Teaching Triple Extension

Want to work on improving everything from linear sprint speed, power, change of direction, force production, vertical jump, and deceleration strength? I know, who doesn’t, right? These qualities should be included in the very definition of athletic success.

The triple extension is a huge key aspect to unlocking all of these qualities in concert. It is also the component that is common through virtually all the movements that come to mind when thinking about the ideal strong, fast, and powerful athlete. Some good examples are a wrestler shooting, a sprinter coming off the blocks, throwers at the point of release, the vertical jump in a volleyball attack, etc.

What is Triple Extension?

Triple extension is the simultaneous extension of three joints: ankle, knee, and hip. Getting all of these areas to extend powerfully at the perfect moment is a beautiful and natural occurrence. Mess it up and, well, it looks really bad…

Why should Triple Extension be taught, developed, and progressed?

Again, if you’re looking to unlock and develop the athletic potential in yourself or an athlete under your guidance, then triple extension work is a must. Perfection of this movement during training will result in a faster, more powerful athlete on the court, field, or mat. And if you’re faster and more powerful, you WILL be more successful and less injury prone.

Teaching Progressions:

1. Basic Bodyweight Strength Exercises – pushups, pull-ups, body weight squats, body weight lunges, etc. should all be considered foundational portions of any athletic development program and should NEVER be skipped. Trust me, no one is “too advanced” for this type of work. These movements have their place in any program whether they appear in the warm-up or the body of the training session.
2. Medicine Ball Overhead Throw – this particular exercise allows triple extension to occur. However, I like using other MB variations to teach a powerful hip extension like a Scoop Throw. I suggest 2-3 sets of 4-6 repetitions for beginners and 3 sets of 2-5 repetitions for more advanced athletes.
3. Broad Jump and Vertical Jump Variations – these are fantastic because you can add subtle variations almost endlessly to increase or decrease intensity/difficulty for every athlete’s needs. Plus, this is a great opportunity to teach takeoff and landing technique to avoid the dreaded and dangerous knee collapse. Common variations I use regularly include: broad jump, burpee to broad jump, single leg broad jump, vertical jump, hot ground to vertical jump, vertical jump to single leg landing, etc, etc, etc… Sets and reps are the same as med balls at 2-3 sets of 4-6 repetitions for beginners and 3 sets of 2-5 repetitions for more advanced athletes.
4. Sprint Variations – Numbers 1-3 are progressed over the course of at least 12-weeks for beginners (less for more advanced athletes), sprinting variations can be added to encourage exceptional high quality triple extension repetitions. Generally for this application of sprints the distance should be kept quite short. I find 5-20 yards hits the right spot. At this point we should be dealing with an athlete that can, minimally, be considered “intermediate” in level and with that qualification I suggest 6-20 sets of 1-3 repetitions at a distance of 5-20 yards. The higher the number of sets, the shorter the distance and the lower the number of reps should be. Oh, and be sure to allow for full recovery for achieving power and speed development.
5. Speed Squats – Hands down my favorite style of lower body exercise. This movement type teaches athletes how to produce force by pushing hard into the ground and accelerating up as fast as possible. These variations include the traditional Speed Squat, Wave Squat, and Jump Squat. Speed squat variations should ONLY be used with ADVANCED athletes. I suggest 6-10 sets of 2-3 reps with about 45-seconds rest between sets. Weight should be kept at 55-65% of the athlete’s 1RM squat.
6. Olympic Lifting Variations – Please take note that this is the absolute last suggestion of my list of progressions for teaching the Triple Extension, but it is the variation that inexperienced (and in my opinion misguided) coaches frequently jump to first. Olympic lift variations have their place with highly advanced and elite level athletes. However, I rarely use them. Why? Because through my experience I have found that one can elicit faster and greater gains via cycling through numbers 1-5. However, I do use them sparingly with some athletes. I have to admit the athleticism required for Oly lifts can make executing them a lot of fun, but there is a requirement of athleticism!! It makes me sick to my stomach how many coaches are on some kind of auto-inclusion of each and every Olympic variation for each and every athlete. What a mistake! Including these in a program too soon leads to poor form and execution which means you’re not getting that much bang-for your-buck with the movements (i.e., wasting time) and would be better off regressing to something more straightforward. Anyway, some great variations include the jump shrug, high pull, hang clean, etc. Keep the sets moderate and reps LOW.

You really can’t make a mistake if you cool your jets and follow this progression slowly. Remember, untrained athletes will get stronger and faster with very little stimulus. So take your time and learn to enjoy and respect the process!

Fall Your Way to Faster Sprint Times: The Falling Start

Who doesn't want to sprint faster? Whether you're a competitive athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone who wants to win the next random "tough guy" challenge at a BBQ, the ability to sprint quickly certainly can't be a negative addition to your toolbox.

It's tough to find a better means of true plyometric training than sprinting, and, on top of that, there are few human movements that simply feel more "freeing" than sprinting. There's no denying that it's just plain fun.

However, most of us find ourselves in a devilish conundrum here: Sprinting faster - and safely - isn't just about going out and sprinting. Why, you ask?

1. Most people simply lack the strength to efficiently decelerate (and subsequently accelerate) during each stride. The remedy to this lies in ensuring your involvement in a sound strength training regimen. I discussed the "why" behind the importance of strength for increased speed in the Improving My Son's 60-Yard Dash Q & A I wrote last year (see the third point), so I'm not going to bore you here.
2. The majority of us move like crap. As such, heading out to the track for 100yd repeats for our first "sprint" session is a recipe for pulled adductors, hamstrings, and hip flexors (admittedly, this happened to me in college so I'm allowed to make fun of those that currently do it). Given that most people sit the majority of the day, possess glaring flexibility deficits, and haven't sprinted in a while, going balls-to-the-wall right off the bat is about as intelligent as thinking you can win a cage match against Wolverine.**

This being said, I prefer to ease people into sprinting, utilizing short bouts of 80% intensity to begin with. These will typically be completed at 20-yards OR LESS. This way, the person won't be able to reach full acceleration and reduce the risk of incurring an "ouchie." Not to mention, nearly everyone's sprint times can be lower by working on the first ten yards alone, due to the fact that the start of the sprint is where you lose most of your time.

Here's a drill I like to use to ease into sprinting, on top of helping teach someone how to produce large amounts of force into the ground:

Falling Start

Some of the key points:

• Fall. Seriously, fall forward as far as possible. You want to lean so far that you would literally fall on your face if your feet don't catch up to you. This is critical to creating the momentum we're looking for in acceleration, as well as nearly (but not completely) approximating the body angle required for acceleration one would experience out of the blocks. This is where Matthew (the one demonstrating) is better at this drill than the majority of people I've seen do it, as most tend to think they've leaned further forward than they actually have.
• As you lean forward onto the balls of your feet, be sure to keep the hips forward (i.e. body should be stiff as board, like you're a falling plank...no bending at the waist).
• As you drive out of the fall, maintain that forward lean and be vigorous with your arm action. Drive those elbows "front to back" and keep the palms open/relaxed (again, Matthew does a pretty good job with this).
• Try your best to keep the chin tucked throughout the acceleration, too. The only main critique I have for Matthew's demo is that he looked up - hyperextending his neck - as he drove out of the start.
• Keep your sprint distance to 10-20 yards, especially in the early stages of training. In the video, Matthew only accelerates through the eight yard mark before slowing down.

There you have it. While there are countless drills you can use to "improve that first step," I really like this one for people just starting out with their sprint work, as well as mixing in the programs of those toward the "advanced" side of the spectrum, too.

**unless your name is Magneto.

CrossFit: Friend or Foe?

Due to the number of questions I've received - both in person and via email - regarding my thoughts on CrossFit, I thought it'd be best to briefly touch on this in a blog post. CrossFit has been rapidly growing in popularity among athletes and general fitness enthusiasts alike, and there's no doubt the training philosophy/method of CrossFit is a hot topic on the internet, largely due to the fact of how controversial it is. Before I continue, it's important I make a couple clarifying statements:

1. I do not personally "do CrossFit," but the purpose of this post is not to bash another approach to training. I think it's about time we cease getting our underwear up in a bunch because someone has a different way of training than we do (this goes for CrossFitters and non-CrossFitters alike). Also, I feel quite strongly against putting someone (or, I guess in this case, something else) down in order to build myself up. If you're so insecure about your beliefs, values, methods, etc. that your first instinct is to berate someone else in order to make yourself look good, then you have many other problems to worry about other than the fact that someone else believes something different than you do. Let's save the bad-mouthing and finger pointing for the politicians, shall we?
2. The concerns I'm going to address are exclusively related to the CrossFit main site, NOT every CrossFit coach/gym/affiliate out there. I am well aware that there are some VERY qualified coaches running CrossFit gyms, and more power to them. For instance, Kelly Starrett of the Mobility Project is preaching a fantastic message by encouraging everyone improve their movement quality via specific mobility drills. John McBrien advocates the prioritization of technique over volume, which is something that CrossFitters are often accused of ignoring. Similarly, there are countless other instructors out there that ensure safe and effective programming/teaching of their clients.

Moving on, I'll do my best to answer the question as succinctly as possible. Understand that my thoughts are largely based off the population I work with (primarily high school and college athletes), and, again, I'm addressing concerns specifically related to what is publicly posted on the main site, not at everyone who works under the CrossFit umbrella.

Were I to coach within a CrossFit affiliate, here are a few "tweaks" I would make in my own programming, compared to the main site "WOD:"

1. Individualize the Programs

Taken directly from the website, everyone performing the WOD (or "Workout of the Day") does the exact same thing, albeit with different loads/intensities:

Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.

The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.

The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our terrorist hunters, skiers, mountain bike riders and housewives have found their best fitness from the same regimen.

This, right here, is the largest red flag. Maybe it's because I worked as a physical therapist aid, completed rotations in cardiac rehab clinics, and now work as a performance coach, but I can confidently say that I would train an elite athlete far differently than I would train an elderly individual whose heart is on the brink of failing. To do otherwise would be inconsiderate and downright dangerous.

Should most people squat? Yes. Should most people learn to pick heavy things off the ground? Yes. I can see where they're coming from there. However, I don't think there's any denying that each and every person has a unique training history, medical history, training goals, etc. that warrant an individual program written for that specific person.

Using just one example, throughout this Summer we (SAPT) have been working with a Division 1, national-level sprinter who is pretty darn close to his genetic potential. During his particular hour of training, we also work with a 41-year old man who sits at a desk 40+ hours per week. To give these individuals the exact same program (even with different loads/intensities), would be ignoring the fact that safe and effective programming is a precise course of action centered around the unique needs, deficiencies, and goals of each person under our watch.

Furthermore, many of the routines place tremendous stress on the shoulder girdle (ex. high volume of overhead pressing, muscle-ups, ring dips, etc.). Not that this is always unwarranted (remember: there's no such thing as contraindicated exercises, just contraindicated lifters), but - for the overhead athletes I work with - these routines could quickly lead down the road of surgery and PT rather than championship titles.

Again, I realize that many CrossFit instructors don't operate under the exact wording of the quote on the website, and I'm not sure how literal the authors intended their statement to be, so I can't completely judge. I would just personally choose to take a different approach to programming.

2. Incorporate Unilateral Work

Every main site WOD I've looked at is composed of bilateral lifts, exclusively. While there's no denying that squats and deadlifts should be a staple of most programs, there is still a training effect that can only be attained by working one limb at a time.

Given that the majority of athletics involve planting one foot on ground at a time (read: running), unilateral work can be a fantastic tool for physical preparation of sport. Single-leg (and single-arm) exercises simply address asymmetries, injury risk reduction, and key muscular stabilizers in a manner that bilateral movements do not. Not to mention, single-leg variations can also be extremely practical for someone who is not meant to squat (due to injury or biomechanical make-up).

3. Form Should Never Be Compromised In Training. Ever.

My number one goal as a strength coach is to keep my athletes and general fitness clients free of injury. As Dan John recently wrote:

It is "almost" okay to get injured in competition, but it's insane to get hurt in preparation

Due to the incredibly high volume, and low/zero rest periods, in most of the main site WODs, I would feel very uncomfortable programming those workouts for the majority of the clientele at SAPT. It would be near impossible to maintain good form, and thus reduce risk of injury, while performing heavy compound lifts during a high state of fatigue.

4. Limit the Volume of the Olympic Lifts, as well as the Squats and Deadlifts (most of the time).

Scrolling through the website, I found multiple workouts prescribing power cleans, snatches, overhead squats, etc. for upwards of fifteen reps in a row. Again, I understand many CrossFit coaches don't approve of this, but still, why even have them up there?

The O-lifts require a TREMENDOUS amount of skill and practice to perform safely and effectively, and are intended to be used in a manner that develop power/rate of force development, not aerobic capacity.

I'm not saying to avoid thinking outside the box, but at the same time I believe there should be a certain reverence held for the big lifts (squats/deads) and the olympic lifts. When utilizing these lifts for reps of 10+, you're no longer working on power augmentation but aerobic adaptations. I would personally prefer to choose one of the countless other means of improving aerobic capacity over the olympic lifts, due to the risk of ingraining poor technique (or even worse, injury) involved.

5. Develop a Progressive Plan for Each Individual, Rather than Focus on Constant Variance.

One of the site's pride and joy seems to center around the fact that each workout is "constantly varied." While I can imagine the creators of the site can back this up with an argument (which is great, and I respect that), I'd personally avoid variance just for the sake of having variance.

If working with a general fitness population that only wants the gym to be an outlet to experience fun, learn new things, and be around like-minded people, this is great! However, when preparing an athlete for a competitive season or a particular competition day, it's necessary to put together a progressive and thought-out plan, and this requires more than just throwing a bunch of play dough at the wall to see what sticks.

Summary

Again, the purpose of this post isn't to point out "flaws" in another training system.In reality, any coach could walk into a gym or performance center (mine included) and point at happenings they don't agree with and/or feel are "wrong." It doesn't really take an intelligent person to do this. That's one of the beauties of the training industry, and I personally think this can make for many thought-provoking and healthy debates.

Also, realize that CrossFit is a sport! The CrossFit games now take place each year. As such, if you're training to compete in the CrossFit games, then it'd probably be best to utilize this system. But, for the athletes I work with who compete in multiple other sports, it's prudent for me to take a different approach to help them with their sport.

I once had a friend who told me that CrossFit was the best thing that gets him into the gym everyday. If this is the case for you, and you're having fun and remaining injury-free, then by all means continue to go. I'd hope I'm not to arrogant and tunnel-visioned not to acknowledge when someone else in the industry is providing a positive experience for someone. I also believe CrossFit is doing some solid things through the following:

• Encouraging people to learn the basic movements (squat, push, pull, carry)
• To train in an environment that provides camaraderie and accountability. I've heard awesome tales about the general CrossFit training environment/atmosphere, and given this is a key element lacking in many gyms I encourage everyone to find a place (CrossFit or elsewhere) that can "pick you up when you're down."
• CrossFit tends to be insanely popular amongst the female population. Considering that many of us in the training industry have to fight tooth and nail to smite the myriad damaging myths the media puts out to women regarding their bodies and roles in the gym, I think this is fantastic.

While this topic could be debated for hours on end, I hope I didn't lose most of you and/or cause you to begin your first draft of hate mail.

Here's to lifting heavy things. *holds glass up*

How to Deal with Suboptimal Training Situations

Over the weekend I put together a possible program for some athletes who are in a bit of a pinch to pass a 400m repeat test (that they just failed) in one month. Before you get all excited and scroll down, let me qualify this program with a few points:

1. This program is NOT ideal –track style training should be undertaken when one has around 12-weeks to dedicate, minimally.
2. These athletes are not long-distance sprinters (or anything close), they just need to pass this test.
3. Bottom line, the athletes in question could use some overall general physical preparation and aerobic improvement (i.e., why they failed in the first place). So, regardless of sport specificity, this program will provide worlds of improvement for their baseline conditioning and that’s good for any athlete.
4. The “Q” workouts stand for Quality and to get best results should be combined with 20-30min non-impact cardiovascular training on the other days of the week. These sessions will be recovery/base building sessions and heart rate should be monitored to stay within the suggested zone.
5. General strength training 2-3 days per week should be undertaken in concert with this program.
6. Because these athletes are not accustomed to running on a track for these extended distances, all efforts should be made to encourage recovery and regeneration. SMR (foam rolling), static & active stretching, dynamic warm-ups, ice baths, and post-training (all day would be even better) nutrition should all be addressed to stave off any potential problems.

WEEK 1 Q1 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 2x400m (2-3min Walking Rest) 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q2 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 3x600m (3-4min Walking Rest) 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q3 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 1x800m (1min Rest) 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down

WEEK 3 Q1 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 3x400m (2-3min Walking Rest) 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q2 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 4x600m (3-4min Walking Rest) 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q3 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 2x800m (1min Rest) 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down

WEEK 2 Q1 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 3x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 2x400m (2-3min Walking Rest) 1x600m (4-min Walking Rest) 2x400m (2-3min Walking Rest) 3x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q2 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 20-min Steady Pace 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q3 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 6x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 1x800m (3min Rest) 6x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down

WEEK 4 Q1 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 2x400m (2-3min Walking Rest) 1x600m (4-min Walking Rest) 2x400m (2-3min Walking Rest) 4x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q2 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 20-min Steady Pace 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down Q3 Workout: 10-min Jog at Easy Pace to Warm-up 6x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 2x800m (3min Rest) 6x200m (1-2min Walking Rest) 5-min Jog at Easy Pace to Cool-down

Oftentimes as a coach or an athlete you get caught between a “rock and a hard place.” Training variables and conditions are rarely perfect and you constantly have to find the right fit for the safest and most effective training plan given a suboptimal situation to yield the greatest result. Personally, I think this is a big reason why my “job” is pretty much nothing but fun all day, every day.

Anyway, as a strength coach (or an athlete designing his/her own program) you have to rise to each unique situation, analyze it, acknowledge that it is not ideal, then move on to create the best program you possibly can give the restraints. I wish “good luck” to the budding, but short-term 400m repeat sprinters over this next month!

As a side note, Arabella is already showing signs of her future status as an elite athlete. Here she is pictured furiously searching Daniel’s Running Formula for training paces associated with her VDOT score - Haha. She really did look through that book around for about 5-minutes.

On My Mind

1. One of SAPT’s long-term clients, Conrad, is having knee replacement surgery tomorrow morning. Through his dedication to total body strength training, Conrad has effectively managed to push this surgery off by at least 7-years beyond what his doctor originally predicted. That really goes to show you how important strength training is for the body in ways that extend well beyond superficial goals like looking good. There is no doubt in my mind that his recovery will be swift and smooth. Here is a video of 61-year old Conrad doing a 110-lb pull-up:
2. I’ve been thinking a lot lately of the validity of a general dynamic warm-up prior to competition for certain sports. Think about it, the general dynamic warm-up is designed to 1. elevate the heart-rate, 2. address muscular imbalances, 3. improve ROM and flexibility, and 4. can be used as an opportunity to work on body weight strength exercises. I actually wrote a post touting the benefits of general dynamic warm-ups for practices a few weeks ago. But, why do athletes need to work on numbers 2-4 before a game or match? They don’t. Instead, I suggest a specific dynamic warm-up in which the goal would be to elevate the heart rate and thoroughly warm-up the entire body by gradually progressing the team through sport specific drills that still take the body through all three planes of motion and important ranges of motion.
3. I achieved a bit of a personal milestone on Sunday. For the first time SAPT is able to act as a sponsor for George Mason University athletics. It was pretty cool listening to our promotional piece read over the loud speaker! Please consider supporting Mason athletics, too, this academic year. Our sponsorship money goes directly to the general athletic scholarship fund to directly help the hard-working student-athletes. SAPT signs and banners will be present all year long at: men’s and women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and baseball.
4. Fooducate Blog is one of my new “faves” check it out.
5. Keep your eyes peeled for my two new articles out in the September issues of Experience Life magazine and Volleyball magazine.

Cross-Training by Lifting Weights...?!?

Cross-Training by Lifting Weights – that’s the title of a New York Times article I found online. I like to peruse the Health section of the NY Times in an attempt to stay abreast of what mainstream people are reading regarding the health/fitness industry. Why the NY Times? They present researched information and, it seems, are genuinely interested in helping those attempting to navigate through all things Health related (not trick them into buying products or creating anxiety by twisting facts).

You may want to know if I read “muscle magazines” too – I do not… generally speaking, they’re all full of absolute nonsense.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“A more recent study of experienced runners by a group of Norwegian researchers confirmed that weight lifting could increase performance. One group did half squats with heavy weights three times a week while continuing a running program. The other group just ran. Those who did the squats improved their running efficiency and improved the length of time they could run before exhaustion set in…

… It is not known why weight lifting would improve performance, but investigators speculate that it may train supporting muscle fibers in the legs, allowing runners or cyclists to use them to augment muscles that get tired.”

Did you read the bolded portions?... I’ll wait while you read it again and let it sink in a bit…

1.     It IS known why weight lifting improves performance even in “experienced” (code for endurance) runners: strength training improves endurance by improving the mechanisms responsible for improving running economy. Things like posture, leg turnover, reducing perceived effort, reducing injuries, improving speed (especially up hills and on uneven terrain) are all the amazing and, apparently, “not known” by-products of a strength training program.

2.     Can you imagine the improvements that would have been recorded by having this group use a program that involved more than just 3x/week of half-squats? Well, I can! If this programming were in the hands of an experienced professional strength coach, this group of test subjects could look forward to getting way more bang-for-their-buck. A periodized plan containing unilateral (see example video below) and other accessory movements plus special physical preparation exercises would no doubt blow the control group out of the water!

The NY Times makes a great effort to present unbiased information, but I would love to see more depth in their fitness articles. The research already exists and their readers can handle it!

If you’re ready to join the mighty training ranks of SAPT and be guided by a group of coaches that is not the least bit surprised by the above findings, then don't wait one more second and contact us here!