Strength Training Articles

• The Science Behind the Skill-Part I
  
  In the realm of motor learning, there are three stages athletes progress through when learning a new skill. These stages form a continuum from highly cognitive to completely instinctive skill performance. Recognizing the unique developmental characteristics and coaching priorities of each stage will make your short term and long term programming much more specific and effective. *The Cognitive Stage: As the name suggests, this phase involves a significant amount of “mental effort” on the part of the athlete. First the athlete must collect perceptual input related to the skill and/or subtasks of the skill. The information must then be processed, compared to what is already known, and used to develop goal oriented “motor strategies.”
• Building the Best Athletes-Part III
  
  To optimize training carryover we need to emulate motions of the sport in our training. This means training multi-directional multi joint exercises in most every workout. The key to developing “movement strength” is integration. Through integrated strength training movements we not only improve the strength of the individual muscles involved in the motion…but more importantly we enhance how those muscle function together to orchestrate that motion. As I keep mentioning, the goal of your training should always be to improve movement aptitude, so…move in the weightroom!
• Building the Best Athletes! Step 1-Reality Training
  
  So, what have 6+ years of higher education and thousands of dollars of “self study” taught me? Optimal results are determined *not* by what scientists or anyone else says or believes…but by what reality reveals to us. What has reality revealed to me? Simple…Many coaches design their programs off presumption, not reality! Before you continue, I want you to watch this video http://www.3dstrength.com/Sample1.html This clip demonstrates an example of what I call” reality” training. Reality training involves focusing on training concepts that enhance the motor skills that underlie sport skill as it relates to an athlete’s requirements for success.
• Building the Best Athletes-The Hierarchy of Success Part I
  
  So, when was the last time you took a major road trip without doing any planning first? My guess is that you would say never! After all, who wants to waste valuable time getting lost or taking the long route. First you would defined your destination. You would figure out exactly where it was that you were going to go. In the olden days, you would then get your map out and locate your destination. You would find your starting point and map out the most effect route. Now you plug your variables into Mapquest and let it do the work for you. Regardless, you still have to know where you are going and where you are starting to make it work. This is not to say that you could not make the trip without first mapping it out. However, you are more than likely not going to make the trip in the most effective manner possible. Ultimately, it will take much longer, and will exhaust much more of your resources. In my opinion, training athletes is just like taking a trip. You have to have a plan or you will surely get lost or take the long route to your goals. An athlete can lose months of valuable training, which can be detrimental to their success When I design strength training programs I utilize a priceless concept I call the Hierarchy of Success. You can use the Hierarchy of Success to insure that you accurately and effectively address the true requirements for success of every athlete you train.
• Hierarchy for Success Part II-Defining Your Start Point
• 3d Strength Training Part I
  
  How do I assure that my athletes are the best prepared athletes on the court or on the field? By applying specific training principles that I’ve determined to be the missing link in most athletic strength and conditioning programs. These are the principles, when applied correctly, that make average athletes better, good athletes great, and great athletes outstanding on every single play.
• 3d Lunges
  
  This next series of exercises are based off of the linear lunge. As with the squat, before we start into the exercises, I want to outline the linear lunge technique. For the linear lunge, we utilize a 7 point checklist. Note: Stride length may lengthen to increase the base of support during heavier horizontal loading.
• Horizontal Loading-The Missing Link
  
  One thing my Biomechanics professor repeatedly drilled into my head was to assess, dissect, and comprehend (ADC). Never move forward until you execute these three steps to lay your foundational ground work. In retrospect, I think this may have been the most valuable bit of wisdom bestowed upon me throughout my complete higher learning endeavor.
• Advanced Methods in Force Training
  
  What is a force curve (FC)? A FC is a graphical representation of the relationship between the external expression of instantaneous maximal force production and muscle length (muscle length is sometimes represented by joint configuration).
• A Prospectus on Periodization
  
  Hours upon hours are typically spent on developing the true masterpiece that is the training program. Typically, great detail is given to every movement housed within the program. Each lift is carefully chosen to address a certain need. Every aspect of the intensity and volume is delicately manipulated to place the focus of the training day on the specified target.
• Big Bad Bench Press I
  
  Although the bench press has fallen out of favor with many of the newer methods that strength coaches are utilizing, it is still a huge part of the world of strength and conditioning. For this reason, I feel that it is import to write some articles about it in the hopes of shining some new light on an old favorite.
• Big Bad Bench Press II
  
  Since everybody that has ever been in a gym has done the traditional flat, decline, and incline bench press exercises, there is really no need give them much discussion. Rather, I am going to say something that may surprise you. If you what to have a big bench, do not do these lifts..
• Big Bad Bench Press III
  
  As I have discussed in many of my training articles, I think it is very import to train with a wide variety of movements. Not only does this keep training interesting, but also it keeps the body in the earlier stages of learning and in a constant state of adaptation.
• How to Increase Your Vertical Jump An Excerpt
  
  At first glance, jumping appears relatively simple, and I suppose that if you take it in its most primal form, it may be. However, when we analyze jumping while it is interlaced with other athletic skills, it becomes an extremely complex set of motor skills.
• Multi-Directional Acclimatization Program
  
  The following 24 workouts are designed to prepare your athletes for heavier and more dynamic loading variables. This protocol can be utilized as on acclimatization program for any sport that is multi-directional.
• Shoulder Training For the Throwing Athlete Using the Speed Sled
  
  The speed sled is such a great tool, yet very few people take advantage of all it has to offer. With a little creative ingenuity and the ability to think outside the box, coaches and athletes can experience a completely new world full of great training opportunity.
• Shoulder Training For the Throwing Athlete Using Weight
  
  Over the past decade, many wonderful training techniques have evolved which have made training the throwing athlete more efficient and much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, we have not been completely able to prevent injury to the throwing shoulder.
• Shoulder Training For the Throwing Athlete Using Body Weight
  
  In the final chapter of the shoulder training for the throwing athlete saga, I am going to discuss the use of the hand walk and its many variations. The hand walk series is a creative way to train the shoulders. I have incorporated many of these drills into my warm-up and workout proper.
• 5 Cutting Edge Way To Optimize Your Strength For Sport
  
  Optimizing the transfer of strength from the weight room to the playing environment involves using exercises that develop “athletic” strength. Since many of the forces encountered in the realm of athletics require us to produce and apply horizontal (not vertical), rotational (not linear), and proprioceptively demanding types of strength, loading these kinds of movements in the weight room carry over very well to sport.
• Blast Your Chest and Triceps
  
  Are you tired of going to the gym and busting your tail doing the same old upper body routine just to see minimal progress at best? Are you bored with your training program and need some variety. Discover how you can dramatically improve your strength and physique with these 10 high-powered push up variations!!!
• Unlock the Secrets to Ultimate Core Strength for Baseball
  
  The truth about how to build superior strength and power for bat speed has finally been released. Now you can develop the bat splintering power or the pros and dramatically improve your game.