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The 300-meter hurdles is the toughest race in high school track and field.

I mean no disrespect to runners of the 800 or the 400—both of those are tough races, but neither compare to what is nearly an all-out sprint with eight barriers in the way.

Too many athletes approach the 300-meter hurdles without a tangible plan. To be successful, a five-phase race model helps athletes break this seemingly impossible task into smaller, more manageable ones. But no matter how great the athlete’s race plan, it means nothing without proper training. Since the race is so physically demanding, speed endurance is essential. The challenge for coaches then becomes training athletes for a race that requires every bit as much lactate tolerance as the 400 and nearly as much alactic speed as the 200—a task that’s nearly as tall as the final hurdle seems.

It goes without saying that every coach will approach this challenge a bit differently. Some coaches train 300-meter hurdlers like 800 runners. To a certain degree, I understand the instinct to gravitate toward mid-distance training for this particular event, considering the grueling nature of the race. Practically speaking, however, if kids are running the 300-meter hurdles, they’re most likely also running the 100-/110-meter hurdles. Maybe they’re on the 4×200 or the 4×400 relay team. With that in mind, mid-distance training is counterproductive to everything else your 300-meter hurdlers do. Consequently, I don’t recommend it.

My core philosophy? Train hurdlers as sprinters. Most days, what my hurdlers do in practice is exactly what the sprinters do, because hurdlers are sprinters first, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

My core philosophy? Train hurdlers as sprinters. Most days, what my hurdlers do in practice is exactly what the rest of the sprinters do, because hurdlers are sprinters first. We do not hurdle every day, and we do not perform drills ad nauseum. Quite frankly, some of the slowest kids I’ve ever coached looked really pretty over the hurdle. The perfect athlete has both speed and technique, but if I have to choose one or the other, I’ll take a speedster with average hurdling form every day of the week.

Since speed is king, I am a big believer in Tony Holler’s Feed the Cats training program, prioritizing speed over everything else. Within that speed training, we aim to build anaerobic endurance through a handful of lactate workouts sprinkled strategically throughout the season. What I want to share with you are three hurdle-specific lactate workouts you can use to help your 300-meter hurdlers be as competitive as possible.

Workout 1: Phase-Specific 6×100 with Hurdles

The 300-meter hurdle race is made up of five distinct phases: the start, the backstretch, the curve, the homestretch, and the finish. This workout will allow you to work on both speed and lactate tolerance while coaching athletes on the specific phases of the race, cementing the five-phase approach into your athlete’s mind. The six total sprints are broken into three sets of two, with each set focused on different phases of the race.

For the first set, your athletes will run 2×100 out of the starting blocks over the first two hurdles. This covers two phases of the race: the start and the backstretch. Out of the blocks, we emphasize accelerating to maximum velocity and aiming to be the first person to the first hurdle. Coming off the first hurdle, athletes need to run tall and maintain their speed heading into the second hurdle.

It’s important to note here that we should never finish a repetition upon touchdown; we want to reinforce the notion that the last hurdle is not the finish line. To make it a full 100 meters, place cones 20 meters after the second hurdle and encourage sprinting to the finish. Time your athletes, and as always with the Feed the Cats program, you should plan to record, rank, and publish your sprint times.

Time your athletes, and as always with the Feed the Cats program, you should plan to record, rank, and publish your sprint times, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

The walk back to the starting line is a time when you can coach your athletes. Find something positive to accentuate, as well as one thing to focus on improving in the second rep. Standing up out of the blocks? Slowing down between the first and the second hurdle? Trail leg is a hot mess? Now is your chance to correct these things. Give athletes three minutes to rest, then line them up and go again.

After the second repetition out of the starting blocks, you’ll move on to the next set: 2×100 through the curve. Start 10 meters beyond hurdle 2, sprint over hurdles 3-5, and finish 15 meters after that. You should continue to emphasize speed and quality here and remind athletes of their curve mechanics. Just like in the first set, use the time between repetitions to coach your athletes. Allow three minutes of recovery and go again.

The final set is 2×100 over the last two phases: the homestretch and the finish. This set occurs almost entirely on the straightaway. I always place cones around 10 meters beyond the finish line to encourage athletes to continue sprinting after the last hurdle and past the finish line. Truth be told, this repetition is slightly longer than 100 meters, but as long as you measure it consistently each time you do this workout (maybe twice a season), then your records will be valid. Generally speaking, the walk-back, coaching, and rest between repetitions is the same in this set as in the other two, but you can consider giving an extra minute of rest if your athletes need it.

I have two final points of clarification for this workout. First, while the rest between repetitions should be three minutes, I typically give around eight minutes of rest between sets. Next, it’s important that your athletes perform the reps in the order I described. Do not perform one repetition from each phase, followed by a complete second set. Why? Simply put, even though it’s a lactate workout, we want our kids as fresh as possible out of blocks and as tired as they’re going to be in the finish, because it more closely mimics how they’ll feel in a race. Asking them to use blocks after they’ve already put in 300 meters of sprint work is not a productive way to conduct this workout.

Workout 2: 4×150 Fly with or without Hurdles

Like the first workout, I break this into multiple sets. In this case, it’s two sets of 2×150. With a 10-meter run-in, athletes sprint 150 meters at or near their top speed. Then they rest for three minutes and do the same thing again. Piece of cake—for coaches, that is. For athletes, this will be tough.

I’ve done this workout in a number of ways, using all the hurdles, none of the hurdles, or some of the hurdles. For example, I might use the very first hurdle to continue to teach acceleration mechanics and being the first person to the first hurdle. I might include a hurdle or two through the curve. I might only include the final hurdle of the 300-meter race. I might include hurdles 2, 4, 6, and 8. If variety is the flavor you crave, you can play around with this and ultimately never run it exactly the same way twice.

The start and finish for each repetition depend upon how you’ve decided to use hurdles. If you’re not using any, begin 10 meters behind the starting line for the 300-meter hurdles, run in, and sprint 150 meters, finishing at the hash mark where hurdle 4 would normally be placed. You can do the same thing if you’re only using some of the hurdles, so long as the fourth hurdle isn’t one of them. However, if hurdle 4 is part of the equation, have athletes begin at the starting line for the 300-meter race, with cones placed 10 meters beyond the starting line. You should also place cones 10 meters beyond the fourth hurdle, because we always sprint off the hurdles. You’ll time athletes from cone to cone, which will add up to 150 meters.

The second repetition begins where the first one ends. After finishing at or near the location of hurdle 4, have athletes rest for the prescribed three minutes. Then, have athletes start at the hash mark, place cones 10 meters beyond it, run in, and sprint for 150 meters. This means you’ll place cones 10 meters beyond the finish line, which helps instill in athletes the need to sprint through the line.

Again, you can use any combination of hurdles here, and in this case, the finish does not need to be adjusted regardless of your hurdle arrangement. The second set will look just like the first, but you need to give plenty of recovery time. I recommend 15 minutes here, which will give athletes enough time to get a drink, walk around, catch their breath, and curse your name for taking them to the lactate war zone.

Workout 3: 200/100 with Hurdles

There are lots of ways to break up a 300. In fact, we’ve already seen two ways in the previous two workouts: 100/100/100, and 150/150. If you want to use those divisions, go right ahead. But in this section, I’ll talk about a final variation: 200/100.

Set up all eight hurdles for a full 300-meter race. If you can manage it and can occupy four lanes of track for this, that’s great, because it means you can run two lanes of boys and two lanes of girls. If not, one lane of each will work just fine.

For the 200/100 workout, athletes will start in the blocks and run the first three phases of the 300-meter race: the start, the backstretch, and the curve. They’ll finish 15 meters past the fifth hurdle, which you will mark with cones. You can check my math if you want, but that’s 200 meters.

At that point, allow five minutes of rest before sprinting the final 100 meters. While it is important to time each piece of the workout, the time I record, rank, and publish is the final 100 meters. With a competitor and a clock in play, athletes have some added motivation to give everything on this sprint even though their legs won’t feel great. I’ve also found that some kids take pride in how they finish workouts, and this is a good way to keep those kids engaged, even if they’re not your flat-out fastest kids in a 40-yard dash.

This repetition seems easy enough: 100 meters to the finish. But as I’ve said before, I never like to end a rep at the finish line. Instead I like to finish 10 meters past the line, so as not to develop the nasty habit of slowing down off the last hurdle. Therefore, you’ll start 10 meters prior to hurdle 6 and finish 10 meters after the finish line. If you’re concerned that the start is too close to the hurdle, have athletes back up another 10 meters and turn it into a 100-meter fly. Record, rank, and publish those times. 

Adding Lactate Workouts to Your Practice Schedule

As I mentioned toward the beginning of this piece, these aren’t workouts your hurdlers will do all the time. If you try to do these too often, you’ll end up beating your hurdlers down and making them slower, which is obviously not what we want to do. Remember, most of the time your hurdlers should be doing whatever sprinters do. To incorporate hurdle-specific lactate work, remember a few basic principles:

• No more than two lactate workouts in a week.
• Meet days count as lactate workouts.
• Always take the day off (and sometimes two days) after a lactate workout.

At the start of the season, before meets begin, it’s much easier to mix these into your weekly routine. But once those meets start filling your schedule, things become much more difficult.

If you happen to have only one meet (a Friday invitational, for example), you could run a lactate workout on Tuesday. You’ll be off on Wednesday, and then working on speed and pre-meet prep on Thursday. If you have a Tuesday meet, you’d be off on Wednesday and could go lactate again on Thursday or Friday (preferably Friday). If you have two meets in a week, you don’t get to do a lactate workout in practice, and you don’t need to. They’ll get all the lactate work they need during their competition.

Keep in mind, also, that you don’t have to run the same workout for all of your athletes. If you’re traveling on Saturday to take a handful of your best kids to a super-competitive invite, there’s no reason the kids who aren’t going couldn’t do a lactate workout on Friday.

If you err in your estimation on how many lactate workouts to do in a season, err on the side of too few, not too many, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

Most importantly, if you err in your estimation of how many lactate workouts to do in a season, err on the side of too few, not too many. Yes, speed endurance matters. Lactate tolerance is important. But slow, tired, and sore don’t win races. Keep them fast, keep them healthy, and keep them competitive in practice. They may not like how they feel when they cross the finish line, but they’ll like how it feels to win the hardest race on the track.

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

The popularity of unilateral lower body training as it relates to athletic performance is at an all-time high, and rightly so. In comparison to bilateral alternatives, single-leg exercises are generally heralded as being more “functional” and specific to sport, safer to perform, and better for injury prevention/reduction (among other benefits). As a result, exercises like split squats, lunges, and rear-foot elevated split squats have become a staple in most modern-day strength training programs.

What’s often overlooked, however, is that while all of these exercises are undoubtedly phenomenal, they’re not entirely unilateral due to the support (albeit small) of the non-working leg. For example, it’s been estimated that the back leg takes on about 15% of the load in a rear-foot elevated split squat and up to 40% of the load in a regular split squat. Granted, that enables them to be loaded to a greater extent, which is advantageous for a number of obvious reasons. Still, they’re only partially unilateral, or—as some coaches have categorized them—“supported” single-leg exercises (credit to Mike Boyle for coining these terms).

“True” unilateral exercises, on the other hand, are entirely unsupported—meaning they force the working leg to take on all of the work without any assistance. As a result, these unsupported options—namely single-leg deadlifts, one-leg squats, and skater squats—offer some unique benefits. That’s not to say that unsupported exercises are better than their supported counterparts by any means, but rather that they should be a part of virtually all athletes’ training in order to round out a well-designed program.

*True* unilateral exercises, on the other hand are entirely unsupported, meaning that they force the working leg to take on all of the work without any assistance, says @CharleyGouldSCC. Share on X

In particular, here’s what separates unsupported single-leg exercises from the rest of the pack:

• True “sports-specificity.” Most movements that occur in sport—sprinting, changing direction, etc.—take place almost entirely on one leg. This makes unsupported single-leg work as “sports-specific” as it gets in the context of the weight room.
• Pelvic stability. Pelvic instability diminishes the amount of force that can be absorbed, stored, and released, which subsequently results in longer ground contact times and shorter stride lengths. In this respect, unsupported single-leg exercises are unparalleled due to the fact that their pelvic implications—and thus their ability to improve pelvic stability—are entirely different than those present in supported single-leg alternatives.
• Inter- and intra-muscular coordination. Unsupported single-leg training challenges inter- and intra-muscular coordination—the coordination between and within muscles, respectively—unlike any other lower body exercise. Considering that the growing consensus in the sports performance world is that muscle coordination patterns (i.e., getting the “right” muscles to contract and relax at the right times) are among the most important determinants of sprinting speed, this makes unsupported single-leg training a must-do.

Unsupported single-leg training challenges inter- and intra-muscular coordination unlike any other lower body exercise, says @CharleyGouldSCC. Share on X

• Tri-planar stability. Unsupported single-leg exercises occur in the sagittal plane, but they’re essentially tri-planar in that they force the lower body “stabilizers”—namely the hip rotators, adductors, and glute medius—to resist movement in the frontal and transverse planes. On top of the fact that these multi-planar demands are valuable for enhancing joint stability, they also have a direct carryover as it relates to the sprinting motion. The functions of the hip rotators and glute medius, for example, include abducting the hip, stabilizing the pelvis, and eccentrically controlling hip internal rotation and adduction. Likewise, the adductors (primarily the adductor magnus) have been shown to act as the third most powerful contributor to hip extension, which is obviously a critical component of the sprinting motion.
• Body awareness and proprioception. The proprioceptive benefits of unsupported single-leg exercises could make for an entire article, but the premise is that—when performed properly—the exercises spur a cascade of positive adaptations throughout the entire kinetic chain. They improve motor control and body awareness, reinforce “feeling” the entire foot, promote core stabilization in all three planes, and strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet, which can work wonders for improving function from the ground-up.
• Injury prevention/reduction. It goes without saying that injury prevention/reduction is an incredibly complex topic. Still, there are a handful of tried-and-true principles that are widely accepted as a means to reduce injury risk, such as reinforcing optimal movement mechanics, minimizing potentially harmful asymmetries/imbalances, enhancing joint stability, strengthening the muscles and connective tissues, and improving decelerative and landing abilities. Unsupported single-leg exercises address all of these components (and more) to an even greater extent than their supported counterparts—which, to be clear, are still valuable for reducing injury risk—and are thus a potent tool in the injury prevention/reduction toolbox.

The Big Three: Single-Leg Deadlifts, One-Leg Squats, and Skater Squats

The unsupported “Single-Leg Trifecta” of single-leg deadlifts (SLDLs), one-leg squats, and skater squats are all unique in that each involves a different movement pattern. As a result, all three exercises have a number of distinct benefits.

Within each description detailed below, there are three components:

1. What separates them (and why it matters)
2. How they can be progressed/regressed
3. The main points of focus.

Single-Leg Deadlift

Also known as single-leg RDLs, SLDLs are the most hip-dominant movement in the unsupported single-leg category. Like any other hip-dominant/hinge movement, they primarily target the glutes and hamstrings. Unlike most hip-dominant/hinge movements, however—most of which are bilateral—they do so in a unilateral fashion.

Benefits

Aside from the hip-dominant element, three other qualities separate SLDLs from one-leg squats and skater squats.

1. They’re the easiest of the three movements to load sufficiently. In fact, many advanced athletes are able to handle loads of greater than 50% of their 1-RM conventional deadlift with SLDLs, which—in and of itself—makes them a game changer for building single-leg strength.
2. They involve more muscles/muscle groups than their unsupported counterparts. The hamstring group is stretched while working to stabilize the knee joint, the glutes are acting concentrically to extend the hip, the lumbar extensors (low back) are working to keep the spine in neutral, and the upper back is tasked with stabilizing the scapula while keeping the thoracic spine in extension. Moreover, SLDLs place an increased emphasis on activation in the feet, ankles, and calves, which subsequently enhances neural drive and motor unit recruitment all the way up the kinetic chain. In other words, SLDLs are far more than a posterior chain exercise—they’re a full-body exercise.
3. SLDLs are arguably the most “acceleration-specific” exercise from a muscular standpoint. The posterior chain is providing all of the horsepower, the hips are moving in a reciprocal fashion akin to a sprint (alternating between flexion and extension), the pelvis and lower back are working to maintain a neutral spinal position, and the core is resisting external rotary forces while linking up the upper and lower halves. Most importantly, all of these muscular actions are taking place while the body is simultaneously working to generate force.

SLDLs are arguably the most *acceleration-specific* exercise from a muscular standpoint, with the posterior chain providing all of the horsepower and the hips moving in a reciprocal fashion akin to a sprint, says @CharleyGouldSCC. Share on X

Progressions

SLDLs are meant to be performed in an unsupported manner, so the initial focus should be placed on grooving the single-leg hinge pattern without support before adding load.

Video 1. There’s no shortage of options when it comes to regressing and progressing SLDLs, but the sequence here is generally enough to move from point A to point B without overcomplicating things.

• TRX-assisted (with one arm): progress when the athlete can perform the movement without support
• Reach to target: progress when the athlete has mastered the pattern to a low target
• 1-DB/KB:* progress when the athlete is able to use heavier loads (general guideline: .5x bodyweight)
• 2-DB/KB: progress when the athlete is able to use heavier loads (general guideline: .75x bodyweight)
• Barbell/trap bar

*Many athletes find it harder to balance with one DB/KB compared to two, so using two lighter DBs/KBs can be useful as a teaching tool.

Points of focus

• Keep a slight bend in the knee of the support leg; not straight or overly flexed
• Bring the weights down in line with the toes/mid-foot; avoid forward drift
• Maintain level hips and a neutral pelvis; avoid rotating in the torso or rear leg
• Keep the shoulder blades pinned back; avoid excess thoracic flexion
• Stay within an optimal range of motion; avoid excess depth at the expense of stability

Additional notes

• With one DB/KB, contralateral loading is typically better for athletes due to the fact that 1) most movements are contralateral and involve reciprocal patterning by nature, 2) it emphasizes pelvic internal rotation and glute activation on the working side, and 3) it challenges rotary control to a greater extent (whereas ipsilateral loading does not).
• Keeping the rear leg bent is generally preferable to keeping it straight, as it’s more akin to sprinting (reciprocal hip extension and flexion), facilitates better mechanics, and promotes increased activation in the hip extensors of the support leg.

One-Leg Squat

One-leg squats—which, for the record, are not the same as pistol squats—are the most knee-dominant movement in the unsupported single-leg category. Despite that, however, one-leg squats have actually been shown to activate the glute medius to a greater extent than SLDLs.

Benefits

1. They involve an upright torso. One-leg squats involve an upright torso position, which requires the working leg to generate force from above-to-under the hips as the chest remains tall. In a sense, this mimics the actions that occur while an athlete is at top speed. Think about it: during the sprinting motion, a powerful and stiff foot strike occurs underneath the hips while the torso remains upright. At the same time, the pelvis remains fairly neutral as the hips work in a reciprocal fashion. Moreover, the glutes—which do the majority of the concentric “pushing” during a one-leg squat—play a huge role in contributing to a powerful foot strike during the sprinting motion.

2. They up the ante on the stability and proprioceptive demands. One-leg squats challenge motor control and joint stability unlike any other movement. Whereas single-leg deadlifts require tri-planar stability to a degree, one-leg squats amplify those demands due to the extra knee flexion and inherently upright torso position. In turn, there’s a higher center of mass, which makes the one-leg squat significantly more challenging in terms of loading, stability, and balance.

3. If SLDLs are the most acceleration-specific exercise from a ‘muscles-involved’ standpoint, one-leg squats are the most sport-specific as it relates to positioning. When an athlete is changing direction or transitioning between acceleration and top speed, they’re standing on one leg and performing a partial squat while simultaneously generating force. In addition, most of the jumping and landing that occurs in sport—as well as in training, for that matter (e.g., bounds)—involves a partial, one-leg squat in similar fashion.

4. They involve a greater range of motion than virtually every other unilateral alternative. When an athlete gets to the point where they can perform one-leg squats throughout a full range of motion, they’re reaching a parallel femur position. This involves a larger range of motion than other knee-dominant exercises like split squats, rear-foot elevated split squats (for most individuals), and even skater squats, once progressed. As a result, one-leg squats increase the need for pelvic stability—which, as mentioned previously, plays a huge role in sprinting and changing direction—and enhance joint stability in a manner that’s tough to replicate.

One-leg squats increase the need for pelvic stability—which plays a huge role in sprinting and changing direction—and enhance joint stability in a manner that’s tough to replicate, says @CharleyGouldSCC. Share on X

Progressions. Like SLDLs, one-leg squats are meant to be performed without support from the non-working leg, which means that the initial focus should be placed on being able to reach a parallel femur position (unassisted) before adding load.

Video 2. This sequence for the one-leg squat begins with TRX assistance and progresses to loaded movements.

• TRX-assisted: progress when the athlete has the pattern down
• Kickstand/ball-support: progress when the athlete no longer needs support
• One-leg squat to box: progress when an athlete can reach a parallel femur position
• One-leg squat off box: progress when the athlete can reach a parallel femur position
• Add load via weight vests, chains, or goblet loading

Points of focus

• Hold 5-10 lb. plates/DBs as a counterbalance to shift the center of center of mass forward
• Press the counterbalance out to about shoulder height on the eccentric
• Use the box as a target; avoid “resting” or sitting down
• Maintain level hips and a neutral pelvis; avoid excess rotation
• Keep the spine in neutral; avoid lumbar/thoracic flexion
• Maintain a stacked position at the ankles, knees, and hips; avoid valgus collapse

Additional notes

• If a lack of ankle mobility is a hindrance to depth, slightly elevate the heels.
• When standing on an elevated surface, dorsiflex the ankle of the non-working leg and lightly tap the heel on the ground to minimize its contribution.

Skater Squat

Skater squats are unique in that they’re a hybrid movement between one-leg squats and SLDLs. Although unilateral and involving lighter loads, in a sense skater squats are a lot like trap bar deadlifts in that they mesh the squat and hinge patterns while challenging both the anterior and posterior chain.

Benefits

While this hybrid component doesn’t necessarily make skater squats better or worse than their unsupported counterparts, what it does do is give them three particular benefits.

1. From a muscular standpoint, they do it all. By meshing the squat and hinge patterns, skater squats hammer the quads, glutes, and hamstrings with constant tension and high levels of intra-muscular activation on each rep. This makes them an especially joint-friendly option for spurring hypertrophy in the lower half while placing virtually zero stress on the spine. Mike Boyle, for example, has used skater squats as an alternative to trap bar deadlifts for athletes with low back pain.

2. They challenge dynamic cross-body stability. Whereas one-leg squats and SLDLs primarily involve flexion and extension at the knees and hips (respectively), skater squats emphasize both actions across the body and within the same movement. In other words, the skater squat involves more “moving parts,” so to speak, which increases the cross-body stability demands. As a result, the core is forced to maintain stability on both sides of the body while the lower half moves dynamically and in a reciprocal fashion, the same of which can’t be said about SLDLs or one-leg squats.
3. They’re “self-correcting.” Due to the highly technical nature of the skater squat, it’s virtually impossible to get away with less-than-stellar movement mechanics. If there are any breakdowns in technique—whether it’s valgus collapse, lumbar flexion, subpar core stiffness, or passive foot mechanics—skater squats will expose them. This makes them very self-correcting, as they heighten body awareness, provide immediate feedback, and reinforce optimal technique almost by default.

Skater squats are *self-correcting*—due to their highly technical nature, it’s virtually impossible to get away with less-than-stellar movement mechanics, says @CharleyGouldSCC. Share on X

Progressions. As is the case with SLDLs and one-leg squats, the first priority should be to own the unsupported skater squat before adding load. The following sequence of progressions should do the trick:

Video 3. This sequence of progressions should help your athletes “own” the unsupported skater squat.

• TRX-assisted, decreased range of motion: progress when the athlete no longer needs assistance to reach the set target
• TRX-assisted, full range of motion: progress when the athlete can reach adequate depth (a 2-3” pad) without assistance
• Baseline skater squat*: progress when the athlete can perform 6-8 unsupported reps (to a 2-3” pad)
• Increase the range of motion: progress when the athlete can reach a parallel femur position
• Add load via weight vests, chains, or goblet loading

*If necessary, an intermediary option is to do eccentric-only reps as a transition into the full skater squat

Points of focus

• Hold 5-10 lb. plates/DBs as a counterbalance to shift the center of center of mass forward
• Press the counterbalance out to about shoulder height on the eccentric
• Keep the rear leg bent at about 90 degrees
• Use the pad as a target; avoid “resting” or sitting down on the rear leg
• Maintain level hips and a neutral pelvis; avoid excess rotation
• Keep the spine in neutral; avoid excess lumbar/thoracic flexion
• Place an increased emphasis on maintaining a neutral knee position; avoid valgus collapse

Programming Recommendations

Like any other exercise, the simplest answer to when and how unsupported single-leg exercises should be programmed is “it depends.” Generally speaking, however, a good strategy is to include both unsupported and supported options into a well-rounded program to maximize their respective benefits.

Some athletes who perform split stance movements more frequently in their sport—like baseball and softball players, for example—may benefit from placing a greater emphasis on supported single-leg exercises like split squats and rear-foot elevated split squats. On the other hand, athletes who move primarily on one leg at a time—sprinters being the most obvious example—may find it worthwhile to include more unsupported options into their training. Regardless, all athletes can (and should) perform a hefty dose of both, given that there are tremendous benefits to each.

Generally speaking, weaker athletes or athletes with subpar movement quality may benefit the most from performing unsupported single-leg work at the beginning of their training when they’re fresh, says @CharleyGouldSCC. Share on X

In terms of how unsupported single-leg exercises should be programmed, there are two different approaches. Generally speaking, weaker athletes or athletes with subpar movement quality may benefit the most from performing unsupported single-leg work at the beginning of their training when they’re fresh. Stronger and more advanced athletes, on the other hand, tend to able to successfully perform unsupported single-leg exercises regardless of how they’re programmed. For these athletes, programming them at the tail-end of a session may be more beneficial to “fill in the gaps,” so that the primary focus can be placed on heavy supported single-leg work (due to their higher loading capacities). SLDLs may be the one exception due to their similarly high loading capacities, in which case they can fit in exceptionally well as a primary strength movement.

Still, regardless of how they’re programmed, each of the three unsupported single-leg exercises are all but guaranteed to provide massive benefits for all athletes no matter their age, sport, skill level, or starting point.

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 a recent conversation with a group of physical therapists, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches, the subject matter progressed to an MVP NFL quarterback who had recently laterally dislocated his patella during a game day competition. When the discussion evolved to the rehabilitation and the post-rehabilitation “return to play” (RTP) training of this athlete’s knee, two suggestions mentioned for inclusion in the program design were the isolated strengthening of the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) muscle and the stretching of the iliotibial band (ITB).

Neither isolated strengthening of the vastus medialis obliquus muscle nor stretching of the iliotibial band should be in the program design for the rehabilitation of an athlete’s knee. Share on X

While the intention of these recommendations is commendable, I am concerned because these exercise philosophies were documented as fallacies decades ago. Although these viewpoints are without substance, there appear to be professionals who still accept and validate these myths.

The Vastus Medialis Obliquus

Patellofemoral pathology is a fairly common condition observed in the training room, clinical setting, and athletic performance enhancement environment. Pathologies may range from patellofemoral pain to the postoperative care of the repaired medial patella soft tissue stabilizers—i.e., vastus medialis/medialis obliquus (VMO), medial retinaculum, medial patellofemoral ligament, etc. (figure 1)—that may be disrupted after a lateral patella dislocation. Whether addressing an athlete’s patellofemoral pain or postoperative knee condition, physical rehabilitation and RTP training are essential to ensure an optimal RTP outcome.

Many rehabilitation and performance enhancement training program designs may include exercises that attempt to isolate the vastus medialis obliquus muscle to address the previously mentioned knee condition. Although this VMO exercise isolation “myth” was negated at least 20 years ago^1,2, it continues to endure. The attempt to isolate VMO muscle activity may include, but is not limited to, the following exercises:

• Quad sets.
• Terminal open and closed kinetic chain knee extension exercises (TKEs) (figures 2a and 2b).
• Straight leg raises (SLR) with external rotation of the lower extremity (figure 3).

Athletes may or may not perform these exercises with the adjunct application of electric stimulation.

Many rehab and performance enhancement training programs include exercises that attempt to isolate the VMO even though the exercise isolation “myth” was negated 20 years ago. Share on X

Although these exercises will enhance the strength of the quadriceps muscles, helping to resolve the athlete’s knee pathology, this improvement is not due to isolation of the VMO. In addition, the reasoning for why some professionals formulate the performance of SLR with external rotation is based on the false premise that externally rotating the femur will result in further activation of the VMO (as seen in figure 3).

The knee is a hinge joint, and during the execution of an SLR, the force of gravity will act in a perpendicular manner between the knee and ground surface. The quadriceps mechanism will now be required to resist the resultant force attempting to flex the knee, as this is the only contractile soft tissue structure that is capable of resisting that force. The quadriceps mechanism, like any other dynamic anatomical structure, can only resist this external force via the neural activation of the muscle group. The external rotation of the femur gives rise to the placement of stress on the medial collateral ligament (MCL), a static stabilizer of the knee (figure 4).

The external rotation treatment philosophy actually removes stress from the very muscle(s) practitioners are attempting to enhance. As an example, a patient with a diagnosis of polio, a condition affecting the anterior horn of the femoral nerve, or with a quadriceps tendon rupture can still perform a SLR when externally rotating their femur, based on the contributions of the adductor muscle group of the hip (adductor magnus, longus, and brevis, pectineus, gracilis, and obturator externus) via innervation from the obturator nerve, as well as the static stabilizing properties of the MCL. Therefore, we may ask why a professional who is attempting to activate and enhance the quadriceps muscle group would perform the SLR exercise in the external rotation position.

The Anatomy and Neuroanatomy of the Quadriceps Muscle Group

The quadriceps muscle group is comprised of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis (figure 5).

The vastus medialis (VM) is located at the medial aspect of the muscle group. It consists of two separate components, the proximal vastus medialis longus (VML) and the distal vastus medialis obliquus (figure 6).⁴

The neuroanatomy of the quadriceps muscle complex reveals an innervation from the femoral nerve (figure 7). The femoral nerve consists of large motor units that innervate all four heads of the quadriceps without individual fine motor unit innervation of the separate muscle heads. Therefore, since the vastus medialis does not have a distinct and separate nerve innervation (nor does the VMO), it is not possible to “isolate” this muscle from the other quadriceps muscles via a specific exercise performance.

To use a light switch as an analogy, if a single light switch (femoral nerve) is constructed to turn on all of the lights in four separate and distinct rooms (quadriceps muscles), how would it be possible to have this specific light switch turn on the lights in only one specific room?

Since the vastus medialis doesn’t have a distinct and separate nerve supply, it isn’t possible to “isolate” it from the other quadriceps muscles via a specific exercise performance. Share on X

The most beneficial way to enhance the VMO is to incorporate the same exercise philosophy used to improve any other muscle or muscle group, the application of unaccustomed stress. The application of unaccustomed yet safe levels of programmed stress is simply known as the “overload principle.” This principle may be accomplished most commonly in two ways: expose the athlete to higher levels of unaccustomed yet appropriate external resistance (i.e., weight intensity) or “overload” the athlete by increasing the velocity of the executed movement. Both of these methods will result in a positive adaption of the entire quadriceps muscle group.

Stress spreads throughout the kinetic chain of the lower extremity during the performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), as well as athletic endeavors. Thus, the activities prescribed for patellofemoral pathology should also include exercises that place emphasis upon the hip and the foot and ankle musculature. “Critical thinking” is a requirement for the approach to the athlete’s optimal exercise selection and program design. The rehabilitation and performance enhancement professional’s obligation to provide optimal treatment and/or performance enhancement training does not include the application of myths or fables during the programming of the exercises to be executed.

The Iliotibial Band

An additional suggested treatment and performance enhancement training strategy that came up during the aforementioned patella injury discussion is the “stretching” of the iliotibial band (ITB). This is another misconception that has also stood the test of time. The ITB is a distal continuation of the fascia arising from the tensor fascia lata (TFL), gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius muscles. The ITB serves as a supportive fascial structure that encapsulates the TFL muscle proximally and spans laterally along the lower extremity to attach to Gerdy’s (anterolateral tibial) tubercle (figure 8).

Many rehabilitation and performance enhancement professionals utilize various manual and commercial (foam rollers) soft tissue techniques in an attempt to “stretch” the ITB. However, the question arises, can the ITB really be stretched? The answer is no, it cannot. With specific regard to the ITB, a demonstrated predicted load of 2,040 pounds (927 Kg) and a force of 1,015 pounds (461 Kg) are needed to produce 1% of compression and shear forces, respectively⁵, upon this anatomical structure. It is highly doubtful that any manual technique or commercially applied soft tissue device can reproduce these high forces.

It is highly doubtful that any manual technique or commercially applied soft tissue device can reproduce the high forces needed to stretch the iliotibial band. Share on X

The ITB has also been utilized as an autograft of choice for primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions (ACLRs)⁶, physeal-sparing ACL procedures in skeletally immature prepubescent children⁷, ACLR lateral sling augmentation⁸, and the reconstruction of the anterolateral (ALL) ligament of the knee⁹. If this anatomical soft tissue structure “stretched out,” so to speak, how could the ITB possibly be considered as an appropriate surgical graft choice in restoring knee stability via ACL reconstruction surgery?

What Part of This Complex Does Stretch?

If a lengthening of the lateral soft tissue structures of the lower extremity is desired, there does appear to be a potential elongation of soft tissue at the proximal iliotibial band-tensor fascia lata complex (ITBTFLC), as well as at the gluteal region.^10,11 The increased lengthening response in the proximal lower extremity region is likely due to the presence of the TFL, the area where greatest deformation with the least resistance to applied stress occurs, while elongation in the mid to distal aspect of the ITB does not result in length changes.¹⁰

Foam rolling directly over the ITB also results in no increase in hip adduction (soft tissue lengthening) range of motion (ROM), as measured by a modified OBER test.¹¹ However, foam rolling over the soft tissue gluteal region, where the fan-shaped fibers converge and blend with the ITB superficially, resulted in an immediate and significant increase (soft tissue elongation) in hip adduction ROM.¹¹ When applying techniques for desired soft tissue elongation to the lateral aspect of the lower extremity, areas of focus should include the gluteal region and the ITBTFLC, as placing emphasis directly upon the ITB will not result in a lengthening of this anatomical soft tissue structure.

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. Cerny, K. “Vastus medialis oblique/vastus lateralis muscle activity ratios for selected exercises in persons with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome.” Physical Therapy. 1995; (8):672–83.

2. Malone, T., Davies, G., and Walsh, W.M. “Muscular control of the patella.” Clinical Sports Medicine. 2002; 21(3); 349–362.

3. Hubbard, J.K., Sampson H.W., and Elledge, J.R. “The Vastus Medialis Oblique Muscle and Its Relationship to Patellofemoral Joint Deterioration in Human Cadavers.” Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.1998; 28(6):384–391.

4. Weinstabl, R., Scharf, W., and Firbas, W. “The extensor apparatus of the knee joint and its peripheral vasti: anatomic investigation and clinical relevance.” Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy. 1989; 11(2):17–22.

5. Chaudhry, H., Schliep, R., Ji, Z., Bukiet, B., Maney, M., and Findley, T. “Three-dimensional model for deformation of human fasciae in manual therapy.” The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 2008; 108(8):379–390.

6. Stensbirk, F., Thorborg, K., Konradson, L., Jorgensen, U., and Holmich, P. “Iliotibial band autograft vs. bone-patella- tendon- bone autograft, a possible alternative for ACL reconstruction: A 15-year prospective randomized control trial.” Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. 2014; 22(9):2094–2101.

7. Kocher, M.S., Heyworth, B.E., Fabricant, P.D., Teplot, F.A., and Micheli, L. “Outcomes of Physeal-Sparing ACL Reconstruction with Iliotibial Band Autograft in Skeletally Immature Prepubescent Children.” Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 2018; 100(13):1087–1094.

8. O’Brien, S.J., Warren, R.F., Wickiewicz, T.L., Rawlins, B.A., Allen, A.A., Panariello, R.A., and Kelly, A.M. “The iliotibial band lateral sling procedure and its effect on the results of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.” American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1991; 19(1):21–25.

9. Stuyts, B., Van der Eeden, E., and Victor, J. “A New Reconstructive Technique of the Anterolateral Ligament with Iliotibal Band-Strip.” The Open Orthopaedics Journal. 2017; 11:321–326.

10. Wilhelm, M., Matthijs, O., Browne, K., Seeber, G., Matthijs, A., Sizer, P.S., Brismee, J., James, C.R., and Gilbret, K.K. “Deformation Response of the Iliotibial Band-Tensor Fascia Lata Complex to Clinical-Grade Longitudinal Tension Loading In-Vitro.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2017; 12(1):16–24.

11. MacGregor, H. and Smith, J.C. “The Effects of an Acute Bout of Foam Rolling on Hip Range of Motion on Different Tissues.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2018; 13(4):652–660.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes around the world have been scrambling to pull together home-workout solutions to maintain their capacities. During these tough times, unless the athlete has access to a fully kitted out home gym, the chances are the training effects have taken a decline.

So, what does this mean for most athletes when it comes time to return to the weight room?

If your athletes are anything like mine—hungry, aggressive, and chomping at the bit to run 100mph through everything once those gym doors re-open—you are in a similar state of thinking where do we direct their training now? A reality for both the practitioner and the athlete is that they are still likely a good chunk of time away from returning to full competition.

I work with athletes from various sports, but a significant proportion are MMA and combat athletes. Having no set date for the majority of future events makes for an uncertain return-to-play time period—and as mentioned, the majority of these athletes will want to bulldoze their approach to training as soon as the doors open. Consequently, we as practitioners should have an understanding on how we want to re-integrate their training schedule.

In this article, I’ll take a generalised approach to discussing GPP with practical implications drawn out.

GPP or Bust (a Synopsis of GPP)

GPP stands for General Physical Preparedness, a term that almost every strength coach interprets in their own way. Seeming to first emerge from the former Soviet Union, the concept was westernised primarily by Louie Simmons and his efforts to bring it to light. As the name suggests, in athlete development realms, the intent behind GPP is to generally prepare the body for further blocks of more intensive training.

In Tudor Bompa’s words, GPP is the “time to build a solid physiological foundation in order to enable the athlete to tolerate training loads seen later in the season.”

We are talking about foundational blocks that allow for better training effects in the latter stages of SPP (Sports-Specific Physical Preparedness, meaning in an athlete’s given sport), at which time the focus turns to direct training protocols for specific outcomes, closer to the spearhead of their season/peaking.

GPP is a time in periodisation that allows for the athlete to really hone in and work on weak links: if you know your athlete is lacking in certain capacities, a GPP block is a low-risk time to address them. Since these blocks are usually laced into a macrocycle as a preparatory/foundational phase of training, you are normally a decent chunk of time away from when the athlete needs to really bring their A-game. These blocks are also great for adding in as a return-to-play measure after rehab, time-off, or even a worldwide virus outbreak.

Pick Your Path

Every well designed, fully comprehensive, and inclusive strength and conditioning programme for athletes should carry elements of GPP laced appropriately throughout a macrocycle.

From a practitioner’s standpoint, traditionally a GPP block of training requires the least amount of energy investment in terms of planning and thought…because it’s pretty difficult to get wrong! Whether your athlete is a wrestler, a swimmer, a linebacker, or a pitcher, a GPP block of training could still look pretty identical even given the different nature of each sport.

As this block is general by design, the exercises and protocols selected should look at improving the athlete’s basic motor qualities, such as improving their ability to perform an ample range of activities surrounding strength, speed, power, and endurance.

As this block is general by design, the exercises and protocols selected should look at improving the athlete’s basic motor qualities: strength, speed, power, and endurance. Share on X

As the focus on the specifics of the sporting demands (SPP) only comes later, a general training block allows the practitioner to stand back and look at the athlete’s overall capacities and look at general, structural, positive adaptations that would later benefit the athlete in future training cycles. Beyond that, this block should make them more robust and resilient across a broader spectrum. If 20-30% of your weight room training throughout the year is dedicated to GPP, you as a practitioner are providing the athlete the foundation for the qualities of movement which are going to yield them greater training effects.

So What Does GPP Traditionally Look Like?

A quick Google search on this and you’ll find beefy powerlifters dragging sleds around a parking lot, or possibly someone taking their dog for a walk, loaded up with a Zercher harness (okay, I’m thankfully kidding on that second one). Generally speaking, though, the term GPP originates from strength sports. When taking those concepts and modifying them to suit athletic populations, it’s important to keep the core elements whilst keeping the intent high.

Strength coaches around the world have begun to see growth in the popularity of strength circuits. Strength circuits are now widely being used in the search for improving cardiac output, as a result of elevating:

• Heart rate (how fast the heart is beating)
• Stroke volume (the amount of blood being pumped with each beat)

Improving cardiac output is critical for the development of energy systems, and strength circuits will be detailed and shown below.

What do we mean by fundamentals and foundations? Fundamental, from a strength standpoint, would take the form in an in-depth understanding and implementation of solid movement patterns, consistently. Those being: hinge, squat, pull, press, carry (and arguably lunge). A block dedicated to a central emphasis on these fundamental movement patterns will likely yield larger, more global adaptations for the athlete.

The Beauty of Programming

As discussed previously, given that this block of training is generally more open to interpretation, there is a beautifully artistic element to it—allowing the practitioner to further develop their athlete’s fundamental capacities whilst having a bit more creative freedom in their programming. Once again, this is due to the naturally intertwined low-risk element of this block, allowing a broader scope of practice. In short: identify their “weak links,” facilitate general adaptations with a gentle bias towards these, and have fun with it.

Those last four words lead to a supplemental topic: Buy-in.

If your athletes are driven and competitive (which one would presume, they are athletes!) there can sometimes be an element of concern in GPP blocks relating to monotony. Usually, this is because the design of the blocks themselves and where they are positioned within a bigger picture are purposefully less intensive than training blocks later in the programme. Athletes who are chomping at the bit 24 hours a day and 7 days a week don’t always like to ease back into training—they want to hit it hard, right away. To a certain degree, your role as a practitioner and communicator is to articulate the importance of such training blocks as part of a bigger picture (and how to do so is a entire topic in itself).

Athletes who are chomping at the bit 24 hours a day and 7 days a week don’t always like to ease back into training—they want to hit it hard, right away. Share on X

“Return To Play”

This is an ambiguous term for both returning to play (competition) and returning to the weight room (post COIVD-19, injury, or any other significant break). Athletes face an inherent risk when returning back to a normal weight room routine. The urge to just jump back in where they last left off is all too real for some athletes (and, sadly, some practitioners).

Lets look at this through another lens: assume your athlete had minor surgery (call it unrelated to their sport for our purpose here), and then has to spend two months away from training. The natural path of progression that you would take is to ease back into a specific programme, beginning generally. So with that in mind, now that we have all been locked away from our beloved gyms for a significant amount of time, an approach back into training should be treated accordingly. Would you really want your athletes devouring extensive plyometrics if they were not properly acclimated or meeting the prerequisite movement standards? I’m hoping not.

Athletes face an inherent risk when returning back to a *normal* weight room routine. The urge to just jump back in where they last left off is all too real. Share on X

Let’s say that here in the UK we are given a three week warning of COVID-19 lockdown release. Hypothetically, we will have a rough idea on when in the near future lives can return to some of their normal routines, with gyms re-opened and training allowed to resume. If that were the case, intelligent coaches with a creative eye for programme design (which has been tested through this period!) could have the foresight to expedite the return-to-play model by implementing home-based GPP blocks.

Given that these blocks are non-specific and nonlinear by nature, a benefit of this hypothetical situation is that all it takes is some ingenuity to prepare the athlete with a means of kick-starting their return, even with minimal-to-no equipment. Examples of gym-based workouts are outlined below, so in order to adapt protocols to suit home set-ups, look at the movement patterns involved, figure a way of implementing these at home, and you’re on the money.

What History Can Teach Us

Not many of us can remember a time in which the world was going through anything like this, which is why there is so much head-scratching and uncertainty. But there are events we can retrospectively learn from, such as the 2011 NFL Lockout. A much-debated topic at the time, the 2011 lockout was, in short, a large wrangle about money. Players ready to play, but with nothing to play whilst this went on; and the uncertainty of the season lead to stop-gap styles of training whilst this mess was carried out (such as we see right now). Sure enough, once all was said and done, normality resumed—but with one caveat: injuries skyrocketed.

There has been much discussion surrounding the injury rates post-lockout, but in terms of empirical takeaways, we must draw upon likely causative factors and draw from this what we can. Players becoming injured at an astonishing rate, largely pointing to one general factor: lack of preparedness.

If we extrapolate this to the wider athletic and sporting community, it’s written in the stars for us to not let history repeat itself. NFL players in the lockout weren’t able to train at team facilities, and it’s been anecdotally noted that many athletes stuck to home-based workouts (or didn’t train at all)—sound familiar? The model at the time was to just carry on where they left off, and after speaking with many top coaches, a general consensus is that this model was the root cause for the spike in injury rates. It would be foolish, dangerous, and an absolute lack of duty-of-care if we approached our athletic populations with this mindset. From this, let us acknowledge what was wrong, and ensure we mitigate the risk as best we can.

Aerobic GPP Conditioning & Lactate Retention GPP

In the examples below, you will see detailed examples of a day’s training from Phase 1 and Phase 2. The first being aerobic GPP strength circuits, and the second being lactate retention. Both of these concepts take form in a sufficient GPP block, layering one on top of the other (and are primarily inspired by the works of Cal Dietz and Matt Van Dyke).

The main purpose of this block of training is to increase the athlete’s functional reserve range. This is in essence the difference between their resting heart rate and their lactate threshold. The concept is to facilitate these adaptations by means of cellular adaptations, with muscle cells having the ability to build more mitochondria and thus improving the vascular system accordingly.

This training effect is imperative, as all energy systems rely on the aerobic energy systems. This block plays a fundamental role in energy system development and prepares the athlete for more intense blocks of training to come. Layered upon this, we have lactate retention GPP, which after attaining the desired outcomes of the first phase, aims to build lactate-specific qualities. Per Van Dyke, lactate—despite common impressions—is a positive for athletes and improving lactate tolerance (kinetics) should yield the effects of delaying fatigue and increasing repeated bout ability.

Throughout both phases, I also place an emphasis on nasal breathing. Nasal breathing may look weird in the gym—and prepare for funny looks if you use this method!—but it is proving to be potent.

We can manipulate our nervous system response so that we shift into parasympathetic dominance, which is imperative for efficient oxygen uptake and deeper breathing. Mouth-taping isn’t always necessary, but works effectively—if you can bear it, it’s worth it. Specific to athletic populations in combat sports, this method is particularly useful for those wearing a mouthpiece (and for more in-depth information on nasal breathing, I suggest reading more of Van Dyke’s work or The Oxygen Advantage, by Patrick McKeown).

Sample Workouts

I program a strength circuit in the first phase of this intended GPP block, which serves the aforementioned purpose of improving vascular capacities. Seemingly ever-popular, the use of compound movements (fundamental movement patterns) with a loading of between 60-70% for a continuous circuit of 1 rep of each movement. For example, on a 4 minute continuous timer, perform one perfect rep of each movement back-to-back for the duration of the desired timeframe. The two variables you can manipulate and progress are:

• Load (within the guided ranges)
• Time (between 3-10 minutes per block)

Video 1. A short time-lapse of a 7 minute block, nasal only breathing strength circuit in a GPP phase. The BJJ athlete performs 1 rep of an RDL, (attached to a jammer attachment here) and a neutral grip chin up. 1 rep of each, continuously.

You can perform two more of these strength circuits in a given session, following different movement patterns, such as hand-supported, SSB split squat (L&R) and bench press with roughly 5 minutes between each bout. After this, long duration isometrics, such as floating heel split squat extreme iso for 4 x 25s, or a long duration suitcase hold (4 minutes per side)

Easter Egg: To better utilise your limited time in the weight room with your athletes (whilst maintaining nasal breathing) use the 5 minute recovery window for 2 things:

1. Have the athlete attentively focus on reducing their breathing rate (via large, filling breaths) nasal only,
2. Perform exercise fillers, such as joint mobility work, soft tissue work, auxiliary rehab work, neck or wrist training (for the combat and collision athlete), etc. Use whatever is specific to your athletes to fill in the gaps and strengthen those weak links.

Video 2. Lactate retention: bodyweight squat and hold.

Alternatives to the bodyweight protocol in the video might be a single-modality form of work capacity, such as assault bike, sled walks, rowing, or compound movements loaded around 35-45% and holding the movement at the contractile end range of motion (such as a squat hold at the bottom or a chin up at the top).

The protocol is as follows. 4 sets of a 30s bout, with quality movement of a squat (be it a Zercher, back, front, or bodyweight, so long as it stays within guided ranges). Then, holding the bottom of that position, bodyweight alone, for 30s—in essence trapping lactate and preventing its distribution.

These protocols should be programmed into a day’s session along with strength circuits similar to those above, with variance in loading and reps, changing them but keeping the movement patterns to 10 reps of each movement at 35-40%

2-3 weeks focused around developing via the means of Phase 1 and 2-3 weeks of Phase 2 would generally be suitable for a return-to-play GPP block.

Key takeaways

General Physical Preparedness should serve as a base of fundamental movement capacities executed to facilitate fundamental adaptations. A lengthy period away from the weight room, for any reason, should be met with due care and attention when it comes to returning our athletes to a properly structured, well-designed strength and conditioning programme.

A lengthy period away from the weight room, for any reason, should be met with due care and attention when it comes to returning our athletes to a properly structured strength and conditioning programme. Share on X

For all intents and purposes, methodically layered GPP protocols such as those discussed in this text lay the foundation for greater training effects being rewarded in future training blocks, regardless of the athlete and their sport. If we are provided with warnings of post-COVID-19 lockdown releases, we can better prepare ourselves for the return itself. Contact me any time if you wish to discuss more about returning to the gym, training parameters, anything strength training related, or return-to-play remote coaching.

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