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Out of all of the events in track and field, there is no doubt triple jump is my favorite to watch. The speed, strength, power, elasticity, and coordination required to be successful in the event is unmatched, in my opinion, yet it remains unnoticed by the general public. There are many reasons for this, starting with the way track and field is broadcast, but I hope this article will result in greater interest and appreciation of the event.

The speed, strength, power, elasticity, and coordination required to be successful in the triple jump event is unmatched, yet it remains unnoticed by the general public, says @HFJumps. Share on X

While the target of this article will be track and field coaches, I truly believe there is something here for every coach and athlete whose sport requires the aforementioned characteristics necessary to be successful in the event. I know that if I still coached football, little would make me more excited than hearing a skill position player was being trained to be a triple jumper. The same goes for just about any basketball player. I think it is very reasonable to say that a professional triple jumper would have a pretty darn good Euro step, and there is no doubt that triple jump training would help basketball players develop theirs, amongst other skills.

If you still are not sold on triple jump being an incredible feat of athleticism, check out this video of the 2012 Olympics. I have spent hours watching this in its entirety, and besides being amazed, I also notice new nuances in the event. Analyzing the similarities and differences between the jumpers has been extremely important in my development as a coach within the event.

I also hope that watching the video causes you to have great appreciation for Christian Taylor, who is, in my opinion, the best athlete in the world that nobody knows about. In the video, Taylor’s sequence is left, left, right. What is more remarkable is that four years later in Rio, Taylor repeated his gold-medal performance, but with a right, right, left sequence! This is only rivaled by Rocky Balboa switching to boxing right-handed to defeat Apollo Creed in their rematch. The battles Taylor and Will Claye have had over the years have been epic, and I look forward to more of them heading into the 2021 games!

Posture

It is universally accepted that posture is a key component to quality sprinting. Quality posture can lead an athlete to apply a higher-quality force vector into the ground, which could result in a better performance while decreasing the chance of injury. Whenever an athlete leaves the ground in a jumping event, postural errors in sprinting are amplified in the air. In the case of the triple jump, this happens threefold. Because of this, the basis of a successful triple jump can be viewed as the athlete attaining quality posture during sprinting and preserving it throughout the jump. Limb range of motion and distance covered during each phase will be based on the power capabilities of the athlete, but regardless of whether an athlete is a novice or a seasoned veteran, posture is a commonality that we must always prioritize.

Regardless of whether an athlete is a novice or a seasoned veteran, posture is a commonality that we must always prioritize, says @HFJumps. Share on X

One of the biggest problems with triple jump is athletes being rushed into the event. I have been guilty of not identifying athletes who may be successful in the triple jump until the end of a season. Upon realizing an average performance would result in our team earning championship season points, we found athletes who were willing to give it a try. While they were able to complete successful attempts, being rushed into the event caused bad habits to be formed (and hard to break) in future years.

What I have realized as I have aged is that it is not worth sacrificing athlete development for a few points at a conference meet. I now treat training triple jump like cooking a brisket—low and slow. When watching elite athletes triple jumping, it is immediately apparent that it is an event made for grown people. I often train all of our jumpers as if they will become a triple jumper one day; however, only a handful actually end up competing in the event.

A standard progression for an athlete who has no experience jumping in our program would be to try high and/or long jump their freshman year, while completing various drills and activities that would allow them to try triple jump their sophomore year if they are ready. Some may not be ready until they are juniors or seniors, and that is okay. Moving along patiently allows athletes to develop quality motor patterns, so by the time they need to produce the significant power the event requires, they are able to do so without issue.

Prominent Technical Flaws

Besides being on a never-ending quest to enhance sprinting form, there are three technical components I have found to have the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to addressing triple jump performance. Utilizing Gary Winkler’s analogy of always looking upstream, these items occur in the beginning, middle, and end of the first phase.

First is achieving quality hip displacement at the board. Hip displacement is the distance the hips are in front of the stance leg just before it leaves the ground. There are a number of reasons this is important. For one, having a high degree of displacement tends to allow the athlete to travel in a lower trajectory.

If you attend a high school track and field meet, you are almost guaranteed to see a triple jumper who has too much height in their first phase. The result of this is often having a nonexistent second phase because the jumper is unable to handle the forces present when being pulled back to earth at 9.8 m/s². This is almost always detrimental to performance, but it’s also unsafe from a health perspective. In the triple jump, horizontal velocity is at its greatest during the first phase. The combination of excessive height and gravity pulling down combined with the greatest horizontal velocity can create forces too great for the body to handle.

The second reason hip displacement is important is because it places hip flexors of the takeoff leg on stretch. The elastic action that follows will be the primary contributor to the takeoff leg cycling through a full range of motion. In my experience, it is a mistake to cue the cycling action of the takeoff leg as it comes through. When athletes do this, they tend to overuse the hip flexors and abdominals to raise the leg, which tends to negatively impact posture. In other words, the athlete will feel like they are bringing their leg higher by rotating their torso forward.

Creating hip displacement in this manner is also extremely similar to what is required in hurdling, so it is logical for coaches to seek the hurdle/triple jump combo. The cues I use for takeoff in triple jump are the same as when I was coaching the hurdles. “Push through the big toe,” or “leave your foot on the board as long as possible,” tends to work for most athletes.

Asymmetric bounding or skipping is another option that can help athletes get a feel for a longer contact with the ground. In this drill, athletes will have an aggressive push off of one foot while executing an easy push off of the other. This will give them the feeling that they need. The aggressive push tends to leave the foot on the ground for a longer amount of time, which leads to greater hip displacement.

Moving along patiently allows athletes to develop quality motor patterns, so by the time they need to produce the significant power the event requires, they are able to do so without issue. Share on X

The most common error found among triple jumpers happens during first phase flight and involves failure to extend the swing (non-takeoff) leg. Air time during the first phase is just an extension of the gait cycle, and a step is actually happening in the air. If an athlete initiates the triple jump with their left leg, their right leg will go up, and while the athlete is airborne, the right leg should extend back down toward the ground, but not hit the ground. In essence, the left leg should be flexing while the right leg is extending, and the knee of each leg should meet under the athlete’s center of mass. The most common mistake is for the knees of athletes to meet in front of the center of mass. Athletes who fail to extend the swing leg will be unable to preserve posture.

The third issue of the first phase happens at its end and deals with the contact of the foot heading into the second phase. Ideally, the athlete should contact the ground in a heel-toe, rocking chair, or flat foot action. This helps disperse force and maintain momentum heading into the second phase. The mistake occurs when the athlete has a landing that is found more on the forefoot. What will happen with a forefoot landing is the heel will slam back into the ground, disrupting momentum and making it very difficult for the athlete to take advantage of any elastic qualities that would be present with a rolling contact. Instead of being one fluid motion moving forward, there is an impact, followed by a second impact, which makes the resulting motion more concentric in nature.

One reason this happens has already been addressed—excessive height in the first phase. If a person is suspended in air and feels threatened, the response is to find the ground with the forefoot. Think about walking down stairs, particularly in the dark. You lead with the forefoot so the body can find stability faster. The brain only cares about finding stability and surviving, it does not care about how far a person can triple jump! Therefore, a sound progression of escalating intensities of skipping, galloping, and bounding that emphasize the full-foot contact is imperative to get the brain to feel comfortable contacting the ground in that manner despite the extreme forces that will be present.

Flaw Correction

I am in constant pursuit of simplicity, and I have boiled down addressing these three issues into two drills with multiple variations. For the vast majority of the athletes I coach, I only ask them to focus on one item during the course of a drill. I have been fortunate to coach a few athletes who have been able to address multiple items within a rep, but that certainly is not the norm. Within each of these drills you will see a part-part-part whole approach.

Once again, the name of the game is patience, so do not feel the need to progress to a new variation until the athlete is ready or until it will help correct the issue they may be having. The beauty of these two drills is the scaffolding that can take place within each one. All triple jumpers can work on the same drill, so setting up is the same, but they will have a different focus within the drill.

The first drill is the athlete working the first phase and landing in the pit. Here, the athlete will jump off their left leg on the runway and land in the sand on that same leg. The focus of this first variation is hip displacement. All the jumper focuses on is creating quality hip displacement that puts the hip flexors on stretch and allows the jump leg to cycle through a nice range of motion before landing on it in the pit.

Once hip displacement is sound, the athlete can move onto the next subtlety, which is landing in the pit with their foot in a dorsiflexed position. Athletes may not be comfortable landing heel-toe in the sand, but I’m at least looking for a 90-degree angle between the foot and shin upon contact with the sand. If an athlete really struggles with hip displacement, it may be necessary to progress to this variation, so they do not develop the bad habit of landing on the forefoot upon completion of the first phase. Then the focus can shift back to hip displacement.

As a side note, and a reminder to myself, be sure to rake the sand between each rep! Athletes will feel more comfortable landing properly in flat sand, and this decreases the likelihood of tweaking an ankle.

The final application of the first drill is to focus on extension of the swing leg. This is often a difficult task for young athletes to master. For one, when done in a short approach style, they are not in the air very long, and they do not think they have time to cycle through a full extension. In many cases, this is correct, and athletes will compensate by having a higher-than-ideal takeoff. Here, a coach needs to prioritize. If the lack of swing leg extension is holding the triple jumper back, an excessive first phase is probably a worthwhile trade-off. To compensate, I would complex the drill with some skips for distance as a reminder to project horizontally.

If the lack of swing leg extension is holding the triple jumper back, an excessive first phase is probably a worthwhile trade-off, says @HFJumps. Share on X

All that being said, I have found a six- to eight-step approach works well for most athletes. To start with this variation, I simply ask the athlete to take a step in the air. This works for some, but not the majority. The next part of the intervention is to put a small (2- to 3-inch) box midway through the first phase and instruct the athlete to try to place the foot of their swing leg on top of the box. After the athlete gives you a crazy look, let them know that their foot will not contact the box—they just need to try to touch it.

Having this external target works wonders. When I first started using this method, I had athletes who struggled with this issue for months, and this fixed it in a day. While it may seem that I am setting up a rigid structure for this first drill, in practice it is really anything but that. It is extremely fluid, and we will progress and regress throughout the course of the season based on what we see in competition and in practice.

Videos 1-3. Examples of the phase one drill are shown with athletes of varying experience. The final clip shows an extension where the second phase is included.

The next drill is one I have stolen from the best young track coach I know, Joey Pacione. It emphasizes the three key actions from the previous drill, but in slow motion. Using hurdles is ideal due to their adjustable height, but anything that allows athletes to support themselves above the ground, and then come back in contact with the ground at the end, will work just fine. The main points of this drill are to:

• Get the athlete to execute a movement that creates hip displacement upon toe-off.
• Extend the swing leg—while supported by the arms on the hurdles so the legs are above the ground in the air.
• Come back in contact with the ground with a rolling or flat foot contact.

The strength of this drill is that its low intensity allows the athlete to complete it as much as they’d like to rehearse it. Once the athlete shows consistent competency, I often assign this for homework. To challenge their coordination, I instruct them to switch the sequence for half of the reps. So, if an athlete takes off with the right foot for 10 reps, I would like them to then do five additional reps where they take off with their left.

While this drill is excellent as a standalone, it becomes supercharged when it is paired with the first phase jump drill explained above. A common sequence in our practice is to have an athlete complete a first phase jump into the pit followed by a few cycles of the suspended first phase. Teaming these two drills  together has increased athlete progress substantially. While I have no official data, I would say that what used to take 15 sessions can now be completed in three to five.

Video 4. Sometimes the best way to get better at something fast is to slow down.

Arm Action

When watching the 2012 Olympic final triple jump competition, you may have noticed athletes using a variety of arm styles. Although the trend seems to be heading toward double arm throughout on the men’s side, there are a variety of options available. Here’s my general advice:

1. Do not instruct arm action initially. See how the athlete chooses to solve the problem, and then make adjustments if needed.
2. Consider the other events the athlete competes in. If the athlete is a high jumper and utilizes a double-arm style at takeoff, it makes sense to use that style for triple jump as well. If the athlete uses a single-arm style for high jump, I think an argument could be made either way for triple. If the athlete also long jumps, where a single-arm style is almost always used, it may make sense to utilize that with triple jump. If an athlete is a hurdler, a single-arm style makes sense.

Of course, these are not absolute. I have had many single-arm long jumpers use a double-arm style for triple. The disadvantage of this style is having to toggle back and forth between two different arm actions toward the end of the approach. This can be a challenge for athletes. Athletes who have the ability to toggle back and forth between these two distinct styles at a high speed tend to have a high degree of athleticism.

If you have an athlete who is extremely adaptable and coordinated, this should not pose too much of a challenge. However, if you have an athlete who has less coordination, I would focus on keeping the arm styles the same. For those interested in ways to address this issue in practice with skipping, galloping, and run-run-jumps, consider purchasing “Jump Drills for All Athletes.”

3. Overall, the number of permutations of arm action/style is too exhaustive to list. The 2012 video showcases quite a few different options. In general, I would advise to go with what the athlete does naturally. Ideally, there will be a correspondence with the other events the athlete completes, or the athlete will have the athleticism to toggle between styles.

I would advise to go with the arm action/style that the athlete does naturally…but do not be afraid to switch styles if what they do naturally is not showcasing progress, says @HFJumps. Share on X

That being said, do not be afraid to switch styles if what they do naturally is not showcasing progress. Many coaches have stories of 2- to 3-foot improvements shortly after athletes switched arm styles. To help young athletes gain the confidence to make this transition, expose them to different arm styles in skipping, galloping, and bounding. This is a simple way to enhance global athleticism. Patient coaches may not get the immediate impact that a narrow-minded coach achieves, but they will reap the rewards of a long-term philosophy when coordination and power capabilities synergize, leading an athlete to huge PRs!

Number Line Philosophy

An analogy I have used for triple jump philosophy is to refer to the number line. The most amazing part of triple jump is the “Matrix”-like hovering that elite athletes achieve in the second phase, but in order for an aspiring athlete to be able to hover like Neo in phase two, sprint mechanics (ground zero) and an effective first phase are essential. Invest in the ABCs, and see big returns in phases one, two, and three!

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

At any given moment on social media, you can find at least two strength and conditioning, track and field, or other sport/performance coaches arguing about what works best. No matter how much research comes out, there will always be discussion on what program works, why a certain rep/set scheme works, and how, when, and with whom to implement certain exercise variations.

But does all of that variation really matter? Probably not as much as we’d like to think.

Sure, physiology, exercise science, and an understanding of sport strategy and game planning matter on the larger scale of what we, as professionals, do. But at the end of the day, what really matters is the consistent action toward the sought-after result.

At the end of the day, what really matters is the consistent action toward the sought-after result, says @KoachGreen_. Share on X

As the late American entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said, “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

So Many Tools, So Little Time

In the field of strength and conditioning and athletic performance, there is an array of training techniques and strategies that can and will yield the desired training effect if applied intelligently and with consistency.

When I first entered the athletic performance field, I was almost immediately overwhelmed with how much information was circulating and how much I could or should be implementing with the athletes I worked with.

As a former college athlete, I had become quite fond of the Olympic lifts and their variations after seeing basically every major collegiate strength and conditioning program in the country utilizing them. I was then totally taken aback when I came to find there were coaches who vehemently disagreed with the use of Olympic lifts for field and court athletes.

How, with all of the past and present evidence of practical value, could anyone disagree with that training tool? What better option could there be than a good, old-fashioned power clean or hang power snatch?

The only words I could think of while going through that phase were I don’t know enough and feeling the all-too-common imposter syndrome.

There’s this idea that to be the best you have to do what the best do, and I think that is, more often than not, taken out of context.

There’s an idea that to be the best you have to do what the best do, and I think that is, more often than not, taken out of context, says @KoachGreen_. Share on X

When it comes to athletic performance, whether you’re the athlete or the coach, it’s not the exercise selection, training protocol, equipment, or fancy technology that makes the greatest difference. Those things obviously play a part in—or limit—the things you’re able to do, but when we take a step back and look at what we’re really doing this for, the difference between choosing a hex bar jump shrug and a power clean won’t be as great of a difference as some people would lead you to believe.

What Is Important?

When it comes to coaching, programming, technique, standards, and any and every other variable you use to enhance athletic performance, take a step back and identify what the overall goals are.

Speed? Vertical or horizontal power? Relative or absolute strength? Agility?

Take stock of what the end goal is and work backward on how you plan on getting there. Whatever methods you choose, with whichever implement—keeping in mind the importance of physiological adaptations and what those adaptations require—stick to it.

This isn’t being ignorant, or stubborn to the fact that:

1. Some methods are circumstance dependent.
2. Just because it worked for A, doesn’t mean it will work for B.
3. Being wrong is okay if we learn and grow from it.

Trial and Error and Trial

Coaching—whether strength and conditioning, athletic/sport performance, or sport in general—is equal parts science and art. The science side of coaching is heavily, if not fully, reliant on the natural laws of gravity and human physiology. The art is the true difference-maker when it comes to coaching athletes of any age.

Art is subjective, and so is the creation of it. When determining what strategy best fits your circumstance in regard to performance, it is fully up to your own personal discernment.

Again, keep in mind the individuals/team(s) you’re working with and the required attributes and qualities needed to succeed athletically within that sport. Equally as important, be aware of what you’re comfortable with and capable of implementing and coaching.

Why vs. How

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. –Friedrich Nietzsche

As previously stated, when we look at the why of a training program from a physical standpoint, we’re talking about qualitative variables that can be trained:

• Speed
• Strength
• Agility
• Power

Generally speaking, these are the qualities and attributes that have a direct impact on athletic ability.

How those qualities and adaptations are manipulated and enhanced is the proverbial “many ways to skin a cat.”

• Olympic weightlifting
• Conjugate
• “Feed the Cats”
• French contrast training

The list goes on.

Research and/or live examples cover this array of training protocols that have led to positive athletic adaptations. On the flip side, there may be an equal amount of data that says the contrary to the exact same findings. But, from personal experience, what really makes the juice worth the squeeze is picking a protocol, system, or program (variables accounted for) and sticking with it long enough to observe either a positive or less-than-desirable adaptation. And based off of the simplest, most foundational training principle, there will be an adaptation to an imposed (and consistently applied) demand.

This is easier said than done—like most things worthwhile.

Physically monitoring and tracking training protocols, volumes, intensities, etc. will alleviate most of the “guess work” in programming. That guess work being of the educated variety, of course.

If I have a football athlete who needs to improve acceleration and power, I may see fit to load him with heavy sled sprints and some Olympic lifts. I can track and control the amount of weight being used and added over time, where the sprints take place and when, and the primers and exercises/lifts that precede and follow.

Until there is clear evidence that there is a decrement in performance (breakdown in mechanics, inability to recover from training, decrease in necessary intensity, etc.), and we are getting further away from the current training goal, there is no reason to change the stimuli.

If and when a stimulus needs to change, we can look at the quality we’re training and find another means to get us back on track. If the Olympic lift is the issue, we can switch it out for hex bar jumps and lifts coupled with plyometric work. If the load of the sled is too much, we can reduce the load or try the prowler instead.

Until there is clear evidence that there is a decrement in performance, and we are getting further away from the current training goal, there is no reason to change the stimuli, says @KoachGreen_. Share on X

And, in what could probably be a totally separate article, having an exercise library of your own creation makes this adjustment phase infinitely easier.

Do What Works

After becoming more “comfortable” with my role as a strength and conditioning professional, having aided many athletes on their journey to improvement and success (using both Olympic and non-Olympic movements), I came to the euphoric revelation: We’re all right, and it’s alright.

If we’re going on a road trip, the best way to get there is by getting up and going. Going, however, is dependent upon who we’re going with, how we’re going to get there, and how long we plan on staying. The method of transportation and number of travel buddies is extremely important, but not nearly as important as actually forming a plan with the variables in mind, then starting and staying on the path to get to the desired destination.

If you’ve ever been on a relatively long road trip, you know that pit stops, maintenance, and traffic can, and will, arise.

The same applies to training and performance. Things will happen along the way that can impede us from reaching the ultimate goal:

• Injuries that require treatment and rehabilitation.
• Movement and technique flaws that require exercise, intensity, or volume regressions.
• Exams, vacations, or any other time off.

Some things are completely out of our control, but the goal doesn’t—and shouldn’t—change.

If the aim is to increase speed, strength, or any other athletic quality, draw up your plan and get to work: exercises, timing, frequency, volume, and all of the general (and sometimes specific) variables.

Make adjustments on the way as they come up but keep moving forward.

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

In the early stages of training, the focus is on creating general athleticism, coordination, and proprioception (awareness of the limbs in space and how much force those limbs produce). A big theme underlying this stage of training is to make it fun, promoting greater engagement and the desire to continue to participate in physical activity. Recent research done by Strafford et al. suggests that the sport of parkour—defined as an athletic acrobatic sport where practitioners explore their action capabilities—can be used as a “donor sport” to develop general athleticism that can ultimately transfer to team sports.

The sport of parkour can be used as a ‘donor sport’ to develop general athleticism that can ultimately transfer to team sports, says @JuanCTPerez. Share on X

Parkour typically brings to mind flips, jumping off buildings, and things of that sort; when simply defined, however, we see that there are many useful skills that athletes can develop from the activity. Breaking down the sport, parkour typically includes movements such as running, climbing, jumping, bipedal or unipedal landing, hanging, vaulting, balancing, stepping, hurdling, quadrupedal movement, and rolling. In addition, it requires and develops coordination, timing, balance, agility, spatial awareness, muscular strength (by navigating environments with gaps), obstacles, different surfaces, and inclines.

In addition to the development of general athleticism, parkour-based movements can assist in reducing the rate of injuries. Athletes are frequently put in awkward positions on the playing field, either due to an unstable surface or a perturbation from another athlete or another complication; those who do not know how to adjust their bodies to mitigate the external environment are at a huge disadvantage. One practical example is a soccer player being knocked down on the pitch and not having the knowledge of how to roll out of it so as to decrease the force on their joints and body; another would be a football player who instinctively tries to catch himself from a fall with an outstretched arm and instead sprains or even breaks his wrist.

Equipment and Implementation

This will look different depending on each coach’s unique training environment, but for those in a gym setting, you can utilize mats, boxes, hurdles, monkey bars, or foam pits if you are lucky enough to have access to those. The framework used to design the program for youth may seem intimidating, but it is similar to the framework used for creating any program. You can emphasize certain skills over a variety of movements and layer them on top of one another to create a full spectrum of movement patterns.

For example, one category might be movements on the ground: bear crawls, rolls, tumbles, cartwheels, crab walks, handstands, etc. Youth athletes in a program could do this category for a certain block of time or use the movement to accomplish a specific goal (races, relays, tag, obstacle courses). After this allotted block of time, the next goal would follow with the next set of movements, and so on—with the coach being careful to promote and develop movements in whatever sequence fits the environment. Other skills that you could implement are a range of throws and catches; the possibilities are limited only by the coach’s experience and imagination.

While parkour may be used most effectively for younger athletes, aspects of this mode of training can also be used to de-load or as part of a warm-up in older athletes, says @JuanCTPerez. Share on X

While parkour may be used most effectively for younger athletes, aspects of this mode of training can also be used to de-load or as part of a warm-up in older athletes, promoting general movement qualities that they may have missed in their time as a youth athlete. Or, it may just provide some fun.

Structuring a Parkour-Based Program

When designing a parkour-based program, one method is to work your way from simple, ground-based movements to movements of a more complex nature. Another way to categorize and progress is based on age group and chronological age. The groupings referred to in this article are based off of Canada’s long-term athletic development (LTAD) approach, designed by Canadian “Sport for Life.”

• Active Start: males and females, ages 0-6
• Fundamentals: males 6-9 and females 6-8
• Learn to Train: males 9-12 and females 8-11
• Train to Train: males 12-16 and females 11-15
• Train to Compete: males 16-23 and females 15-21
• Train to Win: males 19+/- and females 18 +/-
• Active for Life: enter at any age

While these categories are helpful in organizing age groups and training levels, you should use them more as a guideline then a rule of thumb. No one will understand a situation better than the coaches who are directly involved in it.

Sample Program for Learn to Train: Males 9-12 and Females 8-11

Athletes would devote 5-10 minutes to each category, as directed by the coach and depending on skill level:

• Crawling patterns—bear crawl, crab walk, monkey walk. Start with forward crawling and progress to backward and sideways crawling. Introduce an objective or obstacle course to make it play-/game-based. (Carry a foam roller on your back from one end to the other without letting it fall or crawl under hurdles and around cones).
• Tumbling. Somersaults, left shoulder rolls, right shoulder rolls, back rolls. Athletes can progress to cartwheels, roundoffs, backbends, etc. You can also include handstands and handstand walks in this segment.
• Balancing. On battle ropes laid out, using lines on floor, progress to game-based (such as line tag).
• Jumping (two-foot takeoff to two-foot landing). Jumps can be on the ground using different colored disc cones as markers (jump from lily pad to lily pad). Progress to takeoff/landing from low plyo boxes, then to higher plyo boxes.
• Hopping (one-foot takeoff to landing on same leg). Hops can be on the ground using different colored disc cones as markers (hop from lily pad to lily pad). Progress to takeoff/landing from low plyo boxes, then to higher plyo boxes.
• Leaping (takeoff from one leg, land on opposite leg). Leaps can be on the ground using different colored disc cones as markers (hop from lily pad to lily pad). Progress to takeoff/landing from low plyo boxes, then to higher plyo boxes.
• Diving (two-foot and one-foot takeoff, landing on stomach). Diving into a foam pit or onto high jump mats. Can progress to diving catches.
• Vaulting (jumping over an obstacle with assistance from hands). Start with shorter objects, progressing to taller objects. Can introduce games and tag variations.

Once the students/athletes are comfortable with these activities, you can progress them. One example is through variations of “Follow the Leader,” and you can introduce additionally uneven surfaces if the environment safely allows. All movements can be done in a gym environment with what you have available, so long as you are able to progress athletes in a manner that allows for adaptation and learning.

As mentioned previously, you can also use these activities for older athletes in a similar manner. Coaches would likely be able to progress them more rapidly depending on the foundation of each athlete—they may have missed some of these learning patterns early on.

Another strategy would be to spend an allotted amount of time on foundational skills, while spending the rest on more sport-focused methods. For example, a soccer coach could spend 30 minutes of an hour-long session on foundational skills, and the other 30 on soccer skill work.

Outcome-Based vs. Process-Based

Outcome-based and process-based coaching are two styles that are useful in varying scenarios. Outcome-based coaching refers to the outcome of the activity, whereas process-based refers to the technical components involved in the movement. Outcome-based and process-based coaching can be illustrated with any of the above listed categories but can most easily be demonstrated with crawling patterns and diving.

While each of those two movements has a technical structure that can be implemented (which would be the process-based style of coaching) for younger kids who are learning to move, we may want to stick with a more outcome-based style. The technical structure is what coaches are likely most used to—it can be an easier model to follow for some because it provides much more order and reference points so as to “check” movements. In a technical (process-based) structure for a bear crawl, an athlete may start on hands and knees. From that position, they would raise the knees off the ground while simultaneously keeping the back flat and butt down. To initiate the crawling motion, they would move the contralateral hand and foot at the same time. The technical model for diving would also follow a similar teaching pattern.

In an outcome-based approach, we would give the athlete a general instruction for crawling; for bear crawling specifically, we could simply instruct the kids to get from one end of the space to the other while walking on all fours. We can continue to repeat this in different iterations, and have kids try to do the same activity but accomplish a different goal, such as to complete the activity the fastest or perhaps carry a foam roller on their backs. This puts a different emphasis on the movement but allows freedom for the youth to explore what works and what doesn’t. This also will not require great amounts of their attention span (as overtaxing that may be detrimental to the session overall).

For diving, the outcome-based instruction would be similar. We would illustrate the objective of the activity, such as diving and catching a ball. We could then have the young athlete try repetitions but make each rep different. This would again encourage the athlete to explore the ranges of their movement and ultimately discover the most efficient patterns on their own.

Parkour as a Donor Sport

While improving at parkour is not the focus of training, it can be used as an effective donor sport for other team or individual sports. The novelty, versatility, scalability, and shared skills involved make this style of training fun for the participant and very useful for the practitioner.

Another skill that is not explicitly mentioned, but parkour aptly develops, is force gradation. Simply stated, this is the skill of ‘fine touch’ or how much force should be exerted in a movement. Share on X

Another skill that is not explicitly mentioned, but parkour aptly develops, is force gradation. Simply stated, this is the skill of “fine touch” or how much force should be exerted in a movement. By having to judge distances and jump to, from, and over different sized objects, the development of visuomotor control will be almost impossible to avoid. Ultimately, implementing parkour will augment the process of developing general athleticism, coordination, and proprioception while promoting greater engagement and the desire to continue to participate in physical activity long term, en route to creating more robust athletes.

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The merry-go-round of coaching staff is spinning again. Coaches of all stripes are being hired and fired. As sure as night follows day, once they are done moving across the country and the announcement is made by the institution, the coach’s peers will proudly proclaim on social media, “They got a good one!”

I’m guilty of this myself. I love to see my friends get ahead in life, and I want to give them their dues in public. But did you ever notice how a new hire is never met with a reaction like “This is a mistake,” “They hired this guy?!” or “But his injury record is atrocious!” Never. It therefore follows that only one of the following statements can be true:

1. All new hires are home runs.
2. We lack the ability to discern what distinguishes a good coach or program from a bad one.
3. We can discern good from bad but refuse to say so publicly.

The first is simply not the case. Like any skill, coaching prowess is not equally distributed across the field. Many programs have been hammered in the press for putting athletes in the hospital or, worse, the morgue. A simple social media search of many programs will highlight sessions that bear no resemblance to what we believe to be optimal based on research or best practice among those sports or coaches who care to measure the effects of their training.

The latter is certainly probable. There is little to no gain from speaking negatively about another coach or program (even when it is warranted) due to the tight-knit nature of the profession. Regardless, the complete absence of negativity does seem to invalidate the praise. If I know you’ll never say anything bad about me, why should I believe you when you say something nice? But we can’t change politics and I doubt this is going away any time soon.

If I know you’ll never say anything bad about me, why should I believe you when you say something nice? asks, @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

However, the middle option is equally probable and likely the most pervasive. I’d wager many coaches who speak highly of their peers truly believe that person is the person for the job, that they’re going to knock it out of the park, and that we should start engraving the trophy now to save everyone some time. This is not the case, though, as so many ruinous seasons, mounting injury lists, and firings have demonstrated. A lot of the time, they didn’t get a good one, and we need a better set of objective criteria to state why. In doing so, we can keep ourselves and our peers in the coaching profession accountable, influence more objective hiring practices, and ultimately better serve our athletes.

What Constitutes a Good Program?

Is a strength coach responsible for “setting the tone” of the culture, and realizing the head coach’s vision as the member of staff who likely spends the most contact hours with the athletes? They can definitely be an important piece of a championship-winning organization. But many an enforcer has blown up the trainer’s room and put slow, tired athletes on the field who look like they spent all summer doing the “survival shuffle” (watch any lineman run during the second week of camp—that’s the survival shuffle).

Should the strength coach hang their hat on the numbers? “Judge me on the outputs, nothing else. I don’t care if they’re having fun or not, we’re here to win.” I’ve typically fallen into this trap at various points throughout my career and it bit me when I failed to read the room correctly and athletes didn’t engage as enthusiastically with my programming as I might have liked. As much as I would have hated to admit it then, the vibe in and around the facility is hugely important. It’s extremely hard if not impossible to achieve great success when the people in the building are miserable.

It’s extremely hard if not impossible to achieve great success when the people in the building are miserable, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

What about availability? If you can just get your best guys on the field, keep them there, and stay out of the sport coach’s way, the rest will fall into place, right? It is a huge piece of the puzzle, and there is certainly a relationship between on-field success and player-time losses due to injury. But the best way to not get hurt is to not do much—no weight on the bar, move slow, practice easy.

Unfortunately, it’s also a great recipe to suck, and sometimes we just have to accept the increased (managed) risk that comes with the kind of training that produces optimal physical and psychological preparation. It’s a nebulous term, but the intangible toughness that comes from “going to the well” a couple of times per year is real and a common factor among successful teams. They don’t pamper their athletes.

Is it all just about championships? Probably not. It is great to win but we need to be realistic that even in national championship-winning college programs, only a tiny fraction of athletes will go pro. Even in the pros, most will never make enough money to never work again when they’re done. 99.9% of athletes who ever take the field will eventually join the workforce. If even championship-winning athletes are spat out of the other end of the system with no qualifications or life skills to show for it, we have failed them. The cliché of training the person as well as the athlete carries weight.

The cliché of training the person as well as the athlete carries weight, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

Another hard truth is that we are sitting on a mental health timebomb in the American collegiate system. The pressures of competition for scholarships and playing time, being in new environments away from family, the public scrutiny, the additional pressures of study, and having access to more drugs and alcohol than ever before combine to create serious issues for young adults in the system. To chase all the above but sweep these issues under the rug is another common failing.

Not One Thing But Many

No program should aspire to be a 13-0 championship-winning team full of miserable, broken athletes who will spend the rest of their lives paying for sacrifices made in pursuit of those wins. Nor should a team full of healthy, well-adjusted but underperforming 0-13 losers be desirable or acceptable. It is not any one thing that makes the ideal program, but all things in balance. Rather than being viewed as competing goals that we are forced to choose between, performance coaches need to adopt the mentality that these elements can actually benefit one another in a synergistic fashion.

For example, all organizations speak of culture and being coachable, and they implicitly understand that sport mastery and recruitment are the twin engines of on-field success (see sport coaching salaries relative to physical prep for proof). But few organizations understand the profound impact that physical and mental wellness can have on these variables. Happy, well-adjusted, physically and mentally robust athletes tend to make better life choices, be better learners, practice harder and more often than their peers, and speak more highly of their program to recruits.

And it’s a two-way street. I would wager that sport practice design/load is the hidden killer of athlete availability and the sport mastery that flows from it, not to mention the psychological impact of injury and heavy losses on athlete well-being. Integrating all departments to individualize and progress training load would undoubtedly pay dividends on and off the field.

I would wager that sport practice design/load is the hidden killer of athlete availability and the sport mastery that flows from it, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Psychologist Abraham Maslow is credited with devising the hierarchy of human needs, which theorizes that to become fully self-actualized, people must first have their most basic physiological and security needs met. Until basic needs like food, water, and shelter are met, humans cannot busy themselves wondering what their highest purpose on earth is.

Conversely, just having the essentials in place is no guarantee of long-term fulfilment. Quite the opposite. It isn’t until we pursue and achieve higher objectives like love and belonging, esteem, and finally self-actualization that Maslow considered as the finished article of human beings.

Just having the essentials in place is no guarantee of long-term fulfilment, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

I would argue that useful parallels can be drawn in the strength and conditioning world to assess the degree of actualization of an organization, hereafter known as Wenham-Flatt’s Hierarchy of Coaching Needs, that I may receive my due adulation. The pyramid is organized as follows:

1. Physical and mental well-being

Just as the Hippocratic oath commands physicians to do no harm, so too should strength and conditioning professionals aspire to the same. I am not talking about missing the occasional hamstring strain, but rather ignoring or causing catastrophic physical and psychological events through negligence: exertional illness and death, mental illness, suicide, major orthopedic injuries, etc. This should be considered the absolute minimum of any program as they pose an existential risk to the athlete’s career or life.

2. Preparation for life after athletics

If we accept the math and hard reality that 99% of our athletes will never make a penny from sports (or retire if they are pro), we have a moral duty to prepare athletes for that eventuality. That students graduate college with improved prospects and skills to serve them as functioning adults should be as fundamental to the coaching hierarchy of needs as employment, property, and health are to the original hierarchy of needs. But beware of any institution that claims to have a world-class program and crows about their graduation rates, but can’t field a team thanks to soft tissue injuries and has a bare trophy cabinet.

3. Sport participation

The hard truth for strength coaches is that if you can just get your recruitment and sport practice right and keep them on the field, you’re 90% of the way there. Let’s run a mental simulation in reverse: if we have a team full of enthusiastic but untalented 5’10,” 180 lb. Keir Wenham-Flatts with every i dotted and every t crossed in the weight room, the team will still suck.

Consequently, the percentage of practices participated in, number of games missed, and number of soft tissue injuries accumulated per year are all more foundational metrics than any physical output like strength, speed, or power. Although it can be difficult to separate enhanced performance and reduced risk of injury, it is certainly possible to increase outputs while exposing athletes to unnecessary risk. For example, the extreme but unfortunately real example of running German Volume Training in-season.

4. Generally effective evidence-based physical training

One hundred percent availability with zero injuries is obviously a fantasy. Players will get hurt despite our best efforts. But if an organization continually posts injury rates significantly higher than similar teams, that is a problem that needs to be solved. If and when it is solved, the strength and conditioning staff can busy themselves with training to maximize the broad array of physical outputs that underpin performance.

One hundred percent availability with zero injuries is obviously a fantasy, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

At the most basic level, this should be characterized by training that research and best practice has shown to work, and a program that significantly increases the physical performance of most of its athletes, most of the time. Justifying programming decisions with, “This is what they do at X school,” “This is what coach asked for,” or “This gets the guys juiced,” should constitute a failure at this level. They may be a secondary effect of decisions made, but not the primary objective.

5. Highly individualized physical training

Inevitably, a general, blanket approach to training will fail some of the athletes some of the time. A more individualized approach that takes into account the specific needs of the athlete will theoretically produce much better results than a cookie-cutter program, but is far more time- and resource-intensive. For this reason, nascent programs will inevitably have to produce results with a general approach before ascending to this level of the hierarchy.

Inevitably, a general, blanket approach to training will fail some of the athletes some of the time, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

Individualized approaches will be characterized by testing that tells coaches not just what or how much they did, but why they did it, and more importantly what the most productive training intervention is likely to be. For example, establishing a force-velocity profile to establish training needs, then monitoring training loads and volumes with velocity-based training tools, would likely result in more adaptation than using the 30-40% of 1RM that research says optimizes the development of explosive strength.

6. Organization-wide integration across all disciplines

Much to the frustration of strength and conditioning professionals—even once the training holy grail of “right stimulus, right amount, right time, every athlete, every session” is achieved—they can still be terrible at their sport. The holistic four-coactive model popularized by Fergus Conolly dictates that any one of physical, tactical, technical, or psychological preparation can be the rate-limiting factor within the system that is the athlete. With a limited amount of time and recovery resources that can be deployed each week to improve performance, it follows that the rate limiting factor should receive the bulk of this allocation, with all other preparations and their sub-qualities receiving retention loads.

Such an approach requires a level of data collection and sharing, collaboration, and organization that evades all but the very best of organizations, but inevitably predisposes to success as much as is within the control of the strength coach (typically by this stage titled the “high performance manager”). Not only is this approach the most costly in terms of staff, technology, time, and resources, but it is also the most politically treacherous. It can take years to build the kind of trust with sport coaches that a fully-integrated program requires. You will be told to “stay in your lane” more than once when attempting such an audacious project, so make sure you have your own house in order with levels 1-5 of the hierarchy before reaching for the peak.

It can take years to build the kind of trust with sport coaches that a fully integrated program requires, says @RUGBY_STR_COACH. Share on X

Both Maslow’s Hierarchy and my unimaginative adaptation operate according to the same rules as the physical pyramids they resemble: the wider and more secure the base, the higher the eventual peak. A broad foundation upon which nothing is built is unimpressive, and a towering peak with no meaningful base is soon toppled. We should evaluate our own work and that of our colleagues in the field through a similar lens. Ask yourself:

• Does the coach have no association with major catastrophic physical or psychological events?
• Does the coach have a track record of helping to produce well-adjusted athletes who succeed in life even if they do not reach the pinnacle of their sport?
• When the coach steps into a program, do the drains on player availability and productivity associated with injury go down or at least stay down if they are already low?
• Do athletes typically improve year-on-year in the same metrics (not an ever-changing list of tests) for the duration of their time with that coach? If they are in the pros, are they improving at least until their mid or late 20’s?
• Is there a high degree of individualization in the diagnoses of training needs and the programming that follows? Is the program devoid of sessions in which every athlete does the same session regardless of position, age, or individual needs?
• Does the organization place the athlete at the center of every training decision? Is there give and take between all athlete stakeholders to attempt to individualize and optimize every aspect of training and maximize the long-term performance of the athlete?

Now ask the same questions of your own career. For every time you answer “yes,” award yourself a point:

0- This field is not for you and you should leave before the lawsuits start landing on your desk.
1- You’re a babysitter and nothing more. Raise your standards.
2- Your work makes a difference to your athletes and to society as a whole. Good work. But your actual job hasn’t begun yet.
3- They don’t necessarily feel your impact, but they will certainly notice your absence.
4- Now you’re starting to really make a dent. Take stock of your achievements and push hard to really get every drop out of your athletes.
5- Your program is probably among the top 5-10% of our field. You have a lot to be proud of, and if you’re a glutton for punishment, invest a few years in trying to reach the peak.
6- You are in the 1% of our field.

Be honest! Good luck.

Our water polo players in the Midwest must overcome several training obstacles, including the lack of ability to play year-round and the sport’s place as a tertiary activity for most schools. In my opinion, this combination can be a blessing in disguise.

To begin with, in a broad-spectrum sense, our athletes can devote this time to developing team skills by playing other sports, as well as improving on their lagging physical and technical skills. For water polo players, the skills of the eggbeater and throwing without ground reaction forces are critical; plus, the “hard skill” of swimming in and of itself becomes crucial for those still developing as athletes (such as the players I work with). The purpose of this article is to espouse the importance of improving swimming skills, especially for those in this developmental stage (high school), which will build a basis of sprint speed and technical efficiency in the polo pool.

Why Speed Is King in the Water Too!

All those familiar with the concepts and practices of track/sprint coaches Tony Holler and Chris Korfist (Track and Football Consortium) may find a parallel here. Philosophically, I see swim speed for a water polo player as analogous to an athlete who improves their absolute speed during track season to better their status in field sports such as football, lacrosse, rugby, or soccer.

Philosophically, I see swim speed for a water polo player as analogous to an athlete who improves their absolute speed during track season to better their status in field sports. Share on X

Most modern track and football coaches would agree that the hard skill development involved in sprinting sets the stage for success on the football field. I would be hard-pressed to find a high school polo coach who would argue that swimming faster and better would not help their water polo players. Two of my best male water polo players not only achieved all-state and all-American status in polo, but also doubled those honors in swimming. Many of my other high-achieving polo players (both men and women) have had comparable achievements in both sports, ranging from state honorable mentions in water polo to state placings in the state swim series.

The positive effects of swimming ability and water polo are twofold:

1. Developing the technical skills to swim fast in the freestyle (front crawl) for breakaways, loose balls, and swim-offs (which happen four times a game) will turn a polo player’s speed into a weapon. Learning the backstroke will also enhance the skills of the defensive players during possession transitions as they seamlessly switch from front crawl to back during their spin moves.
2. The mental fortitude of a racer is paramount for an aggressive and confident polo player. In other words, would you want to play with someone who thrives on pressure or one who succumbs to it? Would you also want the other team wary of your team because you have an ace swimmer (or several of them) who can break away at any time and win every swim-off? You’d be crazy to not want speed and competitiveness!

For the sake of comparison, I’ll refer to a study that examined both absolute (sprint speed) and repeated sprint abilities (think conditioning here) and compared swimmers and water polo players. The researchers discovered that swimmers had the edge over water polo players in swim speed in short distances (25 meters) by more than a half second (11.65 seconds versus 12.26 seconds, respectively), and in the long distances (800 meters) by two seconds (9.43 minutes versus 11.43 minutes), which was consistent with their initial hypothesis.¹

Perfecting the Hard Skills

Expanding upon the concept of developing a fast swimmer to improve polo play, we must recognize this endeavor is best approached through a skills-based process. And like every skill requiring total body effort and coordination, there are rules to follow in terms of position, posture, and technique: This is what is meant by a hard skill.

Even just casually looking at an athlete at their peak, they all have commonalities in their technique. The great thing about the study above was that it not only found obvious the superior speed of swimmers over polo players, but also inferred why that may be. Specifically, swimmers have technical superiority over water polo players:

“…These findings may indicate that the superior head-down front-crawl swimming skill previously noted for swimmers compared to water polo players…”¹

The significance of this finding manifests itself in two ways. First, in terms of preservation and injury reduction:

“Understand that most injuries have a neuromuscular base. It is a combination of technique and strength or other physical qualities as they relate to the execution of the skills on the field.”²

Simply put, the two major mechanisms of injury are lack of technique and insufficient strength (more on strength later), which should go hand in hand. If our aquatic athletes are trained in the proper mechanical execution of swimming, then they will cease to wear themselves out during sprints and have reserves for the possible extreme variations in stroke technique.

Secondly, this study also examined the work capacity and energy system abilities for water polo players and their swim counterparts. At first, the researchers guessed water polo players would have the edge over swimmers in respect to a repeated high-speed sprint effort test, given that the sport (and its practices) includes a mix of intense efforts (racing to the goal or a loose ball) and less-intense efforts (treading/eggbeater) versus swimmers who compete in single efforts (usually with longer rest times between events).

To the surprise of the researchers, swimmers outperformed water polo players in repeat sprint efforts.

“However, in contrast to our second hypothesis, water polo players exhibited poorer RSA compared to the swimmers.” (Ref. 1, Fig. 1)

In this case, the technical superiority of the swimmer allowed for a better stroke economy per sprint effort. Specifically, the superior posture and position of the swimmers in the front crawl allowed for better stroke precision and kick coordination. This is akin to track coaches referring to stride economy for sprinters and distance runners alike. The lessened expenditure of energy is derived from the maintenance of optimal technique and increased GRF for each stride.

You can certainly make the argument that more chaotic stroke patterns will occur during a polo match (much like sprinting for field athletes, where varying patterns and degrees of freedom of technique will occur). While it is true that no one movement will truly look the same as the previous one, it does not give us a free pass to bypass technical development. Without a base standard of swim technique and mechanics, our varying degrees of stroke patterns will suffer.

While it is true that no one movement will truly look the same as the previous one, it does not give us a free pass to bypass technical development. Share on X

In this case, the polo player—trained less in swim technique—will have less margin for error and may fatigue at a faster rate, opening themselves up to more of an injurious situation. This is something we obviously want to avoid when not in contact with an opponent. Up-and-coming water polo players should realize the importance of this concept and take initiative in developing the hard skill of optimal swimming technique. Swimming competitively on a team in short course season or seeking out a qualified coach are viable options to garner the competent hard skills of swimming.

Key Movements Concepts

Okay, so what can we do outside of the pool?

Again, I can’t stress my role as a physical preparation/athletic development coach enough. My objective is to help PREPARE athletes for the demands of their water sports, not BE the water sport. The following will cover how I attempt to develop and bridge the gap to the hard skills of swimming through strength, without “bringing the water to the weight room.”

Good programs include a spectrum of exercises that span the general-specific continuum. Within this continuum, exercises can also cover the parts-whole spectrum, where “part” exercises cover part of a key movement pattern (KMP) via singular joint movement or an area of accentuation of muscular contraction. “Whole” exercises, meanwhile, encompass the whole KMP. For the polo player/swim sprinter, this KMP is the front crawl and arm action.

Key Movement I: The Front Crawl

Here, I’ll borrow concepts from how I train a swimmer. We begin with the front crawl. Examining this in a basic sense, we see that the athlete lies prone over the top of the water, reaching over their head with one arm and retracting the other and cycling in a crawling motion in the attempt to “grab water” to propel the body forward. The legs also work in opposition in the kicking motion to enhance this propulsion via a rudder effect. Essentially, we have a prone cross crawl pattern to create horizontal movement, most of which is produced by the upper body.

To begin, we must examine posture and position. In my opinion, the alignment of the trunk (via the spine) is of paramount importance, as this will determine how well the athlete can keep their torso over the surface of the water to best propel the body forward. Any type of slumped posture while attempting to get long will limit overhead reach, and any hyper-lordotic posture will limit the ability to kick effectively. Think Janda lower/upper cross postures to an extent here. (***We must not deny the flexion/extension moments of the spine that happen during the dolphin kick action.)

For us, this begins with a robust plank position from head to toe. Head in line with shoulders, in line with hips, in line with ankles: This is our base posture, which we call getting long! If our athletes are unable to hold this for at least the duration of a swim event (20 seconds to five minutes), then they may exhibit a performance bleed at the shoulders or hips somewhere. We use the planking drills as a living diagnostic in which we can coach proper positions while correcting faulty ones. The beauty of holding positions (and most isometric drills) is that young athletes learn by “thinking their way” through the drill. They learn what optimal and nonoptimal positions feel like.

The beauty of holding positions (and most isometric drills) is that young athletes learn by ‘thinking their way’ through the drill. They learn what optimal and nonoptimal positions feel like. Share on X

In this case, we cue a glute squeeze as opposed to a stomach brace. If you have recently attended a clinic where Cal Dietz has presented, you probably know why. What we have consistently found is that overly bracing the abdominal region waters down (pun intended) performance around the appendages. On the other hand, a squeeze of the butt allows for a stable alignment and for the spine to move properly during strokes. You do want some rotation to happen here when swimming, and the glutes/hip flexors initiate firing during the kick. Keep in mind the swim-sprint-crawl is simply another high-speed gait cycle like sprinting that leaves us clues as to the role the paraspinals play in the front crawl, and they will operate similarly.

Crawling

Next, we extend the idea of the front crawl by doing exactly that—CRAWLING!!!

Athletic development and training experts from Vern Gambetta to Jay DeMayo to Donnie Thompson are advocates of some form of walking on the hands to not only load the shoulder joint, but also to connect the upper and lower body. I hold this philosophy to be true, as it helps us apply rhythm and coordination while maintaining this “planked” posture as required in the water. We typically incorporate bear crawling variations in our warm-ups. Five yards seems to be a good distance, and we go forward, backward, to the left, then the right, and do the same while crossing the hands over.

Video 1. Forward bear crawl with bands.

Once our kids are no longer challenged by normal bear crawls, we load them by condensing the breaks, adding them into a “medley,” or using a mini band around the wrists.

Video 2. Lateral bear crawl with mini band. 

The Connection: Croc Walk Progressions

Once regular planking and bear crawling become easy, then we join these parts into a whole movement. We have the athletes put their feet on furniture sliders and crawl forward and backward. For us, the croc walk is way we bring “life” to the basic plank.

Video 3. The technique in the croc walk resembles the front crawl as seen in swimming, sans the kicking.

We instruct our athletes to grab the ground as they would grab the water, while maintaining the plank position with the rest of torso. The hips may twist a little, but don’t let them sway. This proves to be quite challenging for most at first, but give this a try for a few weeks and they’ll be able to do the cycle croc walks before you know it.

The cycle crocs are another part of the progression, in which the athletes work their arms through the catch, pull, exit, and recovery cycle. The next progression is a loaded cycle croc where we attach a load at the hips. We’ve done these with bands, a sled, and even an Exer-Genie sprint trainer. DO NOT rush to get to this point! It is imperative that your athletes earn their progression by mastering planking and basic crawls and possess a surplus of upper body strength (10+ strict pull-ups). This will come into play when we use this drill as a “compete” exercise and time a 10-yard croc.

Important exercises here are bodyweight drills such as the pull-up and various versions of the push-up, as they form the base of shoulder extension and resisting a force in front of the body.

Video 4. The backward croc cycle performed by an athlete with furniture sliders.

Key Movements Concepts 2: Stroke Arm Action

The next key movement concept is the arm action in the stroke. As much as track and speed coaches obsess over the cycling leg action in sprinting (back half mechanics, front half mechanics, foot strike, etc.), swim coaches obsess over the cycling arm action. Swimming is the opposite of sprinting in this way. The pull power from the upper body produces the most power for propulsion and the kick supports it.

As much as track and speed coaches obsess over the cycling leg action in sprinting, swim coaches obsess over the cycling arm action. Share on X

The arm action of the freestyle involves four basic phases:

1. The Catch: Entry of hand into the water.
2. The Pull: The act of the arm pulling against the resistance of the water.
3. The Exit: The final pull against the water as it is about to go over the surface.
4. The Recovery: Cycling of the arm over the surface of the water, preparing for entry phase/reaching.

A key component to the catch involves the arm reaching overhead as the hand enters the water in an attempt to get as much water as possible—another application to getting long. General exercises we use are overhead pressing with dumbbells (single arm preferred) and push-up variations using sliders or suspension straps. More recently we have found that employing a Coiling Core Concept® during alternating arm patterns allows our aquatic athletes to bridge the gap between general and specific in their effort to “get longer.” Despite the controversy generated from its “creator,” applying this concept during strength exercises aids in teaching coordination of the reach, spinal movement, and contraction of the opposite latissimus dorsi, which loads the recovery arm for subsequent strokes.³

Video 5. Pullover variations for swimmers and water polo players.

The pull phase initially involves almost pure internal rotation, with the humerus abducted at 90 degrees as well as flexed (the popular 90/90 position). To work this action in a parts sense, we use internal rotations with the elbow to the side. The “rehab/ PT” type exercises with elastic resistance or handheld weights have their place here. Medball throws (in this same action) can add a power component to the catch. You can utilize throws of both repeated and single effort here. Consequently enough, training the muscles in this pattern can also aid in throwing velocity that is beneficial to water polo players.

As the pull action progresses, the arm draws downward toward the hip with the elbow obtusely bent (think a diamond shape if you are viewing from front), but it will straighten a bit in the mid catch. This will be where the most propulsion can be generated, given more favorable leverages for the powerful lats and pectorals.

Video 6. Push-Up Matrix: Keep in mind varying grips and hand positions will target the latissimus dorsi and pectorals in different ways, which will strengthen the shoulder girdle in a broad sense.

General movements that help develop pulling power are pull-ups (with varying grips and elbow positions) and horizontal pushing variations that target the pecs. (Remember, they internally rotate the humerus as well.)

Covering every movement of the scapula is necessary to maintain the integrity of scapulohumeral health for an upper-body-dominant sport. The classic line of thinking in pairing vertical pulls and pushes in a session may hold some merit here. Respective of the overhead position, scapulohumeral rhythm is met if it is elevated maximally during overhead work. This is where the undertrained serratus anterior gets some necessary work and is forced to coordinate with the trapezius and rhomboids.

As the arm approaches the exit phase, the technical key lies in keeping the “high elbow” (elbow above hand), as the elbow will exit the water before the hand. Think the old dumbbell kickback action here. The elbow and arm extension act as a finisher of projection before the hand reaches the surface of the water. Here we can use “kickback” variations with dumbbells, bands, or a cable machine.

Pronating the hand will add some coordination with the elbow muscles. While barbells, dumbbells, and bands work well for these movements, integrating old-school barbell triceps extensions and full pullovers (taking the hands as far toward the hips as possible) will make it a more complete movement. The flywheel device also allows us to incorporate rhythm and cadence for these movements as athletes may experience them during sport.

The exit phase then leads to the recovery phase, in which the arm shortens close to the body as it is pulled up out of the water before reaching to enter for the catch. The muscles of the posterior shoulder girdle, deltoids, and trapezius are put to work in this action. Basically, every muscle that moves the scapula in every angle is worked in the front crawl arm action. While most strength coaches (many of whom have been influenced by well-meaning PTs) only opt for scapular depression and retraction exercises and technique, emphasis on the basic rowing exercises will only serve us so much. We must not neglect EVERY movement of the scapula.

With the aforementioned movements, protraction and upward rotation must be at equilibrium in terms of strength. In other words, do not be afraid to shrug, don’t be afraid to reach horizontally, and certainly don’t be afraid to go overhead. Our programs include Olympic lifts and pulling variations that link scapular coordination from toe to head. We also employ isolated scapula actions in our pull-ups and push-ups that cover depression, retraction, and upward rotation/elevation.

Give Them What the Water Can’t

Much like their field athlete counterparts, our aquatic athletes must prepare with an emphasis on skill as well as strength, power, and conditioning. As physical preparation coaches, our duty is to not only cover the strength and work capacity components of their development, but also bridge the gap to skill.

This may seem like a difficult task when working with aquatic athletes, but if we can give them what the water can’t, then we are on the right track. Share on X

This may seem like a difficult task in working with aquatic athletes, but if we can give them what the water can’t, then we are on the right track. In my experience, I’ve never seen young women and men who are as dedicated and loyal to training as my aquatic athletes. I hope the concepts and drills above are easy to grasp and will allow other physical preparation coaches the opportunity to diversify and connect with their aquatic athletes to have the same rewarding experiences I’ve had.

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. Meckel, Y., Bishop, D., Rabinovich, M., Kaufman, L., Nemet, D., and Eliakim, A. “Repeated Sprint Ability in Elite Water Polo Players and Swimmers and its Relationship to Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance.” Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2013;12(4):738-743.

2. Yessis, Dr. Michael. “Are Injuries Due Mainly to Conditioning or Lack of Conditioning?” elitefts.com, 5/6/11.

3. Coiling Core Training®, WeckMethod. David Weck.

4. TrackingFootball.com.

The folklore behind this piece goes back several decades, to a time when, as an injury-prone athlete and aspiring coach, I encountered two leading coaches in the fields of sprinting and jumps. Many athletes and coaches today know of the exercises dubbed “A’s” and “B’s”—these were coined by Gerard Mach as part of his sprint development system. Today, the notion that these exercises were part of a comprehensive approach to sprint development has been largely forgotten, and the exercises themselves have become corrupted to the extent that many coaches refuse to use them.

When presenting at coaching workshops, I typically have a small group of local athletes volunteering to demonstrate exercises for the participants. When it comes to the “A drill,” 10 athletes will show 10 variants, with few representing the original intended form.

One reason for all the variability is that the exercise allows it—just as running strides themselves can develop huge variations in effectiveness and efficiency, so too do these exercises. During a session by Mach that I attended, one of the coaches asked a simple question that seemed dumb but was on the minds of many: “What are these for?”

With a wry smile, Mach simply replied “posture.” That was it.

At that time, I considered posture to be something static and spinal, and so I shrugged off the response. But, of course, Mach was referring to dynamic posture, and the ability to hold effective form, joint by joint, at any stage of the sprint stride. In hindsight, that response and smile was a great gift that inspired thinking and problem-solving.

The second area of personal exposure at that time came from Zoltan Tenke, who brought with him a system of jumps training from Eastern Europe. This method featured hundreds of leaping, hopping, and bounding exercises, along with extensive medicine ball and body movement work. The group was not used to the dynamics, volumes, or variety. Having grown up with heavy lifting as the major conditioning tool, most of us had to walk down the stairs backward for days due to the incredible DOMS we felt after the initial exposure—the system that he brought to the group was a life-changer. Not only did we have to move through an extensive range of motion, we needed to develop the force-velocity capabilities that allowed for elastic power expression.

Preparation to Train

The two influences mentioned above relate to the focus exercise here: a pickup hop (with thanks to Matt Watson of Plus Plyos, who has written for SimpliFaster on plyometrics training).

The pickup hop is a stationary or slowly advancing hop that serves as a preparation exercise for many athletes: essentially, anyone in need of running speed. Share on X

The pickup hop is a stationary or slowly advancing hop that serves as a preparation exercise for many athletes: essentially, anyone in need of running speed. This is the most common exercise I give out for “homework.” (I believe in the value of exercise homework, but that’s another story.) I adopted it for myself out of the Mach and Tenke formats as a quality pathway to overcoming chronic ankle injuries. The incentive for today’s athletes is my assurance that once they integrate the exercise into a brain map and then refine it, they will run and/or jump more effectively and efficiently.

Further, I share that the movement skill itself is a bit like bicycle riding—you never forget how to do it. Now, while I started with a goal of fixing wonky ankles, I discovered that it helped fix a host of imbalances and faulty movement patterns, alluding to the wide-ranging local and global benefits.

Video 1. Front and side view of the pickup hop exercise.

I am careful to emphasize that pickup hops are preparation and not the actual training or practice element. Specifically, I label it as:

Preparation to Train = “Readiness”

Not only are there relevant mechanical factors that help manage the cyclical action and landings, there are neuromuscular factors that feed movement competencies related to running and jumping skills. These readiness features are taken forward into actual training and competitive groundwork. Anyone who has tried to unlearn faulty habits or change technical cues during high-level training or competitions knows how difficult and/or frustrating that can become. By removing those redefining and refinement elements of movement and force-velocity development slightly into preparation, the work on precision and efficiency can proceed without any competitive or self-competitive distractions.

We learn to explore what works and what does not work for us. We also remove the limited feedback of the stopwatch or measuring tape to explore sensation outcomes. The transferable result is a sensation of flow or “zone” that can be taken forward into performance-oriented activities. “Flow” is that state of performance that occurs when we suspend analysis and cue-checking to just let the body do what it has been trained to do.

What Are We Training?

I consider pickup hops to be an “A” drill of sorts: dynamic posture preparation for running and jumping activities. The landing is unilateral with a cyclical leg pattern during the airborne phase, and the movement has similar load-unload challenges for the grounded leg. Both are stationary or slowly advancing with a range of motion that emphasizes load-unload skills. The pickup hop is also different—and in a sense, more challenging—than related running drills because the landings are unilateral on one foot or the other and not alternating. While the running A drill can be performed with sloppy or imprecise landings, the pickup hop tends to fall apart with faulty technique or fatigue.

The pickup hop is also different—and in a sense, more challenging—than related running drills because the landings are unilateral on one foot or the other and not alternating. Share on X

In order to accommodate the repetitive landings, the grounding leg needs to cycle faster to be ready for the next landing, and this can double the loading patterns for the ham-glute-psoas connections that power the actions. This is a key differentiating factor between unilateral hops and alternating or bilateral landing selections.¹ To achieve the higher velocity, the ankles and knees need to stiffen during contact so that power is generated proximal to distal, and muscles like the gastroc are held almost isometrically to contribute to the posterior chain.

With this exercise, the athlete is developing the optimal stiffness for the task: not too rigid, not too cushioned.² In the demonstration, the foot lands with the COP (center of pressure) just behind the forefoot, like a sprint stride contact, requiring both capability and capacity to develop within the lower leg and foot tissues. Jumpers would use full-foot contacts akin to takeoff dynamics.

The foot is a somewhat loose, 26-boned array that requires the musculotendinous units to gang together and develop stability-resiliency in finger-snap time frames. Anyone who has struggled with sprint actions after initial acceleration phases will relate to this requirement. In order to accomplish the leg velocity, the arms are used more as a balancing element, and often reflect the difference between novice and competent stages of development—the flailing or overexaggerated arm actions being a clue to inadequate hip control.

Finally, with the repetitive unilateral landings, the athlete needs to develop the concurrent hip and core ability to balance body mass in ways that avoid lateral sway and lurching. Sway will be most obvious with the nondominant leg and is seen with a body tilt compensation to bring the center of mass (COM) over the grounded leg. Lurching, the forward-backward torso heaving during ground contact is also more evident with the nondominant leg and with those who use quad dominant takeoffs/toe-offs. 

As with all these features, the elements of faulty dynamic posture that appear during this exercise are the same ones that limit growth during training and competitive efforts.

Why Do I Program Pickup Hops?

There are many potential benefits from using pickup hops beyond those highlighted. As with other propulsive-locomotive exercises (including the A’s, if done correctly), there are development pathways that lead to desired benefits.

Acquisition stages create the map in our nervous system and set out the conditioning foundations for mobility-stability and force-velocity development. This can happen within a relatively short period of time: days and weeks. Beyond that, refinement stages need to occur, and these take months. Imbalances and variability in mechanics and movement chain capabilities become minimized. The tendomuscular units and connective tissues take longer to thicken and shift the tendon modulus. There are also considerations of consistency and fatigue resistance that are key features of quality landing management.

Mach’s A drill, performed with rapid, slowly advancing strides, also has these refinement needs, but it is more often performed as a relaxed, unfocused movement. Pickup hops, because of the heightened demand for an efficient pre-load phase and faster loading phase, are less likely to be performed in a sloppy fashion and are more likely to develop the desired benefits.

In short, pickup hops are an exercise that has the ability to enhance and then take the athlete byond the needs of the target skill. Share on X

Do pickup hops ever leave the program? They need not. During maintenance phases, the exercise becomes more dynamic, more precise, and faster, in tune with growth that is happening through training and competition experiences. Keep in mind that good sprinting uses more than five times body mass during contact and develops a stride frequency of more than 4.0 strides per second. In short, pickup hops are an exercise that has the ability to enhance and then take the athlete beyond the needs of the target skill. It is this factor that gives the athlete a robustness that allows for small variations and prevents injury.

How Do Pickup Hops Fit in a Program?

In a program that may already be full to the brim with technical, tactical, and conditioning elements, one starting point with pickup hops can be as part of assigned “homework”:

• On its own, or with a few other activation selections.
• Five to 10 minutes, two or three times per week.
• The space required for the foundation exercise is minimal, and so it is quite portable.

This is one pathway through which the exercise can be learned and then refined. Activation before a longer session is another obvious choice. Hops could be a substitute for sloppy, submax A’s, either in a stationary or slowly progressive fashion (5- to 10-meter path). This approach is probably the most common, requiring some familiarity and capability for applying the challenges of repetitive hops. The other common insert for pickup hops is within a conditioning session that contains other plyometric and locomotive jumps.

The possibilities noted here bring in the notion of limits and risks. Because of the repetitive, unilateral landings, there is automatically a greater force-velocity component to deal with. Ground contact times are shorter than those encountered with most locomotive jumps, becoming reactive and finger-snap quick within a short time. Athletes not familiar with landing management challenges like these are at higher risk and will tend to introduce greater amounts of co-contraction through the hips and core as a protective mechanism. To compensate, they will likely overuse lower leg mechanics or quad dominance.

In this case, it may be better to begin with fast bilateral (what I term “ping” work) or slower unilateral selections from a “Prepare to Move” phase. A “ping” example is shown below using a medball with a leg exchange, combining a full foot with forefoot landings. This is particularly essential for those athletes with obvious imbalances or injury histories. The intermediate stage for pickup hops is to use a light touch variation—with less pick-up height, the grounding foot will rise to about calf height rather than knee height, making it easier to manage. This also works with athletes who tend to use a contact-pause-propel style of landing.

For athletes engaged in developmental programs, I have found that the initial stages of acquisition take about 5-8 sessions. That’s all. After that, the mechanics acquire an automatic component. The exercise is initially programmed for 8-12 landings per set, per leg, acknowledging that neuromuscular depletion and fatigue compensations are never far away during the early stages. After that, you can introduce multiple sets, left-right combinations, and patterns like slaloms and compass points.

Pickup hops have proven over the decades to be one of the best, most transferable, and easy-to-manage selections in my coaching toolbox. Share on X

As a coach who has encouraged athletes from novices to international competitors to pursue a lifetime of sport, I needed a few essential exercises that would accomplish the goals of Mach’s A drills, without the vulnerability of technical aberration. Pickup hops have proven over the decades to be one of the best, most transferable, and easy-to-manage selections in my coaching toolbox.

I.Y.R.N.E. (If You Remember Nothing Else)

1. Pickup hops enhance dynamic posture. From the small bones of the feet to the top of the head, each body region learns to respond to the load-unload dynamics that occur at speed.
2. Pickup hops are preparation. Preparation-to-train exercises such as these serve as a bridge between slower mobility-stability work and resiliency-endurance work. As such, they create a state of “readiness” that the athlete takes into training as a performance-prevention enhancement.
3. Pickup hops have limited adaptability. Like the “A” drill of Mach’s system, pickup hops are designed for stationary and slowly advancing formats. Some adaptation of range, pathway, and light overload will evolve with competency, but most adaptations change the nature of the exercise. As such, we can use the neuromuscular skills that develop to feed other running and jumping selections.

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. Bogdanis, G.C., Tsoukos, A., Kaloheri, O., Terzis, G., Veligekas, P., and Brown, L.E. “Comparison Between Unilateral and Bilateral Plyometrics Training on Single- and Double-Leg Jumping Performance and Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2019;33(3):633-640.
2. Brauner, T., Sterzing, T., Wulf, M. and Horstmann, T. “Leg Stiffness: Comparison Between Unilateral and Bilateral Hopping Tasks.” Human Movement Science. 2014;33:263-272.

 

Occasionally in life, the stars align. I was sitting on the couch when my husband received a phone call about the strength and conditioning position at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas. The idea of a school considering him for the job made smoke roll out of my ears since he isn’t a strength coach. My exact words: “Tell them if they want someone qualified, they can call me.” (If you’re wondering, my husband had the requisite diplomacy and tact to forward my sentiment along appropriately.)

They called. I took the job.

I left what five years earlier was my highest career aspiration: to be the strength and conditioning coach for a Power 5 volleyball program. Volleyball is kind of my thing. My obsession, actually.

You can imagine that it was with a considerable amount of trepidation that I checked my ego and left Division I athletics to work at the high school level. To my great delight, I walked into a volleyball program guided by strong leadership. We were young and talented, and the program culture was fantastic. Four years later, Byron Nelson Volleyball took home the UIL Texas 6A State Championship, a number one national ranking, and numerous individual accolades.

When you’re as successful as our girls are, people want to take an inside look at what you do. They want to see the magic recipe for success. In fact, there is a magic recipe. It’s quite simple:

Have the best players in the country and keep them on the court.

As the strength and conditioning coach, I’m unable to affect the first part of that sentence. I can only influence the latter half of that statement with careful programming. The following are my three primary considerations when writing training programs for our volleyball athletes at Byron Nelson.

1. Club Volleyball

“Shoes off, lay down for breathing,” I state on a Thursday in our off-season weight room. A groan emerges from the group as the athletes ease their way onto the floor. It takes me two questions to determine the cause of the soreness: club.

Our high school season begins in August and typically ends some time in November. Athletes begin club tryouts in October. Club practices start in December. Club tournaments are held January through June.

On top of their playing schedule, many clubs offer (require) an on-site strength and conditioning program. The volume to which these strength and conditioning sessions subject athletes is often concerning. Imagine, for a moment, low training age athletes performing five sets of 10 back squats after a three-hour practice. It’s probably not a pretty picture. My guess is it looks like job security for an orthopedic surgeon.

The high school volleyball off-season isn’t really an off-season at all. It’s just one phase of a year-round competitive schedule. If your expectation is a football-style off-season with few interruptions and linear progress, you will probably be severely disappointed.

More isn’t always better—sometimes it’s just more. To use a baking analogy, I can use the right ingredients, but if the oven is too hot, the results will be a disaster, says @missEmitche11. Share on X

More importantly, if you take the “this is a true off-season” approach with your athlete’s training program, you will likely do more harm than good. Even if what you’re doing in your off-season is great, more isn’t always better—sometimes it’s just more. To use a baking analogy, I can use the right ingredients, but if the oven is too hot, the results will be a disaster.

A moment of appreciation for bootleggy cakes

— Bootleg Stuff (@Bootleg_Stuff) November 4, 2016

Failure to accommodate for an athlete’s overall training load can lead to disastrous consequences. So, how do we make any form of progress given these parameters? Very slowly and very carefully.

A lot of it comes down to individual conversations with your “indicator” kids. Those are the athletes who you have established a relationship with and who you can trust to give an accurate depiction of their training load. Based on these conversations and ones with our volleyball staff, I may alter the plan for the day. This could be a reduction in volume or intensity, or entirely restructuring the session into one focused on mobility and recovery.

It also might not be the same for every athlete in the room. Qualifier tournaments are divided by age groups. On any given weekend, half of your athletes may play 6-10 matches, while others may not play at all. Those two groups of athletes walk in the door on Monday with completely different needs. The kids who played over the weekend may need a reduction in training load, while those who didn’t play are better prepared to take on more strain.

Modifications to the training process ensure the appropriate amount of stress is applied. They also create buy-in to the weight room. Instead of giving the impression as a strength coach that your only priority is lifting, you demonstrate through action that your goals align with theirs: success on the volleyball court.

It is critical to discuss these training modifications with your athletes so they understand why they might be working harder than a teammate during a given training session. The need-based training approach should not lead to a feeling of unfairness in the room. I’ve never found that to create a positive environment in any team setting or workplace.

The overall impact of club participation and a year-round competitive schedule is a reduction in what we would be able to do in a “traditional” off-season. This applies to all areas, including volleyball’s most sacred cow: plyometrics.

2. Plyometrics

To reiterate, our volleyball players don’t have an off-season. The positive here is that their sport affords them the opportunity to make hundreds of ground contacts a week! With limited available training time, it’s so neat to have someone else filling that bucket to the brim, often to the point of overflow. Really takes a load off my personal plate. Who wants to write an all-encompassing strength and conditioning program and control all parameters for the best possible training effect anyway? What a silly idea.

My take on plyometrics in high volumes for our volleyball athletes? It’s like bringing sand to the beach, says @missEmitche11. Share on X

In all seriousness, my take on plyometrics in high volumes for our volleyball athletes? It’s like bringing sand to the beach. Instead, our plyometric volume is very low, and any that we do will check one of two boxes:

• Improve force absorption.
• Target stiffness/reactivity to prepare for higher-level impacts.

A sample day in the weight room might include 3-5 maximum height countermovement jumps where they stick and hold their landing in the universal athletic position. We incorporate these between sets of hang cleans or front squats. Part of the reason for the inclusion between sets of major lifts is PAP. The other is that we operate on a time budget of 30-40 minutes including warm-up.

This idea of low-volume plyometrics tends to get volleyball coaches into quite a lather. “But max height vertical jump is so important in volleyball! We have to allocate almost our entire program to improving this KPI!”

I have several thoughts here. First, we have seen some tremendous gains in our athlete’s vertical jumps by simply focusing on improving strength and power production in basic strength training exercises. Remember, the training age of a high school athlete is typically low. Programming doesn’t need to be complicated to have the desired effect.

Second, I love Tony Holler’s concept of arriving at the starting line “80% in shape and 100% healthy.” This is just a way of saying minimum effective dose. A few aspirin will remedy a headache. A thousand aspirin may kill. Our training should never harm an athlete’s opportunity for success.

Finally, athletes use a variety of jump amplitudes in the sport of volleyball. Check out “An Alternative Way to Think About Plyometric Training for Women’s Volleyball” by Tyler Friedrich. Across two seasons of play and practice, here were his findings:

As it turns out, only about 40% of jumps in volleyball are greater than 15 inches. In fact, only 9% of the measured jumps were more than 20 inches. Am I saying increasing an athlete’s vertical isn’t important? Of course not. The vertical jump has clear value in the sport of volleyball. My point is it shouldn’t be the sole focus of our training program. So it isn’t.

3. The Weight Room

If not in the almighty vertical, where does our treasure lie in the weight room? In the same place it should lie in most athletes: the squat, hinge, push, pull, and brace. We use progressions of each of these categories to develop basic strength and movement competency.

More specifically, in each category, the core of our program is:

While this list is far from comprehensive, it gives you a picture of our primary focus: increasing the load-bearing capacity of the tissue in the safest possible environment. Gone are the days of putting athletes under a bar on day one. Instead, our athletes learn basic athletic movement patterns through a series of progressions.

A sample progression used to learn the squat is:

Countermovement Squat > Goblet Squat > Hands-Free Barbell Front Squat > Barbell Front Squat

Not only does this allow a safe increase in strength, it also allows for the adjustment of the training program on the fly when athletes come in obliterated from the weekend. The team might be working up to a single at 90% on front squat, but if our outside hitter played 12 matches this weekend and her knees and back are sore, we can quickly adjust her percentages or have her switch to a goblet squat instead. Everyone is still squatting; we’ve just modified the program to accommodate individual readiness.

Back to Our SpongeBob Cake – Doing the Best We Can

There will be training sessions that don’t go according to plan because of the factors mentioned above. The high school setting is never perfect. Rarely is it even optimal. Instead, we set our sights on consistency, since full-time consistency beats part-time intensity. Twice weekly, we enter the weight room, and we bake the very best cake we can given the time an ingredient is available. I think it looks pretty good. Wouldn’t you agree?

The high school setting is never perfect. Rarely is it even optimal. Instead, we set our sights on consistency, since full-time consistency beats part-time intensity, says @missEmitche11. Share on X

In case you didn’t know: #KirayCelis is a big fan of Spongebob Squarepants 💛 Check out her awesome cake! Belated Happy Birthday again, Kiray!September 23, 2016

It may not be perfect, but it’s the best fit for our circumstances.

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

Self-reflection is always a valuable process. In fact, for growth it is an invaluable one. Not too long ago I hopped off a phone call with another coach one evening. I do my best to limit my coaching conversations at home, but sometimes it just happens. I don’t actually remember who I was speaking with or what the topic was during this particular call. What stuck in my mind was the comment my wife made to me after I hung up. While she was sitting in another part of my house, she (to her dismay) often overhears my conversations. Following this particular one she said to me, “You know a lot more than you did five years ago.”

While that statement isn’t groundbreaking, anyone with a growth mindset and a desire to be the best version of themselves knows a lot more after five years. What that statement inspired in me was to really sit down and reflect on that time period. I’ve always been a coach who looked for value in every opportunity possible. If I see something that I think can make our program better, I will grab it and give it a try. If it doesn’t work out? We move on. One thing is for sure though: that process has ultimately led to a list of things that have changed our program for the better. Things that have allowed me to maximize my abilities to help our student-athletes reach their promised land.

I’ve always been a coach who looked for value in every opportunity possible, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

Anyone who knows me knows I have traveled the path of athlete to sport coach to sport coach/weight room guy, finally to strength coach. Taking that route ends up putting coaches on a little bit of a reverse path compared to many of those coaches that begin their journey with a formal education and work forward to a position coaching athletes. Indeed, my journey began over 20 years ago when step one was, “You lift weights, run the weight room.” It progressed to many stages and both my formal and informal education, while ongoing, began after I had the responsibility of training athletes.

This is a path that isn’t the traditional one but is more and more common as the demand for qualified coaches whose primary role is strength and conditioning grows at the high school level. I embrace the opportunity to share my experiences on that path with those looking to follow it. So when I sat down to reflect on what my wife had said and on the last five years, the list inspired me to start typing.

This isn’t a comprehensive list obviously. It actually probably represents more of a ten-year learning curve. Ten topics, however, seemed a few too many. Instead, I’ve narrowed it down to include the five most impactful topics that I’ve made part of my process over the last five- to ten-year period of my career.

You may agree or disagree and that’s ok. This was my process and yours may differ. If that’s the case I encourage you to submit your article sharing your list! Some of these may be things that seem like no brainers. I want us to remember we all come from a different starting place. My intention with this article is to give examples of things that changed my way of thinking dramatically during that time.

1. Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands

One area that I strived to master in this time period is the pursuit of the adaptation needed to achieve the outcomes I desire from a training stimulus. What exactly does that mean to me? Simple: know what monster you need to feed to get what you want and make sure you feed it the right food, also known as Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID). In my opinion it is one of those most basic principles in strength and conditioning that is also not fully embraced, particularly in the high school space in general.

Over the last five to ten years, I was in the beginning of understanding and really grasping this principle, but I was still over-feeding the max strength monster. Please, please, please don’t take this to mean that I don’t believe in lifting heavy weights. We will discuss that later. What I do believe in is making sure we measure and evaluate the needs of our athletes. If max strength was the single deciding factor in who was the best player…then why are the strongest people in the world not all playing in the NFL?

What I do believe in is making sure we measure and evaluate the needs of our athletes, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

“The training loads must have specific aims from a physiological, energy system or functional capability standpoint” (Verkhoshansky). You notice he didn’t say constant chasing of max strength adaptation was the best way to elicit transfer. Training loads must be specific applications based on desired outcomes. While it is imperative to add strength to our athletes, it’s a mistake to pile strength adaptations on athletes who would benefit more in their sport from pursuing other areas.

There is certainly a point in every athlete’s life where increasing max strength will increase speed and power. It’s also a certainty that at some point many athletes are pushed past the point of strength being the limiting factor in performance and need to shift focus. Pushing any athlete past the point that they need to be better at their sport is wasted opportunity. If we buy a car and pay it off in 48 payments, we own the car. If we keep paying after it’s paid off, we still own the car but now we are spending money we could be using on other needs/expenses.

Until they begin to decide overtime of a high school football game by setting up a power rack in the endzone and having a lift off to decide who wins the game…then I’m not going to chase max strength numbers any further than I need to. I’m going to chase strength adaptations that get each athlete to a solid base that can be used to maximize transfer to the arena they choose to compete in. That being said, I wouldn’t advise against continuing to push the strength adaptation once they hit that base. Absolutely not.

As long as speed, power output, skill, and other KPIs are not being limited, I have no problem with it. What I am saying is that once we get to a certain level, it’s time to begin to pull opportunity resources (time, effort, etc.) from chasing that adaptation and put them into feeding the other attributes. Stop chasing record board strength and chase transfer. Maybe that transfer comes from strength. Maybe it doesn’t. Every athlete is different and has different needs. I’m saying we need to measure and evaluate each athlete to provide the specific training stimulus that will drive the adaptation that will transfer to sport.

I’m saying we need to measure and evaluate each athlete to provide the specific training stimulus that will drive the adaptation that will transfer to sport, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

While my mistake was obsession with feeding strength, there will be others who ignore strength and feed only speed development without individualizing the needs of each athlete. That is the same level of mistake in my opinion. My ninth grade athlete who weighs 115 pounds and bench presses 95 pounds, and my junior who weighs 180 and totals 1400 pounds in bench, squat, and deadlift are in need of different “diets.”

Will adding strength and muscle make a bigger impact on the performance of the ninth grader than spending time with ranged squats and French Contrast? Yes. Will adding 100 pounds to the junior’s total make him a better athlete than shifting to those things and getting more powerful? No. Bottom line: don’t start with a 1RM as the end goal, start with best possible athlete they can be in the arena they choose to compete in.

2. Strong Enough is Strong Enough

Along a very similar thought process is my second area of growth in the last five years. In fact, this is probably more point 1B than 2, but I felt I needed to address it because it’s an area of growth for me that has had a great effect on how I coach. I used to say, “No one has ever gone to the doctor and been told they were too strong.” I still agree with that statement, but with the caveat that we are talking about being human, not being the best at your sport (unless that sport is powerlifting or weightlifting, etc.).

Less than a week ago, I had one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached come to me and ask why his sprint times were down as he is preparing for his senior track season. It was pretty simple: since the end of football season, he had been doing his own training. The guy was doing reps with over 500 pounds on the back squat deep. He had gone from 185 to 198 pounds since the end of football and looked like a bodybuilder. He was so far past strong enough that it had become a serious detriment to his ability to move.

My advice to him? Train for the 100m, not a football game or a powerlifting meet. His training had developed attributes to his body that are not optimal for the sport he needs to excel in. Again, as I stated above, I am most definitely not anti-lifting heavy. I do however 100% stand by what I said earlier in this article: “Until they begin to decide overtime of a high school football game by setting up a power rack in the endzone and having a lift off to decide who wins the game…then I’m not going to chase max strength numbers any further than I need to.”

What I’m chasing with our athletes (from a strength adaptation perspective) is strong enough. Strong enough to what? Strong enough to do what they need to do in the sport they play. Verkhoshansky said, “Sport first, weight room second,” and I am not sure I subscribed to that philosophy as much as I should have in the past. In the book The Process, the authors point out that the most basic aspect of most team sports revolves around the team with the ball being able to create open space to move the ball and score while the team without the ball attempts to eliminate space for the ball to move in. Our pursuit of strength is only one aspect of that primal aspect of team sports.

It must not be the focus but work as part of the overall athletic development plan for our athletes. In an earlier article, I described the process we use based on sport, position, and body frame/weight to set a strong enough floor for our athletes. That system recognizes that our offensive linemen have needs in that area that far exceed that of our small skilled athletes in football. The more space an athlete needs to play in, the more time we spend developing other areas.

Our goal is no longer to just get as strong as we can and see what happens. Our goals are to get strong enough to do what we need to do in our sport and then shift focus to building the other attributes that will help our offensive units get the ball into space and our defensive units cut down the space our opponents have with the ball.

Our goal is no longer to just get as strong as we can and see what happens, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

3. It All Starts With the Brain

This is one area that is even more new to my process than most other things. In fact, I have not even begun to master this one: harnessing the power of the brain and the autonomic nervous system. What I mean by that is taking a perspective in everything we do that attempts to optimize the athlete’s performance by giving the brain the best possible information about the body and external environment. So many things we do fall under this category that it would be too much to put into detail in this article.

Primal movements such as rocking, neck nods, diaphragmatic breathing, and crawling help remind our bodies that we are born with an efficient operating system to help us optimize athletic movement. We use Reflexive Performance Reset to mitigate compensation patterns and get our athletes out of fight or flight mode and into a calm performance state. It also comes into play when we are looking at fatigue and recovery. Instead of getting in depth into our process I will link an earlier article about our athlete monitoring program.

Another example is how we approach our movements from a pairing or tier standpoint; also when we are doing a high load, bilateral movement which by nature happens at a lower bar speed. Our goal with the movements we pair with that will be to have an antagonist movement followed by a high-speed dynamic movement that keeps the message of speed traveling down that neuromuscular pathway.

What we have moved to is an approach to everything we do coming from how it will affect the athlete from a CNS cost analysis and how it will affect future workouts from a recovery standpoint. The next step in this process (that I am still working to master) is finding drills and protocols that increase perception and skill acquisition (such as the Cal Dietz’s “Goat” drill/infinity run, Square1, and the content being put out by coaches such as Chris Korfsit and Dan Fichter). This one is a serious rabbit hole and can consume your time—I have found it to be time well spent.

My suggestion is at the very least take some time to look into these things. At a minimum, it will widen your lens. It also could do for you what it has done for me and inspire you to reset your compass and really seek out things that may seem like “voodoo,” but always seem to bring results. I can’t remember the exact source, but on one of the most recent TFC virtual presentations it was said that “voodoo is only voodoo until you figure out why it works, then it’s science.”

4. The Body Doesn’t Know or Care

This is a particular area that some may take issue with. That is absolutely fine, and it is ok to agree to disagree. I had a hard time with this one as well when I first began to really look at it. The body doesn’t know or care what exercise or implement you are using. It only understands stress and that it needs to adapt to allow the body to cope with that level of stress. “The magnitude of these adaptations is directly proportional to the demands placed on the body by the volume (quantity), frequency, and intensity (load) of training, as well as the body’s capability to adapt to such demands” was what Dr. Tudor Bompa wrote in his book Periodization Training for Sports to describe this process. He doesn’t say anything about the body understanding what exercise or implementation the volume, frequency, or intensity come from.

Ten years ago I would have been the guy saying that back squats are the king of strength and we have to use power cleans to develop power so we need to get these athletes doing them as fast as we can. Now I look back on that statement and roll my eyes while I shake my head. When I say I started off as a “meathead sports coach”…that’s the kind of stuff I mean. That statement makes no sense when we are attempting to align it with the adaptation process.

I’m not downplaying the importance of those movements nor saying we don’t use those at points in an athlete’s development. I’m saying those are tools that need to be seen as such. Pushing an athlete into using those tools because we believe they are somehow the only possible way to develop strength and power is the common error. If we use a power clean to develop power but the athlete can’t properly execute the movement to maximize that adaptation, then why are we using that tool?

“Well, we will practice it so we have better technique” is what I have heard in response. Ok, also a way to go. If it takes two or six or 20 workouts to gain a proficient level, then we just lost those sessions. If power development is the adaptation we are pursuing and we can get that immediately using other tools at our disposal, why wait?

Loaded jumps, hang pulls, high pulls, hang cleans—the toolbox is full of tools and the body doesn’t really know or care which tool you use. There is no one “king” of exercises or “best lift for football.” There are only tools that best get the job done at that moment in time. In our program we use complexes from a young training age to microdose the “practice” we need for the more complex movements that we hope to progress to over several years. In our training however, we individualize the tool as best we can to maximize our desired adaptation at that moment.

“Sport first, weight room second” is our motto to live by. A room full of excellent squatters and top-notch power cleaners is only a great thing if you got to that point while also optimizing the athlete’s ability to take what we did and optimally and efficiently transfer that to their performance in their sport. That was a tough pill for me to swallow, but it’s one that has made me significantly better at giving the athlete what they need and not what my ego says is right.

*Sport first, weight room second* is our motto to live by, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

5. Instruction With Sprint Training

Obviously I didn’t just learn that our athletes need to sprint! What I mean by this is that when I look back over just the last three to four years I’m literally shocked by what I didn’t know about the basics of coaching speed. I think that many coaches, particularly those that come from a sport coaching background, tend to live and die by the weight room. For many years I spent a great amount of time and effort learning how to plan and program the smallest detail of the strength development phase of our program. Meanwhile, I put very little thought into coaching speed development.

We ran sprints and did canned drills because that was what I thought would make us better. The “why” just wasn’t as important as it was for what we were doing in the weight room. When I finally decided to take the deep dive, I realized how badly I had been missing the boat. Learning the biomechanics of speed is a difficult (and ongoing) process that has taken me down some pretty deep rabbit holes for sure. To say it was worth it would be a great understatement.

Learning the biomechanics of speed is a difficult (and ongoing) process that has taken me down some pretty deep rabbit holes, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

Team sport coaches can really do themselves a favor and begin to learn from track coaches. There is no doubt about that. I will do you a favor right now and tell you that Joel Smith and Just Fly Sports is a must read/follow in this area. I’ve engulfed myself in Joel’s podcast. I’m 200+ episodes in and every episode has either directly made me better or led me to questions, topics, or coaches who have. Joel’s book Speed Strength has also been a powerful tool.

One more suggestion I would make for those wanting to follow this path would be to begin using video. I personally use Dartfish but there are many ways to skin that cat. I wrote an article on that topic and will link it here. Last but not least, I urge you to use a timing system. Yes, you can get them sprinting without one. Yes, they will run fast with a stopwatch. But if you want your speed program to become “cultural,” get a timing system and use it often.

Just one example of how we use it for analysis is time splits. I set up a Dashr gate at the goal line, the 10-, the 30-, and the 40-yard line. In one rep we get our 10-yard start, a 20-yard acceleration zone, a fly 10, and a 40-yard dash. I won’t go in depth here as to how we use all that data, but I can assure you that those KPI’s play important roles in everything else we do, from speed to the weight room to our jumping program.

Final Thoughts

This article is just a snippet of things I have discovered along my journey. It’s not a comprehensive, detailed list nor is it a final draft. The coolest thing about this article for me is that I know in five years I will need to write another one just like it. My goal here is not to brag or show anyone how growth-minded I am, etc. It’s also not to be critical of anyone who does things differently from me.

My stated goal for all the articles I write is to hopefully add value and help guide other coaches who are at various stages of this same journey to be able to optimize their time. My journey would have not been possible if coaches who have come before me had not developed a usable roadmap to help me achieve my goals. My hope is that one reader will be able to take one item from this article and use it to make themselves better. Anything above and beyond that is just gravy! I hope my reflection process can help you in some small way.

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

Coaching high school track and field in the winter can pose a challenge in and of itself. But then, add a pandemic into the mix, affecting weight room time, practice time, and the bodies of the athletes. Finally, include some winter track meets held OUTDOORS (no, this is not the norm).

Over the past year, we track and field coaches have had to make some serious pivots in our training and how we coach the events in general. Specifically, this past winter season, preparation and communication with our athletes was our objective. Since the cold weather really limited our practice time, we stressed the importance of quality versus quantity and to trust the process.

I coach the field events: jumps and throws. This is a challenge in the cold Northeast, as I can’t have the athletes standing around waiting to throw or jump. As coaches, optimizing performance and injury prevention is our goal, and in this article, I explain what we have done with those athletes that resulted in absolute success.

Starting with a Plan

First, all of our athletes warm up as a team—when it’s freezing out, if you don’t have your athletes warm up properly, that’s a mistake. The goals of the warm-up are:

• Mimic the actions of the movements they will perform in practice.
• Activate the central nervous system.
• Injury prevention.
• Create routine.

This system we have developed over time has significantly decreased injury (to none at all, actually), enhanced performance, and created a routine for the athletes to prepare them for their meet day.

Next, I have designed a training plan for the shot putters on specific days (of course, depending on those variables mentioned above): shot put drills and technique, strength training, short sprints, and plyometrics. This season, I usually had 6-8 male throwers and 8 female throwers and alternated these training days as well; again, because I can’t have my athletes standing around in the cold waiting to throw. You must have a plan, but also know you always need to be able to pivot. My female throwers had thrown before, but all but one male thrower was a novice, so in some ways I was starting from scratch in teaching winter shot put.

Although training in the cold is a challenge, I believe it makes the athlete’s capabilities that much better—they’re prepared for anything…, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Our success rate was high following this training plan: no injuries, no athletes ever fouled, all of my throwers qualified in the top 6 rankings, all hit PRs, and two would have qualified for the CHSAA State Meet if we had one. Although training in the cold was a challenge, I believe it makes the athletes’ capabilities that much better—they were prepared for anything and developed a routine that they now can take with them into spring season and/or other sports they play. I have broken down the basics of the first steps to know as a coach for teaching winter shot put, where to start (especially with novice throwers), and our training plan, all to help you get throwers stronger and prepared to throw in the cold.

Basics of Shot Put

During winter season in high school, throwing is mostly all done outdoors. We train in the snow and freezing weather, with the ring (circle) covered in snow the majority of the time. As stated previously, this develops athletic capabilities and gets your athletes prepared for anything, especially competition. Still, as a coach, it is imperative to make sure your athletes understand effective preparation: dressing appropriately for the cold, wearing proper throwing shoes and gloves, and—most importantly—showing up regularly. Consistency is KEY.

The shot put requires TLC. This means they are stored away properly, and towels are available to clean them off—there’s no fooling around with these objects. NO athletes are allowed near or in the circle while another thrower is in the circle! All spectators must be at least a foot away from the circle/netting. Throwing implements are, in fact, deadly and dangerous. Make this clear to your athletes. The circle also needs some love—make sure it is cleaned off. (I use a broom or a shovel to sweep off the snow and keep it on hand for athletes to use.)

Normally, I have a co-ed group: As a coach, you need to know that each athlete is different, so coach accordingly. My female athletes need a bit more of a push to be aggressive, because, well…. throwing requires power! With my male athletes, I tend to have to scale back, so they don’t throw out an arm. Not only that, but when we are out in the cold, my female athletes can only handle so much. Do not have them outside for too long if they can’t handle the weather—this is where poor mechanics come in and that can lead to injury.

Do not have athletes outside for too long if they can’t handle the weather—this is where poor mechanics come in and that can lead to injury, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Technique and Mechanics

The goal for every shot putter is to eventually utilize the glide mechanics (this is for experienced throwers). During winter season, we usually piece together how to do this whole movement, and then it all comes together during spring season. Feel out your athletes: If they have the capabilities, then they may be able to learn this and throw utilizing the glide during winter season.

The fundamental pattern of the glide has not changed since the 1950s (Fundamentals of Track and Field, Carr, p. 199). Personally, I like to start backward, teaching the mechanics of the standing throw (where the athlete would end their throw) and then incorporating the shuffle/rotary throw and lastly the full glide. Each of these throws require different drills and cueing. (We will get to that.)

I start out by having my throwers feel and get a good grip for the shot put, which will also feel differently when their hands are cold or when they wear gloves. You must have a range of shot puts available: 1.1 pounds, 6 pounds, 8 pounds, 12 pounds, 16 pounds. (High school and college are completely different, so know the rules and requirements.) Each athlete is vastly different as well, and you should choose sizes accordingly, based on strength and capabilities.

The ring size (circle) is smaller and more confined than the discus ring, so you need to make sure your school is aware of that or use a marker for your athletes. Each circle has a toe board (stop board): Make it clear that if the athlete goes over the board, it is considered a foul, and the throw does not count. When practicing, make it a habit that the athlete leaves the circle from the BACK. In competition, if the athlete throws and exits from the front over the board it is a FOUL.

In our CHSAA League, high school boys throw with an 8- to 12-pound shot put, depending on the year. The girls throw with a 6- to 8-pound shot put, also depending on the year. Freshmen and sophomores throw with the lighter shot put; juniors and seniors throw with the heavier shot put. I like to have them get a feel and practice with both—preparedness.

For example, in our first winter track and field meet this past season (which was outdoors), initially the coaches were told the freshman and sophomore boys would throw with the 8-pounder. Well, things changed, and when we got to the meet, we were told right before that only the freshman boys would throw with an 8-pound shot put, and everyone else would use the 12-pounder. Good thing we practiced with it!

Do not let any athletes sit down or stand around in the cold. It will be detrimental to their performance and even worse—contribute to potential injury, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Remember also that point about creating a routine for meet days? Well, since we had our meet outdoors in the cold, our athletes knew the importance of remaining warm. I do not allow them to take off their layers of clothing until right before they throw. Again, mentioning our warm-up, our athletes know what they must do at the meet. Do not let any athletes sit down or stand around in the cold. It will be detrimental to their performance and even worse—contribute to potential injury.

Steps and Drills to Work Toward the Glide

Here is the progression I utilize with my shot put athletes to work toward the glide.

1. Standing Throw

I like to begin here so they understand the basic technique and cueing. You can utilize any tool—a soccer ball, light medicine ball, basketball—whatever you have available. Grip and hold on the shot put is one of the most overlooked coaching cues. The athlete must cradle the shot put with their fingers, palm rotated up and pushing into their neck (right below the chin).

Next, their elbow is up (just above the shoulder), and I explain to the athlete it is a pushing action NOT a throwing action: push up and out. Power and strength are key; the initial movement is facilitated by momentum, applying force into the ground. The sequence follows legs, hips, chest, and finally the throwing arm (Fundamentals of Track and Field, Carr, p. 200).

The athlete begins about a foot away from the toe board, facing the direction of the throw. They cradle the shot put under their chin, flex the back leg, and reach with the other leg into a putting stance, rotating the upper body about 30 degrees and flexing at the hips. Shoulders square, the athlete pushes upward and rotates toward the direction of the throw; the legs extend, and the hips and chest thrust forward. The arm pushes up and out, the opposite arm—which is the blocking arm—acts as a slingshot, before finally snaping the fingers to complete the putting action (Fundamentals of Track and Field, Carr, p. 205).

2. Shuffle and Rotary Throw

Once the athlete understands how to utilize power and the transfer from lower body to upper body, we move on to the shuffle (middle action of the full glide). I actually use a combination of the rotary throw and the shuffle. My goal is to help the athlete understand the middle action of the feet during the glide. The athlete faces the opposite direction of the throw, starting nice and tall, lifts the shot put above their head, and then places it into position. On the way down, they lower their center of mass and get into their putting stance.

The back leg supports the athlete (usually the right leg), and the free leg (usually the left leg) is a foot away from the supporting leg. I teach the athlete to hop and push with the supporting leg, keeping their hips square for as long as possible until it is time to throw, and that left leg now plants as their hips and chest thrust forward powerfully. The throwing arm fully extends, pushing up and out, and they snap their fingers to finish the throw. Again, keep in mind, since we are in the cold, some athletes will choose to use gloves, and this can affect how they release the shot put.

Keep in mind, since we are in the cold, some athletes will choose to use gloves, and this can affect how they release the shot put, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

3. Partner Glide and Full Glide

Finally, once they have mastered the basics, it’s time to put it all together and teach the glide! Applying what we learned above, I explain to my throwers this takes time and there must be synchronization of the lower and upper body to create power. Based on my teachings, I had about half of my throwers utilizing the glide mechanics in our first winter meet of the season.

First, I use partner drills with a band, rope, or towels, to help the athlete understand the force production. The athlete holds the opposite end of the equipment and must be LOW. Their shoulders are horizontal and facing directly to the rear; as the athlete glides backward, the partner moves in the same direction. Make sure the athlete’s upper body stays low. For a right-handed athlete (Fundamentals of Track and Field, Carr, p. 207):

1. The left leg makes a low, backward thrust to propel the glide action.
2. The left leg lands offset of where the right foot lands.
3. The right leg extends and makes a STRONG backward push and pulls directly under the body’s center of mass.
4. The right and left leg should perform both actions almost simultaneously. (This is the most challenging part for novice throwers to perform.)

Once they have done their partner drills, then I have the athlete do this action alone. I like to explain to them that all the power comes from the hips: It is an action/reaction, and the amount of force you put into the ground is what you get back. Add speed to that and the shot put will gain distance. Projectile motion includes height, angle, and distance. Pay attention to where the athlete releases the shot:

• Do their hips open too early?
• Do they move slow?
• Do they throw instead of push?
• Is their chest facing down?
• Are they gripping the shot put properly?

I know this is a lot to work through as a coach but imagine being the athlete. Keep it simple, don’t over-cue, and let the athlete feel it out. Make sure they have a game plan and routine for meet days that includes warm-up, mindset, visualization, and what to eat—all of these variables play a huge role in performance.

I know this is a lot to work through as a coach but imagine being the athlete. Keep it simple, don’t over-cue, and let the athlete feel it out, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Training Model

My initial plan heading into this past winter season:

• Throwing days 3x/week (drills, quality throws, technique)
• Lift days 2-3x/week (power and strength training)
• Speed and plyometrics training 3x/week (short sprints, jumping, hopping, skipping)

As I stated earlier, our training model relies on the availability of the weight room, the weather, attendance, and now remote schooling. We have developed a system and model for our warm-up that optimizes performance and enhances the central nervous system. I can’t stress this enough—when it is cold out, your athletes must be warm! Injury prevention is KEY, especially when athletes are more sedentary now than ever.

Example of Training Week:

Warm-up:

Foam roll, mobility, activation, dynamic drills

Monday:

Warm-up and drills with team

Plyometrics (broad jumps, SL hops, bounding)

Lift circuit (3×8):

Part A: Lateral medball toss, elevated push-ups, dynamic lifts

Part B: Iso split squat, pull-ups, shoulder taps, and t spine rotation

Cool down, mobility, and stretch

Tuesday:

Warm-up and drills with team

Standing throws, overhead throws, partner drills (technical work)

Short sprints (4x10m sprints 80%, 4x10m backpedal)

Cool down, mobility, and stretch

Wednesday:

Warm-up and drills with team

Lift circuit (3×6-8):

Part A: SL hops, OH medball slam, lateral bear crawl

Part B: Front or goblet squat, farmer’s carry, reverse plank

Cool down, mobility, and stretch

Thursday:

Warm-up and drills with team

Standing throws, shuffle, and rotary throws (drills)

Short sprints (medball throw to 20m sprint x 5)

Cool down, mobility, and stretch

Friday:

Warm-up and drills with team

1 standing throw, 1 partner glide, and 2 glides (focus as if you were in competition, work on the kinks)

Pre-meet feel

Cool down, mobility, and stretch

Saturday:

Usually Meet Day

K.I.S.S.

As a high school coach, your job is to cater to your athletes, teach them, guide them, and help them grow as athletes and human beings. We are in a new world; a lot feels like it’s happening at random, and here we are having practice and track and field meets in the cold.

Just because you saw a world-class thrower do it, doesn’t mean it is appropriate for your athletes or group. Some reminders I find helpful:

• Utilize video analysis.
• Minimal cueing.
• Keep it simple, stupid.

Visual and kinesthetic learning are the best ways to develop and grow. Do your diligence as a coach and understand the mechanics of the throws and your why for your program, and it will help your athletes develop and optimize in performance.

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

Reference

Carr, Gerry. Fundamentals of Track and Field. Human Kinetics. Second Edition. 1999.