Ask a Strength Coach

[jonmd123]

I have some free time this afternoon, so I figured I would post this and see if anyone had any questions.

I have been working as a strength coach for 6 years now, both at the college level and as the owner of a sports performance facility, so hopefully I can answer most of your training questions. Please, no injury questions and be as specific as possible. Questions like "what is the best program for a football player?" and "what is the best exercise to make me jump higher?" are not going to get answered. If you want a generic off-season program, PM your email and I can send you one. Here is my thread on the topic - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...aining+program.

Ask away...

[iHATEnumberTWO]

thoughts on cluster sets for strength development? (e.g 3x1,1,1,1,1)

[iHATEnumberTWO]

also:

do you make your athletes track macros? does carb/fat intake matter in regards to body composition?

how do you organize in-season lifting? thanks!

[jonmd123]

thoughts on cluster sets for strength development? (e.g 3x1,1,1,1,1)

I like them. I prefer them as a tool to train strength-speed, opposed to absolute strength. I use them the most with the hex bar deadlift.

[jonmd123]

also:

do you make your athletes track macros? does carb/fat intake matter in regards to body composition?

how do you organize in-season lifting? thanks!

I don't "make" anyone, but I do track some. It's something I'm pushing more of lately because I feel so many athletes have no idea how many calories they are eating, or they are way off on how many calories they are burning. Dealing with minors makes it a little complicated, though. I think some parents feel like their parenting is being questioned if you suggest their kids should be eating a certain way - it's always a balancing act.

Yes, macros matter. If your ratio is off by too much, it is hard to have a decent muscle/body fat ratio. I know some people have success with a keto diet, but I don't think that is realistic for most people, and it would not be ideal for athletes.

In-season training is about stimulating the body with as little stress as possible. Low volume. Little/No Olympic lifting. Reduced Plyos. Etc.

[hamacam]

How many times a week should a football player do conditioning/agility/speed drills? also is one day of plyos enough for a football player=

[Bignik92]

a good rugby league conditioning drill for after weights? Rower bike or running?

An example of one I would normally do would be 10 X 200m in under 40 seconds with40 rest

[jonmd123]

How many times a week should a football player do conditioning/agility/speed drills? also is one day of plyos enough for a football player=

I would do speed and agility work 2-5x/week - less in the off-season, more in the pre-season. Just remember, it should be short and sweet. 10-15 minutes prior to a strength session is plenty.

We don't do individual plyo sessions, they are built into our strength training programs. The number of days you do them isn't important, it matters how many total jumps you do. It's hard to give a number because the exercise you select, your strength, and your experience level will dictate what your body can handle, but less is usually better.

[jonmd123]

a good rugby league conditioning drill for after weights? Rower bike or running?

An example of one I would normally do would be 10 X 200m in under 40 seconds with40 rest

I'm guessing you don't run 200m on the pitch often? I feel the best conditioning drills are the ones that match game conditions - usually short sprints with short rest periods.

I'm sure Krakkerz could chime in and help you out better.

[Bignik92]

Your not doing them to mimic the game your doing them to develop your alactic, anaerobic and aerobic energy systems ?

Short sprints are more speed development and alactic emergy system aren't they?

[jonmd123]

Your not doing them to mimic the game your doing them to develop your alactic, anaerobic and aerobic energy systems ?

Short sprints are more speed development and alactic emergy system aren't they?

You are trying to develop your energy systems in a way that best matches the energy demands of your sport. Have you ever heard of someone doing all kinds of conditioning work, yet when competition starts, they aren't in "game shape?" This is because the energy demands of the sport itself were different than how they were training. Running 200 meters gets you good at running 200 meters, not rugby. Of course, there will be some carry over, but your time and energy would be better spent focused on doing short sprints with short rest periods or doing some sort of sprint-jog combination.

Outside of the academic world, it's best not to get catch up on whether something is ATP-CP or lactic or oxidative - all energy systems are working at all times and it's impossible to train one without the others.

[Todayisforme]

Hoping you might be able to help...

Many years ago I had a lateral dislocation of my right knee, while doing a tug-of-war and the person in front of me fell onto my leg. Relocation was no problem, it actually went back in right away when I stood up and tried to walk on it. I did go to the ER, they did agree it was a dislocation, there was an amazing amount of swelling and pain. I've never had surgery, and I happen to be hyper-mobile. I don't have any pain associated with the knee, but ever since the injury happened I've had to be extremely careful with my right leg. I used to kickbox and after the injury I continued to work out, but stopped going into the ring because I was worried about taking a kick to my right leg and I had to be meticulously careful with plants. Even today there are certain movements and sports which I simply don't feel comfortable doing because there have been times when I've felt it start to come out and the leg buckle.

Best exercise to strengthen the muscles around the knee without putting a lot of stress on the joint? I do squats, leg presses, curls, extensions and lunges. Lunges are a little scary for me, I have to be really careful how I do them.

Thank you in advance

[jonmd123]

Hoping you might be able to help...

Many years ago I had a lateral dislocation of my right knee, while doing a tug-of-war and the person in front of me fell onto my leg. Relocation was no problem, it actually went back in right away when I stood up and tried to walk on it. I did go to the ER, they did agree it was a dislocation, there was an amazing amount of swelling and pain. I've never had surgery, and I happen to be hyper-mobile. I don't have any pain associated with the knee, but ever since the injury happened I've had to be extremely careful with my right leg. I used to kickbox and after the injury I continued to work out, but stopped going into the ring because I was worried about taking a kick to my right leg and I had to be meticulously careful with plants. Even today there are certain movements and sports which I simply don't feel comfortable doing because there have been times when I've felt it start to come out and the leg buckle.

Best exercise to strengthen the muscles around the knee without putting a lot of stress on the joint? I do squats, leg presses, curls, extensions and lunges. Lunges are a little scary for me, I have to be really careful how I do them.

Thank you in advance

I wouldn't be able to give you any medical advice, but it sounds like you are doing the right exercises to strengthen your legs.

[theFutureD]

Alright.. I got a few questions. How to implement shock plyos (drop and depth jumps) into my training? I can deadlift 2xBW (yesterday hit 2 reps with it) and squat at least 1.5x BW.

And how to progress with Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats? With DB's I do fine. However, with a barbell on my back.. I feel like I don't control the weight.. but the other way around. Help?

[jonmd123]

Alright.. I got a few questions. How to implement shock plyos (drop and depth jumps) into my training? I can deadlift 2xBW (yesterday hit 2 reps with it) and squat at least 1.5x BW.

And how to progress with Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats? With DB's I do fine. However, with a barbell on my back.. I feel like I don't control the weight.. but the other way around. Help?

Any high intensity plyos, like depth jumps, should be used sparingly until you know how your body will handle them. You can insert them into your program before weights or use them in a complex with a squat or deadlift. Use a smaller box than you think you should - they should be fast.

I only do front loaded split squats with the barbell unless there is an injury to to the shoulder, elbow, or wrist. It should put you in a better posture and engage your core better.

Try these out - https://www.********.com/DreesPerfor...3610120738206/

[adamsz]

What is your best 1RM on bench, squat and deadlift?

[Todayisforme]

I apologize for the poor phrasing, I realize you can't give me medical advice the question wasn't intended to ask for it. It's just one of many old injuries, I thought be aware of the injury may make it easier.

Maybe a better question. Is there something I can do so the lunges don't feel so wobbly? Everything else I do is fine, really there is no risk of me blowing out my knee doing the lunge, it just feels wobbly on the right side. I've only been back on weight training since Nov, simply because I didn't get my hiney off the couch.

I was thinking it might be better not to do lunges at all right now or trade them for a side lunge (I've done them using kettle bell and it's fine) and focus on other exercises to build the strength in the knee. Or maybe to only do them unweighted, or to use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

[jonmd123]

What is your best 1RM on bench, squat and deadlift?

I've never competed, but in the gym:

Bench - 285
Squat - 415
Deadlift - 475

2016 Goal is to hit 300, 400, 500 all in the same day @ 190lbs or less

[jonmd123]

I apologize for the poor phrasing, I realize you can't give me medical advice the question wasn't intended to ask for it. It's just one of many old injuries, I thought be aware of the injury may make it easier.

Maybe a better question. Is there something I can do so the lunges don't feel so wobbly? Everything else I do is fine, really there is no risk of me blowing out my knee doing the lunge, it just feels wobbly on the right side. I've only been back on weight training since Nov, simply because I didn't get my hiney off the couch.

I was thinking it might be better not to do lunges at all right now or trade them for a side lunge (I've done them using kettle bell and it's fine) and focus on other exercises to build the strength in the knee. Or maybe to only do them unweighted, or to use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

If your knee wobbles with a lunge, there is a good chance your abductors aren't kick in properly. You could try looping a resistance band around your knee and tying it to a squat rack. Set up so the band pulls your knee inwards and force it out against the resistance.

[Todayisforme]

Thank you very much. I'll give it a try

[TsunamiSam]

Is it correct to weight train and play a sport, lacrosse, on the same day, and then take the next day off to recover, or should you try and break the two activities up?

I play Lacrosse an average of 3 days per week (this will probably rise), and lift 3 days a week on a full body program(Jason Blaha's Novice 5x5)

My nutrition is on point, and I get at least 8 hours of sleep per night

[jonmd123]

Is it correct to weight train and play a sport, lacrosse, on the same day, and then take the next day off to recover, or should you try and break the two activities up?

I play Lacrosse an average of 3 days per week (this will probably rise), and lift 3 days a week on a full body program(Jason Blaha's Novice 5x5)

My nutrition is on point, and I get at least 8 hours of sleep per night

Are you doing them back-to-back? I think if you have a few hours of rest in between you are fine to do them on the same day. Total work to total rest is more important than what you are doing day-to-day. Sometime, it's fine to workout hard 3, 4, 5 days in a row, as long as you are getting your rest.

[Bills10]

So everybody has heard that you shouldn't do depth jumps until you're squatting at least 1.5x body weight. Is their a prerequisite of strength for getting the most out of dynamic speed squats or Olympic lifts? So with speed squats you do them with 50-60% of your 1rm squat. Is their any point of doing those if you're not strong? When is somebody better off concentrating on increasing power vs just getting stronger? Hope that makes sense.

[x ShAnE x]

This may have been covered some before so I apologize as I only skimmed through the previous questions.

I work with three kids in my spare time on becoming better football players and athletes in general. At the moment we do not do any weight lifting. We go to the field and practice fundamentals for their positions 3x a week since they are in their first year of HS this is best for my schedule and also what I figured would be best to start them with.

Their stats are as follows:
Kid A: 9th grade 14yo 6'1 165lbs played d. end last year wants to convert to TE stuggles with being slow and uncoordinated due to a growth spurt. also coming off shoulder surgery and had a poll-up removed.
Kid B: 9th grade 14yo ~5'9" 175lbs played QB, WR, RB will most likely play QB and DB if he can keep his weight down he will be bluechip but hes naturally built thicker in the legs and torso (kid is an outstanding athlete, starts varsity basketball and leads team in everything but rebounds)
Kid C: 8th grade 14yo ~5'7" 150lbs played QB, WR has a hell of an arm and good speed but this is my challenge kid..ADD all the way but working on breaking him from staying out of trouble. Have to work on his footwork constantly. very uncoordinated and cant get him in a natural, comfortable athletic stance but making progress.

So basically:
1. When I start to introduce them to weights what do you recommend as a program? Because they will most likely be playing skill positions (aside from the one I think will end up playing D. End or LB) this is kinda new territory for me as I played everything not a skill position. Id like to focus on athleticism and if strength comes with it then thatd be a welcomed plus.

2. I've coached at a minor level. Ive discovered that working with kids more one-on-one and being a mentor to them is my passion. I truly feel that it's what I was put here to do. How can I further my education in Sports Medicine, Athletic Development and Strength Training?

3. In follow-up to the previous question how did you go about starting your own facility? Real estate is cheap enough here but surely theres more to it than just buying a building and equipment and opening up. I live in a sports hotbed but we're also one of the most at risk areas in the Southeast. We need something like this.

Thanks for your time brother. I appreciate you making this thread!

EDIT: Also I dont expect you to take too much time on my question but I do have some videos of our practices if youre interested in checking them out. Thanks again.

[jonmd123]

So everybody has heard that you shouldn't do depth jumps until you're squatting at least 1.5x body weight. Is their a prerequisite of strength for getting the most out of dynamic speed squats or Olympic lifts? So with speed squats you do them with 50-60% of your 1rm squat. Is their any point of doing those if you're not strong? When is somebody better off concentrating on increasing power vs just getting stronger? Hope that makes sense.

I don't think there is a prerequisite for doing explosive movements, but you probably aren't going to see much improvement until you have a strong base of strength. High speed force cannot be created, it needs to be developed from absolute force - you'll never be able to create more force moving something fast than you can moving something slow.

Often times, strength is the best way to develop speed. Imagine how slow a 135lb squat moves when it is 100% of your max. Now, imagine how fast you could move it if your max way 300lb.

[jonmd123]

This may have been covered some before so I apologize as I only skimmed through the previous questions.

I work with three kids in my spare time on becoming better football players and athletes in general. At the moment we do not do any weight lifting. We go to the field and practice fundamentals for their positions 3x a week since they are in their first year of HS this is best for my schedule and also what I figured would be best to start them with.

Their stats are as follows:
Kid A: 9th grade 14yo 6'1 165lbs played d. end last year wants to convert to TE stuggles with being slow and uncoordinated due to a growth spurt. also coming off shoulder surgery and had a poll-up removed.
Kid B: 9th grade 14yo ~5'9" 175lbs played QB, WR, RB will most likely play QB and DB if he can keep his weight down he will be bluechip but hes naturally built thicker in the legs and torso (kid is an outstanding athlete, starts varsity basketball and leads team in everything but rebounds)
Kid C: 8th grade 14yo ~5'7" 150lbs played QB, WR has a hell of an arm and good speed but this is my challenge kid..ADD all the way but working on breaking him from staying out of trouble. Have to work on his footwork constantly. very uncoordinated and cant get him in a natural, comfortable athletic stance but making progress.

So basically:
1. When I start to introduce them to weights what do you recommend as a program? Because they will most likely be playing skill positions (aside from the one I think will end up playing D. End or LB) this is kinda new territory for me as I played everything not a skill position. Id like to focus on athleticism and if strength comes with it then thatd be a welcomed plus.

2. I've coached at a minor level. Ive discovered that working with kids more one-on-one and being a mentor to them is my passion. I truly feel that it's what I was put here to do. How can I further my education in Sports Medicine, Athletic Development and Strength Training?

3. In follow-up to the previous question how did you go about starting your own facility? Real estate is cheap enough here but surely theres more to it than just buying a building and equipment and opening up. I live in a sports hotbed but we're also one of the most at risk areas in the Southeast. We need something like this.

Thanks for your time brother. I appreciate you making this thread!

EDIT: Also I dont expect you to take too much time on my question but I do have some videos of our practices if youre interested in checking them out. Thanks again.

1. If you'd like you can PM me your email and I can send you something. At their age and with their stats, strength/hypertrophy is about the only thing you should focus on with them - stick with the basics.

2. Do you have a degree? Getting a degree in exercise science or simpler area of study would be a good start. You could contact a facility in your area and see if you could shadow them for a few days and maybe work out an unpaid internship.

3. You're right, there is much more to opening a facility than just finding a location and buying equipment. You are going to want to have a successful track record for 5-10 years before venturing out on your own. One, to see if you actually like the career path. Two, to see if you can make a sustained income out of coaching people.

[Bills10]

Ok thank you for your feedback. One last question. Since I don't have a coach to show me Olympic lifts(cleans, snatch etc) do you think dynamic box squats are comparable to those lifts for increasing explosiveness? If you think they are, what loading do you recommend and do you recommend parallel or slightly below parallel for the box? My goal is to increase my vertical. Thanks

[jonmd123]

Ok thank you for your feedback. One last question. Since I don't have a coach to show me Olympic lifts(cleans, snatch etc) do you think dynamic box squats are comparable to those lifts for increasing explosiveness? If you think they are, what loading do you recommend and do you recommend parallel or slightly below parallel for the box? My goal is to increase my vertical. Thanks

Well, we use zero BB Olympic lifts with our athletes, so I would say yes, explosive squat and deadlift variations are comparable, if not better at developing explosiveness. Loads can vary, but you're probably safe anywhere between 50-80%. To improve your vertical, I would use a box set just above parallel - you don't need a ton of hip flexion during a vertical jump. Here's an idea of what I mean - https://www.********.com/DreesPerfor...type=3&theater.

[Bills10]

Ok I lied one last thing  how wide of a stance should I use and do you touch and go on the box or momentarily pause a second to break up the eccentric and concentric. I watch videos online and I see both ways done.

[theFutureD]

Well, we use zero BB Olympic lifts with our athletes, so I would say yes, explosive squat and deadlift variations are comparable, if not better at developing explosiveness. Loads can vary, but you're probably safe anywhere between 50-80%. To improve your vertical, I would use a box set just above parallel - you don't need a ton of hip flexion during a vertical jump. Here's an idea of what I mean - https://www.********.com/DreesPerfor...type=3&theater.

In this regard, I have a question. So I just pulled 2xBW recently for 2 reps just to retest it... I guess I have a solid base of strength for efficient DE days? I just did first true DE day yesterday so wondering about it lol