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Speed & Power Workout

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Double Rebound Jumps	#1, #2, #3	3	3-5	45-90"	4	2"

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The eccentric isometric double rebound jumping technique allows us to employ the best of all worlds when it comes to performance training as the athlete can clean up their form while also working on power output and force absorption. Read more about jumping mechanics in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/jumping-landing-eccentric-isometrics

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Inverted Rows with Slingshot Protoco	#1, #2, #3	3	5-6	60"	4-5	2-3"

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OPTION #1

(Note: If you don't have access to the band component needed for this exercise simply perform with bodyweight or with a plate supported on your abdomen. Most importantly, focus on proper lat engagement (tuck) combined with a explosive concentric followed by a controlled eccentric.) There are 7 unique benefits to the Inverted Slingshot Row, specifically:

Sling shot rows provides direct stimulation to the upper back & lats by applying tension directly at the elbow instead of the arms. This also helps create an incredible muscle-mind connection to the upper back & lats that many lifters oftentimes find difficult to achieve. If you’ve ever had trouble feeling your upper back and lats contract during rows, this will provide an immediate solution.
Sling shot rows minimize tension to the grip, forearms, and biceps. While some individuals may consider this a negative, it provides 2 benefits. First it ensures the smaller muscles (i.e. forearms, grip, & biceps) don’t fail before the larger muscles of the upper back. Secondly, it helps minimize bicep tendinitis issues that many lifters struggle with, often a result of heavy upper body pulling movements. In other words if you have bicep and forearm tendinitis issues the slingshot row is perfect for crushing your upper back while minimizing tension to the bicep tendon & forearms.
The slingshot row requires the lifter to fully retract their shoulders & scapula to resist the strong protraction forces the band is attempting to produce on the shoulders. In other words, the band resistance seemingly wants to round the upper back by pulling the shoulders and t-spine over into extreme flexion. Not only does it requires intense upper back and lat activation to avoid this (thereby forcing the lifter to aggressively retract throughout), it does wonders for enhancing posture & spinal alignment.
Proper rowing mechanics involve approximately 90-deg joint angles and a range of motion where the humerus and triceps don’t move significantly past the body. The slingshot row helps reinforce this optimal positioning as it’s nearly impossible to over-row due to the exponentially greater tension the bands provide in the 90-degree fully-contracted position.
Over-rowing is one of the most common mistakes I see lifters make when performing horizontal pulling exercises. In other words they use an excessive range of motion by allowing the elbows and humerus to move significantly past the plane of the torso. Proper rowing mechanics involve approximately 90-degree joint angles and a range of motion where the humerus and triceps don’t move significantly past the body. The direct band activation provided by the slingshot row helps reinforce this optimal positioning as it’s nearly impossible to over-row due to the exponentially greater tension the bands provide in the 90-degree fully-contracted position.
Elbow position particularly elbow tuck is another critical component of proper rowing technique. Sling shot rows help reinforce this elbow tuck by making it awkward and nearly impossible to excessively flare the elbows as the band tension helps keep the elbows more locked into their appropriate position. Besides the brutally intense direct stimulation to the entire upper back and lats, the slingshot rowing technique provides the perfect drop set scenario. Simply perform as many rows as possible with the band attached to your arms, then once failure is reached, remove the band and continue performing rows without the band resistance. Don’t be surprised if you experience and upper back and lat burn like you’ve never experienced in your life. However the level of functional strength and hypertrophy induced by such a protocol makes the pain well worth it.

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Looking to take your chest & core training to the next level? Try this brutal exercise demonstrated by pro baseball player Parker Meadows as we had him combine several of my favorite methods including, bottoms up, single leg, t-bench, head off chest press, using an eccentric isometric protocol. If your core & hips aren’t firing with near maximal effort you’ll literally feel like you’re going to flip off the bench or dump the kettlebell.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Hang Cleans from Eccentric Isometric RDL	#4 & #5	3	3 (each side)	60-90"	6	3"

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Olympic lifts are incredible movements for improving athletic performance particularly components dealing with power, speed, explosiveness, and even strength & force production. However, balance & stability, particularly unilateral aspects, are equally important attributes typically not addressed during Olympic lifts. Additionally, aspects of symmetry and motor control when comparing sides of the body (left vs. right) in all biomotor capabilities are critical. Unfortunately most lifters have one side of the body they tend to favor oftentimes producing & contributing to greater imbalances & deficits in strength, power, mobility, stability, & motor control, ultimately leading to greater risk of injury. These can be further ingrained during traditional bilateral movements including double leg jumps & traditional Olympic lifts.

Performing Olympic lifts from a single leg position particularly when using an eccentric isometric RDL helps to resolve many of these issues.

Here are 10 reasons why single leg Olympic lifts with eccentric isometrics are so effective.

Allow the athletes to target each hip more intensely & with greater overload than the traditional bilateral versions of Olympic lifts. That’s because the athlete can typically handle 55-65% of the load they could handle on the bilateral counterpart.
Provide more low back friendly variations of Olympic lifts as the total load is considerably less than bilateral versions thereby reducing stress to the spine.
Provide more shoulder and wrist friendly options as the catch phase is considerably less demanding due to the relatively lighter loads.
Teach athletes to control their power as lack of motor control will cause the athletes to lose their balance.
Address and expose asymmetries, mobility, issues, and instability issues. Many athletes will find that they will need to take several steps back and address their foot and ankle stability and motor control before attempting these. However, committing to precise form and execution with the single leg Olympic lifts will also provide a substantial corrective stimulus to their body mechanics.
Provide Olympic lifting options that are more transferable to running and sprinting mechanics due to the contralateral leg positions. For instance, in the bottom of the eccentric position, one leg is in hip flexion and one leg is in hip extension. In addition, the hip extension phase requires significant hip and knee drive of the elevated leg as a means of transferring power into the opposite glute.
Ingrain proper bar path and teach the lifter to keep the bar close to their body. If the bar moves away from the lifter even slightly and the lifter fails to keep it close to their body, this will cause the lifter to lose balance as they chase the bar.
Require the use of eccentric isometrics particularly from a full hang position. Tying to perform single leg hang cleans from below the knee without performing a precisely executed eccentric isometric makes it nearly impossible to lock the movement in without losing balance. As a result the eccentric isometric helps the athletes dial in their mechanics to a greater extent than what they would typically be required to.
Eliminate grip failure and the necessity to use the very uncomfortable hook grip as the lighter loads reduce the chance of hand/grip slippage commonly witnessed with heavier Olympic lifts.
Create a strong muscle mind connection with the hips as the athlete can feel their glutes getting intensely targeted on each rep - something that rarely occurs during bilateral versions.

FURTHER READING

Dumbbell Olympic Lifts - read more HERE.
Kneeling Olympic Lifts - read more HERE.
Single Leg Olympic Lifts - read more HERE.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Overhead Chaos Bulgarian Split Squats with Eccentric Isometrics (Bands or Bench)	#4 & #5	3	3-6 per side	60"	5-6	2-3"

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OPTION #1

Looking for a full body strength, stability, mobility, & hypertrophy exercise? Try this Overhead Barbell Chaos Bulgarian Split Squat Lunge. Overhead lunges are some of my favorite drills not only for stability, motor control, & full body strength but also for improving functional mobility from head to toe. This drill takes the stability & motor control components to another level as even the slightest deviation will make it impossible.

Like all movements, the key is using optimal ROM (typically around 90 deg) not excessive ROM which can break the body down over time & lead to injury. If you haven’t had a chance to check out my YOGA & MOBILITY Article I highly recommend doing so as I talk all about this topic. The positive feedback I’ve received from this article has been tremendous with more & more folks realizing that pushing mobility boundaries has consequences. Read more at: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/truth-about-yoga-flexibility-mobility-training

This article is guaranteed to change your views on yoga training, mobility, flexibility, range of motion, ATG squats, FRC, & corrective exercise. I also provide a many alternative movements for maximizing mobility, ROM, & flexibility without sacrificing joint health & risking injury many of which involve eccentric isometrics.

With that said, the overhead split squat is one of 20+ exercise alternatives I provide in the article. That’s because the overhead position helps further elongate the muscles around the hips, spine, core, & lumbopelvic hip complex due to the nature of the various anatomy slings & myofascial slings that run through the body.

OPTION #2

Here are 3 different cable resisted lunges/split squats. Feel free to The Bulgarian Split stance RDL & Row combo not only crushes the upper back & lats but also the entire posterior chain (glutes & hamstrings). The trap bar allows the heaviest loading while also being very easy on the low back since the weight is next to the center of mass rather than in front. Focus on using strict 90 deg eccentric isometrics & don’t rush reps.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Bear Crawl Foam Roller Ab Walkout + Glute Bridge Pallof Press	#6 & #7	3	3 Bear Crawl Walkouts followed by 5-8 Palloff Press (per side)	60-90"	7-9	2-3"

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PART 1

Ab walkouts, ab fallouts, & ab rollouts are some of my favorite drills for taxing the abs. Unfortunately many folks allow several common mistakes when performing them. The bear crawl position helps remedy that via 5 reasons.

The most common mistake I see individuals make when performing ab rollouts is allowing their lumbar spine to excessively arch. Part of this is due to the fact that they’re simply attempting to roll out too far & use excessive range of motion. However some of this is due to the intense extension forces placed on the lumbar spine from ab rollouts. In fact, the very nature of the rollout is that it’s designed to be an anti-extension exercise where the lifter resists extension forces by keeping a neutral spine throughout. However, most lifters produce varying degrees of lumbar extension during ab rollouts which not only minimizes tension to the core but also places undue stress on the low back. The bear crawl ab rollout directly addresses this issue head on. That’s because it’s literally impossible to hyperextend the lumbar spine if in fact the lifter maintains a perfect bear crawl position with a double 90-degree bend at the hips & knees.
The bear crawl rollout not only reinforces proper spinal positioning during ab rollouts, it also incorporates the dual-core activation method by targeting the muscles of both the lumbar flexors and hip flexors. In fact, many variable resistance companies frequently attempt to build abdominal machines that involve simultaneous lumbar flexion and hip flexion. Additionally, many popular ab exercises including hanging leg raises, knee tucks, jackknives, v-ups, and pike ups are also employed with the notion that targeting both the core and hips together will produce greater activation of the abs. Unfortunately many of these variations also sacrifice optimal spinal alignment as the athlete is forced to abandon neutral spinal mechanics. The bear crawl rollout directly targets these same muscles using very similar activation principles, however, the athlete is able to maintain a neutral spine throughout. In other words the bear crawl rollout involves anti-extension of both the core and the hips not to mention the knees.
Most individuals perform ab rollouts with excessive range of motion by attempting to over-stretch their abdominal wall. As with any exercise the goal should be optimal range of motion not excessive range of motion. Although the bear crawl rollout represents a movement that involves a slightly abbreviated range of motion compared to standard rollouts, this also helps eliminate overstretching. If you tend to collapse on ab rollouts or have trouble finding your natural stopping point, bear crawl rollouts are a simple but effective method to quickly resolve this.
Consciously contracting your glutes while performing ab rollouts or any anti-extensor core exercise is plain wrong. Instead focus on firing your core and hip flexors. This is something I’ve stated repeatedly over the years but it’s worth repeating as many fitness professionals are still erroneously applying this cue to their training. In fact, one of the main reasons why individuals perform ab rollouts with an excessive range of motion is because they emphasize the “glute squeeze” cue. This is the single worst training cue you could use on any anti-extension core exercise including rollouts, planks, pushups, and even hollow body holds as the hip flexors (not the hip extensors) should be firing aggressively. During any anti-extension core exercise, the stomach should remain pulled in and the hips should remain tall and relatively high as this facilitates a hollowed core position similar to a hollow body leg raise.

Dropping the hips even slightly, reduces this hollowed core position and places undue stress on the low back (i.e. extension forces) not to mention the core musculature loses significant intramuscular tension. Flexing the hip flexors helps to promote optimal mechanics as the hip flexors resist the very thing the rollout is attempting to do to your spine, namely hip and lumbar extension. Contracting the glutes (hip extensors) works against optimal body mechanics as it simply adds to the already high levels of extension forces working against the hips and core.

Simply put, because the ab rollout is an anti-extension exercise (of the spine and hips) this necessitates activating both the anterior core musculature and hip flexors as they work in conjunction with each other. Again this is similar to many core movements such as pike ups, leg raises, knee raises, body saws, and hollow body leg raise holds. Forcefully contracting the glutes on any of these would not only be detrimental and degrading to natural body mechanics but it would feel incredibly unnatural and dangerous.

In addition, squeezing the glutes emphasizes hip extension and inhibition of the hip flexors (as these muscles cannot co-contract when a prominent force vector acting in one direction is present) which is exactly the opposite of what should be occurring during any anti-extension movement. If anything there should be a slight V position in the hips as they sit tall throughout which helps to hollow the core and further resist extension.

With all of this said, the bear crawl ab rollout directly reinforces this principle as the hip flexors are contracting throughout to maintain a 90 degree hip bend. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should be contracting your hip flexors or hip extensors during ab rollouts, planks, or any other anti-extension exercise, give the bear crawl rollout a spin. You’ll immediately see how important the hip flexors are and how counterproductive it is to forcefully contract the glutes during anti-extension movements.
The bear crawl rollout is incredibly effective for reinforcing proper shoulder mechanics during anti-extension movements. Most athletes have a tendency to move their shoulders into excessive elevation and protraction by allowing the extension forces to yank their shoulders up and over. Besides ingraining faulty upper body mechanics this also reduces stress to the core while placing undue stress on the spine. Due to the semi-rigid and tighter setup, the bear crawl position helps pack and centrate the glenohumeral joint into a very natural and stable position. As a result you’ll be more likely to perform rollouts without forfeiting optimal shoulder mechanics.

PART 2

The Pallof Press glute Bridge shown by Taylor is a great movement not only for crushing the rotary stability muscles of the core as well as the glutes & hamstrings but also for working some of the smaller muscles around the hip including the abductors & adductors. That’s because as the weight wants to rotate the body you’ll be using the abductor on one side & adductor on the other leg to stabilize your body & prevent it from twisting or shifting.
Additionally my athletes noticed a high level of foot & ankle activation was necessary to lock their bodies in & prevent twisting. This is also a phenomenal drill for bulletproofing the low back & hips particularly if you’re dealing with any form of low back pain.

Lastly, the rope requires degree of upper body activation to maintain control of the movement & keep the rope tight, rigid, & inline. If you’re looking for a move that teaches full body tension this is it.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Arm Accommodating Resistance Shoulder Press (Dumbbell or Kettlebell)	#6, #7, #8	2-3	4-6 per side	60-75"	4-5	2"

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MAIN OPTION

Accommodating resistance is one of the most effective training methods in existence for enhancing the effectiveness of free weight exercises. Not only does it improve the strength curve of the exercise by increasing tension at the strongest position & decreasing tension in the weakest position but it also teaches the the lifter how to use compensatory acceleration (maximal power) in order to blast through the sticking point. This helps wake up fast twitch fibers & increases the ability to overload the targeted musculature.

Although this technique is easy to apply to traditional bilateral barbell movements such as bench press & overhead press, it’s a bit trickier to apply to unilateral or isolateral variations (each arm working independently).

While this vieo illustrates 12 variations we'll be focusing on the ovehead press. Feel free to watch the entire video showing how this technique is also possible with various chest presses, overhead presses, rows, & chest flyes using a combination of chains, band resistance, & band assistance (reverse bands) combined with various loading modalities including dumbbells, barbell (javelin style), kettlebells, & more.

The barbell javelin variations provide a unique benefit in that it allows the implementation of accommodating resistance to more unstable variations that require higher levels of motor control & stability.

The kettlebell variations are also quite conducive for scenarios where lifters may want to go heavier with kettlebell training but are limited by the common 50 lb max kettlebell weight at most gyms. Adding bands allows the lifter to greatly increase the load while reaping the benefits of kettlebell movements.

These all tend to be very joint friendly particularly since unilateral & isolateral movements are typically more joint friendly than traditional bilateral barbell movements. When combined with accommodating resistance where the bottom portion is slightly deloaded it’s even more joint friendly.

ALTERNATE OPTION

The overhead press is one of the most effective upper body exercises not only for building functional mass and strength but also for improving upper body mechanics. However this is contingent on the individual being able to perform the movement properly. Unfortunately, many athletes struggle to master the overhead press as it can be more technically, neuromuscularly, and biomechanically complex than many upper body exercises.

With that said, one variation I’ve found particularly useful not only for teaching proper overhead pressing mechanics but also for providing a variation that nearly all athletes can perform in a pain-free manner is the overhead box press. Think of this is a movement that’s similar to the floor press used by powerlifters to master their bench press or even the box squat to master the squat, only it’s applied to the overhead press. In fact I would go as far as saying that it may be one of the safest overhead pressing variations there is.

Here I’m performing 6 variations alongside several of my clients. Any of these variations can be used with even each set having a new variation. The overhead box press provides 11 unique benefits. Read more HERE.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Swinging Dumbbell Snatch	#6, #7, #8	2-3	5-6	60-90"	4-6	N/A

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The swinging dumbbell snatch is a great explosive movement that really forces powerful hip drive. Rather than keeping the weights close to the body during hip extension the dumbbells will drift away from the body using a semi straight arm position as the load completes a circular path. Again this requires powerful hip and glute drive very similar to a medicine ball hip toss or keg toss used in the worlds strongest man competitions. This movement is one of the most user friendly snatch variations and it's one that I developed to work on explosive hip drive with my athletes without having to spend countless hours teaching form and technique. It's also incredibly effective for taxing the shoulder stabilizers and core particularly at the top of the movement during the catch. Again it's very simple but very taxing, a prime combination for athletes and strength enthusiasts alike.