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The Keys to Maintaining High Athlete Engagement with Joey Bergles

Freelap Friday Five| ByJoey Bergles, ByNathan Huffstutter

Bergles Header

Joey Bergles is the Director of Strength & Conditioning at JJ Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. In addition to his coaching responsibilities at the high school, he oversees the S&C programs at the two junior highs that feed into JJ Pearce High School and works with third through sixth graders at elementary schools within the district. Prior to his current position, he worked in the collegiate setting, with stops ranging from the NAIA to Division 1 levels. Joey can be found on social media at @joeybergles (Twitter/Instagram/TikTok). He holds the following certifications and/or has attended the following courses: FRCms, FRA, Kinstretch, FR Lower Limb (Non-Therapist), Metabolic Analytics, Poliquin Internship Hours, DNS A, Art of Coaching Apprenticeship, CSCS.

Freelap USA: You’ve presented on how critical it is to design activities that have a high level of engagement when working with athletes who are in their early teens—what’s your process for choosing or developing those exercises that promote genuine engagement and how do you determine what is and isn’t working?

Joey Bergles: First, I need to have an idea of how many kids I’m working with, what ages they are, have I worked with them before—those kinds of questions. One of the biggest keys with high school and junior high school kids is how everything is structured, even just in terms of sightlines. When you’re trying to do different activities in a big open space and there are no dividers, that’s where attention gets lost.

That’s one of the biggest issues I’ve seen, and sometimes I have to decide if we’re going to use dividers or go into a hallway, because there may be five or six coaching points I want to make and there will be distracted people in the back with wandering eyes. On the other hand, in a smaller, confined area, all they can do is focus on me.

I’m very lucky with the facility that I have—we have a weight room and then an indoor training area next to our weight room, and our weight room has dividers that let us section it off into quarters. That was one of the keys that helped me in my junior high program this past summer—okay, we’re going to go 20, 25, maybe 30 minutes between the weight room and the four sections and the turf room, and then I’m going to structure my entire workout around that constraint. There may be other stuff I want to do, but if I can’t figure out how to do it within that specific setting, then I’m not going to do it or I’m going to figure something else out.

I’ll be honest, that was probably THE biggest thing, regardless of the X’s and O’s, because if you have smaller groups, then you have to rotate, and it takes more time to rotate. Realistically, in an hour session, we would have four stations—you’re talking about 12-13 minutes with each group. So, when you only have 12-13 minutes, you don’t have a lot of time to do a lot of stuff. And, if we’re doing stuff for seven or eight weeks, that’s where, when we’re doing progressions, you really see things flow together. So, it’s probably not going to be perfect on week 1, but by week 5 or 6, we’ll be working these progressions, and we’ll keep getting better.

If I keep the focus high and the engagement high, it’s amazing what can be accomplished. It’s almost like cheating, says @joeybergles. Share on X

If I keep the focus high and the engagement high, it’s amazing what can be accomplished. It’s almost like cheating. Regardless of level—professional or high school or whatever—when people are not focused or not paying attention or not very engaged, then everyone’s like well, we haven’t made very much progress in the past seven or eight weeks. But then is it the fault of the program or the people doing the program?

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Image 1. Coach Joey Bergles on the turf with his athletes.

We’re not going to get 100 reps where I just walk around and coach everybody. When you have a large number of individuals and a relatively short amount of time, you have to be as efficient as possible. When you get individuals coaching each other, you’re going to get better execution out of everyone because I can’t coach 30 people at one time. If I can have partners where one person is in charge of another person, they’re coaching the things I’ve shown them they need to see: this, this, and this. Nothing super-hard, but they know what they’re looking for. Now that they’re actually good at coaching it, when the individual they’re coaching gets out of position or does something wrong, they’ll give feedback to make corrections on the subsequent reps so we can make quicker progress through the entire program.

People can say they’re going to have a 2.5-hour practice and the engagement level is going to be extremely high the entire time, day after day.… I’ve worked from high school to Division 1 in numerous sports; it is so hard mentally to be engaged and focused for that amount of time. I know for myself that I can’t be engaged for three hours. Even if it’s something strength and conditioning-related, if I’m reading a book or article, I can’t do that. So, do you really think 12-, 13-, 16-, 20-year-old kids will be able to do it? I’ll be honest, I think that’s a stretch.

We’ll make more progress with shorter rotations where the engagement is high. Athletes get so much better when they’re getting the feedback. People, in general, recognize what you praise. A lot of times, I will praise the individual doing the coaching more than the one doing the actual movement. I’m like, you’re doing an awesome job, you saw that even before I did, see that spot where their knee came in? That was perfect.

We make more progress with shorter rotations where the engagement is high. Athletes get so much better when they’re getting the feedback, says @joeybergles. Share on X

We’re having a dialogue while I’m walking along, coaching the whole group, and now they’re engaged and they’re seeing it—oh, I saw that mistake and now I’m able to help my partner correct it. If you never praise the coaching, will kids be motivated to do it? When we’re doing drills and other stuff, I make sure to praise the actions that I want to see—the coaching, the focus, things like that—because over the long run, those behaviors will drive the performance we’re trying to improve.

Freelap USA: When you’re doing speed, agility, and plyometrics with large groups in a large open space, there are very real challenges in terms of mapping how to start and space the athletes, how to maintain spacing with multiple kids all moving simultaneously, where do they end up and where do they start again, where do you intervene if something requires correcting.… How do you put all the variables together to design and execute that type of large group session?

Joey Bergles: I try to look first at what the weekly schedule looks like. For example, it could be that we just have speed, plyo, or agility sessions, and other days it could be a combo where we’re lifting with those things as well. I can have 110 kids on a day—we have really good facilities, but when you have 110 kids from 14-18 of all different levels of skills and abilities, that’s extremely challenging in terms of organizationally making everything flow.

Looking at that week, then, I’ll progress the plyometric and speed work based around what we can actually coach. For example, if you’re doing a broad jump, there are some coaching points we’ll go over on a broad jump, but after we’ve been doing it for a few weeks or a month, I don’t need to provide a thesis every rep. You’re trying to jump out as far as you can, all right? Drive your feet through the ground and get out.

Everyone at every level can do that. But what if we’re doing a stationary triple jump or a stationary triple jump from an elevated box, which is a pretty advanced plyometric movement where you’re getting more velocity coming out of that first contact? Okay, first of all, there are only a certain number of athletes who physically need and can handle that. I’m not going to do a stationary triple jump with a 280-pound offensive lineman. So that would be an example of a bad exercise to do with a large group.

Where I’m going with this is, when I structure my speed/plyo days, when we go into a four-station rotation, on those days if we have a little bit more time because the groups aren’t that big, then I can get more teaching in about the intricate details of those movements. I can also modify: for instance, when the O-Line/D-Line rotates to that group, I have another plyo that they do in place of something like a stationary triple jump.

On the days when we have 35 minutes to do our speed/plyo work and then 35 minutes to go in and do our lifts, if I take 5-7 minutes to explain something to a group of 110 people, that won’t work. I don’t have a riser to stand on. When you have 100 people gathered around you, it’s a challenge for them to actually see what you’re trying to show them. A lot of people don’t understand if they’ve never done it before, but it takes a while for everyone to get spaced out and actually see, and now we’ve wasted another 40 seconds.

I like setting up our broad jumps, our squat jumps, our pogo hops, different rudiment hops. We can do those things in those large group settings. Maybe we want to do different sprints or resisted work, some type of acceleration, and then get timed on the Freelap…. We have 20 chips, and we can roll through quickly.

I speak fast and have a sense of urgency, so I can roll through things very quickly when it’s going on my pace. But we have to plan the stations so we’re doing resisted work here and timed sprints here and then we’ll flip-flop. We can’t get 100 people doing resisted sprints at the same time because we don’t have the equipment to do that.

I like to program out long term, 8-12 weeks if I can, and that’s where experience comes into play, says @joeybergles. Share on X

I’m throwing all these variables out, but that’s how I look at the overall week and figure out what can we do on the specific days and then figure out the type of stuff we’re going to do. It might be that we’re going through a four-week block where we do potentiation work on one day. We have a facility that allows us to run a 10-yard sprint, so we’re potentiating that with our deadlifts. That then alters what we’re doing on other days. I like to program out long term, 8-12 weeks if I can, and that’s where experience comes into play. I can think of things that happened maybe five years ago at a college I worked at, and it was like, yeah, but we forgot to do this, and it created a massive issue.

If we’re running a 10-yard sprint, it’s not just the 10 yards, it’s how much space do they need to clear in both lanes? And, what’s the other drill on both sides? It could be a drill where there’s a ball being thrown, and it’s not supposed to go into that zone, but could it? Those are the types of factors you have to think through.

I like to draw it all out as diagrams so I can play out scenarios and figure out, oh, I’m going to need more space here, or we’re not going to be able to do this, or we’re going to have to switch these sides around. It’s almost like puzzle pieces, and it’s not just a matter of looking at it as part of a day, but I look at it over the course of a week.

Across the board, it’s not just a strength and conditioning issue; it’s true of most industries and organizations, they think they’re missing one specific thing. I need this drill, or I need this movement. And no, it’s probably how it’s actually being executed and how it’s being executed within the training program and where it’s being put in the training program, if it’s being run efficiently. If it takes 15 minutes to do it when it should take three minutes, that’s 12 minutes where you’re not doing something else that you could be.

Those are all factors that supersede the perfect movement. I could say great, we did the stationary triple jump, but I just saw it executed seven different ways. On the piece of paper, it said stationary triple jump, but his ground contact time on his first step was way too long, he overextended and was reaching, and it comes down to the coaching feedback and the execution and what we’re trying to get out of the actual training.

Freelap USA: When it was originally coined, the term “long-term athletic development” was being used for the process of developing Olympic-level athletes, but over time it’s often become a catchall for almost anything that’s the opposite of the specialized, year-round, “win today” club model in youth sports. How do you define LTAD and what major tenets of your definition inform how you train athletes from the younger levels on up?

Joey Bergles: How I look at long-term athletic development is similar to the Olympic model…. I’ve been fascinated with a lot of Olympic sports like gymnastics and training 3-year-olds all the way through to 17 and that thought process. So, when I look at long-term athletic development, I want the athlete to be their best and peaking when they’re 17 or 18 years old.

When I look at long-term athletic development, I want the athlete to be their best and peaking when they’re 17 or 18 years old, says @joeybergles. Share on X

Because, if you’re going to play in college, that’s when you’re getting a scholarship, and you’re going to be a varsity player—and we want our varsity teams to be the best. That’s what the ultimate goal is. Okay, you were good as a freshman, but does that mean your best freshman team will be the best varsity team in the district or the conference? No.

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Image 2. Coach Bergles emphasizes proper technique in the lifts over big gains as part of a long term athletic development focus.

There are a lot of factors that go into it, but when I look at long-term athletic development, that’s the overarching goal in my head—if I’m working with an 8-year-old, what do we need to do over the next eight or nine years for them to be the best possible 17- or 18-year-old? So that if they do play in college or professionally or whatever it is, now that individual can take the torch and keep pushing their performance level.

It’s a holistic approach to that goal. We see it now, it could be from social media and just parenting, but people want their 8-year-old to be the best 8-year-old in the world. Yet burnout is a legitimate reality, and if you’ve been doing structured training from 8 to 12, when you get to 12, you’re just like this isn’t fun anymore, I don’t even want to go to practice. Okay, THAT. Whatever your long-term athletic development program was, that’s horrible. You get an “F” for that. That should not happen.

Working with young kids, I want it to be fun. That’s the number one KPI. As soon as it starts becoming like a job, that starts that clock for this isn’t fun. Even for me, with our junior high age groups, there may be sprint training or other things I want to implement, and then I look around and they’re not paying attention and they’re not really into it—this might be what I think they need, but in a group of 40 or 50 10-year-olds, that’s where I’ve had to change what I do because first everything we do has to be fun. Then, I’m going to try to work the actual stuff I want to do into it.

Working with young kids, I want it to be fun. That’s the number one KPI, says @joeybergles. Share on X

With the kids I’m working with now, I’ve changed up the program like six times in six weeks. Every week it was going through a massive surgery. In my head, I thought it was going to work a lot better, but then you get out there with forty 9-year-olds and it’s like, oh man I thought they were going to enjoy that more…but they did not, they did not find that fun at all.

So, okay, cross that out.

From a long-term development standpoint, I look at stuff and think let’s make it fun, let’s make it engaging, let’s make them want to keep coming to our strength and conditioning activities. Then, as we get to 11 or 12 years old, we can start to sprinkle in more, and then when we get to junior high, we’re going to have to start doing more.

And as we get to high school…. Well, if I started with you when you were 10, and now you’re in high school, I’ve had you for five years. I may not know exactly where that individual is going to be at, but I can tell you right now they’ll be able to do a lot of things really, really well, and now I have another four years of actual technical physical development that we can do.

We went from kids should never lift weights and that mantra to hey, this is my 7-year-old deadlifting 190 pounds and post it and go viral on social media. Meanwhile, that 190-pound deadlift, that’s a rounded back, things are shifting. If you’re praising phenomenal technique and they may only be doing 50 pounds, that’s fine. But if I have a 7-year-old doing rounded-back deadlifts with a hip shift, okay, you’re putting some specific “inputs” into that system. There’s probably going to be a price to pay at some point down the line. It may be in two, five, or 30 years. And then you don’t need a specific mobility drill to fix it, you need to, like, go back to that previous point in time and not do that.

One of the things I tell people is that I like to develop strength, but slowly. Yeah, I’d like to have bigger jumps in numbers, but slowly is reasonable, and I know my technique will probably stay consistent. If I just say “we want to get strong” with 13-year-olds, I have a good idea what those squats, deadlifts, everything’s going to look like. But if we can just hit a 5-pound jump every month, I know the technique will stay good, and by the time they’re a freshman in high school, they’ll have solid strength. Now we can really start pushing because they have a skill and know what they’re doing.

LTAD
Image 3. Female athletes performing in Coach Bergles’ LTAD-based system.

That’s 100% a skill, and that just takes time. That’s not something you’re just going to be able to do in three months. So, when we look at that long-term model, it’s one of the skills we want to build along the way. Now, when we get two years down the line, and we want to do heavy clusters at 95%… if you’re not very good at the actual squatting technique, how effective do you think those clusters will be?

We’re developing those skills in a long-term model to get to those more advanced loading schemes. All of it’s a work in progress—this is the first time I’ve worked with 8-year-olds. And for like a month, I’d be driving home in my car thinking… that wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite up to the level I hold myself to.

Nine times out of 10, the kids’ favorite activity is timed sprints on the Freelap. There was a time when I thought we’d do the timed sprints only if we could get to it, but after a couple weeks where I was like this doesn’t work, this doesn’t work, this doesn’t work…the Freelap? That always works. So, you know what? That’s always in the session.

Freelap USA: Turning specifically to training varsity high school football players, choose one phase of the year—pre-season, in-season, off-season, whenever—and talk about a couple of new principles or exercises or pieces of equipment that you’ve added to your program in the past couple years that have made a notable impact, and how did you learn about those?

Joey Bergles: Going back to the Freelap system, we’ve had it for a little over a year now. We started with eight chips and have 20 now. It’s been a huge upgrade, being able to time sprints—the intent just goes through the roof. You’ll always have those self-motivated individuals who will be like even though I don’t know what my time is, I’m going to run extremely hard on this 10-yard sprint. But that’s not 100% of them.

The Freelap gives us the ability to time, and we track different stuff. I like short accelerations, so we’ll do a 2-yard build into a 10-yard sprint. We do different flys and max velocity with a 20-yard build, 30-yard build, different stuff like that—I like the versatility of it, different stuff like curved sprints that I have protocols for, measuring what different speeds are on curves, and the Freelap allows us to do that with the chips.

Incorporating the Freelap this past cycle, we did a potentiation cycle on our last day of the week with our deadlifts and that same sprint of 2 plus 10. In our weight room, we have a little bit of empty space, and then we have a garage door that opens up so we can sprint in the empty space and then carry it out through the garage door. There are different ways we time, whether it’s potentiation or our actual training session.

And I use it for everything, so it’s not just football—women’s basketball uses it, volleyball uses it, our junior high kids use it. We do it with our third through fifth graders. Everyone uses it, and everyone really enjoys it. It’s competitive, and kids are competitive with each other.

We also use the contact grid, and I really like how I can use that to see trends that I can then apply to a larger setting. We can’t run 100 kids through on a contact grid—that would take way too long—but I can look at trends that show how I might do different rep brackets based on what I see. It could be that I’m seeing pretty good data on reps 8 and 9, so why would I set my program for only five reps? That’s when I can apply data I’ve seen to a larger setting.

Just Jump
Image 4. Athletes have the opportunity to get performance data from the Just Jump mat, Freelap timing system, and MuscleLab contact grid.

Freelap USA: In your personal career development as a coach, how do you approach continuing education and the ways you continue to grow as a coach? How do you view your responsibility to be a mentor and develop that wider coaching tree beneath you?

Joey Bergles: I was lucky with how I came up in the profession, because I was around mentors who took continuing education very seriously. With that, I saw firsthand that there was a lot of personal financial investment in continuing education.

I’ve seen firsthand the benefit of honing your craft, whether it’s speed stuff or mobility stuff, and I’ve had to pay for that information. That’s a reality, says @joeybergles. Share on X

I know it’s kind of common for people to say, this is my continuing education budget, and if it’s outside of that, I’m not going to do it. But I’ve seen firsthand the benefit of honing your craft, whether it’s speed stuff or mobility stuff, and I’ve had to pay for that information. That’s a reality.

I’ve gone to New York City, I’ve gone to Toronto, I’ve gone to Southern California twice, and those were all just to learn more about mobility—and some of those were covered, and some I completely paid out of pocket. Not just the course, but also paying for a hotel, paying for flights, those have been investments I’ve made in the skill set I have. As a result, I’m able to do things.

Education
Image 5. Investing in his own certifications and continuing education has been a key to Coach Bergles’ success.

When people ask, “how do you know how to do this?” or “how do you do that?” the answer is, well, I spent a lot of money on this. I can’t just give you a five-minute talk on how to do it…. If you could learn it in five minutes, then I’ve wasted a lot of money because I’ve made a substantial investment in myself. That’s the cold, hard truth.

That’s something I try to do every year. I just took Brett Bartholomew’s Art of Coaching and that wasn’t covered by my employer. I went to Austin, and that probably cost close to $1,500 between the course and the travel, and that’s an investment. Those are the things where, if I know it’s not going to be worthwhile, then I won’t invest my own personal finances in it. But I did research and going to that course was a good investment; it’s something that will help me for the next 30 or 40 years of my life. I’ve heard other people say it, if you’re not willing to invest in yourself, why would anyone else invest in you?

I also make a point of reading a lot, and I take a great deal of pride in the notes that I take. I don’t want to be the person who says, okay, I read 60 books this year, but I just sped through them and didn’t actually learn anything. Great, you read 60 books, but did you take anything from them?

So, I try to have a process where it’s pretty consistent. I want to read 15 pages during my workday, whether it’s coming in early or some time during the day, and then I want to read 15-20 pages at night. Then, I want to read around 30-40 pages on the weekends. The reality is, sometimes I’m not able to do that, 100% that happens. But 75% of the time I do, I spend those 45 minutes to an hour to get that reading done.

Over the course of the year, I structure that in. I listen to a podcast every morning when I come in to work, but when I go home from work I don’t—at the end of the day, I don’t want to listen to any information. At that point it’s music, because if I put on a podcast and it’s valuable information that I’m not ready to retain, then I’m going to miss it. So, I try to put the high-value material that I think will be critical to retain at the start of my day.

The same with my reading; my book in the morning will be more scientific-based and require more critical thinking, and my book at night will be more leadership, biography…the type of stuff that you don’t have to do a lot of in-depth thinking about. I like to read two books simultaneously: I have my at-work book and then the book I read at night.

I also spend some time on social media, and I’ll be honest, there are track accounts on Instagram where I’ll tell my other coaches, I found this track account in Estonia and they were doing this interesting plyometric drill with their high jumpers, and that’s the kind of thing that gets us thinking. That’s how I use social media now, finding these random, far-off accounts where I can learn about stuff I never would have known about otherwise.

That’s how I use social media now, finding these random, far-off accounts where I can learn about stuff I never would’ve known about otherwise, says @joeybergles. Share on X

From a mentorship standpoint, when I was coming up, a lot of my early stages were self-taught. There are pluses and minuses to that—I had to figure out a lot on my own. That’s good and bad. I didn’t have someone helping me in certain areas, and that probably could have made me better both in the short term and the long term. But I also developed a skill set of I don’t need you to tell me what to do, I’m going to figure this out.

I got three racks, I got a hallway, and I’ve got 30 soccer girls? Okay, I’m gonna figure this out. Instead of having someone to bounce ideas off of, it was just okay, we’re gonna do this, and we’re gonna do this, and okay, that didn’t work, so now we’re gonna try this, and okay that worked really well so we’re going to stay with it.

With that, I have a lot of respect for individuals who are self-motivated, the ones who are like hey, you didn’t tell me to do this, but I did this, this, and this. That’s the person I want to teach what I know. If you’re expecting someone to hand you something, I’m probably not going to do that.

Both in terms of the financials and what I’ve spent to acquire the knowledge that I have, plus all the hours I spent doing things like being on YouTube way past midnight when I was 22 just trying to learn what I needed to know. If you’re a younger coach or an intern with a mindset that you just kinda want to do this but haven’t really made a whole lot of investment, then I am not going to give you everything I have until you make that investment on your own end.

It’s just like that idea of engagement with the athletes, that coach who’s invested and that light bulb goes off—they are the ones who, 20 years down the line, will have taken everything and run with it. But if it doesn’t matter that much to you, it’s not going to have that long-lasting effect.

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


MBSC

Facility Finders: Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MA)

Blog| ByJohn Delf-Montgomery

MBSC

This episode of Facility Finders visits a Mount Rushmore of strength coaching—located just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning is owned and operated by Coach Mike Boyle. His gym now has two locations, one in Woburn and the other in Middleton.

For this installment, Coach Boyle takes us on a tour of his Woburn location. His gym is in the private sector of strength and conditioning, and he works with hundreds of athletes spanning beginner-level youth to Olympic gold-medal athletes.

Design

Coach Boyle moved to this 22,000-plus square foot facility because he had a vision of his system in this facility. Anytime you build/remodel a space, you have to think about your system of training. For Coach Boyle, his specific training flow has to accommodate the masses, including starting different sessions every 30 minutes or so to allow them to train a high number of clients in one day.

MBSC Flow
Image 1. The facility’s setup and design help maximize flow in the training area.

The facility is sectioned off into the main weight area with sprinting strip, the functional training turf space, and the conditioning room. Each has its own space, which is unique compared to what we often see nowadays with monster wide-open facilities—but Coach Boyle has his system set up in a way that can overcome the split of the spaces. Considerations all the way down to where to situate the bathroom and hallway offer value, according to Coach Boyle.

“It’s pretty simple,” he says. “One large open room with offices and locker rooms/bathrooms off a long hallway. The hallway was deliberately ended at a point so people could not enter the gym from the center.”

Michael Boyle

This is important to him because they have athletes sprinting in his facility—that closure allows athletes to not have to worry about trucking another client walking in to start their session. Coach Boyle also mentioned that he has designed three collegiate weight rooms before, so that experience was helpful in deciding what he wanted and what he didn’t.

Presentation
Image 3. Coach Boyle hosts a conference workshop at MBSC.

Purchasing

This is something that I think a lot of coaches miss out on: purchasing equipment from companies that, even if you are only spending $20,000 because that’s a huge renovation for you, treat you in a similar way to those purchasing in the multimillion-dollar range.

“Number one was the relationship,” Coach Boyle says, talking about his connection with Perform Better. “When you build a facility, people you don’t know come out of the woodwork. I went with Perform Better because they had always treated me like I was important, even when I didn’t have a big budget and wasn’t spending a lot of money. Number two was cost. In the private sector, it’s your money.”

For private sector gyms, make sure the facility you are in is fully maximized before investing in a new space. A move won’t necessarily save a struggling business—but it can surely sink it. Share on X

This 22,000-square-foot space is something that most coaches only dream about, but the success of Boyle’s practice over time shows in the space he now trains in. For private sector gyms, make sure the facility you are in is fully maximized before investing in a new space. A move won’t necessarily save a struggling business—but it can surely sink it.

Specialty Equipment

At Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, the main focus is obviously on helping clients get stronger and faster, so over the years, specialty equipment has come and gone. Mainly because of the issue of flow, Coach Boyle has focused on not “cluttering” the gym with those specific use types of equipment. When I asked him about these issues, he mentioned hex bars, Arena Sports timing gates, and Keiser air-pressured “cable machines,” and then the plethora of conditioning equipment they have at MBSC.

Specialty Equipment
Image 4. Slideboards, stationary bikes, and treadmills in their own separate room.

“The big thing with Keiser is velocity capability—with no weight stack, you can move weight concentrically,” he said, explaining why they don’t use cable stacks and why they decided on the conditioning equipment they bought. “Keiser doesn’t have the ‘pull back’ that normal cable stacks do.”

“We bought the three types of equipment for this room—treadmills so we can train ‘running muscles’ and get conditioned, bikes are used for the athletes with groin/hamstring issues, and slide boards to help stress the muscles not used as much in the sagittal plane.”

Training Clients
Image 5. Clients train in the large, turf functional training space at MBSC.

Takeaways from Coach Boyle

This gym tour is something different because a lot of facilities are built for as wide a number of uses as possible, whereas this gym was designed to fit the exact training method followed by Coach Boyle.

Design Sketch
Image 6. Sketch of the design and flow.

“Facility design is all about traffic flow,” Coach Boyle said, when explaining the thought process behind his setup. “The big key is to have open space and multi-use equipment. Too many coaches buy machines that they can use for one exercise. We never do. We bought racks, benches, pulley systems, and lots of dumbbells. You need to think about the gym as a factory. The assembly line needs to be smooth!”

Too many coaches buy machines that they can use for one exercise. We never do. You need to think of the gym as a factory. The assembly line needs to be smooth, says @mboyle1959. Share on X

Coach Boyle trains hundreds of athletes a day, so that assembly-line setup is something many small colleges and high schools could think about within their facility. Most schools can afford one weight room for all of their athletes, but without the assembly-line setup, it becomes clustered and dangerous.

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


Max Out Drop

Why We Dropped ‘Max Out’ Days!

Blog| ByJoey Guarascio

Max Out Drop

Break out the smelling salts, crank up the Lil Boosie, tighten up the lifting belt—time to smash a big squat. The team surrounds the athlete, chanting encouragement as the spotters set up. The athlete takes the bar out, and there is a feeling of excitement and almost panic as to whether they will be able to accomplish this Herculean feat of strength.

The athlete descends—with the spotter tight to their body—and then drives back up with all their force. Veins pop out of their forehead with everyone screaming that famous coaching cue, “UPPPPP.” The athlete stands up and walks the bar back into the rack while the room erupts: players dancing, coaches blowing whistles, bedlam. Congratulations are exchanged like a national championship has been won. The athlete has hit a personal record 60 pounds above their previous squat. The strength coach stands there reveling in the accomplishment, like their purpose has been fulfilled.

But amid all this commotion, the purpose of a 1RM test is forgotten—to gain an appropriate number to train from in the next block of training.


Video 1. Teammates fire up an athlete maxing out in a clean.

Testing for a 1RM

One rep max testing is common practice in a majority of weight rooms around the country, including one in which I have been personally employed, but what purpose does it serve? From my own undoing in the “numbers chasing game,” I can tell you that it is easy to lose sight of the purpose of testing and fall into the trap of ego lifting your athletes. I bring up most of the issues and scenarios in this article because I have made the same mistake in my career. Let’s look at the history of strength and conditioning to give us insight into this traditional practice.

I can tell you that it is easy to lose sight of the purpose of testing and fall into the trap of ego lifting your athletes, says @CoachJoeyG. Share on X

As strength and conditioning continues to mature as a field, coaches continue to find ways to validate themselves through the traditional “Max Out Day.” I don’t fault coaches for wanting to prove that their program is working, and a lot of times, external pressure dictates that coaches have a certain quota of numbers at the end of every semester. Before some of the newer technologies were created, coaches in the early days of the profession had to show worth to sport coaches to validate the necessity of their jobs, and they did this by showing increases in strength through one rep maxes.

Johnny Parker
Image 1. Coach Johnny Parker training an athlete outside on a bench press machine. Coach Parker is a pioneer in the field and an invaluable mentor.

We must remember that, in the early stages of the field, strength and conditioning coaches were fighting the stigma that they weren’t necessary. Research in the U.S. was centered around aerobic conditioning, and a lot of the more advanced training methods were hidden behind the Soviet’s Iron Curtain. It wasn’t until the pioneering work of coaches like Johnny Parker, Al Vermeil, Al Miller, and many others that the strength and conditioning community in America start to use the more researched and proven training methods and best practices from the Eastern Bloc.

Russian Lifts
Figure 1. Pictured above is a breakdown of the average intensity trained at for Soviet Olympic lifters throughout their years of dominance in the Olympics. It is very interesting how infrequently they eclipsed the 90% threshold, and how most of the lifting above 90% came from competition attempts. (Credit Breakingmuscle.com)

Though the knowledge that strength is one piece of the puzzle for increased athletic performance is now a shared philosophy for most practitioners, the allure of having bragging rights at conferences has fueled the practice of max out day to extreme ends. As the profession evolves, so should our practice of safer, accurate, and purposeful prescriptions of load—which is the end goal of one rep testing.

What Is the Specific Reason for One Rep Testing?

Mladen Jovanovic defines a one rep max as: “the maximal weight one can lift without a technical failure.” This definition coincides with what the purpose of testing should be. We should seek to create testing protocols that are repeatable and uniform in terms of standards and effectiveness.

In a sports setting, the only reason to test a 1RM is to have an accurate training number to train off in a percentage-based program. The accuracy and prescription of load is essential to a successful strength program. How can we apply overload if we don’t know the amount of load necessary to elicit stress on the athlete and promote the adaptation that drives strength and growth? Trying to program and plan training without some idea of training maximums for athletes is like playing pin the tail on the donkey in the dark.

All training is a form of guesswork and experimentation. Scientific principles clear up a lot of the guessing, provide structure, and guide safe and effective strategies for training. Coaches can’t utilize these strategies if they can’t properly prescribe the appropriate loads during the training process. “Hope” is not a strategy—planning structured overload is essential to a safe and effective training program.

General Adaptation Syndrom
Figure 2. Pictured above is Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome. To get a supercompensation or increased general preparedness level, a stress must trigger an alarm phase in the body. If we don’t have an ability to apply a load that triggers this alarm phase, we will not drive strength adaptions.

It is unsafe and irresponsible to guess at load prescription. Athletes get hurt when inappropriate loads are on the bar. Speed of movement and technique become compromised when loads are prescribed without sound reasoning. I am not advocating for no heavy lifting, but I am advocating for having a strategy to safely lift heavy in a progressive manner.

One rep testing, if done, should satisfy a specific training objective, not validate or be a metaphorical pat on the back to the S&C coach, says @CoachJoeyG. Share on X

One rep testing, if done, should satisfy a specific training objective, not validate or be a metaphorical pat on the back to the strength and conditioning coach. A strength and conditioning coach shouldn’t need to feed their ego with 1RM numbers. These bragging rights violate one of my main philosophical rules: you are in your position to serve the athletes, not the other way around.

Coaches should never expose an athlete to potential danger for their own benefit.

Let’s also look at when we, as strength and conditioning coaches, actually test athletes for one rep maxes. Typically, the one rep testing happens right before a transitional period in the training year, such as the end of the semester or the conclusion of summer workouts. This is an ass-backward way, as the reason to update a one rep max is to adjust it for future training blocks. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense if we wait to test until training is completed, with rest or a competitive period following.

Why would a coach risk injury or employ maximal fatigue on an athlete leading into a competitive period? Aren’t we trying to deliver the athletes to the sports coaching staff ready to compete in their sport? Athletes don’t come to college to be professional strength athletes; they come to compete in their respective sports. Putting these athletes at risk of injury just prior to a competitive period is careless and irresponsible and should not be common practice.

Risk Reward That Comes with Max Out Day

The accuracy of testing and safety are major concerns in testing one rep maxes. The minute a coach in any capacity helps the athlete accomplish the lift, the test is invalid. Spots can increase load anywhere from 10% to 40%. Bench press should be performed with two hands, not four. If a coach is so nervous about an athlete’s safety with a given load that they must physically grab the bar, then that load should not be on the bar in the first place.

If a coach is so nervous about an athlete’s safety with a given load that they must physically grab the bar, then that load should not be on the bar in the first place, says @CoachJoeyG. Share on X

This goes back to what is the purpose in testing one rep max? If coaches take these inflated numbers and program off them, athletes could be potentially training with supramaximal loads. It is a strength and conditioning coach’s job to do no harm—so why expose athletes to unnecessary danger, when proper testing protocols would allow accurate numbers with safe attempts?

Adding a spot in any capacity immediately creates a super-maximal attempt that the tissue may not be able to handle. I have seen pecs, backs, quads, and even a meniscus destroyed during a max out day. When an injury has occurred, I’ve always had to answer not only to myself, but even more so to the injured athlete and their coaches. When the smoke clears, there is the realization that the extra 5 pounds on the squat that you, as an S&C coach, were chasing was not worth the cost of the athlete’s health. Our job is to do no harm and mitigate any potential dangers of training. Excessive spotting and supramaximal loading are dancing with the devil and serve the strength and conditioning coach more than the athlete.

Technical Standards and Reliability of One Rep Testing

The technical side of max out days is something of great importance. If an athlete can’t complete a movement with the same technical proficiency that they do in training, coaches shouldn’t use that number to train off. Board benches, partial squats, and starfish power cleans are not acceptable numbers to train off if the mode of exercise in training requires full range of motion or cleaner technical efficiency.

If an athlete can’t complete a movement with the same technical proficiency that they do in training, coaches shouldn’t use that number to train off, says @CoachJoeyG. Share on X

If the point of a one rep max is to create a number to train off, coaches should aim for the movement pattern to replicate the technique the coaches demand in training. Cut-offs should be put in place during traditional max out days based on how the movement looks versus chasing a number. Bottom line: the lifts should look the same from the warm-up through the max attempt.

Technique Failure
Image 2. Technical integrity is paramount when testing one rep maxes. If an athlete must alter the movement in a way that lands outside of that exercise’s technical movement bandwidth, the number collected should not be used to prescribe loads off in future training sessions.
Adapted Figure
Figure 3. Adapted from the study “Using Load-Velocity Relationships to Quantify Training-Induced Fatigue,” where the researchers (Liam J. Hughes, Harry G. Banyard, Alasdair R. Dempsey, Jeremiah J. Peiffer, and Brendan R. Scott) observed that the measured 1RM of participants declined by 9% at 24 hours after the fatiguing exercise session and was still 4% lower than baseline at 48 hours. A 9% decrease on a 400-pound squat would mean in that moment the athlete’s daily max would be 365. We can see why this could be an issue, as the athlete’s strength fluctuation could compromise training affects.

Fluctuation of One Rep Max

It’s May 1, and you, the S&C coach, just concluded a successful max out day in which you observed strength gains up to 40 pounds in some athletes. You add these new numbers into their Excel workbook in the master table. The coach programs the summer workouts that start June 1 off this new number.

An athlete comes back off intersession break ready to get right, and when the first workout day approaches, you prescribe 75% of the newly tested 1RM for a set of four. The athlete takes the bar out and struggles with the first rep, grinds to get the second, and gets buried in the hole on the third. The coach is shocked and angered by the “lack of effort” of an athlete coming off a month break with an overexaggerated one rep max to train off. This is another situation that can be avoided by taking the appropriate steps in applying a training max.

1Rm Figure
Figure 4. This diagram was taken from “Strength Training Manual” by Mladen Jovanovic, where he discusses how strength and conditioning coaches should undershoot one rep maxes and remind themselves that one rep maxes are a tool in prescribing appropriate overload for the athletes.

Mladen Jovanovic proposed a viewpoint that really challenged my personal perspective on load prescription based on one rep maxes. Jovanovic stated that athletes have different levels of one rep maxes:

  • The highest level is a competition max, which is the highest level of performance under major arousal. This could be directly correlated to the typically hyped-up max out days.
  • The next level is a training max. This performance still requires a higher arousal state and can’t be repeated weekly.
  • The last level is the everyday max. This number is a weight that you could walk in, load on the bar, and hit after a warm-up.

The reasoning behind Jovanovic’s viewpoint of these classifications is simple: there are huge fluctuations in absolute strength depending on various factors like fatigue state, environment, and arousal. To keep the athlete safe, it makes much more sense to undershoot a one rep max than overshoot the max and expose the athlete to the injury risk associated with faulty loading schemes. How would it make sense to use what Jovanovic defines as a competitive max as a number to train off, knowing the arousal state and environment that was necessary to produce that performance?

To keep the athlete safe, it makes much more sense to undershoot a one rep max than overshoot it and expose the athlete to the injury risk associated with faulty loading schemes, says @CoachJoeyG. Share on X

Testing Is Training, Training Is Testing

The sheer planning and aftermath of a max out day takes away from the purpose of a one rep max—to train with more accuracy. A one rep max is a tool, not a training goal. Strength and conditioning coaches don’t win national championships for having a certain number of 500-pound squatters (as much as we would like to believe otherwise).

The sheer planning and aftermath of a max out day takes away from the purpose of a one rep max, which is to train with more accuracy, says @CoachJoeyG. Share on X

There are several methods that are safe and effective for achieving and adjusting one rep maxes. Load-velocity profiles have become extremely popular since the emergence of affordable bar velocity sensors hit the market. Reps in reserve (RIR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) also fit the bill if you have limited resources. Here at FAU, we rely on velocity cutoffs when trying to achieve an athlete’s one rep max that is currently unknown.

Lift sets
Figure 5. Pictured above is the velocity cut-off we utilize at FAU if the athlete has an unknown one rep max and needs to establish a load to prescribe future training off of.

We don’t want to disrupt the training cycle, so we gather our one rep testing data on deload weeks every fourth week, which is when we drop our training volume down significantly while maintaining high intensity. This loading prescription scheme allows us to hit anywhere from 85%–90% every fourth week for a single. Like I stated, we love training heavy but in a way that doesn’t disrupt training from before that week or cause residual fatigue that lasts into the next training block. When the athletes hit the single, we record the average velocity of the movement and provide a sliding scale based on velocity for how much the athlete’s one rep max should go up or down.


Video 2. Velocity-based bar speed measurements.

Over the course of a summer, we have seen athletes progress to hitting their previous one rep max in a workout as their new 90%, faster than their previous 90% test. Because we use this method in training, the number is a valid measurement and an effective number to train off, as the arousal state, technique, and environment are that of a normal training session. It also allows strength and conditioning coaches to provide feedback to the athlete on their training status without the tapering and stress of a max out day.

VBT Scale
Figure 6. Pictured above is the sliding scale that we use here at FAU to adjust one rep max based off the velocity expressed using 90% of the previous one rep max. This scale has allowed us to provide progressive overload and adjust the training prescription without the risk.

Many other methods have been discussed previously on SimpliFaster. Some of these methods include RIR, RPE, load velocity profiling, and rep maxes.

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Don’t get caught up in ego lifting, as it only hurts the athletes you train. Coaches must do no harm. It is a strength and conditioning coach’s duty to provide responsible training that supplements the main emphasis in training for sport, which is better sport performance.

Having X amount of 500-pound squatters and X amount of 400-pound benchers won’t guarantee a championship, even though it will make the strength and conditioning coach feel good. Training must serve a bigger purpose. Technology has provided strength and conditioning coaches with safe and effective ways to prescribe load—we need to advance with the times.

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


Vmaxpro Exxentric

How to Apply the Vmaxpro and Exxentric Flywheel Integration in Training

Blog| ByAdam Wingate

Vmaxpro Exxentric

I use Exxentric’s flywheel devices, and I use Vmaxpro on my barbells—that the two companies would join forces to integrate their products sounds too good to be true, like a watch that can accurately measure blood lactate levels or a vertical jump program that will add 20 inches. But it is real, and I’ve collected all the details you’ll need to get started.

That Exxentric and Vmaxpro integrated their products sounds too good to be true, like a watch that can accurately measure blood lactate levels or a vertical jump program that will add 20 inches. Share on X

Just before I get into all the steps, let me show you what you’re missing.


Video 1. This is Jay Gurusamy demonstrating the Vmaxpro app integration with Exxentric’s kPulley Go at Smash Gym in Sunnyvale, CA.

If you already have a Vmaxpro, then you just need to drop a small fortune on an Exxentric product.

Are they worth it? Yes.

Are they high-end equipment? Yes.

Are they critical to develop an athlete? No, but your athletes will like using them.

If you own a kBox or kPulley, then the financial investment is much less to pick up a Vmaxpro. And remember that it has many other uses besides what I will describe here.

If you have neither product, I strongly recommend both companies and have found customer service for each to be stellar. They are friendly, helpful, and competent, and they set a high standard. Now, after saying all that, if you are against performance metrics and dislike precisely engineered machines that provide a novel training stimulus, then reading about the unity of both might mean you like to suffer. In that case, a competitive flywheel environment is just right for you.

There’s one more thing: in order to attach the Vmaxpro to your Exxentric product, you’ll need to purchase the interface bracket for a price that you won’t like. The tiny, plastic clip runs about $60, and if you order from the Exxentric website, they will ship it from Sweden for a high cost. To avoid this, order directly from SimpliFaster if you are in the U.S.

Integration
I use flywheel training on a weekly basis with my athletes. It’s fun, and compared to barbells, it’s a radical change. A serious limitation has been quantifying progress and intent since there is little intuitive grasp of the meaning behind switching from a flywheel with an inertia constant of 0.005 kg∙m2 to one of 0.025 kg∙m2. Owners of a kBox have the option to add a kMeter, and I have used this solution successfully, but I have also damaged one and had to replace it. It’s a finely tuned instrument that works, but I have been hesitant to redeploy it.

Setup (App and Firmware Update)

You cannot use Vmaxpro with the legacy version of the application (last updated to 4.2.1). The reason is that a firmware update is needed for the device itself (6.3.x or later) and that is only available in the newer Vmaxpro app (currently version 1.1.2). Rather than parse all those numbers, all you have to do is click on the app with the black V-swoosh logo rather than the white one.

Legacy

The next order of business is to update the firmware of the actual Vmaxpro device.

Settings

Under the Training menu, you’ll have the option to connect. Once that is done, if a firmware update is available, you will see a small, orange icon prompting you to download it. As of this time, the current version is 6.4.5, and once that update is complete, you will see the version information reflected in the device status.

Device

Create a Flywheel Exercise

The app is stocked with nearly 50 standard exercises, including varieties of barbell, dumbbell, bodyweight, and kettlebell movements. As of today, there are no entries under the Flywheel menu, so we will first have to add one. I fumbled my way through this process, so you won’t have to.

There are two pathways to reach the menu option to create a new exercise.

  1. Management -> Exercises -> Create Exercise (white circle with a plus sign in the upper right corner)

Management

  1. Training -> Start a workout -> Add first exercise -> Add first exercise (again) -> Create Exercise (white circle with a plus sign in the upper right corner)

Start Workout

Select Workout

Add Exercise

Exercises

Flywheel Menu
Now that you can access the option to create an exercise, here is the screenshot.

Create Select

It is necessary to select an existing exercise as the template for a new one, which is confusing since there are no existing Flywheel exercises. My solution was to use a barbell row, but if you try to save the exercise at this point, it will be rejected as a duplicate. To resolve this, just modify the Equipment menu and switch from Barbell to Flywheel. Use the Alias option to assign a new name to the movement. Click Save.

Barbell Row

Regardless of which pathway you used to create the exercise, to select it you will need to start a workout. To begin, click Start a workout, and through that menu sequence you will use the pathway described earlier:

    Training -> Start a workout -> Add first exercise -> Add first exercise (again) -> Select the Flywheel exercise you created.

Entering Workout

Once you are finished, you will see a screen like this. It is not necessary to specify a goal. Click Done. If you have created athlete profiles, you will be prompted to choose one.

kPulley Row

Please note that if you have not connected your Vmaxpro yet, it’s time to do so. (You can see below that no sensor is connected.) Now we are ready to go. Click on the exercise to enter the main measurement display and start working.

kPulley Training

Performance Monitoring

You can configure this screen to show anything you are interested in monitoring. Click Add chart on the right to choose among numerous metrics. Start cranking out reps, and the information you have selected for display is automatically shown in real time—perfect. Be sure to set the inertia constant of your disc. Unfortunately, Vmaxpro and Exxentric use different units, so I’ve taken care to provide the necessary conversion for you in the table below.

kPulley Vmaxpro
Flywheel Size

Once your set is done, this is an example of what you’ll see. Naturally, if you added different charts than I did, you will see that information.

Peak Power

A few quick tips. The speaker icon at the bottom indicates which metric is audibly reported. It seems to default to Rep order regardless of what you may have set during the previous workout. I don’t know how many of you have trouble counting reps, but I expect most people will want to change this setting.

The icon to the left (showing four quadrants) allows you to configure the presentation screen during your set; this is almost certainly something you will want to edit. Finally, the icon to the right showing a ruler allows you to filter reps based on distance. All of this is very well thought out and fun to use.

Video 2. Vmaxpro Flywheel introduction guide.

This article is not a complete tutorial on all that the Vmaxpro app has to offer. But if you are just getting started, I hope this will greatly simplify the process for you.

Integrating the Vmaxpro with Exxentric’s kPulley Go makes it possible to track and monitor performance the way you would with a 40-yard dash, vertical jump, RSI, or back squat. Share on X

The first day I introduced the Vmaxpro on the kPulley Go, a gym-wide competition to find the most powerful athlete immediately ensued. Real-time feedback changes everything. Athletes increase their intent, and it is possible to track and monitor performance the way you would with a 40-yard dash, vertical jump, RSI, or back squat. Even if you are not interested in tracking the performance over time of anything within the software, you still benefit from the real-time biofeedback.

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

Rugby Tackle

Developing Power in Team Sport Athletes with Nico de Villiers

Freelap Friday Five| ByNico de Villiers, ByElisabeth Oehler

Rugby Tackle

Nico de Villiers is a South African high-performance coach and manager with a strong background in rugby and netball. Coming originally from university sports, Nico has led the S&C programs for a number of international representative sides, including South Africa and Zimbabwe. Currently, Nico works as an S&C coach and rehab specialist for the DHL Stormers, a rugby franchise that plays in the United Rugby Championships and consists of teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, and South Africa. He has coached various World Cup-winning rugby players with his science-informed approach.

Freelap USA: You’ve coached many World Cup-winning rugby players, who are not only incredibly strong but also very powerful. Can you share your approach to power development and what you emphasize pre- and in-season? What technologies do you use for assessing and monitoring the effectiveness of your approach?

Nico de Villiers: When I look to develop power, I follow three main principles:

First, I try to be “velocity specific.” That means we target specific training qualities based on the velocity of movement. I have, however, found that adaptations are ultimately determined by the effort exerted by each player during training. If a player does not complete a movement with the highest velocity possible or with maximal intent, the power produced during that movement will be insufficient to create true performance improvements. Maximal intent is likely the most critical aspect of improvements in power production.

When I look to develop power, I follow three main principles: I try to be ‘velocity specific,’ I am movement specific, and I try for when players are as fresh as possible. Share on X

Second, I am movement specific—meaning that my exercise selection for power development is tailored to the type of adaptation I want for the player. Here are some exercise movements I use to target specific adaptations:

  • Ballistic movements like various loaded jumps are very effective for developing force at various velocities.
  • Weightlifting derivatives for rate of force development.
  • Unloaded jumps and plyometrics for elastic qualities and getting stiffness through the system (mostly for the faster players).
  • Compensatory acceleration exercises (like bands and chains) for more strength-speed development or late RFD.
  • Accommodating resistance jumps where we try and overspeed a player and triple extension pattern to develop early RFD.

Lastly, I try and develop power when players are as fresh as possible. Fatigue really is the enemy of power development. If a player can’t produce high outputs, chances are they won’t get the stimulus or adaptation from the session to get more powerful.

Pre-Season vs. In-Season Power Training

During the pre-season, we try and maximize our power development by exposing players to higher volumes of high output training. To ensure players get max volume, we make use of velocity cut-off sets. This maximizes the amount of work players can do above 90% of their best rep for the day. Once a player can no longer get above 90% of output, we terminate the exercise.

During the in-season period, we really must try and minimize fatigue while still getting some adaptation. We look for opportunities in the season where we can push a bit, like when the team has a bye week or there is a drop in running volume. To ensure high intensity with low volumes, we reduce the velocity drop-off to 5% or do more cluster sets. It is important that we still get high output during the in-season because power output, if not exposed to regularly, can slip away easily as the season progresses.

Technology has become a major part of our training system over the last few years. We are privileged to have a couple of Gymawares and some force plates.

We found force plates to be more accurate, and we use them to assess players and give them a power profile. We also do a bit of neuromuscular fatigue assessment with the CMJ during the in-season to help with jump volume prescription and determine whether we should push or pull a player back a bit.

Gymaware is used more to monitor players’ progression and velocity drop-offs in sets. It also creates great competition, and this has a direct impact on players’ intent.

Freelap USA: If you look at your programs from the last few years, is there anything that has worked particularly well for developing power in your players and anything that hasn’t worked the way you’ve planned it? What were the reasons for that?

Nico de Villiers: Creating competition! In the very dynamic, chaotic environment of team sports, you often must use simple methods and just ensure that the players are motivated and produce sufficient output in the lifts to stimulate adaptations. The thing I found works the best for this is creating competition. Crack out the Gymaware, the leader board, and the celebration bell that you can ring if you hit the PB, and you are almost guaranteed to have a good session.

If I have more of a controlled environment with a smaller group, I have found velocity cut-off sets and high-volume power training to be very effective methods to develop power. Share on X

If I have more of a controlled environment with a smaller group, I have found velocity cut-off sets and high-volume power training to be very effective methods to develop power.

I mentioned velocity cut-off earlier. This is basically setting up the Gymaware to indicate if a player has dropped below a certain velocity threshold (normally the best rep for the day). The percentage drop can be between 5% and 10%, depending on the volume of work you want to do. (The higher the threshold, the more volume the players will do and the more fatigue it will cause.)

The reason I like these methods is that, based on the neuromuscular status of the players, they will do the optimal amount of high output volume that they can tolerate that day. If a player is feeling fresh, they are often able to keep the intensity above 95% of their max for up to 15 consecutive reps, while a player who is more fatigued will only be able to tolerate 2-3 reps. At the end of a session, some guys will get more than 30 quality high-output reps, while others will get less than 10 reps. When we can push players who are fresh a bit, it gives a potent stimulus, and we see good results as the back end of this.

Another quite potent stimulus we use (sparingly, I must add) is something called high-volume power training. This is a method I adopted from Dr. Alex Natera’s work. This method is characterized by:

  • High volume sets (10-15 reps)
  • Multiples sets (60-180 reps)
  • Moderate- to short-interest recovery (30 seconds-2 minutes)
  • Light to moderate loads (30-50% 1RM)
  • Ballistic or weightlifting movements
  • Big velocity drop-off (15-35%)
  • Max effort and max intent on each rep

I use this method on select players for two- to three-week blocks to give them a novel stimulus if I want to address power output quickly (end stage of rehab or having a bye week).

In terms of things that did not work well, it usually boils down not to what you do, but how you do it. If players are not lifting with intent and producing high output, then they rarely improve their power capabilities. Whether it’s Olympics lifts, loaded jumps, banded squats, or contrast/complex methods, it all works, but only if we follow the principles of being velocity-specific, have max intents, and do this while players are reasonably fresh.

In terms of things that did not work well, it usually boils down not to what you do, but how you do it. Share on X

Freelap USA: What are the biggest myths and misconceptions about power development for team sports?

Nico de Villiers: I would say the biggest misconception is that power development looks the same for all players in a team sport. We tend to think of fast movement with light weights or see weightlifting exercises and classify it as a power development session, while power development depends on how we address the neuromuscular system and what we are trying to get out of it.

Ultimately, the goal of developing power is to improve output in a specific sporting task on the field. The way we develop power for a loose forward in rugby who needs to dominate collisions and the way we develop power for a wing who needs to express max speed are very different. Both need to express force, but the time constraint to do so will be different.

Doing some diagnostic testing often helps us determine what neuromuscular properties need to be addressed so that the players will produce max output in the task required of them.

Here are some of the different diagnostics tests we look at to determine the power development plan each player needs based on their position.

Qualities by Position

From these diagnostics, we can determine what each player needs in their position to be powerful on the field for us. So, developing power for a loose forward who has very good force production but poor elastic ability will look very different from a wing who has great reactive abilities but can’t generate lots of force into the ground.

We often find that players have great neuromuscular abilities, but they still do not transfer them to the sporting task. Then we will look at developing movement skills and work with either the coach or a specialist to see how we can transfer the athlete’s motor potential abilities into the sporting task. For these players, power development will happen outside on the pitch and not in the weight room

Freelap USA: Your role at the Stormers also includes return to play after long-term injuries. You’ve had a few players with neck injuries successfully return to playing rugby. With collision sports like rugby or American football being at high risk for these kinds of injuries, what are the key aspects from a physical and mental perspective that coaches should consider for successful rehabilitation from a neck injury?

Nico de Villiers: Neck injuries can be very tricky due to the high risk if something goes wrong, which could end a player’s career. The other issue with neck injuries is, unlike other body parts, there is no real, established phase-based return to play protocol. When assessing the neck, it’s difficult to give exit criteria and KPIs for each stage to determine if a player is ready to play or not.

From a physical aspect, we consider multiple variables during the player’s return to play process. The goal is that a player should be able to produce, absorb, and transmit forces through various planes of movement through a safe range. This should also be done at various velocities where there is a time constraint on force production. To add to that, we look at moving from a controlled to a chaotic environment, where the player is exposed to the high-risk skill that they need to execute when they play.

Below is an example of how we progressed a front row player in rugby after neck surgery and prepared him to scrum and to be able to handle contact like tackles:

  • Restore both inner and outer range of motion (in front row forwards, this is often limited, so we need to know the player’s limitation).
  • Restore various force capabilities in various planes.
    • Isometric strength by preventing lateral flexion, flexion, extension, and diagonally.
    • Force absorption (eccentric strength) in lateral flexion, flexion, extension, and diagonally.
    • Force production (concentric strength) in lateral flexion, flexion, extension, and diagonally.
  • Restore rate of force development and producing various contractions quickly in various positions. Can be done by pushing with hand, pulling with a towel, or throwing physioball against the head.
  • Introduce more unpredictable force and challenge the player to do this while performing another task like, for example, crawling variation to mimic scrum position while applying various forces in various planes on the neck.
  • Reintroduce skills at low intensity and high predictability and then progress to higher intensity with less control. An example of this would be the player doing 1v1 scrumming until they are comfortable to do so at full intensity and then progress to 2v2, 3v3, full pack against machine (high force, high control) to full pack static hold (high force, moderate control) and eventually full-on scrums.

From a mental aspect, it is very important that technical or skills coaches get involved as soon as possible. Neck injuries often occur because players get themselves in a bad position on the field. Coaches reintroducing them to good technique, timing, and progressive intensity play a big role in establishing the player’s confidence. Even in cases where we, as coaches and physios, believed the neck was physically strong and ready, the players only believed in it once they were able to execute the skill or collision with confidence. Tackling and scrumming technique training help a lot to reduce anxiety to go and perform the skill once they are in an uncontrolled environment.

Neck injuries often occur because players get themselves in a bad position on the field. Coaches reintroducing good technique, timing, and progressive intensity reestablish player’s confidence. Share on X

Freelap USA: When playing a long season and players start dealing with lower body “niggles” like minor hamstring or calf injuries, how do you react and adapt with your program design and load management?

Nico de Villiers: In a running/collision-based sport like rugby union, you will always have players with niggles. Some research has even indicated in professional rugby league players, no players reported being pain-free at any stage of the season.1 For me, the priority is to make sure that we get a good diagnosis of the niggle. This might sound obvious, but often if the diagnosis is not accurate, the intervention, whether that is rest or load management, could place the players at a bigger risk of sustaining a more severe injury.

When dealing with minor injuries around the lower body, the first step would be to deload them and make sure that the player is ticking their recovery boxes (sleep, nutrition, hydration, managing external stressors). It’s funny how often these niggles appear when there is a change in a player’s lifestyle and recovery efforts go out the window. When we deload, it could be in various ways, either managing running exposure (no high speed or change of direction) or pulling them from field training altogether. When players are still able to run, we may deload them in the gym for a week or two and then gradually expose them to gym load again.

It’s important that when we deload a player with a niggle, we don’t detrain them. Often, players who present with a calf, adductor, or hamstring niggle are pulled from training until the discomfort settles, but when reintroduced to training, they are reluctant to do strength work in that area. Depending on how long a player has not been exposed to a stimulus in the gym, we will have to expose them gradually back to normal training to ensure we keep load through the tissue without overdoing it.

Below is an example of how we could reintroduce a player back to gym load after a short management period due to niggles:
RTP Chart

References

1. Fletcher BD, Twist C, Haigh JD, Brewer C, Morton JP, and Close GL. “Season-long increases in perceived muscle soreness in professional rugby league players: role of player position, match characteristics and playing surface.” Journal of Sports Sciences. 2016;34(11):1067–1072.

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


Back Squat Male

The 5 Day Option for The System

Blog| ByKade Cole

Back Squat Male

Johnny Parker, Al Miller, and Rob Panariello authored a phenomenal book called The System: Soviet Periodization Adapted for the American Strength Coach, which outlines their combined 100+ years of experience in strength and conditioning. The System is based on information that came out of the former Soviet Union, which is likely some of the most relevant and accurate research done on human athletic performance.

In the book, they outline 2, 3, and 4-day program options—what they left out is a 5-day option. In this article I will describe the 5-day option, which I received indirectly from Coach Parker through a mentor of mine who is close friends with Coach Parker, and how I apply it to training 9th-12th grade boys in our athletics program.

Volume in The System

Before I outline the 5-day plan, let me recap The System’s volume principles first. The system starts with a set number of countable reps (volume total) for a 4-week training cycle. This volume total is first split into 4 weeks with a percentage based on level the of programming chosen (beginner, intermediate, or advanced). Each week’s volume of reps is then split into percentages over 2-4 days, depending on the chosen training split. The daily total volume is assigned to different lifts, depending on the emphasis of the training period, with no more than 25% of the total volume for the week assigned to one lift.

The system starts with a set number of countable reps (volume total) for a 4-week training cycle, says @LakeStrength. Share on X

Here is an example of what that looks like:

The total monthly volume is 1000 reps (to make the example simple).

Total volume is distributed over 4 weeks with the following percentages

  • Week 1 27% (270 Reps)
  • Week 2 22% (220 Reps)
  • Week 3 32% (320 Reps)
  • Week 4 19% (190 Reps)

The Daily periodization follows the same percentages as the weekly volume:

Week 1 270 reps:

  • Day 1 27% (72.9 Reps)
  • Day 2 22% (59.4 Reps)
  • Day 3 32% (86.4 Reps)
  • Day 4 19% (51.3 Reps)

The reps are then assigned to lifts based on the emphasis of the training period:

  • Clean 19% (51.3 reps for week 1)
  • Olympic Pulls 10% (27 reps for week 1)
  • Squat 20% (54 reps for week 1)
  • Press 20% (54 reps for week 1)
  • Posterior Chain 14% (37.8 reps for week 1)
  • Jerk 7% (18.9 reps for week 1)
  • Snatch 10% (27 reps for week 1)

This volume can be distributed any way the coach chooses, as long as the daily volume and reps fit with the plan.

Beyond the Book

Now that we have established the parameters that are in the book, let’s get to the information that was passed along to me from Coach Parker and how I’ve chosen to apply it.

The total monthly volume is 1000 reps (again for simplicity purposes).

Volume is distributed over 4 weeks with the following percentages:

  • Week 1 27% (270 Reps)
  • Week 2 22% (220 Reps)
  • Week 3 32% (320 Reps)
  • Week 4 19% (190 Reps)

The daily periodization follows the same percentages as the weekly volume:

Week 1 270 reps:

  • Day 1 27% (72.9 Reps)
  • Day 2 15% (40.5 Reps)
  • Day 3 15% (40.5 Reps)
  • Day 4 30% (81 Reps)
  • Day 5 13% (34.1 Reps )

When giving this information to my mentor, Coach Parker mentioned that there is freedom to switch up the order any way you like as long as the percentages do not change. In the high school schedule we are currently following, we are using Charlie Francis’s high/low intensity model. Monday and Friday are the highest intensity as well as the highest volume, while Wednesday is low volume, but still high intensity; Tuesday and Thursday are the low intensity days.

Coach Parker mentioned that there is freedom to switch up the order any way you like as long as the percentages do not change, says @LakeStrength. Share on X
5-Day Circuit
Image 1. Daily intensity levels in the 5-day circuit.

With this in mind, I rearranged the days to best fit the schedule for 170+ 9th-12th grade boys in soccer, baseball, football, basketball, and track:

For this schedule, I will use the same number of reps as the previous examples.

Week 1 270 reps:

  • Day 1 27% (72.9 Reps)
  • Day 2 13% (34.1 Reps)
  • Day 3 15% (40.5 Reps)
  • Day 4 15% (40.5 Reps)
  • Day 5 30% (81 Reps)

I determined the daily exercises based on how the intensity of the lift fit with the intensity of the day following the Charlie Francis graph below, while also considering how many countable reps I had available that day.

I determined the daily exercises based on how the intensity of the lift fit with the intensity of the day, says @LakeStrength. Share on X
Motor Units
Image 2. Relative intensity graph created by Charlie Francis.

The allotment of reps for exercises we used during our first four weeks was as follows:

  • Clean 16% (43.2 reps for week 1)
  • Olympic Pulls 13% (35.1 reps for week 1)
  • Squat 25% (67.5 reps for week 1)
  • Press 22% (59.4 reps for week 1)
  • Posterior Chain 15% (40.5 reps for week 1)
  • Jerk 0% (0 reps for week 1)
  • Snatch 9% (24.3 reps for week 1)

The layout of our weekly schedule was as follows:

Day 1—Clean Variation, Squat Variation, Press Variation

Day 2—Jerk Variation, Posterior Chain Variation

Day 3—Snatch Variation, Press Variation (non-countable squat variation)

Day 4—Olympic Pull Variation, Posterior Chain Variation

Day 5—Clean Variation, Squat Variation, Press Variation

And our running was as follows:

Day 1—Flying 10 (AM Session), Change of Direction (PM Sessions)

Day 2—Tempo Wickets

Day 3—200m Sprint 2-3 reps (Program Run/ Track Prep)

Day 4—Change of Direction

Day 5—15 yd Acceleration (AM Session), Tempo Wickets (PM Session)

I fill out the rest of my training sessions with auxiliary movements that help us achieve the goals we set at the beginning of the off-season. For example, early in off-season training, we put a higher percentage of reps towards strength movements and as the year progresses, we shift the volume towards power movements. Regularly assessing the progress of your athletes is crucial to best adjust this program for their needs.

Results from The System

The System has continued to be an excellent option for improving athlete performance and ties in very well with most programming limitations. Understanding how to program for consistent progress over a 20-week period, without overtraining, can be a difficult task without a guidepost like this. Coach Parker has a saying in regards to training: “I would rather be a mile short than take it an inch too far.”

The System has continued to be an excellent option for improving athlete performance and ties in very well with most programming limitations, says @LakeStrength. Share on X

Throughout this year, we have worked hard to embody this advice. The highest monthly volume used this year was 775 reps, with the lowest being 700 reps. Any time we run flying 10’s or 15-yard accelerations, we run no more than three reps. Our longest yardage running day topped out at 700 yards. With a large number of multi-sport athletes, this plan was necessary to make sure that we were able to stimulate for improvement without fatiguing the athletes to a point where they would not be able to perform. Coincidentally, win totals are up for all spring sports as well.

The principles in this book are fundamental in nature. They provide an excellent foundation for understanding not only how to program, but why it is important. The relative intensities addressed in this book are another layer that can add to your success as a performance 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


Citations

Francis, C,. and Paul Patterson. 1992. The Charlie Francis Training System. TBLI Publications.

Parker, J., A. Miller, R. Panariello, & J. Hall. 2018. The System: Soviet Periodization Adapted for the American Strength Coach. On Target Publications.

Fascia Training

Improving Fascial Resilience for Sport Performance

Blog| ByDanny Foley

Fascia Training

Despite tremendous growth over the last several decades, the human performance industry still has some work to do. Strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, and others within the human performance umbrella typically have two benchmarks for evaluating their effectiveness: pre/post diagnostic testing and rate of injury in sport. While we’ve seen some truly remarkable improvements in conventional testing performance (i.e., NFL Combine), the same cannot be said for the injury rates.1–3 Considering rapid advances in technology allowing us to track a host of biometrics, physical outputs, and even performance data, it would seem paradoxical that we haven’t been able to demonstrate similar hallmark achievements regarding injury rates.

It has been well-established that injuries, collectively, are not preventable. However, it should be equally understood that what we do matters, and good training coupled with adequate recovery will undeniably improve an athlete’s odds for staying healthy throughout their season/career.

My time at VHP has afforded me a somewhat unique perspective on the injury management and restoration component of sport performance. For the last five years, I’ve worked exclusively with Special Operations and Special Forces personnel, which has been a tremendous opportunity, but it has not come with simplicity. The inherent focus of our work has been figuring out how to effectively train athletes at a high level despite expansive injury histories. When the majority of “conventional” S&C applications are not feasible, it has forced us to view movement from a different lens. And it is largely because of the demands of working with this population that I was eventually led down the fascia rabbit hole.

What I’ve come to find over the years is that the fascial system is a lynchpin to training, movement, and performance, says @danmode_vhp. Share on X

What I’ve come to find over the years is that the fascial system is a lynchpin to training, movement, and performance. My theory as it relates to injuries is that we have maintained an overemphasis on training the musculoskeletal system while overlooking how to directly improve the resiliency of connective tissues. Having dramatic differences between muscular capacity and soft tissue resilience may be more of a culprit than we like to acknowledge, and this requires both a change in philosophy and the use of strength training and rehabilitative practices.

Fascial Based Approach

What Does a Fascial-Based Approach Mean?

Before we get into the training applications, allow me to first give a brief outline for why these fascial concepts should be considered in a sport performance setting. Fascia is a fibroelastic connective tissue that plays important roles in biological structure, movement, and function.4 In a laymen’s sense, you can think of fascia as being a global connective tissue that, quite literally, connects us from head to toe. Fascia is also highly enriched with proprioceptive bodies and free nerve endings that play critical roles in detecting external stimuli, movement coordination, and even spatial orientation.5 While fascia may not generate much force itself, as we know muscles and tendons do, fascia plays a critical role in coordinating and synergizing movement—which is essential for speed, power, and reactiveness.5

Ultimately, I believe there is a relative balance between muscular capacity and soft tissue (namely fascia) resiliency, and if there’s too much disparity between them, athletes will underperform and be at a greater risk for injuries to occur.

I’ve spoken about the fascial system at great lengths over the years, and along with several others, have continued to find success with applying this perspective toward human movement and performance. The biggest misconception when discussing fascial-based training is coaches assuming this indicates some sort of complete training overhaul: one in which all conventional exercises are done away with in favor of standing on Bosu balls and exclusively using mini-bands and shake weights. Not only is this, of course, untrue, but it also demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of what a fascial-based training approach really entails.

In the most empirical sense, I see a fascial-based training approach as prioritizing the quality of integrated movement rather than the quantity of isolated components. Thus, it’s not exactly a matter of doing different things, but rather, just doing some things differently.

I see a fascial-based training approach as prioritizing the quality of integrated movement rather than the quantity of isolated components, says @danmode_vhp. Share on X

It’s extremely important to recognize that the fascial system, like virtually any other biological system, is inextricably linked to the musculoskeletal system.6 So, if we wanted to be perfectly technical about this, everything is fascial-based training, just as everything is muscular-based training. As we’ll discuss in more detail throughout this article, organizing training to be more or less fascial focused is more reliant on the parameters in which training is performed than on the specific movements or exercises themselves. Moreover, a fascial approach does not negate or delegitimize most of what we consider to be a conventional approach. It’s really more of a change in the coach’s perspective of movement and training than it is the tangible X’s and O’s of sport performance.

Movement Perspective

Fundamental Differences

Fundamentally, the primary difference I see between the two is whereas conventional approaches tend to focus on the progressive overload of specific movements or isolated parts, a fascial approach focuses more on the collective integration of global movement. Additionally, conventional thought suggests we emphasize multiple isolated components, whereas a fascial-based approach is derived from more of an integrative emphasis. By virtue, this will indicate that a fascial approach is going to be more core- or trunk-focused with less concern for segmental body parts or isolated movements. There is less demand for chasing numbers on specific lifts and less use of constrained, compound movements in the programming in general.

Fascia Or Muscle

Where the conventional models adopted for sport performance are largely driven by mechanical progressive overload and a pursuit of maximal force outputs, the fascial-based model is more concerned with the sequencing and speeds of variable movements. Similarly, where conventional strength training is programmed accordingly to our three cardinal planes, fascial-based training is omnidirectional in nature. Rather than restricting athletes to three phantom planes we’ve created to simplify training strategies, why not challenge athletes to expand their ability to move across a multitude of vectors under varying loads and speeds with proficiency? I can’t think of many things more self-limiting than trying to reduce a sport to one or two planes of motion—that is really one of the greatest fallacies of our conventional academia.

I can’t think of many things more self-limiting than trying to reduce a sport to one or two planes of motion—that is really one of the greatest fallacies of conventional academia, says @danmode_vhp. Share on X

Getting Started with Fascial-Based Training

As I alluded to above, taking a more fascial-focused approach to sport performance and human movement doesn’t require a complete destruction of your programming and training philosophies. Remember, this is not a matter of doing completely different things, just doing some things in a different way. There are several adjustments I’d consider low-hanging fruit that, irrespective of your population or training setting, can be implemented with ease and potentially have significant return for your athletes.

Fascia Training
*Click here for graphic voiceover*

A simple adjustment like using a kickstand set up for deadlifts rather than bilateral is a subtle way to promote more fascial focus by creating more demand on unilateral function. Other subtleties such as using the landmine in lieu of a traditional barbell setup can go a long way.

The landmine offers a great opportunity for freedom of movement, allowing the athlete to work through a wide spectrum of vectors. The constant multiplanar nature of landmine movements increases demand for athletes to stabilize multiple planes of motion concurrently throughout the movement. This also provides a great deal of biofeedback to help athletes optimize their movement. The opportunity for a variety of vectors provides benefits by challenging the athlete in a way that is difficult to replicate with a traditional barbell setup.

Here are a couple of examples showing just that:

  • LM Liftoff to Bend
  • LM SA Rebound Throw


Video 1. Landmine Rebound Vertical Chop

I’d argue a lot of similar points for medicine ball work as well, with an added benefit of being able to use med balls in a projectile and decelerating manner. Between these two, we get a great bang for our buck, as both modalities promote total body (global) demands, and they are highly beneficial for sensorimotor function, movement coordination, and challenging cross-body patterns—all of which are quintessential to fascial-based training. The bonus is that both med ball and landmine work tend to be a great way to challenge the feet.

The bottom surface of the foot is an enriched bed of proprioceptors and free nerve endings that are constantly scanning and detecting input for the body.5 Sensorimotor proficiency and foot function are critical factors in not only sport performance but reducing the opportunities for injury. Training barefoot is a novel way to positively influence the fascial system, both mechanically and from a sensorimotor standpoint. Removing the cushioning surface and false stability of shoes allows the foot to work independently for itself, promoting a better interface with the ground. As a result, this allows the segments of the foot to work in compliance with one another, while also altering the joint positioning and thus muscular activation up the chain during dynamic actions.

Tying this right into the premise of analyzing your training parameters, the three areas I commonly point people to when getting started with fascial-based training approaches are the warm-up, intraset, and accessory blocks of training. These are three segments of training that tend to get put on autopilot, often being mistaken for mundane processes that have minimal influence on overall outcome. Contrary to this, I see these as key areas for improving overall training economy (better utilization of time), addressing individual deficits, and utilizing the opportunity to build variation into programming.

The three areas I commonly point people to when getting started with fascial-based training approaches are the warm-up, intraset, and accessory blocks of training, says @danmode_vhp. Share on X

As I see it, our primary block is where we emphasize the musculoskeletal structures through our primary lifts (i.e., squat, clean, jerk, dead), which are programmed for overload and consistency. The accessory block, however, is where I seek variation and variety—where we are more interested in vectors, ranges, and speeds of movement rather than just load or resistance. And for both primary lifts and our accessory work, I believe it’s important to reduce the amount of bilateral loading an athlete does as they become more experienced/trained.

Main Stances

In addition to varying the position, another central principle for fascial training is working from proximal to distal. This is a widely practiced concept (first popularized by Stu McGill), in which we aspire to have proximal stiffness to create distal freedom or speed. Directly training the core is a non-negotiable component of strength training, but as you should know by now, this doesn’t mean a bunch of isolated crunches/planks/flutter kicks.

Effective core training starts with using global movements (e.g., med ball, landmine, jumps/bounds) that challenge the athlete to sequence force in a functional manner. This is also where I find value in combination movements (e.g., cable curtsy-to-lateral lunge), as redirecting force and momentum are critical foundations for sport. By improving the proximal stiffness—importantly, across a multitude of vectors—the fascia (and muscles) will have a better central anchor point, allowing the athlete to increase terminal speed of the limbs while optimizing power through a reduced loss of kinetic energy.

Proximal Distal

Why This Matters

The evolution of sport performance training has been impressive. We’ve continued to uncover some big rocks in our pursuit of cracking the codes for optimizing human movement and reducing the likelihood of injury. But we’re still not all the way there yet, and it’s vital we continue asking the right questions and examine the variables objectively. Personally, the muse that keeps feeding me is trying to understand precisely how much influence the fascial system has on performance and injury reduction.

I’ll be the first person to acknowledge my biases toward all things fascia, but I genuinely believe there is merit to this. I don’t believe our model is wrong; I just believe there is a transition point where the foundations of strength training (or “the basics”) become significantly less effective for preparing athletes for the demands of modern sport.

We need to develop strength, but we also need to make strength matter, and I feel that’s where fascial training concepts really show their value, says @danmode_vhp. Share on X

Fascia is what humanizes our movement, largely due to the robust sensorimotor function. But the fascial system is also a force amplifier, serving as a global connective tissue that aids us in connecting movement across all planes and vectors. We need to develop strength, but we also need to make strength matter, and I feel that’s where fascial training concepts really show their value. Remember, the goal is to make athletes better at their sport, not better at lifting weights.

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. “Injury Data Since 2015.” 2/7/22.

2. Menon, Arjun. “PFF Data Study: Breaking down WAIL and the most impactful injuries in the NFL last season.” 7/27/21.

3. Mack CD, Kent RW, Coughlin MJ, et al. “Incidence of Lower Extremity Injury in the National Football League: 2015 to 2018.” American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;48(9):2287–2294.

4. Findley T, Chaudhry H, Stecco A, and Roman, M. “Fascia research—a narrative review.” Journal of Body Movement Therapies. 2012;16(1):67–75.

5. Langevin, HM. “Fascia Mobility, Proprioception, and Myofascial Pain.” Life. 2021;11(7): 668.

6. Stecco C, Pirri C, Fede C, Yucesoy CA, De Caro R, and Stecco A. “Fascial or Muscle Stretching? A Narrative Review.” Applied Sciences. 2021;11(1):307.

Female Back Squat

Accentuated Eccentric Loading: A New Paradigm for Sports Performance

Blog| ByMichael MacMillan

Female Back Squat

The ancient symbol “yin-yang” is said to express the Chinese philosophical concept that describes how apparently opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world. This connection perfectly describes the relationship between the concentric and eccentric muscle actions. Lengthening versus shortening, force creating versus force absorbing, and energy dependent versus fatigue resistant: all demonstrate the literal tension between two apparently conflicting but interrelated processes.

In the battle for recognition, however, the concentric activity of muscle is the clear winner. Concentric muscle action gets the credit for virtually everything we do in the world, while eccentric activity toils in the background, working tirelessly but completely unnoticed. We always speak about lifting weights, with little emphasis on how we lower them back down.

Eccentric activity toils in the background, working tirelessly but completely unnoticed. We always speak about LIFTING weights, with little emphasis on how we lower them back down. Share on X

There are now new technologies available that provide resistance for the eccentric movement. This article will discuss the principles of applying resistance during the eccentric lowering phase with emphasis on supplying this resistance safely and effectively.

Muscle Contraction

The best way to fully differentiate between these two distinct muscle functions is to examine them when they are under conditions of maximal stimulation. In other words, expose them to different degrees of loading and then maximally stimulate them to contract. This is exactly what is done when physiologists create the load-velocity curve to describe muscle activity.

Concentric Load
Figure 1. With increasing amounts of load, the velocity predictably slows.

Basically, the testing apparatus should isolate the joint that the muscle acts through and begin in the mid-range position. At about half of its full length, maximally stimulate the muscle (in the laboratory by stimulating the involved nerve). With no load, the muscle will contract almost violently at a high velocity. A curve is constructed by repeating the maximal stimulation by incrementally increasing the weights applied to the involved limb. Very predictably, as the weights are gradually increased, the speed at which the muscle shortens begins to decrease.

The curve of these successive trials typically describes a classic parabolic form. Eventually, a point is reached where the weight equals the contraction force of the muscle. Finally, there is some threshold at which the muscle cannot move the weight at all, which is approximately the one repetition maximum (1RM). Up to this point, the relationship between the weights and the muscle force has been very dynamic, with significant differences as the weights were increased.

Eccentric Lenghtening
Figure 2. With supramaximal loads, the muscle resists lengthening until a certain amount of overload creates high lengthening velocities.

The Myth of Lengthening

As the weights being applied to muscle in mid-range are increased further, conditions change markedly. When the applied weights actually exceed the force-producing capacity of the muscle, the muscle is then forced to lengthen. This lengthening is radically different from the shortening that occurs with the lighter weights. At just 10% above the 1RM, the velocity of lengthening is barely perceptible. At 20%, 30%, 40%, or even 50% of added weight above the 1RM, the muscle yields very little and lengthens very slowly. When the applied weights get relatively extreme, at 70%, 80%, and 90% above the maximum, the muscle basically gives way, and the velocities increase at a logarithmic pace.

This behavior suggests that the muscle is trying to resist lengthening under these conditions. Everything points to the conclusion that the maximally stimulated muscle under conditions of significant overload tries not to lengthen; in fact, the reality is that muscles cannot themselves lengthen. Every muscle, when stimulated, responds by shortening—and when not stimulated, simply remains unchanged. Only by applying an external tension to pull the two ends of the muscle apart does the muscle lengthen. Muscles cannot lengthen—they can only be lengthened.

Everything points to the conclusion that maximally stimulated muscles under conditions of significant overload try NOT to lengthen. Muscles cannot lengthen—they can only BE lengthened. Share on X

When you look at a combined graph of the concentric shortening and the eccentric lengthening, it is striking how dissimilar the two curves are from one another. On the one hand, the parabolic concentric curve demonstrates the dynamism of the shortening action, while the barely mobile eccentric graph almost appears static.

Creating Force Resisting Force
Figure 3. Generic depiction of the force-velocity and force-power curves of isolated skeletal muscle. (Figure by Mokele (talk).HCA at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Gciriani at en.wikipedia. (Public domain) from Wikimedia Commons.)

Static Behavior

The extremely small amount of lengthening caused by ever-increasing amounts of overload suggests that the function of the eccentric muscle activity is, indeed, not to lengthen the muscle but rather to keep it from lengthening under the applied load. In terms of the involved movement, as in the biceps for example, it is more accurate to say that the eccentrically loaded biceps is no longer flexing the elbow, but rather keeping the elbow from extending.

There is, in fact, one other curve that bears a striking resemblance to the eccentric curve: the “stress-strain” curve used routinely in material science.

Stress Strain Curve
Figure 4. All materials will bend under certain loads until they reach a point where the load causes deformation and possible separation.

The stress-strain curve describes the bending of a solid material such as wood, plastic, or metal when it is subjected to a gradually increasing force or stress. There is some minimal level of load applied that causes an unavoidable bending or deformation (strain) of material being studied. It appears that all materials, to different degrees, behave very similarly to a bending force.

Initially, materials bend just slightly, and then as the external force increases, they bend more. Under lighter loads of applied force, the material will return to its original shape when the force is removed. This phase of force application is called “the elastic range.” There, however, begins a level of loading that can actually disrupt the molecular integrity of the material so that when the bending force is removed, the material is permanently deformed. This type of material change is call “plastic deformation,” and aptly, this range of force application is called the “plastic range.” Further loading beyond the “plastic range” is catastrophic and causes macro-damage and material failure, called the “failure zone.”

The importance of comparing the stress-strain curve to the eccentric force-velocity curve is that it implies a therapeutic range for applying overload resistance. The “minimum effective dose” of overload begins at the 1RM for that muscle. You can then apply higher levels of resistance, sometimes as high as 60% or 70% above the 1RM, and although temporary deformation will occur, no structural muscular damage will happen. There is, however, some level where tissue damage and potential harm will occur. This should, of course, be avoided if at all possible.

The importance of comparing the stress-strain curve to the eccentric force-velocity curve is that it implies a therapeutic range for applying overload resistance. Share on X

In this activated, eccentric condition, the muscle behaves like a stiff, passive spring that will initially absorb an outside force by elastic lengthening. The elastic property allows muscle to stretch under a certain amount of overload resistance, absorb the energy, and then release the energy and return to its resting length. Beyond these levels of resistance, there is potential damage to the muscular tissue.

The Molecular Basis of Muscle Function

In order to appreciate how these observations of muscular behavior relate to the actual muscle itself, the molecular basis of concentric and eccentric function needs to be understood.

These two contrasting functions of the same muscle have similarly contrasting molecular mechanics. The classic “Sliding Filament Theory,” developed in the 1950s, has done an adequate job of describing the observed function of muscle during concentric contractions.

Sliding Filament
Figure 5. Simplified diagram of the thick and thin filaments arranged in parallel.

The thick filament with its myosin molecules and the thin filament with its actin molecules slide past each other to decrease the length of the sarcomere and hence shorten muscle length. Unfortunately, this model of muscle function had no explanation for the observed properties of enhanced eccentric muscle action. It was not until relatively recently that researchers proposed a new theory that included the eccentric function of the muscle (Nishikawa, 2012). This new theory was called the “Winding Filament Theory.”

There were two major changes to the model that explained the behavior of eccentric muscle action. First, the thick and thin filaments were not described as being simply chains of myosin and actin, respectively. In the Winding Filament theory, the thick filament has as its primary constituent the largest molecule in the human body, titin. Titin extends the full length of the sarcomere and has unique elastic properties. In this model, the myosin molecules are aggregated on the surface of this molecule for their interaction with the actin molecules.

Similarly, the thin filament is not merely a chain of actin molecules. In this case, the core molecule of the thin filament is called nebulin. Although not as marked, nebulin likewise has elastic characteristics, and similarly the actin molecules are situated on the surface of the nebulin molecule for their attachments to the myosin molecules.

Another major difference of the Winding Filament theory, as the name implies, is that the thick and thin filaments do not simply slide past each other. It is here we are reminded that the contractile proteins are helically shaped. This means that instead of simply passing by each other as the sarcomere shortens, they actually wrap around one another and intertwine. While in the shortened state (the beginning of eccentric lengthening), the two molecules are almost indistinguishable as one.

Winding Filament
Figure 6. The top two figures show the winding of the thick and thin filaments. The bottom figure shows the single attachment that accompanies the stretching of the thick filament.

Eccentrics and the Stretch-Shortening Cycle

It is not intuitively obvious how this spring-like molecular quality relates to the function of the whole muscle in the real world. How can the molecule resist the large physical forces encountered in the real world, and how can molecular stretch result in the long ranges of motion required in some overloaded conditions?

The answer is in the arrangement of the titin and nebulin molecules in the muscle itself. First of all, to be able to resist the larger forces, the molecules, like the myofilaments, work together in the cross section of the entire muscle. In cross section, all the molecules work together when force is applied across the muscle. This arrangement of the elastic molecules in cross section is called a parallel arrangement. This is analogous to stretching a rubber band: it is fairly simple to stretch one rubber band, but if you link 10 or 15 rubber bands together in your fingers, stretching them altogether can be difficult. The cross section of the muscle represents the action of many elastic molecules working together.

The question then becomes, how can the stretching of a molecule allow the muscle to extend for the longer lengths seen in actual human function? To explain this, it has to be emphasized that these molecules exist in the sarcomere, and the sarcomeres are connected end-to-end over the length of the muscle in the myofilaments of the myofibers.

Once again, the rubber band analogy can explain the ability to create length. In this case, instead of holding many rubber bands together to increase their resistance to lengthening, imagine forming a chain of rubber bands looped together end-to-end like the sarcomeres—a single rubber band can only be stretched a short distance, but this chain of rubber bands linked together can be stretched for a much longer distance. This looping together of the rubber bands is called “putting them in series.” The behavior of elastic elements working together either in parallel or in series is described in formulas used in Hook’s Law.

What, then, is the function of these spring-like muscles in human function? It is underappreciated that many common human movements expose the muscles to surprisingly high levels of force. Basic walking is just falling forward while standing on one foot and catching ourselves as we land on the other. Although this seems like an extremely low impact activity, each step requires the body to absorb 1.5 times body weight at each heel strike.

It is underappreciated that many common human movements expose the muscles to surprisingly high levels of force. Share on X

The simple act of going down stairs exerts a foot strike that receives 3.5 times body weight of force. In faster activities, the forces go up proportionately. Running, which is basically jumping from one foot to the other, generates an impact force of 2.5 times body weight. To jump, an athlete has to convert their horizontal speed to vertical distance by solidly planting a foot against the ground with a force that can exceed seven times body weight.

The high forces are not just experienced when gravitational forces are encountered but are also present when the muscles must resist the high momentum forces of objects moving at high velocities. Examples of high momentum forces include the acceleration of the low leg during sprinting, the wind-up of the pitcher’s arm, and the back swing of sports equipment such as bats, clubs, and rackets.

Suramaximal

Although much has been made about the stretching of the molecules, there is, of course, a time when the molecules “snap back”—i.e., shorten—to their original length. Enhanced force production can occur when the shortening of the titin-nebulin complex is coordinated with the shortening that normally occurs during muscle contraction. The key element of harnessing the absorbed elastic energy is the rate of loading.

For elastic stretch to be utilized in coordination with muscular contractile force, the muscle must be stretched very rapidly and at a high force level. Only then can the two forces combine to produce much more force than either alone. This combined force, the stretch-shortening cycle, is exploited in virtually all force-producing activities, especially in sports.

Running, jumping vertically, and jumping horizontally are all lower-extremity movements critical to sports that rely on the stretch-shortening cycle for maximum force output. Similarly, the acquired momentum of a pitcher’s shoulder stretch, a golfer’s back swing, and a batter’s wind-up all rapidly stretch the eccentrically active involved muscles and then release the stored energy in conjunction with concentric force to maximize resultant effect on ball velocity. Less obvious is the muscle stretching that occurs at the start of a sprint or a standing jump, where the effort against the inertia of the body causes the muscles to stretch slightly before propelling the body forward or upward. This exploitation of the stretch-shortening cycle is critical to virtually every land-based athletic activity.

The key question for athletic performance is whether the valuable properties of the stretch-shortening cycle can be improved through enhanced eccentric resistance training. This question was first addressed by Lindstedt in 2001. Eight weeks of eccentric overload training resulted in a stiffening of the “muscle spring.” He concluded that “not only did eccentric training result in an apparent protection from muscle damage (which would have been severe in naïve subjects exercising at this high intensity), but, significantly, there was a shift in the muscles’ fundamental spring property.”

The increase in the stretch-shortening cycle through accentuated eccentric training was further noted in a review by Douglas in 2017 that concluded, “Eccentric training is a potent stimulus for enhancements in muscle mechanical function, and muscle-tendon unit… architectural adaptations.”

Eccentrics and Muscle Hypertrophy

There is yet another underappreciated role of eccentrics in musculoskeletal health, but it does not involve locomotion. Eccentric muscle actions are the unique source of the signal for mechanotransduction. All musculoskeletal tissues structurally respond to the forces they encounter, either through hypertrophy from high external loading or atrophy in the absence of it. The threshold to create structural adaptation depends on the duration, magnitude, and rate of loading.This was demonstrated in tissue preparations that, when stimulated with concentric muscle force, did not result in high levels of protein synthesis. Only after eccentric activation of muscles did the cascade of protein synthesis occur. It was assessed that tissue deformation is required for significant structural adaptation (Burkholder, 2007).

It is well recognized that mechanical force affects the muscle itself. Increased protein synthesis in muscle occurs not only in the normal maintenance of muscular tissue but also in response to the challenge of supramaximal loads. There are force-sensing structures in the sarcolemma of the muscle cells that can detect the deformation of the cell wall. When triggered, they initiate a cascade of messaging signals that increase the synthesis of contractile proteins.

In the maintenance of muscular tissue, there is a constant balance between muscle protein synthesis and degradation. This represents the normal homeostasis of muscle, and the application of force plays a key role. Too little mechanical stimulation, and the balance tilts toward breakdown of contractile proteins, while increased stimulation leads to its accumulation. In homeostatic control, there is an upper limit of muscle size that can be reached that is basically that individual’s genetically determined muscular size.

As shown in an earlier section, eccentric loading can introduce a superphysiologic signal that invokes a different adaptation process: repair and regeneration. At higher eccentric loads, physical disruption of the muscle fibers can occur and and create areas of micro-injury. Injury is the stimulus for the repair and regeneration processes to proceed. In the muscle, which has innumerable stem cells (satellite cells), this injury stimulates the formation of not only additional myofilaments that increase the force production of the affected muscle but also reconstruction of the cytoskeleton for increased muscle size.

The classic “delayed onset muscular soreness” associated with eccentric loading is directly related to the inflammatory phase of this response. Once inflammation subsides, the process of structural repair can begin, with stem cell migration and protein synthesis. The stem cells provide the substrate required to rebuild and renovate musculoskeletal tissue. The higher the eccentric load applied, the longer the recovery period. The minimum recovery period should be no less than 3-4 days for lighter eccentric loads that approximate the 1RM. For eccentric loading of 50%–80% above the 1RM, recovery can take up to seven days and can be as long as two weeks.

The unique ability of eccentric overloads to create hypertrophy and strength gains was demonstrated in the Lindstedt eccentric studies where “following 8 weeks of training, both muscle strength and cross-sectional area (of biopsied muscle fibers) increased by ~40%.” Subsequent reviews by De Souza Teixeira and the 2017 review by Douglas all reported improved strength gains with eccentric resistance exercise.

Considerations of Eccentric Resistance Application

Thus, in the past few sections, it has been demonstrated how supramaximal eccentric loading is an essential stimulus to increase muscle hypertrophy and improve the elastic behavior of the stretch-shortening cycle. Eccentric training can clearly be beneficial for athletic performance; however, there are practical obstacles to pursuing this course of treatment.

There are three requirements for safe and effective eccentric overload training:

  1. The first and most important is that you must never apply a load at such a magnitude or at such a velocity that it could result in physical disruption of the muscle itself.
  2. In the goal of structural adaption, you should be able to increase the resistance you apply in incremental amounts over an appropriate period of time.
  3. The concentric and eccentric actions are synergistic, and their resistance training should ideally be done concomitantly.

To apply the load safely, as stated in the first requirement, there are two types of external resistance that are not optimal. One is force through a motorized resistance arm that is insensitive to the user’s effort. In this application, a motor pushes a platform, and a subject exerts maximum force against the motor-driven movement arm while the user’s effort is recorded on a force plate. In this closed system, the velocity of the movement arm is fixed and unaffected by the user’s efforts, and the amount of force that the movement arm exerts against the user is essentially infinite, in that no matter how hard the user resists the movement arm, it will continue to apply a high level of force.

There is only one uncontrolled variable in this scenario: the tension in the user’s muscle. As the muscle is forced to lengthen, the internal muscle tension goes higher and higher. In this situation, there is no external control to prevent the tension from exceeding the integrity of the muscle tissue, and unintended overloads can occur.

In addition to high force risk, motorized resistance cannot be increased in incremental amounts, violating the second principle. The basic premise of resistance training in general is the biologic principle of “stimulus response.” The external force stimulates a reponse in the muscle it acts upon. For the adaptation to occur, there must be a period of time for the biologic process to take place. After this recovery period and once the adaptation has occurred, the original stimulus is insufficient to create further adaptation. At this point, the original level of external force is inadequate to cause further structural adaptation. This is the basis of the principle of “Progressive Resistance Exercise” (PRE). It is just as important to apply the principle of PRE to the eccentric phase as it is to the concentric phase.

High-velocity lifting movements pose different risks when the weight is moving concentrically versus eccentrically. When a lifter applies force to a weight concentrically, the energy is transferred into weight, which increases its momentum. Since the weight is moving ahead of the lifter, the increased momentum of the weight does not pose a direct danger. More exertion by the lifter merely accelerates the weight.

The greatest risk of injury is during the lift’s eccentric phase, when the direction of the weight’s movement is against the direction of applied force. In this situation, not only does the lifter have to brake the force of the weight itself but also the additional force created by the weight’s kinetic energy. The formula for the kinetic energy of a mass is:

    Kinetic Energy = ½ mass x velocity^2 (velocity squared)

Therefore, a weight traveling at high velocities against the direction of applied force has the potential of delivering many multiples of its resting weight to the eccentrically lengthening muscle. Since the goal of supramaximal eccentric strength training is to deliver a precise amount of force to the elastic zone of muscle lengthening, an uncontrolled speed of descent could easily result in overshooting this desired amount of force, thus risking injury. An example of this is the bench press movement, where the weight is resisted after being allowed to drop suddenly, and the lifter suffers a pectoralis muscle tear at the bottom of the movement (Provencher MT, 2010).

The other less-than-ideal method of eccentric loading is plyometrics with added resistance, such as jump squats. Similar to high-velocity weight lifting, the concentric, or jumping up, portion does not necessarily involve potential danger other than the risk of falling. However, if the landing is done with added resistance, the added kinetic energy of the additional weight can significantly increase the forces absorbed on landing, again risking injury. Additionally, plyometric loading lacks the ability to increase the resistance in accurate incremental amounts that adhere to the principle of progressive resistance exercise.

Simultaneous training of concentric and eccentric muscle function is the most efficient and effective method to increase muscular strength. Share on X

As stated previously, there is a synergy between the concentric and eccentric actions in real-world activities. During the stretch-shortening cycle, both muscle functions are literally on the same molecular framework and work in conjunction with each other. It would therefore be maximally beneficial to perform both concentric and eccentric training in the same movement. This means that an ideal repetition for effective strength training involves a concentric component that is 50%–80% of the 1RM, which then converts to an eccentric resistance that is at least equal to the 1RM. Simultaneous training of concentric and eccentric muscle function is the most efficient and effective method to increase muscular strength.

Considerations of Movements for Eccentric Overloads

Finally, there are clearly some exercise movements that are safer for applying eccentric overloads than others. The danger arises if, during supramaximal loading, the lowering movement pathway is forced to deviate from the track of the concentric movement. The pathway of the movement should be the same for the lighter concentric resistance as for the the heavier eccentric loads.

Virtually all selectorized, single-station machines avoid this risk. The trunk is stabilized in a seat, and the limbs are held in position by pads. The track of motion for the concentric raising of a weight is the same track as for the lowering of the heavier eccentric weight. This consistent positioning ensures that, over a training program with increasing weights, the muscle can adapt and strengthen in a progressive, consistent manner.

There are some free weight exercises that are not ideal for eccentric loading. Clearly, unilateral movements are difficult because the added weight can disrupt the lifter’s balance. There are technical aspects of applying eccentric overloads with dumbbells in general, which make them less effective. Obviously, Olympic lifts with their complex movement patterns are impractical, and eccentrics offer no advantages to improve the performance.

Finally, there could be concerns with the performance of front squats. If it is difficult for an individual to maintain the front squat position, where the line of gravitational pull goes vertically from the barbell through the heels on the ground, the barbell could move in front of this vertical line and create a bending force across the lumbar spine. Accentuated eccentric resistance for front squats should be reserved for lifters experienced with this movement.

However, the majority of basic barbell movements could incorporate accentuated eccentric loading. The basic principle is to place the point of application of the barbell along the gravitational line down to where the body is supported (figure 7). The nature of free weight exercises is such that it is difficult to perform the exercise unless this line is carefully followed.

Of course, in the bench press, the vertical line drops through the shoulders onto the bench. Therefore, most barbell movements can be performed with eccentric overloads (if the safety principles above are followed). Some care is needed with the deadlift as it is sometimes necessary to translate the bar anteriorly to avoid the knees.

Application of Enhanced Eccentric Resistance Training to the Barbell Squat

Training the eccentric portion of the squat is extremely important for absorbing high forces and preventing injury when someone jumps from a height or is placed under a heavy load. In addition, improvements of the stretch-shortening cycle in eccentric squats can result in improvements in the speed and power of most athletic activities. The squat is widely considered to be the single most important movement to train.

The hamstring muscle group plays a major role in the squat’s eccentric movement. By attaching to the ischium, the hamstrings have a long lever arm to exert an effect on hip joint movement. In the case of going deeper into the squat position, the ischium rotates further and further posteriorly, thus effectively lengthening the hamstring muscles. In order to control the deepness of the body’s descent, the hamstrings eccentrically resist lengthening and therefore resist the flexion of the hip joint. The primary role of the hamstrings is not to contract and create hip extension (that’s the job of the gluteus maximus) but to resist and control hip flexion.

Hip Anatomy
Figure 8. This figure demonstrates how the pelvis can rotate around the acetabulum during the squat and lengthen the distance between the origin of the hamstrings on the ischium and their insertion on the tibia.

A recent issue of the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (volume 4/2, 2019) focused on the mechanisms of eccentric muscle exercise adaptations and the emerging applications of this unique form of exercise. In this compilation, accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) was described as an attractive strategy for applying additional stress to the muscle while maintaining the concentric stimulus. The review (Suchomel TJ, 2019) accurately found a paucity of literature on this form of training. In fact, the absence of literature speaks directly to the problem that, until very recently, there was no training equipment developed to provide this important form of resistance.

The absence of literature on accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) speaks directly to the problem that, until recently, there are no training equipment developed to provide this form of resistance. Share on X

In this section, AEL will be described as it is performed on this new technology. The Myonics system (Myonics LLC, Jacksonville, Florida) employs an assistance cable that is attached to the barbell. The cable rises from a new generation of computer-controlled, motion-sensitive motors that can track the movements of the barbell and hence the lifter. The motors can detect if the lifter is moving up or down and are programmed to provide a precise amount of assistance when the lifter reaches certain positions.

In the above scenario, the lifter loads the bar with 250 pounds and then unracks it, and the 250 pounds is lowered in the eccentric phase. Upon stopping at the bottom, the assistance engages, and the effective weight of the bar is only 200 pounds. This weight is raised with concentric strength back to the top position, where the assistance is removed, and the lifter again is supporting the full 250 pounds. Again, this sequence can be repeated for as many repetitions as can be performed.

It is generally recognized that the squat is the single most important exercise to improve overall athletic performance. Combining the muscles of knee, hip, and spine extension, it has functional significance in all land-based athletic activities. As was shown in an earlier section, there are many athletic functions that can be improved by enhancing the stretch-shortening cycle of the lower extremities. Thus, training to improve the eccentric capabilities of the squat will bring additional benefits to athletes.

The implementation of this form of resistance involves many related variables that can complicate the decision-making. These include the amount of eccentric overload resistance, the amount of concentric resistance, the percent difference between the concentric and eccentric loads, and the pace of each movement. Having worked with this system for a number of years, I have arrived at the most practical system for managing these variables.

Myonics System
Figure 9. Demonstrating the Myonics system.

The system works by using a predetermined percentage difference between the eccentric and concentrics weights. In this way, only the heavier eccentric weight would be entered, and the concentric weight would be calculated by the motor’s computer. For example, after warm-up, a lifter whose estimated or tested 1RM is 500 pounds would have this amount loaded on the bar.

With 500 pounds on the bar, this number is entered into a computerized assistance program. If the program calls for a 25% difference between the eccentric weight and the concentric weight, the motor would supply 125 pounds of assistance. Thus, the lifter would lower 500 pounds, and upon reaching the bottom of the lift, the stopping point is detected and 125 pounds of assistance is generated. The lifter therefore only has to exert 375 pounds of force to return the bar back to the starting position. Once the target number of repetitions is achieved, the strategy is to simply increase the eccentric weight loaded onto the bar and maintain the percentage difference between the eccentric and concentric weights. In the example above, if the eccentric weight was raised to 520 pounds and the 25% difference was maintained (130 pounds), the lifter would raise 390 pounds concentrically.

The Myonics system follows the three requirements of accentuated eccentric resistance; it improves the squat by accentuating the eccentric muscle function. Share on X

This system follows the the three requirements of accentuated eccentric resistance. First, the amount of weight applied eccentrically never exceeds the eccentric maximum, and the risk of injury is minmized. Second, once the desired training effect is reached, the weight can be incrementally increased for the athlete to continue training under progressively increasing resistances. And finally, this system allows for an appropriate resistance to be used for both the concentric and eccentric weights, and they can be trained concomitantly.

Thus, the most important exercise for improving athletic performance can itself be improved by accentuating the eccentric muscle function. Through this training method, athletes can achieve further improvements in sports and athletics.

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References

Nishikawa KC, Monroy JA, Uyeno TE, Yeo SH, Pai DK, and Lindstedt SL. “Is titin a ‘winding filament’? A new twist on muscle contraction.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2012;279(1730):981–990.

Lindstedt JL, LaStayo PC, and Reich TE. “When active muscles lengthen: properties and consequences of eccentric contractions.” News in Physiological Sciences. 2001 Dec;16:256–261.

Douglas J, Pearson S, Ross A, and McGuigan M.  “Chronic Adaptations to Eccentric Training: A Systematic Review.” Sports Medicine. 2017;47(5):917–941.

Burkholder TJ, “Mechanotransduction in Skeletal Muscle.” Frontiers in Bioscience. 2007;12:174–191.

De Souza Teixeira F. “Eccentric Resistance Training and Muscle Hypertrophy.” Journal of Sports Medicine & Doping Studies. 2012;S1(01).

Provencher MT, Handfeld K, Boniquit NT, Reiff SN, Sekiya JK, and Romeo AA. “Injuries to the Pectoralis Major Muscle: Diagnosis and Management.” American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2010;38(8):1693–1705.

Suchomel TJ, Wagle JP, Douglas J, et al. “Implementing Eccentric Resistance Training—Part 1: A Brief Review of Existing Methods.” Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2019;4(2):38.

Jess Racz

Body Control, Awareness, and Balance for Basketball with Jess Racz

Blog, Freelap Friday Five| ByJess Racz, ByNicole Foley

Jess Racz

Jess Racz is the Owner of JR Performance, LLC, in Maryland. She is a WNBA, NBA, college, high school, and youth basketball performance trainer. Jess is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach and holds a B.S. in Health Promotion & Exercise Science.

Freelap USA: You had the incredibly tall task of opening your facility at the beginning of the pandemic. What were some of the struggles you faced, and how did you manage to stay the course during this time? What were some of the lessons you took from this moment, and were you able to apply those to your training philosophy?

Jess Racz: In all honesty, I got a very unrealistic view of how my business was ultimately going to run during the pandemic. In a way, it ended up benefiting me more financially because:

  1. Kids were off school with no sports.
  2. Parents now had more time to drive their kids or the kids themselves had more time to drive.
  3. Athletes needed some place to work out and keep in shape, and I was a very small gym that was still able to operate, unlike bigger gyms with a larger capacity.

Although the opening of my facility was delayed, I took all the equipment I bought (all bought a week before the world shut down, thank gosh), and I was able to have a pretty decent setup in my parent’s garage from March 2020 until July 2020. When the world started to go back to normal, unfortunately with some athletes and parents, I was the first thing to go—so I definitely had to adapt there.

Before I opened my facility, I started working with kids outside with limited equipment. So, when the pandemic hit, it wasn’t anything new for me, and I was able to adapt fairly quickly. That is one of the biggest lessons I learned: start with less than you need. Realistically, you don’t need the fancy, up-and-coming equipment to have a successful workout and get results.

Start with less than you need. Realistically, you don’t need fancy, up-and-coming equipment to have a successful workout and get results, says @jr7performance. Share on X

The other lesson I learned because of the pandemic—and the repercussions that came with it—is to always have a safety net of money in case things go south. Entrepreneurship in any fashion is never stable at first. There are peaks and valleys, good times and hard times, and you must be prepared financially and mentally for those tough times and valleys. I always make sure I have a six-month safety net, so that if no one comes into the facility, and I’m not making any money, I will be okay.

Freelap USA: One of the biggest parts of your training philosophy is building athlete trust and confidence. What are some of the tools you use to help develop that athlete/coach relationship? Why do you believe it is so important, especially for younger female athletes?

Jess Racz: Buy-in is everything. This industry is not only who you know, but who knows you, and RELATIONSHIPS. Opportunities come from relationships and word of mouth, but buy-in and trust come from RESULTS: providing the athlete in front of you with the results they are looking for to be successful on and off the court or field.

The second part of building buy-in and trust is authenticity: Be your unapologetic, authentic self at all times. No one can be better at being you than you.

The third part of building buy-in and trust is conversation. What I mean by this is you don’t need to be an extrovert (trust me, I am one of the biggest introverts and homebodies out there), but you do need to have the ability to talk to people and communicate in a way that your athletes understand and relates to their goals. This takes practice, so don’t worry. The more athletes you get, the more opportunities you have to step outside your comfort zone, and the more you practice talking to people, the better you will get!

When working with female athletes especially, building their confidence and self-esteem is key. You can’t help them build their confidence if you’re not authentically yourself and you don’t know them. It has to be more than just working out.

What are their goals? What are their likes and dislikes? What do they need? What do they want? What are their strengths? What are their struggles? What type of person do they need in their corner? Get to know who they are as a person, build them as a human being first, then build them as an athlete.

Freelap USA: What do you believe is one of the biggest benefits to fascial training? Why do you believe it transfers to basketball so well, and do you place more of a priority on this based on the athlete’s training age?

Jess Racz: Basketball is 3D movement. We’re operating in all planes of motion and in a variety of angles and positions. Therefore, I believe our training needs to reflect those demands, movements, angles, and positions in order to fully prepare athletes for the game of basketball (and life). Fascial training is a perfect way to accomplish this and train the lines of the body that best transfer to athletic endeavor.

We still lift, don’t get me wrong. You can’t forget the big rock of strength, but fascial training is a huge part of my training philosophy and programming with my athletes. It is usually included in the warm-up or as part of my movement prep, and those movements themselves usually reflect the theme of the rest of the workout. And I typically use fascial training or “fascial loading” no matter the training age.

Especially for my non-multisport athletes, it is important to use variability in my methods and expose them to different planes of motions and precarious positions and increase their bandwidth of movement to reduce the risk of injury while improving performance at the same time.

Freelap USA: What are some of the benefits you’ve noticed with your athletes when you have them train barefoot?

Jess Racz: The feet are the first thing to contact the floor and the last to leave the floor—our feet have to be mobile, durable, and awake, or we lose potential energy and power for explosiveness and increase our risk of injury! Plus, if my feet and ankles aren’t mobile, I won’t be able to get into the low positions basketball and sport require, which in turn puts more stress on my shins, knees, and hips.

One of the biggest benefits of barefoot training and low-hanging fruit for performance is a term called “proprioception,” which is the foundation of motor control and our ability to control our body in space and time. We have these sensors in our joints that are constantly sending signals back and forth between the joints and the brain.

In athletes, these signals in the feet are underdeveloped specifically because we’re in these big, clunky basketball shoes all the time, which means those signals or that conversation is slower. Slower “conversation” means less time for my body to adjust if I find myself in a compromised position or in an unpredictable movement pattern. No wonder we see basketball athletes spraining their ankles over and over again.

Getting athletes out of their socks and shoes and challenging their body control strengthens the signals between their joints and brains and helps them build more efficient movement patterns. Share on X

By building athletes’ proprioception through getting them out of their socks and shoes and challenging their body control, body awareness, and balance through various exercises and modalities, we can start to strengthen this communication signal. This will reduce their risk of lower-extremity injuries and improve the ability for their joints and muscles to fire at the right time for more efficient movement patterns.

Freelap USA: As a strength coach and a sport performance coach, do you try to find ways to blend both elements of S&C and sport skills into one training session? Or do you prefer to differentiate the two and focus on each as their own priority on a given training day?

Jess Racz: I believe the training we do in the weight room should reflect what we see on the court or field and in life. And the training we do should PREPARE our athletes for what they will see. Sport is chaotic and unpredictable. At the end of the day, the number one job as a strength and conditioning coach is longevity. The best ability is availability. If athletes are able to play more and play longer without suffering through injury and setbacks, we’ve done our job successfully.

When it comes to blending performance and skill, it doesn’t mean take a sport move and make it sport-specific in the weight room (or take other crazy exercises we see on social media). But everything we do in the weight room should have a specific purpose and transfer to their sport. It is important to communicate that to our athletes as well, since that is a huge part of the buy-in process and building a positive relationship between performance training and sport. When athletes believe in something, that is when results can skyrocket to unlock their athletic and genetic potential.

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


Youth Distance Runner

Training Youth Middle-Distance & Distance Runners (& Doing More With Less)

Blog| ByMichael Fadil

Youth Distance Runner

Training youth athletes always comes with numerous challenges. Middle distance and distance running is no exception and perhaps has more challenges than most sports. The ideals in so much of U.S. culture, especially sports, of “more, more, more” and “no pain, no gain” are particularly dangerous in the world of youth running. The sport is littered with runners who were stars in elementary school, middle school, or high school but do not improve—or worse, never continued to compete because of recurring injuries or burnout.

The ideals in so much of U.S. culture, especially sports, of ‘more, more more’ and ‘no pain, no gain’ are particularly dangerous in the world of youth running. Share on X

We regularly tell the youth runners who we coach (and their parents) that one can assess the quality of a coach not by the success of the runners while running for that particular coach, but by how successfully the runners transition to the next level(s).

It’s easy to say, “kids should not run too much,” but that depends on the age, the physical development of the runner, the running surfaces, the quality of workouts, and more. And, what exactly is “too much?” Do we use Judge Potter Stewart’s guidelines: “I know it when I see it?” There is significant literature on this topic, so instead of reviewing that material, this article will focus on the types of workouts our club does that help young runners maximize what they get out of the workout without having to run more than necessary.

Our club has two distinct groups: a recreational team that focuses on general fitness through running and a racing team that is competitive. The workout philosophy in this article is what the racing team uses, where the runners are predominantly ages 8–14 and the middle school-aged runners generally train with their middle school teams for 6–8 weeks before rotating into the club for the USATF championship part of the season.

Establishing a “Why”

At the beginning of each season, and with each workout, we always have three goals:

  1. Have fun.
  2. Do your best.
  3. Learn something.

1. Have Fun

Understanding what having fun means is easy, and it is foundational to almost every successful runner. If at your core you do not enjoy what you do, it will be hard to excel at that activity for any extended period of time. Enjoy the running. Enjoy being healthy. Enjoy your teammates’ success. Enjoy your team’s success. Enjoy learning. Enjoy getting more comfortable with the fact that running hard can be hard—very hard. Enjoy seeing how your body adapts to training. Enjoy the training process. Enjoy your improvements and your successes, and enjoy what you can learn when you do not achieve your goals. (One will almost always learn more from their “failures” than from their “successes.”) 

Young runners need to be prepared to enjoy the other aspects of running when they aren’t constantly improving; otherwise, performance setbacks and injuries can become debilitating. Share on X

Many youth runners enjoy seemingly endless linear improvement…until they don’t. Young runners need to be prepared to enjoy the other aspects of running when they are not constantly improving; otherwise, performance setbacks and injuries can become debilitating. They need to understand that fast times and strong performances are not the only goal in what they are doing: they are outcomes of all the other aspects of the process. If runners embrace the other aspects of the running process, better times will generally be achieved; but when they are not, the runners can still enjoy all of the other aspects of running so that they do not feel like they failed.

2. Do Your Best

This is much more nuanced than having fun and one of the hardest things for youth runners to do properly. We spend a lot of time explaining what “do your best” means. It’s easy to interpret this to mean run your hardest in every workout, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Running your hardest in every workout will not only achieve suboptimal results, it can lead to both short- and long-term injuries and burnout. “Do your best” means to do the workout how the workout is designed and the way in which the coach tells you.

Oftentimes—again, especially with younger runners—this means that they need to run at a pace that is easier than they want to, especially at the beginning of the workout. It is very common to see young runners starting out workouts too hard. They then either cannot finish the workout or do the last 25%, 50%, or 75% at a pace that doesn’t help them improve.

The young runners in our club have made great progress in thinking about the workouts in a holistic manner. When we do a workout, the workout is designed to be the entire workout, not half of the workout hard and then barely finish. As they’ve embraced this philosophy, they truly believe what we tell them regularly: if they approach the workout this way, it will be easier for them to do, it will be more fun, they will get more out of it, and they will see better progress with improving times.

3. Learn Something

We regularly over-explain why they are doing what they are doing because we want them to learn and understand. Many of them will encounter coaches who may have the best intentions but just may not be very good coaches. The runners should be able to advocate for themselves in an articulate manner with some basic understanding of the physiology to support their views.

Additionally, learning is about experimenting and understanding their body and how it reacts to different types of workouts and race tactics. They are young. They will make mistakes. But the more they learn now, the better they will be later. This is the foundation of how we approach training with our runners.

The Workouts

The above philosophy, ultimately, has to translate to workouts. We accomplish this through three general types of workouts:

  1. Distance runs and aerobic conditioning
  2. Intervals/speed workouts
  3. Tempo threshold training and core/strength work

While recovery workouts are also critical to the training process, our club only practices 3–4 days a week. (We have a fourth weekly practice on the weekend if we don’t have a meet that weekend.) There are no formal workouts when we don’t meet, and very few of the runners do any informal running on the “off” days. The following sections contain details on how our youth club does this.

1. Distance Runs

Distance runs are a type of workout that can be difficult for younger runners to do correctly, even though “distance runs” for many youth runners may only be 15–30 minutes with occasional short water breaks. It is common for young runners to begin a run at a pace that they may think is not too fast but can quickly turn into a Bataan March, grinding ever painfully slower. A distance run in this manner will lose the desired aerobic benefit of the workout and the adaptation response that the runner should achieve. It is a painful experience and a quick way to turn budding young runners off to the idea that running is fun and something that they want to continue to pursue.

Our club has overcome this with various mantras and strong suggestions. On “distance” days, the athletes hear the words “sometimes a run is just a run,” which encourages them to just go out and have fun running. Another saying we like is, “what your sport does for punishment, we do for fun,” which also encourages the idea that the distance runs should be enjoyable.

Where some coaches and clubs discourage talking and conversation on runs, we strongly recommend that they do exactly that on these distance run days. Share on X

Even more effective, however, is the strong suggestion (very nearly a requirement) that kids run with at least one other runner and that these runs are ALWAYS conversational. We want to see them talking on these runs! Where some coaches and clubs discourage talking and conversation on runs, we strongly recommend that they do exactly that on these distance run days.

2. Interval/Speed Workouts

Speed work and intervals are an important part of every runner’s training. Intervals can vary between longer ‘’strength”-oriented workouts earlier in the season to shorter, faster intervals later in the season. Perhaps the biggest challenge with younger runners is that, as with the distance runs, they start interval workouts too hard.

While it can take some time with each runner, most of the runners in our club learn in one season how to pace themselves in interval workouts to get the appropriate benefit of the entire workout. It helps them understand this concept if the coach explains the workout with a race analogy. If we are doing a workout of three sets of 3 x 300m, just like in a race, if they are exhausted and bent over after any of the first three repetitions of 300 meters, they are running these early repetitions too hard. Like in a 1500-meter race, if they are tired after the first lap, they are running too fast and will have a problem with the race.

They intellectually understand this concept, but it will take a while for them to execute it appropriately. We encourage them to run fast enough on the early repetitions, but they should think about running each set at the same pace or faster than the prior set. And if they feel particularly strong, they can always pick up the pace on the last set or the last few repetitions of the last set. As mentioned previously, if they approach the workouts this way, the workouts will be easier for them to do, they will get more out of the workout, and they will see more and faster improvement with their race times.

We teach our runners that there are four key components to interval workouts that can be changed to accomplish the objectives of any workout:

  1. The distance(s) for each interval/repeat
  2. The pace of each interval
  3. The total distance of the workout
  4. The amount of rest between each repetition and each set

To prove this point, in one workout where the runners were questioning the idea, they were told that a very effective early season strength-oriented interval session could be created by using only 100-meter repeats. While skeptical at first, at the end of the first set of 3 x 16 100m repeats, with approximately 30 seconds’ rest between repeats and 2–3 minutes of rest between each set, they quickly realized that, in fact, even though they were never running longer than 100 meters at any time, this was a very effective early season interval workout and not fundamentally that different from other strength interval workouts we had been doing up to that point. Additionally, it provided a nice change of pace for the group and gave them an enormous feeling of accomplishment after they completed the 48th 100-meter repeat!

An additional challenge of most youth programs is that there are a wide variety of abilities with a limited number of coaches. With interval workouts, this means that runners of varying abilities are grouped together, which can be difficult to manage. As the distance of each interval repeat lengthens, it becomes increasingly difficult to ensure that all the runners are getting appropriate rest. This is especially true with the younger or slower runners, who regularly get shortchanged on their rest since they are finishing later than the faster runners but having to start again at the same time as the entire group.

Unfortunately, this dynamic changes the workout materially because either the slower runners don’t get enough rest to run the workout appropriately or the faster runners get too much rest to get the appropriate physiological adaptation desired from the workout. We regularly address this challenge by focusing on the time for each repetition, not the distance. This can be performed effectively in both track and cross country.

We regularly address the challenge of slower runners not getting enough rest and faster runners getting too much rest by focusing on the time for each repetition, not the distance. Share on X

For example, in track, if we are doing an early season strength workout of three sets of 4 x 400m, each repetition ends for all of the runners when the first group completes the repetition, regardless of where each runner is at that specific time. The first group can gauge their progress by their time. The remaining runners can gauge their progress throughout the workout based on where they stop running when the whistle is blown, which may be as far back as 100 meters for some of the runners, in combination with the first group’s time.

When doing 400-meter repeats on the track, starting at the 1500m start works best so that most, if not all, of the runners are finishing somewhere on the turn of the track, not spread out all along the final 100-meter straightaway. With rest being an important component of interval workouts, this methodology ensures every level of athlete gets the most out of their interval workouts.

Tempo Training and Core Strength Work

While distance runs and interval repeats can be hard for young runners to do correctly, tempo runs are perhaps the hardest type of runs to do. Faster than distance runs—but not as fast as intervals—tempo runs are a needle that is hard for most 8- to 13-year-olds to thread. While it may be easy to tell them that the effort for this type of run is one where they shouldn’t be able to talk easily, but they should be able to have short one-sentence intermittent conversations, it’s quite another thing to expect young runners to be able to do this.

To be able to target tempo-run type workouts, we have combined “tempo run paced” intervals with various core bodyweight exercises in a circuit-drill style workout. (It’s also fun running history to recount how Joaquim Cruz, the Brazilian 800-meter gold medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was one of the first runners to popularize this type of circuit workout.) By combining the core bodyweight exercises with repeats (we regularly run 800 repeats followed by a set of five or six different exercises), the runners benefit from strengthening their core and upper body, which is an often-overlooked component of successful middle distance and distance running. But at the same time, the aerobic nature of the core exercises forces the runners to run at a pace that is aligned to the pace and effort for tempo runs: not too hard but not too slow.

While we typically use core exercises like push-ups, crunches, burpees, mountain climbers, and planks, any of a variety of core exercises could be employed. It is important to ensure that the runners use good form for these exercises and adjust either the number or style so they get the muscular benefit of proper form. For example, it can be too difficult for some kids to do clean push-ups. Therefore, it’s better for them to do push-ups with a good, straight back from their knees than to do normal push-ups with terrible form.

Final Thoughts

It’s a fine balance between not running young athletes too much and providing them with a strong foundation that will allow them to be competitive and improve—not only in the short term, but if they want to run and be competitive, for many years and even decades into the future—while having fun doing it.

It’s a fine balance between not running young athletes too much and providing them with a strong foundation that will allow them to be competitive and improve. Share on X

This type of training is designed in line with the philosophy of New Balance Boston Elite Coach Mark Coogan. In his podcast interview with Mario Fraioli on “The Morning Shakeout” (episode 165), he says: “I’ve more come to the conclusion that I’d rather do 20 B+ workouts over 10 weeks instead of having four A+ workouts… I think if I can get the consistency of this B+ type workout – when I do those, I feel like we’re not stressing the body so hard that we’re going to get injured… being really consistent over a long period of time … you don’t have to have any of these super duper workouts to prove who you are.”

While B+ workouts for 8- to 13-year-olds are very different than for Coogan’s New Balance Boston Elite Club runners, the goal is the same: consistent, healthy, and fun long-term running success.

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


Box Jump

What I Should Add (but Haven’t)

Blog| ByChris Korfist

Box Jump

When SimpliFaster asked me to contribute to their new “What I’ve added/What I’ve dropped” series, I was very interested. I know the clickbait these days is to take an “expert” (someone who has been correct three times in a row) and ask where they were wrong or what has stayed with them over a period of time. But I am going to put my own twist on this and discuss an exercise that I know is good…one that I don’t use often enough but should.

The Jerk Jump

Tony Holler always asks, “What are some exercises that good sprinters are good at, and slow sprinters are not good at performing?” So simply, an exercise that can indicate if someone is fast.

Single-leg isometric strength is always a start, but another one is what I call a jerk jump. A jerk jump is where an athlete pushes their butt backward while keeping a rigid spine and quickly explodes their hips forward, resulting in propulsion in the air. Ideally, the hamstrings are the muscle group that creates that propulsion. An athlete who lacks spinal co-contraction strength (or rigidity) will allow the spine to curve or even extend the body.

The funny thing about watching people exercise for 30 years is you start to notice the smaller things. For example, you start to recognize compensation patterns.

In most cases, an athlete who cannot control their spine will often use the spine to drive because that is the first extensor in the chain. And if that gets the job done, we never really get to the power muscles of the hip and thigh. This lack of stiffness will come out in their gait pattern as well: they will have a bob to their gait and, again, can never stabilize. This is why I am overly cautious about using a back squat as a general strength developer for my younger athletes. Far too often, I see athletes who  are uncomfortable with a bar on their back use their spine to initiate the movement of the bar.

The jerk jump is a great basic exercise where we can teach spinal stabilization, says @korfist. Share on X

Anyway, the jerk jump is a great basic exercise where we can teach that spinal stabilization. A good starting point would be:

  • Have your athlete stand one foot length away from a wall.
  • Grab a PVC pipe to hold along their spine so they can feel how much their spine curves when they push their butt back to the wall.


Video 1. PVC Stabilization

Video 2. PVC Overhead

It is easy to coach, because the spine will look like the St. Louis Arch under the pipe when they reach back. They will feel the abs doing much of the work once they get the movement down. Really focus on the thoracic and cervical areas. The next stage would be arms crossed and then arms straight overhead. Then, increase the velocity at which the movement happens.


Video 3. Arms Crossed Stabilization

Video 4. Arms Crossed Short Jerk Jump

Once at a good speed, put one foot on the wall. Or steal from John Pryor’s SPP app or Frans Bosch’s FBS app—add a water bag and a twist. (Quick hint for the older coaches out there: Life gets better with improved thoracic mobility. Add in some mid trap work with some RPR and feel 20 again.)

After you can control and stabilize the spine, you can add the jump aspect to the exercise. Once loaded in the back position, athletes should thrust their hips far forward and use that thrust to propel their body up at a 45-degree angle. The better an athlete gets at the exercise, the faster they can push back and snap up.

It is the fast pre-stretch of the hamstrings that I am looking for to develop that snap. The exercise will eventually lead to a single-leg jerk jump (although I’ve never felt my athletes were ready for that move). My really fast guys, sub 10.7, were jumping up to a 36-inch box. My slow guys couldn’t even keep their spine in place.


Video 5. Jerk Jump

Why did I get away from the exercise? Good question.

For one, it is hard for me to measure: I can’t do straight Just Jump mat testing for height, and for distance it becomes more of a broad jump. I get leery when we start chasing numbers and throw form out the window. Anyway, I hope some of you can give me some good ideas on how I can do a better job with this great exercise.

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


Cyclist

A First Experience with Solos Glasses

Blog| ByGena Bradshaw

Cyclist

Solos smart glasses are an exceptional product for exercise enthusiasts and athletes. I would say the solos technology works best for cyclists, runners, avid walkers, and hikers; you can even track and follow basic resistance training with the solos glasses on to measure your progress. Personally, I rarely use my phone when I exercise outdoors—the most I use is a watch to track my times while I am sprinting, biking, hiking, walking, and on longer runs.

Once I started using solos glasses, it was much easier to track everything and set timers for rest. Also, sometimes I didn’t know what to do for a workout, so I just looked in the solos AirGo™ app and utilized their coaching.

I tested out the glasses while running (long and short distance), walking, and resistance training, and they were comfortable in all forms of training. While running, I did a light recovery jog outdoors and the glasses were comfortable and protected my eyes. I specifically was able to measure my distance (km), step count, and calories (Kcal).

Additionally, I used the glasses at the track doing speed training—through the AirGo app, I was able to time, and it let me know when the rest time was up, and I needed to sprint again. Solos were pretty accurate in all measurements (most technologies will always be slightly varied, especially regarding calories).

While I was doing resistance training (indoors), I used the AI Coaching on the app, which has the option for “core training.” Obviously, not many people will use glasses indoors, but I will say it helps to keep track of reps, time, and sets, and the glasses aren’t bothersome to wear. The user levels are easy, normal, expert, and custom, and all the exercise options are simple and effective and can also be done outdoors anywhere.

Features

The speakers in the glasses are good quality and worked very well, and since they connect via Bluetooth, if you have some form of a coach for the session, you can speak with them or listen to their cueing via the speakers. For example, if you are a remote coach, you can literally run the session via this technology. Or, in a group of cyclists, you can keep in contact with your coach if you are connected to the glasses and the solos AirGo app.

The target range of users varies from novice exercisers to elite athletes, with solos offering many functionalities to match the level of the user, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

There was good sound quality on both ends: you can listen to podcasts, Audible, or music and speak to someone on the phone as well. If you don’t like carrying your phone with you while exercising, however, these glasses are not for you. For the glasses to operate, they must be connected to your phone—which means your phone must be close by because of the Bluetooth connection.

Solos

You can find many items and gear on the market that can hold your phone while you exercise and keep it in proximity, like a sleeve that runners use to hold their phones on their waist or arm. You also won’t be able to access the AirGo app if your glasses are not on and connected to your phone.

On the aesthetic side, the look of the glasses is styled more like cyclist glasses—for some, these will be similar to what they commonly wear during training, whereas others may be deterred by the appearance.

Setup

It was very easy to set up and track my exercise via the AirGo app, which connects to the Bluetooth on your phone to measure your step count, distance, and calories. There are even different exercise programs like:

  • Core
  • Posture monitoring
  • Stretch exercises
  • Reminders
  • Interval training
  • Cadence training
  • Fat burn
  • Basic training

This is very inclusive to most of the population for whatever their training goals might be. Coaches can also use these features on their own time whenever they want to train.

In Training

The use of the device and the app was very straightforward; as with most new technologies, I suggest playing around with the app before attempting to put it to practical use. Maybe go for a walk to test out the features to make sure they are functioning.

The target range of users varies from novice exercisers to elite athletes, with solos offering many functionalities to match the level of the user. What is also great is that you can customize your own training and keep track of your progress.

Solos Set

These functionalities are best for more aerobic, HITT, speed, and endurance-style training. Whether you are doing short sprints on the track, interval training on the bike, rowing on the erg, or a light recovery jog, you can keep track of all these styles of training and your progress. For example, as mentioned earlier, the function AI Coaching on the AirGo app has levels ranging from easy to normal to expert to custom.

It is very important to measure progress with training and keep track of as many elements as possible—even small reminders to sit up straight and be aware of posture are crucial. The simple fact that one app includes all this without being confusing is impressive.

Final Assessment

From my own survey of the market, there aren’t many other products exactly like solos, and the glasses are simple enough for anyone to use. The most difficult aspect was setting up the Bluetooth: you must disconnect any other headphones on your Bluetooth before connecting the solos. Once connected, your phone will remember the device.

If you are someone who wants to track your progress in training and utilize everything in one app, these glasses would be suitable for you, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

I had a great experience using solos and still do. I continue to utilize the glasses while at the track for my speed training, my longer runs, and when I am hiking, walking, and biking. If you are someone who wants to track your progress in training and utilize everything in one app, these glasses would be suitable for you. The price is fair, and there is no subscription needed to use the app, which I thought was great as well. The biggest takeaway is that this technology will inspire others to exercise, move, and get excited to track their progress.

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

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