the gastrocnemius, which is an antagonist to the ACL.^3-5 If you don’t develop the muscles in balance, it increases the likelihood of issues.

Video 1. Exotic rep schemes are not required for programming seated calf raises, just make sure you are committed to adding them into your training. All it takes is a few minutes a week to reap benefits, so it’s one of the best bang-for-your-buck exercises even if it is an isolation movement.

When performing this movement, I used to think of it as an accessory exercise to do at the end of the workout, if at all. I found out, much by happenstance, that it is actually quite effective when done before squats and other major exercises. I have always had tight calves and an impatient disposition.

I used to treat the seated calf raise as an accessory exercise to do at the end of a workout, but I found that it’s quite effective done before squats and other major exercises, says @jbryanmann. Share on X

I have been training at a commercial gym, due to childcare needs, and often have to wait for someone to do their dancing combined with curls and ab wheel rollouts in the squat rack before I can squat. Being impatient, I thought I’d do some exercises that wouldn’t affect my squat but would still let me finish my workout in time to shower and get my kids. I started doing the seated calf raise while waiting because no one was ever using that machine.

Lo and behold! My squats felt much more comfortable and looked better, and I squatted deeper than when I didn’t do seated calf raises before squats. There is a marked difference on the days when I’ve tried to not do them before squatting and the days I have done them. For me, anecdotally, this has led to reduced knee pain and feeling more solid under the barbell. This may be an enhancement of motor control through the sequencing of the exercises, but I possess no actual data to corroborate this statement.

Make the Accessory a Priority in Your Programming

As a strength and conditioning coach, I used to think that some things were unnecessary, and I know many other S&C coaches who think the same way. I remember saying earlier in my career that the biceps brachii were also like the appendix, great to have but unnecessary, as you have other things that flex the elbow. I now know the error of that statement.

I think that, all too often, we want to make statements or decisions to show how smart we are—how we are smart enough to buck conventionality and show we know more than the architects of the human body. Unfortunately, I think that we often find this to not be the case.

Through teaching anatomy and kinesiology, I have made myself reevaluate my views on how the human body functions. It almost seems to me that we should go through another round of teaching these classes once our viewpoint evolves after spending time as professionals. We would have a greater context, and we could change the way we program based on good information rather than the rhetoric thrown around at the bar (both the weight room and the pub).

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

References

1. Dorn, T.W., Schache, A. G., and Pandy, M.G. “Muscular strategy shift in human running: dependence of running speed on hip and ankle muscle performance.” The Journal of Experimental Biology. 2012; 215(11); 1944–1956.

2. Neumann, D.A. (2010). Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System: Foundations for Rehabilitation. Mosby/Elsevier.

3. Elias, J.J., Faust, A.F., Chu, Y.-H., Chao, E.Y., and Cosgarea, A.J. “The Soleus Muscle Acts as an Agonist for the Anterior Cruciate Ligament: An in Vitro Experimental Study.” The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2003; 31(2): 241–246.

4. Fleming, B.C., Renstrom, P.A., Ohlen,G., Johnson, R.J., Peura, G.D., Beynnon, B.D., and Badger, G.J. “The gastrocnemius muscle is an antagonist of the anterior cruciate ligament.” Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 2001; 19(6): 1178–1184.

5. Mokhtarzadeh, H., Yeow, C.H., Hong Goh, J.C., Oetomo, D., Malekipour, F., and Lee, P.V. “Contributions of the Soleus and Gastrocnemius muscles to the anterior cruciate ligament loading during single-leg landing.” Journal of Biomechanics. 2013; 46(11): 1913–1920.

6. Myer, G.D., Ford, K.R., Khoury, J., Succop, P., and Hewett, T.E. “Development and Validation of a Clinic-Based Prediction Tool to Identify Female Athletes at High Risk for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.” The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2010; 38(10): 2025–2033.

 

If asked to describe a prototypical receiver, coaches will cite traits like speed, size, hand-eye coordination, foot speed, agility, and jumping ability. We essentially describe Julio Jones. The issue coaches all encounter is what to do when they aren’t blessed with a stable of Julios on their roster. The natural first step is to prioritize skills and play the kid who possesses the most crucial skills for the position.

For years, coaches, particularly at the high school level, have looked to their fastest athletes with decent hand-eye coordination to play wide receiver (WR). This seems to be common sense, as a coach should want their fastest kids on the perimeter to stretch defenses vertically and horizontally. But coach long enough and the inevitable question arises: Why can’t the all-conference track kid separate on the field?

I am a firm believer that the issue lies with traditional receiver development. Too often, coaches subscribe to the belief that many of those essential skills are fixed traits. We fail to develop the skills critical to be elite receivers.

Too often, coaches subscribe to the belief that many essential skills are fixed traits. We fail to develop the skills critical to be elite receivers, says @WLCCoachTreske. Share on X

This is more evident at each higher level of football. As the competition level rises, the margin for error becomes thinner. Players must master skills other than speed and hand-eye coordination. As coaches, we must then ask what skill(s) most drastically separates the good from the great receivers, and how do we develop that skill? The answer, like most answers in football and athletics, lies in the film.

Going Beyond Speed

If you analyze the film, the answer is not speed, it is movement efficiency. In fact, as the level of competition rises, the difference in speed is often minuscule. For example, in the 2013 NFL draft, the difference between the 10-yard times for the No. 1 and No. 100 WR prospects was .04. In fact, if you went through the top 100 prospects, you’d see a range of 1.5–1.61 seconds on their first 10 yards. This minor disparity carries over into the 20-yard times as well. If your passing offense is anything like ours—or any of the NFL teams, for that matter—that means that the speed difference is subtle in nearly 90% of your throws.

This limited speed disparity is not unique to the NFL and D1 programs; it is found at all levels of football. Our team, for example, just performed initial off-season testing, and the difference between our fastest wideout and our slowest was .15 seconds. In fact, we’ve had several of our team’s top receivers in the middle of the pack. Though any subtle difference is an advantage, this limited range in times suggests it’s something more than speed that results in on-field production—it’s movement efficiency and technique.

This limited range in times suggests it’s something more than speed that results in on-field production—it’s movement efficiency and technique, says @WLCCoachTreske. Share on X

I have been fortunate to work with some great WR coaches, and we’ve discussed and debated the subtleties of stance, stem, demeanor, leverage, release techniques, and catch point and their impact on WR development. All of these techniques are critical factors in becoming a complete WR, but in my experience, the film suggests that the X factor in performance is efficient breakpoint mechanics. The ability to decelerate into a break and reaccelerate out of a break is what divides the best receivers from the rest. The beauty is that this is a skill that can be learned and trained over time.

Breakpoint Mechanics

To develop breakpoint mechanics, we need our athletes to understand the ideal body position they must be in to change directions. In our program, we call this our “stick” position, since it serves as both a term and coaching cue to reinforce the need for the athlete to apply force (“stick” his foot) into the ground. This position is foundational in movement mechanics.

1. The ‘Stick’ position.

Coaching Cues: Shoulder over knee and ankle, neutral core, hips dropped, sprint action in arms, weight loaded on lead leg, drive through ball of foot.

By getting into the stick position and loading the lead leg, we give ourselves the ability to drive out of our break explosively at almost any angle. The impact of this is tremendous; if you master the stick, you can master any route in your offense. We teach this position, much like you’d teach any body movement, through a progression series.

‘Stick’ Progression

We begin by positioning the athletes along a line in their WR stance with their inside foot forward. We then demonstrate and describe the cues of the position and then cue them to get into a stick position. Check and correct the athletes as they hold the stick position, then rep the movement repeatedly on each side—occasionally asking them to hold and control the movement. Like all movements, repetition is crucial. Once they master the baseline position, we work using a triphasic approach to teach and strengthen the position.

Three Phases of the Break (and all movements)

1. Eccentric – Have athletes slowly descend (3–5 seconds) into the bottom portion of the movement.
2. Isometric – Have athletes quickly drop into the bottom portion of the movement and hold the bottom position (3–5 second hold).
3. Concentric – Have athletes quickly execute the movement and drive out explosively (we use jumps and sprints out of the position).

Once the athletes begin to execute from a stationary position, we have them walk the position out and stick on every third step. We gradually progress the tempo to 50%, 75%, and full speed between the stick step, always asking them to perform an isometric freeze and control the stick movement early on. Control is the key. Once we master the stick, we then teach them how to transfer and drive out of the position for the variety of routes we’ll run. We categorize routes into four categories by their angle of departure.

On the field, we rep all four of our techniques in a progression:

• Stationary breaks
• Controlled tempo breaks (walking, 50, 75, 100% with controlled holds)
• Cone drills with multiple reps for breaks (also with tempo—can be creative with patterns)
• Full routes

Three Essential Breakpoint Techniques

1. Stick and Snap 

Route Examples: Hitch, Curl, Comeback, Fade Stop, Perimeter Screens

This is one of the more challenging breakpoints, as athletes need to transition their body in almost the opposite direction. This requires precise technique on the upper and lower platforms, square shoulders, and eccentric strength to drop-sink the hips in position. We emphasize snapping the shoulders at the defender and staying square until AFTER the athlete drops his hips.

2. Stick and Roll

Route Examples: Speed Out, Deep Out, Speed Dig

This set of routes is the most varied in the way they are taught. Regardless of whether you teach a speed cut/square out, two-step, or four-step, the principle of the break is the same. We aim to have the athlete sink the hip and roll off the instep of the plant foot. Arm drive is key to rip to the outside explosively. In addition, teaching the athlete to turn their head out of the break is crucial to locate the ball.

We see two common mistakes on this one:

1. Athletes do not lead the shoulder over the hip and ankle and get overextended.
2. Athletes drag their opposite foot, which slows them down or causes a false step.

3. Stick and Lean

Route Examples: Slant, Post, Corner, Post Corner

This is the probably the most natural and most common breakpoint we see. Athletes execute the stick position with a slight outstep and shoulder lean opposite the break to: 1) load the outside leg to drive laterally; and 2) influence or “freeze” the defender opposite the break. The shoulder MUST follow the hip and ankle, or the athlete will false step (this is a common fault).

Progressing the Breakpoint

To challenge your athletes and help take the break mechanics to another level, there are a variety of tools and methods you can utilize, both on the field and in the weight room. In our program, we use three primary tools (bands, boxes, and medicine balls) and look to combine/progress them with this framework in mind: The athlete needs to be able to control the vertical force to stop before we focus on the rotational force required to transition horizontally.

Here is our foundational breakpoint progression:

1. Banded Stick

This an extension of our base stick drill, using the band as both resistance and sensory feedback. If the athlete does not drop the hips or keep the shoulders down, the band will pull back. We will also place the band laterally to work on getting an explosive drive out of the break.

2. Box Drop Progression

We use an elevated surface as a means to add resistance. The higher the box, the more force athletes are required to control. From the box, we work on dropping to a stick, sticking and popping off the floor, and ultimately sticking into our different route families.

3. Med Ball Rotation (from Stick)

Getting out of the stick position requires a strong push step and explosive rotational force. We love using med balls as a way to work the rotation. We begin with athletes in the stick position and work rotational throws into each route family. We then progress to catching the ball into a transition from different angles and then finally catching it mid-stick into the families.

4. Banded Stick Plus Med Ball Rotation

We now combine the two methods to work additional resistance. The combinations work from the easiest route families (stick and lean) and catch points (directly in front) to the more challenging positions.

5. Box Drop Plus Med Ball Rotation

The final combination of these methods and tools is dropping from the box to a med ball rotation/break. Like the other med ball methods, we add tosses from progressively varying positions to make it more difficult.

Taking It to the Next Level: Decelerating

Learning to break is the first step, and it will help your receivers be explosive in their routes, particularly the quick game. After we teach the essential breakpoints, we feel the next level is to teach our athletes how to get into those breaks at deeper levels by teaching deceleration mechanics.

There’s a wide variety of factors that go into being able to decelerate quickly (ankle, hip mobility, hip/glute stability, quad/core strength, etc.), but we try to break it down to three critical elements for our athletes to focus on:

1. Remaining as level as possible in the route stem (showing vertical).
2. Keeping shoulders over knees on toes to get to a stick position.
3. Pushing down as hard as possible (feet, hips, and arms).

Key Drill: Drums to Stick

Route Examples: Curl, Comeback – Can also use for Dig or Deep Squared Out.

This is the most challenging breakpoint, as we need to transition our body in almost the opposite direction at depths of 10–15+ yards. We describe these as level 2 routes, and this technique is essential for them, especially curl and comeback variations. The nature of these routes requires us to decelerate using what my friend Brandon White calls “the drums technique,” to throttle down and decelerate to execute our stick technique.

To teach the drums, we use a completely new progression emphasizing arm drive, foot fire, and hip level to decelerate. To gain separation, our goal is to use this technique to throttle down in just 2–3 steps. This progression is critical to master as it must eventually lead us back into the foundational stick position to be efficient and explosive.

We use the following drill progression to improve our drums to stick:

1. Banded Stem

We use a partner to hold a band fixed around the WR’s waist to emphasize remaining level with shoulders over knees and toes. We will work all five stems we teach (vertical, inside, outside, radical inside, and radical outside).

2. Marching Drill Progression

This drill is the drums technique in action. Working on dropping our hips and breaking routes in three steps, we coach our athletes to push down as hard as possible as they march down the field. Many receivers will want to reach, so pausing on the final step is key to check if they get to the stick position. We use a band as a tool by holding it behind or from the side to cue the athlete to push their hips down to stabilize.

3. Angle Marching Drill

This is a progression of the marching drill that helps the athlete work on pushing hard and opening the hips out of the drums. We will progress our tempo and go from paused breaks to rapid fire.

4. Banded Drums Into Break

Now that we can better control force into our break, we work the break from our drums position with a band. The band forces us to learn to control our body by dropping and stabilizing with our hips, and it helps us really work an explosive drive out of our deceleration.

5. Cliff Drill Progression

This is a sprint to stick at a fixed point on the field. We like to use a line on the field as our imaginary “cliff” that the athlete can’t go over. We progress from 8–15 yards, depending on where the athletes are. We can add a band as well for athletes who are rising up or for athletes who need more resistance to challenge them. Once we have shown our technique is solid, we can also execute on a visual cue (coach drops or turns hips, etc.). This helps us work the read routes we use, such as a vertical or curl option.

The final progression of the cliff we use is a partner race to the football. We can do it where one partner is just beyond the top of the route, or we can have both partners work the route and break to a catch point.

Moving Forward

The wide receiver position is a position that is often under-coached, and because of this, we see dramatic results after working with athletes for only a few hours in our indy segments or at the summer camps we work with. To play at a high level, these athletes are required to possess a wide skill set, attention to detail, and incredible precision. What I hope excites you as much as it excites me is that all of these attributes can be developed and coached over time. The key to developing the fundamentals of movement is often stepping back and focusing on the basic elements to progress. Even speed, the elusive holy grail in sports, can be developed with proper coaching and programming.

The wide receiver position is often under-coached, and because of this, we see dramatic results after working with athletes for only a few hours, says @WLCCoachTreske. Share on X

Keep working and good luck this season! Thank you for this opportunity to share a little of what we do to develop our wide receivers. Please contact me at [email protected] if you or anyone on your staff has additional questions or would like to discuss wide receiver development further.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Strength training programs for sprinters often focus on total body, multi-joint exercises such as squats and deadlifts. These powerful exercises usually take up the majority of an athlete’s workout, such that there is only time for a few sets of auxiliary exercises. One type of exercise we believe is worthy of a sprinter’s attention are single-leg squats.

One reason to consider performing single-leg squats is they improve pelvic stability. If there is pelvic instability, it will take longer to absorb, store, and release energy during sprinting. As such, a sprinter’s ground contact time will be longer, and their stride length will be shorter.

Pelvic instability leads to longer ground contact time and shorter stride length. Single-leg squats are worthy of a sprinter’s attention because they improve pelvic stability. Share on X

A coach may have some success giving their athletes instructions to avoid excessive rotational movements during sprinting, such as “cheek to cheek” for their arms or “knees up and forward” for their legs. However, if muscle weakness is the primary cause, coaching cues alone are not an efficient way to correct this problem. At least, not as efficiently as performing a few sets of corrective exercise. Let’s look at some numbers.

When you sprint, you are continually supporting your entire bodyweight on one leg and dealing with additional disruptive forces acting on the body. In his book, Running Rewired, Jay Dicharry estimates that the side-to-side forces your body has to deal with when you run equal 10-15 percent of your bodyweight, the acceleration/deceleration forces equal 40-50 percent of your bodyweight, and the vertical forces could be as much as 2.5 to 3 times your bodyweight! With such high levels of stress, it’s no wonder that Dicharry’s book focuses on resistance training to correct poor running mechanics, especially variations of single-leg squats.

Although single-leg squats obviously work the quads, sprinters and their coaches should consider that they also strengthen the glutes. As a review, the glutes consist of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus.

The glute medius also has three subdivisions: anterior, middle, and posterior. Its functions include abducting the hip, stabilizing the pelvis, and eccentrically controlling internal rotation and hip adduction—as such, this muscle plays a major role in sprinting. Not only may a weakness in the glute medius cause excessive rotation of the pelvis, but it may also cause the knees to buckle inward, increasing the risk of knee ligament and overuse injuries.

With that background, let’s address the question, “What are the best exercises for the glute medius?”

The Science of Stability Training

In 2009, the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) published the results of a study that looked at the effectiveness of 12 popular glute exercises. One of these exercises was the forward lunge, which had significant activation of the glute medius.

Forward lunges have become a favorite of many sprint coaches, who believe that they are more sport-specific to sprinting than squats. Many other types of athletes perform them. In fact, in the early days of the sport of weightlifting, lifters often used the split-style snatch and the split-style clean rather than the squat style. The split-style receiving position resembles the low position of a forward lunge. Thus, as part of their training, some of these lifters often performed lunges to increase their strength and stability in the receiving position.

Although a weightlifter can potentially catch the bar in a lower position with the squat style, thus enabling them to lift more weight, many early lifters who practiced the split style could achieve extremely low receiving positions. Few lifters use the split style today, but some may perform lunges to prevent muscle imbalances developed by performing the jerk. In fact, Vasily Alexeev, a two-time Olympic champion from Russia who broke 80 world records and was the first to clean and jerk 500 pounds, performed front lunges with a barbell.

One of the exercises in the JOSPT study with the highest ranking for glute medius activation (ranked #2 behind the side-lying hip abduction) was the single-leg squat. It also beat out the single-limb deadlift for the highest activation of the gluteus maximus. Before taking a closer look at the single-leg squat, let’s examine some of the drawbacks of two of the most popular glute exercises: lateral band walks and hip thrusts.

Lateral band walks have become the “go to” exercise for the glute medius in physical therapy and “functional training” programs. This makes sense, as it ranked #3 for glute medius activation in the JOSPT study (but, interestingly, last in gluteus maximus activation!). As a plus, it’s performed from a standing position.

According to Canadian strength coach and posturologist Paul Gagné, the tendon signals that correlate to elastic strength storage and release are stronger with standing exercises. Unfortunately, when used with high levels of resistance, lateral band walks place considerable shearing stress on the knees. They also do little to develop body awareness, which is important because sprinters must deal with instability to run fast. Although lateral band walks strengthen the glute medius, exercises that improve body awareness should take precedence in a sprinter’s training.

Although lateral band walks strengthen the glute medius, exercises that improve body awareness should take precedence in a sprinter’s training. Share on X

Hip thrusts were not one of the exercises in this study, but consider that athletes perform these types of glute exercises supine and in a stable environment. Using the definitions developed by sports scientists Mel Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky, the hip thrust should be classified as a structural or bodybuilding exercise, and as such has little carryover to athletic performance. That said, let’s look at some real-world research.

In an eight-week hip thrust study involving 21 college athletes (15 males, 6 females), researchers found that “…maximum hip thrust strength through use of the barbell hip thrust does not appear to transfer into improvements in sprint performance in the collegiate level athletes.” It’s certainly fine for sprinters to occasional use exercises such as the hip thrust, especially for glute activation before sprinting or lifting, but performing it on a regular basis with maximal weights may not be the most effective use of an athlete’s training time if the goal is to run as fast as humanly possible.

Getting back to single-leg squats, one variation we like for sprinters is called a “pistol squat,” so named because at the bottom of the exercise your body takes the shape of a hand pistol. Although our main focus here is on sprinting faster, consider that pelvic stability is also essential for moving laterally and changing directions because you must be able to control the high forces your body is exposed to while moving in this manner.

Think about it: When you plant one foot to change directions, you’re pretty much standing on one leg and performing a partial single-leg squat! With all the side-to-side movement that takes place in athletics, especially in sports such as soccer and basketball, those extra fractions of a second needed for an athlete with poor pelvic stability to maintain their balance can be the difference between making the play or being part of an “ankle breaker” highlight video.

When you plant one foot to change directions, you’re pretty much standing on one leg and performing a partial single-leg squat! Share on X

Another advantage of single-leg squats—at least all but one of the versions we will discuss here—is that they work the legs through a full range of motion. If an athlete focuses on partial range-of-motion leg exercises (such as the so-called Bulgarian split squat), not only are the muscles around the knee inadequately developed, the connective tissues may lose their elasticity and their ability to react to high stress.

Perhaps full-range leg exercises, even those such as the clean and snatch in which you bounce out of the bottom of the squat, are the future of pre-hab training? Share on X

If you follow the sport of weightlifting, you may have seen athletes dropping heavy barbells on their legs with their ankles and knees in awkward positions, but not suffering injuries. Further, hamstring, ACL, and ankle injuries are practically non-existent in this sport. Contrast that with sports such as soccer, volleyball, and football, where approximately 70% of injuries to these areas of the body are non-contact. Perhaps full-range leg exercises, even those such as the clean and snatch in which you bounce out of the bottom of the squat, are the future of pre-hab training?

The Workouts

Many strength coaches avoid single-leg squats because most athletes, due to flexibility or stability issues, cannot perform a full pistol squat the first time they try it. Rather than avoiding an exercise that can help correct these problems, how about trying a progressive system that enables athletes to not only to perform the exercise, but to do so with resistance!

Video 1. Marybeth Fitzsimmons, a multiple high school state champion sprinter from Rhode Island, demonstrates a progression to perform pistol squats using several of the exercises discussed in this article. Fitzsimmons earned a full athletic scholarship for track at Northeastern University, excelling in the long jump and the short sprints.

The program we will share with you contains four workouts, each building on the previous one. If an athlete can already do a pistol squat, they can jump to Workout 4. For everyone else, perform the workouts in the order presented. Some athletes will progress faster than others, which is fine—the goal is to master one sequence of exercise before proceeding to the next. Here are the workouts:

Workout 1

The first exercise requires little stability, but it works the legs through a full range of motion, even if the athlete has mobility restrictions. The second exercise, although performed through a partial range of motion, focuses on the glute medius and increases body awareness.

1. Pistol Squat, Assisted: 2 sets x 10 reps, each leg, rest 30 seconds
2. Single-Leg Squat with Lateral Press, Big Toe Up: 2 sets x 10 reps, rest 30 seconds

Workout 2

This workout increases the intensity of the first exercise performed in Workout 1, whereas the second is another, more stable version of the pistol squat.

1. Pistol Squat, Assisted, Eccentric Emphasis: 2 sets x 5 reps, rest 30 seconds
2. Single-Leg Friction Squat: 2 sets x 5 reps, rest 30 seconds

Workout 3

This workout introduces the full pistol squat, with the first exercise being a more stable version of the full movement. The second exercise is the full pistol squat, or at least as close as possible to a full pistol squat. The workout should continue until the athlete can perform five full repetitions of the pistol squat.

1. Pistol Squat Between Boxes: 2 sets x 10 reps, rest 30 seconds
2. Pistol Squat: 2 sets x 5 reps, rest 30 seconds

Workout 4

At this point, the athlete should be able to perform full pistol squats without any assistance. Thus, the first exercise is the pistol squat, whereas the second is the pistol squat performed with additional resistance.

1. Pistol Squat: 1 set x 10 reps, rest 30 seconds
2. Pistol Squat with Weights: 3 sets x 5 reps, rest 30 seconds

A few notes: The reps indicated are for each leg, not the total reps for a set. Next, these are stability exercises and, at first, should be performed at a relatively slow tempo—a good general guideline when you first try these exercises is that it should take twice as long to lower your body as it does to raise it. Also, as these are single-leg exercises, minimal rest is needed between sets because as one leg works, the other rests. This means each workout can be finished in about 6–8 minutes, depending on how long it takes to set up for each exercise.

The Exercises

Here are the details of the exercises, along with illustrations of each.

Pistol Squat, Assisted

One reason many athletes cannot perform a single-leg squat is that they lack the mobility in the ankles. An option is to perform partial single-leg squats and calf stretches, gradually increasing the depth of the exercise as their mobility improves. This exercise has more “bang for your buck,” as it enables you to perform a full range of motion of the legs from the first workout, increasing mobility in the lower extremities along the way.

The exercise is performed inside a power rack. You position a barbell at a height level of about the top of your pelvic bone. You need to set the bar so that when you perform the exercise, the bar pulls against the support (so that you don’t fall backward). Lift one leg and keep it off the floor throughout the exercise. Squat as low as possible, using your hands for support and leaning backward if necessary, then pull yourself upward. Check out the accompanying video to see exactly how this exercise should be performed.

During this workout, you should move slowly to ensure proper alignment. When you progress to Workouts 2–4, however, it may be okay to have a slight bounce out of the bottom, as these tissues have elastic properties.

Single-Leg Squat with Lateral Press, Big Toe Up

Coach Gagné created this unique exercise to strengthen the glute medius, help correct valgus feet (i.e., fallen arches), and improve body awareness. As an experiment, try performing this exercise before sprinting and then try performing lateral band walks before sprinting—you’ll find that Gagné’s exercise creates a better sense of stability. We should also mention that this exercise is especially valuable for hurdlers, as these events can lead to imbalances in the glutes.

Coach Gagné’s single-leg squat with lateral press and big toe up helps with stability and is especially valuable for hurdlers because it corrects imbalances in the glutes. Share on X

This exercise is performed barefoot alongside a high box (or another sturdy object). Stand on one foot with the other leg bent and behind you (forming a 45-degree angle). Lift the big toe of the foot on the floor. The primary muscle that lifts the big toe is the extensor hallucis longus, and it is important for correcting a valgus foot because it creates lateral tension on the foot. Press the rear foot alongside the box, which will increase the work of the glute medius. Now do quarter squats, maintaining the pressure on the box and keeping the big toe up.

Pistol Squat, Assisted, Eccentric Emphasis

This is the same setup as the assisted pistol squat, but with this version you challenge yourself on the lowering phase. From the start position, let go of the bar, keeping your hands about an inch away from it. Lower yourself slowly, but grasp the bar for support if you lose your balance. When you reach the bottom position, grasp the bar and use your arms to assist you on the way up.

Single-Leg Friction Squat

This exercise was created by physical education teacher Bob Rowbotham. You need a sturdy box that won’t tip if you stand on one side of it (and it’s a good idea to have someone brace the box to prevent it from tipping).

Stand on one edge of the box so that your outside leg is in free space. Press the side of the free foot against the edge and keep pressure on it as you slowly lower yourself. When you reach the bottom, use that free leg to push off the floor and help you return to the start.

Pistol Squat Between Boxes

This exercise is a full pistol squat, but it’s performed between two boxes so you can use your arms to assist you at the bottom of the movement. The boxes need to be about knee height, spread slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Stand between the two boxes with hands at your side. Lift one leg high enough so that it doesn’t touch the floor during the exercise. Bend your leg, but catch yourself with your arms as you near the bottom position to slow yourself down and increase your stability; then use your arms to help push yourself up to the start.

Pistol Squat

This is the full pistol squat. However, it’s not expected that you’ll be able to perform all the recommended reps for the sets prescribed at first. As such, you should perform as many full reps as possible for each set, then do the remaining as partial reps.

Pistol Squat with Weights

After you’ve mastered the pistol squat, it’s time to increase the intensity of the exercise by holding weights. Dumbbells and kettlebells are ideal ways to increase resistance. Perform the exercise just like a pistol squat, but with weights held at your sides.

A Simple Solution as the Best Solution

Applying the principle of Occam’s Razor to athletics, the simplest solution to a sprinting problem is often the best solution. The single-leg squat is one simple solution to helping sprinters maintain optimal pelvic alignment to achieve the fastest times. Give the workouts presented here a try and see what this remarkable exercise can do for you!

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

References

Anderson, Frank C. and Pandy, Marcus G., “Storage and Utilization of Elastic Strain Energy During Jumping.” Journal of Biomechanics. 1993; 26(12):1413–1427.

Bishop, C., et al. “Heavy Barbell Hip Thrusts Do Not Effect Sprint Performance: An 8-Week Randomized–Controlled Study.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2019; 33:S78–S84.

Dicharry, Jay. Running Rewired, 2017, VeloPress, pp. 2-3.

Distefano, L.J., et al. “Gluteal Muscle Activation During Common Therapeutic Exercises, Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy.” 2009; 39(7):532–40.

Goss, K. “The Case Against Stability Training.” Bigger Faster Stronger, March/April 2007, pp. 70–72.

Siff, M. and Verkhoshansky, Y. Supertraining, 1999, 4th Edition, Supertraining International, Denver USA 1999,pp. 7–8. (1st edition, 1993)

Kim Goss was a strength coach for the U.S. Air Force Academy and has a master’s degree in human movement.

Experimenting with isoinertial training during the last year has led us to seven methods that are useful for coaches, and are not just new or different for Instagram. Changing everything you do every time you leave a seminar or buy a product is a sign of a poor system. Evolution, however, is a must. After a great summer, we found our flywheel training start to grow and advance as we’ve practiced and learned from others in our field.

We’ve created a simple continuum, from basic concepts to very advanced techniques that are not for everyone. If you’re interested in flywheel training, the information below is compelling, at the least. If you’re a coach in the right environment wanting to push the limits and depend on flywheels, this article will be valuable as well. Whatever the case, this review covers methods that span from the most basic fundamentals to the elite.

The Spectrum of Techniques

While we wanted to show incremental progressions of flywheel techniques, we realize no continuum is perfect. Ideally, each method moves in a linear fashion, so coaches can safely ramp up the demand on their athletes. The science of strength and conditioning is far from perfect, so there’s enough art left to give coaches plenty to play with.

Flywheels can be used by new trainees as well as the most elite athletes. It may seem that experimenting with elite and pro-level athletes is a huge risk, but if we’re going to make progress, we will continue to progress. There are times when unconventional and new is just what a top-level athlete needs to improve their performance.

The spectrum of flywheel techniques ranges from secondary strength exercises to accentuated eccentric overload, the most extreme form of strength training. This list is the first crack at ways to progress training methods, not just progressions of exercise. Down the road, I’m sure additional ideas will become part of this continuum, but for now, this is will make a dent in flywheel programming.

Below are the seven primary methods we’re using at our facility. We hope other coaches experiment with them and share their practices in the future.

Supplemental Ancillary Training

If you’re new to flywheel training and don’t want to take a leap of faith, this method is perfect. Take any basic secondary exercise, which is usually placed at the end of workouts because they’re important enough to include but not a priority, and use a flywheel option. Ancillary exercises let athletes experience flywheels without shocking their system. In our experience, it’s best to take time to become familiar with both the resistance of flywheels and the exercises themselves. Remember, most youth athletes are new to training properly, and basic exercises with flywheels are rather demanding, so be patient.

We have both the kPulley and the kBox and like to mix and match the training just enough to give our athletes enough exposure so they understand the concept of flywheels before we start advancing. Progressing slowly leads to the fastest changes and adaptations by letting you avoid having to take a few steps back from errors or miscalculations. Slow and steady wins the race.

Video 1. Using a kPulley makes sense for arm assistance exercises. Elbow health and extension strength is vital for all athletes, not just those in throwing sports.

We know that some athletes will never use flywheels and others not for a year or so, and that’s not a problem. We have progression in mind from the jump because we tend to train athletes for long periods and built our business model on full-year clients. Also, waiting for an extended time before progressing to our more advanced equipment reinforces that the basics are a priority. Being disciplined and integrating flywheels slowly is not a punishment for athletes; it’s a way to make them earn their right to use the fancy stuff and progress.

With a few sets of 1-2 exercises, athletes can grasp flywheel training fundamentals & get hypertrophy & strength benefits without wasting time. Share on X

For coaches looking to enter the flywheel arena, we suggest arm exercises, single-leg training, single-joint training, and finishing sets of compound squats or deadlifts. With a few sets of 1-2 exercises, athletes will grasp the fundamentals of flywheel training and get solid hypertrophy and strength benefits without wasting time. I’m not promoting an overly cautious approach to flywheel training, but I also don’t recommend swapping all the ingredients out of your recipe as soon as you get a new mixing bowl.

Conventional Replacements for Main Exercises

In many circumstances, the next logical step is to swap primary barbell or machine exercises with the flywheel options. Depending on the athlete’s recovery ability and the program as a whole, coaches can swap out one day, one week, or one phase entirely and use flywheels. While this sounds bold, some teams spend entire training phases using isoinertial methods. We have not gone “all flywheel” yet, but find it a viable option for someone with a large arsenal of equipment.

Sequencing from single sessions or even parts of sessions before going all flywheel is the sensible way to progress, in theory. We’ve used the kBox as a belt squat for countless athletes, and some of our athletes find it’s a nice break from squatting when they’re in heavy training phases. We usually do this to bypass an issue like a shoulder or spine injury, though we’ve also had our heavy athletes do it with similar success.

Video 2. Calf raises are great with flywheels and take a few sets to learn due to the timing of the eccentric pull. Experiment with tempos and rhythms based on what you feel you need with your athletes.

It is not, however, a 1-for-1 trade. I recommend increasing the rep range a bit when switching from standard barbell movements to flywheels. One consideration is that the increase in sets and reps will be more volume than some athletes are used to. Similar to any long term periodization, the key to success with isoinertial volume or loading is steady and manageable progression.

Steady, manageable progression is the key to success with isoinertial volume or loading, says @ExceedSPF. #FlywheelTraining Share on X

Regardless of whether we include flywheels or not, we tend to reduce volumes in certain areas when we increase volumes in another. Before pre-season, we increase fieldwork and our time in the weight room drops off. We do the same for flywheel replacement. When we increase heavy kBox squatting for an athlete, we reduce their jumping or change of direction work on the field that week to allow for “fair trade.” Or we might simply reduce the amount of other eccentric work in the weight room.

There's no point in doing #FlywheelTraining in a vacuum. kMeter readings help us quantify the training, and our force plates quantify the results. Share on X

Other times, we do the opposite and complement heavy flywheel use with other eccentric and deceleration methods. Instead of having a pretty workout on paper and hope it works in a few months, we jump-test athletes and look at eccentric measurements as best we can. There’s no point in doing flywheel training in a vacuum. Our kMeter readings help us quantify the training, and our force plates quantify the results of all of the work done during each week or month.

Isometric Enhancement Techniques

There are two significant challenges with isometric work in team or group settings:

• creating an environment with an immovable object that works universally for all the athletes
• getting information regarding the effort of the contraction

We’re lucky to have tools for assessing force and effort as well as the kBox, which creates a unique and interchangeable immovable object very nicely. Whether you’re using the belt, harness, or an attachment for the upper body, you can adjust the length of the drive belt to have a custom-sized apparatus that works for all heights and strengths.

We can also add force plates to the ground or the flywheel’s platform to quantify the force or rate of force. This information shows us whether an athlete exerts sufficient effort early enough in the movement. One hard effort makes a difference and can be followed up with kMeter-guided feedback on the non-isometric repetitions that follow.

Video 3. You can add isometric benchmarks with load cells or force plates, but a good honest effort is all you need to get started. Athletes can use various leg angles to get started, but the most common is a deep squat.

Potentiation, like flywheel work, is a continuum. (I’ll cover potentiation later in this post). You can use potentiation to spark a workout, break through career plateaus, or increase an effort for a single set or movement. For the sake of this post, we use a few sets of hard, overcoming isometric efforts to ensure the work is performed with real effort. You’ll appreciate real effort after a single bout with an immovable object if you’ve never done so.

As a side benefit, we’ve found that people with tendinopathy often experience pain at specific joint angles, which makes training hard a difficult task in logistics alone. With the kBox, we can adjust the belt length to circumvent the provocative range of motion and get some serious training stimulus without causing the athlete further anguish.

Ultra-High-Speed Flywheel Training

The highest velocity bouts on a flywheel require a little skill and experience, and decent athletes can grasp adding the extra spin after a few sessions. High-speed movements, especially squats, not only provide a great change of pace for athletes who train consistently at high levels but also are an excellent tool for athletes struggling to acquire deceleration skills.

The flywheel can get the athlete off the court or turf and minimize the typical stress of these activities, mentally and physically. The speed is fast enough to be realistic, slow enough to be safe, and the load realistic enough to make a difference. High-speed flywheel training is learning without teaching, and we love that.

#HighSpeedFlywheel training offers speed that's fast enough to be realistic, slow enough to be safe, & the load realistic enough to make a difference. Share on X

Similar to deceleration work, jumping can be too much for athletes during certain parts of the training block. Adding high-speed flywheel work can reduce a bit of the impact without compromising the eccentric forces we want on the tendons and musculature.

#HighSpeedFlywheel work reduces some of the impact without compromising the eccentric forces on the tendons and musculature, says @ExceedSPF. Share on X

Depending on what part of the squat or jump you focus on, you can manipulate your equipment to modify how the movement is executed. Setting up the drive belt at standing height emphasizes the turnover and change of direction as the primary focus. By simply extending the length of the drive belt, you give the athlete the ability to drive past the standing position and incorporate a much more extension-based exercise that even involves the ankle.

Video 4. Athletes can perform faster-than-normal squatting patterns with flywheel training without risk. As athletes practice the movement and advance, the speed can reach some impressive levels.

Similar to manipulating stresses with the flywheel, we sometimes switch out traditional jump work for high-speed flywheel squats. And we’ve even swapped elastic jump work for high-speed flywheel work. Moving fast in the weight room doesn’t necessarily translate to faster sprinting, but the emphasis on decelerating and accelerating the wheel with great intent is something not to overlook. Because speed and power work is neuromuscular in nature, you can consider this type of work learning rather than loading.

Potentiation Techniques

Potentiation is a lot trickier than social media would have us believe. If you’ve done it for some time and used measurement tools, you know that nothing works for everyone and everything works for some people. Consider this important question when implementing potentiation: Do you want to potentiate the main movement, the secondary movement, or both? So far, the research is clear that heavy or intense training temporarily primes the muscles used in these exercises. This makes flywheels an obvious candidate for potentiation.

The major flaw I see is the setup. Some people use so many movements, they look like they’re doing an obstacle course. And the setup is often far from practical or sensible. If the goal is to potentiate, spend time finding combinations of movements, reps, sets, and rest periods that allow the athlete to improve. Potentiation isn’t about trying to add more output following an exercise. It’s making sure the entire session will improve the athlete down the road.

Video 5A. A good deal of new research is out on flywheels and potentiation. Make sure you read the protocols and repeat the specific loading and timing details in order to take advantage of the theoretical benefits.

Video 5B. After flywheel training, you can potentiate resisted sprints. Most coaches prefer more contrasting styles of pairings, but tinker with exercises to see what works best for you.

When looking at the research, it’s easy to assume that if you do heavy stuff and then jump, you’ll improve. But realistically, you have to see the improvement in performance. We’ve all seen a spike in social media posts about French Contrast training, and it shows great potential. But what we know about Cometti’s method is that it’s possible to prescribe more than just squats and jumps.

We’ve used both upper and lower body potentiation methods for a long time now but only recently incorporated the flywheel in the plan. We use the flywheel for both heavy and isometric contractions paired with loaded and unloaded jumping or plyometric movements with promising results.

We've used the flywheel for both heavy & isometric contractions paired with loaded & unloaded jumping or plyometric movements with promising results. Share on X

One thing I like about the flywheel in terms of potentiation is the setup, as discussed in the isometric section above. Taking that a step further, you can use the same tool for an overcoming isometric, followed by ultra-high-speed squats and then to jumps without any crazy setups or playing Frogger through a crowded gym. Set up the flywheel with low inertia, move the drive belt to the isometric height, perform the iso, do the fast squats, and then unclip the belt and jump (on the ground).

Regardless of how you incorporate flywheels in your potentiation protocols, do so with purpose and results in mind. As cool and trendy as some of this stuff is, most of us are writing programs to improve our athletes rather than our following.

Contrast and Complex Training

Following a potentiation section, one might be fully aware of how to use contrast or complex training, and I’ll spare you the repetitive explanation. Contrast and complex methods with the flywheel don’t need to be complicated. Though we use some methods with more novice athletes, we gear most of our contrast or complex training toward our higher-level client who has a considerable amount of training time under their belt. At some point, athletes will approach their genetic ceiling and slow down. Sometimes a little change of pace using complex training can help these athletes make the minor gains they need at this level.

Video 6. After conventional squats, athletes can employ rebound jumps immediately after their strength work. After the inertia and speed are refined on the lift portion, coaches can see a better jump profile over time.

Although it’s great to feel fast, it’s better to be fast. With contrast training, your athletes may feel fast after doing slower and heavier work. Having your athletes perform slow or isometric holds to contrast into sprints is excellent if it actually creates a faster sprint time or velocity. Flywheels have a role to play whether you use heavy-slow to fast-light or use fast exercises to improve firing rates in your slow, heavy work. When we do complex training with flywheels, we simply replace conventional exercises with flywheel or isoinertial exercises. Simple as that.

Accentuated Eccentric Overload

The most demanding of all eccentric overload methods are the accentuated options—any methods that go beyond 100% maximal effort. As soon as an athlete hits a load they can’t perform concentrically, they’ve entered extreme territory, even if it’s with only one kilo. The million-dollar question is how much overload past 100% of concentric ability is necessary to get a greatly accentuated overload. I have seen theoretical numbers like 10-20%, but so far we’ve experienced benefits from 5-10%.

Video 7. Adding a shrug and your hips through the RDL will add more vertical force than the conventional exercise. Following the concentric motion with a bracing pattern does increase the eccentric contraction if timed right.

The biggest challenge in training is knowing how much overload is enough to make a difference. Since accentuated eccentric overload (AEC) is on the far side of the spectrum, it’s difficult to prescribe the perfect effort. In addition to the difficulties with selecting the right overload, flywheels are very dependent on feedback beyond the selected flywheel disc; you need to use the kMeter or you’re just guessing. AEC is no joke. If you choose to use it, you must be careful and have a solid understanding of an athlete’s past efforts and abilities.

I recommend sticking with the very familiar and primary movements when using AEC with the flywheel. Squatting and such make the most sense to me, as they’re the most familiar and are patterns people are used to loading heavily. If you’re not sure where to start in terms of loading, you can use traditional flywheel squats and look at the kMeter data to determine the athlete’s eccentric abilities. I’m sure you could also use force plate data or traditional squat information to create a map for your athletes.

It’s important to note, as most will understand, that AEC methods will bring along a considerable amount of soreness for some athletes. I’m not aware of much research that’s gone beyond short studies, but it seems like off-season training would be the time to incorporate these methods and save the athlete some in-season pain. It might also make sense to allow the athlete to auto-regulate the remainder of the session or even the training week in response to what happens after AEC training.

#AECflywheel workouts reset what is possible for less demanding training & raise the ceiling for resilience and athlete durability, says @ExceedSPF. Share on X

AEC workouts reset what is possible for less demanding training and raise the ceiling for resilience and athlete durability. You only need a few sessions to make real progress, so be cautious when first prescribing volume.

Advanced Training Is for Advanced Trainees

Just because an athlete is elite on the field doesn’t mean they’re an advanced athlete in the weight room. Of course, you should consider their level of ability. If an athlete has a low training age, you need to train them based on what they can do in training—not how good they are in their sport. Most of the exercises and training methods in this post will come in handy years from now if an athlete is new to flywheel training and for programming for experienced athletes. Experiment and see what works for you, as every training program is unique and must make sense for the athlete and the coach.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF