In part two of Hierarchy of Success we discussed how to define your starting point.  To summarize, I discussed the importance of studying your athletes in their true environment and using your observations to validate their deficiencies as they relate to their requirements for success.  I have also shown you a multitude of exercises that I have used to dramatically improve my athletes performance.

 

Before I continue into part three, I would like for you to download one of my training programs. It is a workout from my 3d Strength Program and contains over 80 of the very exercises I use day in and day out with my athletes.  Real in the trenches training programming from my personal files.

 

You can download it from here: http://www.3dstrength.com/Sample3.html

 

Keep this workout close.  I will be referring to it often throughout this article.

 

Now, onto the Hierarchy of Success Part III

I have always thought of program design as an art and the drills and exercises used as the medium. Although anybody can draw a picture, it takes talent, hard work, and vision to truly capture “the essence” of the subject.  

 

The same holds true for program design.  Anybody can throw together a few exercises and claim it is the next best workout.  However, it takes a lot of knowledge and plenty of creativity and vision to design truely effective training programs.

 

I have always been known for my ability to design highly effective strength training programs.  Although I cannot teach you creativity and vision, I can provide you with the thought process behind my programs. 

 

Now I give you...my four key concepts of program design

*First concept-Focus on “Movement Strength” Not “Muscle Strength”

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!  Simple enough right?

 

I would like for you to look though the workout sample I have given you.  Notice how I utilize a large number of multi-joint multi-plane exercises throughout the program. 

 

*Second concept-Train Various EFVs

My friend Brian Grasso and I are always talking about my thoughts on the relationship of the external force vectors (EFV for short and lazy) found in sport and program design.

 

Just to clarify, an external force vector is really nothing more than the direction of “push” from an external load. For example, the EFV of gravity would be purely vertical since the forces of gravity push the body or object straight down toward the earth. Therefore the EFV or a barbell would be primarily vertical.

 

However, regardless of how omnipresent gravity is, it VERY rarely acts alone when an athlete is playing thier sport.

 

In a previous newsletter I discussed the HUGE role momentum plays in athletics. Since the forces of momentum typically occur outside of the vertical plane and play such a huge rule in how our bodies must “react” for compensation, it becomes imperative that we address them in our training.

 

This is why I have found horizontal and rotational loading to be such a powerful training tool.  Simply using bands, cables, and creative body positioning, we can begin to recreate the EFV's of sport within the weightroom and use them to train the athlete in postures that emulate those used within the sport.

 

If your focus is carry over from weightroom to the playing environment, this is a great way to accomplish your training goals!

 

Look through the workout I gave you one more time.  Note the variety of EFV's we utilize and the postures used to interact with them.  Note how I impliment various exercises and drills that create torque throughout the torso.  I apply drills that utilze rotation and drills that create resistance to rotation...2 VERY common requirements of the torso musculature in almost any sport!!!

 

*Third concept- Emphasize Varity

Lets start with some definitions for the term Adaptation:

1. An advantageous change in the function or constitution of an organ or tissue to meet new physiological conditions.
2. A property of certain receptors through which they become less responsive or cease to respond to repeated or continued stimuli of constant intensity

All training has 1 goal...adaptation. We apply a stimulus to the body, and then we want the body to respond to that stimulus in a manor that produces improvements in its future response to that and similar stimuli. 

 

adaptation is good adapted is bad

 

It does not take long for our bodies to adapt to the stresses we place upon them. After all, that is what they are designed to do...experience, adapt (improve), and overcome. Therefore, it makes sense that varity in exercise stimulus is important for keeping our bodies in a constant state of adaption.

This is easily seen when practicing a new skill. In the initial stages, change comes very quickly. As the skill gets perfected and the body becomes more “educated” on how to execute the skill, change becomes much harder to achieve.

I view strength training in much the same way. The exercises we use affect our bodies in numerous ways.

As we train a particular movement, our neurological adaptation to that movement becomes greater and greater.

Although this is the desired effect, the rate of that continued adaptation will gradually decrease over time rendering the exercise/drill less effective at producing the desired change.

It’s also important to consider the seemingly endless variety of movements encountered in sport.

The production of the forces required to generate these movements come from a varying and quite dynamically changing subset of musculature.

Therefore, it makes sense that “chronically” training with a limited number of exercises does not adequately address what is truly expected from your athletes bodies as they perform their sport.

Although you will probably never truly replicate every action an athlete will make, nor should you try, it is import to address the most vital ones. If you have done your homework, you will know what these are.

*Forth concept- Qualify Everything

I am a huge believer that a coach should be able to qualify…or justify…everything the do to their athletes. Buy this I mean every drill, every stretch, every exercise, etc you place in a program should have meaning.

If asked why a specific drill/stretch/exercise is done, there should always be a logical explanation that relates to that athletes needs and requirements. Exercises are the tools of your trade and you must truly understand them before you can make the most of their inherent values.

It is once you understand both “what” the exercise does and (more importantly) “why” it does it that you can really start to create the most effective training programs.

Well, that about sums up this newsletter. Next time I will delve a little deeper into the nuts and bolts of program design.

Until then, yours in strength,

Tony

PS. I have extended the sale until this Friday for this ”Must Have Training Resource” as quoted by Bill Hartman. www.3dStrength.com/Sample3.html