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In this particular workout I had DeAngelo Hall perform a tri-phasic or 3-part sprint/running drill to help dial in his stride mechanics. The first drill is something I call a deconstructed stride march. In this drill DeAngelo is simply performing individual strides focusing on contralateral arm and leg drive (opposite arm activating opposite leg), while performing an isometric position for each stride. This allows him to hone in on his form similar to how eccentric isometrics would be used for strength training purposes. It also promotes foot and ankle stability ultimately impacting his balance and lower body alignment. Also notice the slight forward lean and dorsiflexed foot/ankle position he maintains throughout. Once DeAngelo completed 4-5 isometric strides per side (approximately 5 yards total), I had him perform a similar but more dynamic variation of the previous drill by incorporating a quick skip with each stride as well as continuous motions rather than isometric holds. This also helps promote knee and hip drive which are critical for optimal running and sprinting form.

Once the technique on these two drills was dialed in we transferred the improved mechanics to band-resisted high knee sprints. This further promotes forward lean, acceleration and drive mechanics, glute activation, knee drive, and powerful stride mechanics. In addition band or resisted sprints particularly when performed with the high knee variation are much more joint friendly than traditional sprinting drills. This was another important component when training DeAngelo as he still has mild tenderness during high impact scenarios particularly deceleration situations which this drill essentially eliminates.

After completing several rounds of this 3-part build-up stride series I had DeAngelo perform several light striders (40-50 yard sprints performed at 50% max effort) to further transfer and ingrain the mechanics instilled by the prior drills into his actual running and sprinting form.

Keep in mind DeAngelo is still recovering from an ACL injury and these represent some of the first running and sprinting drills he’s participated in post surgery. While it may look fairly conservative, most athletes would benefit significantly from working on running mechanics and sprinting form in a similar fashion.

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Offset loading jumps are some of the most challenging and deceptively brutal explosive movements you can implement into your routine. It’s one thing to perform an offset movement with slow or traditional rep tempos as the nervous system can gradually adapt to the exercise. However adding an explosive jump takes the stimulus multiple steps further as the lifter not only has to calibrate to the offset loads while producing force but they also have to adjust while in the air and during landing. As a result the impact this has on deceleration, force impact, and force absorption is difficult to replicate with any other training modality.

Additionally these are incredibly challenging while airborne as the offset weight will want to twist, and tilt the body while in the air. For athletes this has tremendous carryover to the playing field as they’ll often face incoming forces and impact while their in the air not just when their on the ground. Learning to control your center of mass while in the air and not allowing an external object to pull you out of alignment can be the difference gaining the edge over your opponent or letting them push you around. Offset jumps directly address these attributes head on. It’s also worth noting that the opposite leg from the loaded side will have a tendency to shoot up during these unless you brace the daylights out of your body. In fact you can see this occur to Marcelis during the second half of his set particularly on the first rep. However, once he dialed in his nervous system and eliminated the energy leaks he was able to control his body and the movement as you can see towards the end of the set.

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(Note: Perform the kettlebell swings (5 reps), rest 10", and imemdiately move to the ab rollouts for 5 reps). Here I have MLB pro baseball players Austin Meadows and Parker Meadows performing a brutally effective posterior chain and anterior core stabilization circuit. Also big shoutout to Austin for crushing his first game back yesterday with a home run, 2 hits, & 2 RBI’s, after a several week hiatus for a sprained thumb. Great to have you back Austin!!!

In this circuit Austin is performing band resisted kettlebell swings while parker is performing band resisted stability ball ab rollouts. Essentially each exercise is working opposite halves of the body. The swing is working the entire posterior chain from head to toe (glutes, hamstrings, & back) while the rollout is targeting the entire anterior portion of the body particularly the core as well as hip flexors & quads not to mention the shoulders, chest, & triceps.

This superset is a great way to ensure the core & spinal stabilizers are doing their job by protecting the spine during the axial loaded kettlebell swings. In other words the rollout helps wake up the core & prepares them for the swings. Additionally, by applying band tension to the swings, not only does this produce more total tension but it creates a stronger force vector in the horizontal direction. As a result this further emphasizes the glutes & posterior chain without placing added stress on the spine. Similarly the band resistance on the ab rollouts adds to the extension forces the lifter must resist thereby producing greater anterior core activation & abdominal recruitment.

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Looking to crush your entire posterior chain with one simple movement? Try this Bulgarian split stance RDL & Row on a stability ball as shown here by my awesome client Kim Schaper. Focus on placing a majority of the weight onto the front leg by keeping the hips tall and hinging through the front hip. Hollowing out the core is also important as it ensures the hips stay tall throughout while also taking stress off the spine.

Although a similar setup can be employed using dumbbells, the kettlebells allows the implementation of the full rotational protocol. This rotational component allows a more supinated grip position in the contracted position which maximizes tension and shoulder centration, while the pronated grip in the bottom position allows maximal eccentric elongation and stretching of the lats.

Not only does this provide a very strong hypertrophy stimulus for the entire upper back and lats but this helps optimizes scapulohumeral rhythm and glenohumeral joint mechanics. In other words it reinforces proper shoulder function and positioning.

There’s very little room for error on these as even the slightest loss of stability, deviation in form, shifting of your hips, or body misalignment will result in you losing your balance. These are also incredibly effective for the feet and ankles.

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MAIN OPTION

NOTE: If bottoms up plate press is too challening simply use a dumbbell instead.

You must first master the basics before performing unique advanced variations. Otherwise you’re simply performing advanced variations with sloppy form & aberrant mechanics. Even though I post many unique movements, 80% of everything I do involves the basics. With that said, mastering the basics & focusing on basic foundational movements is ultimately what allows me & my clients to perform the most advanced variations & unique drills when periodically implemented.

Case in point, here’s a very challenging oblique sling chest press with 45 lb bottoms up plate. This was actually the first time I had tried this variation. What allowed me to dial this in was not practicing this specific drill but rather mastering the basic movement patterns with eccentric isometrics & 90 degree joint angles. And yes, ladies you should be able to hit a 35 lb plate on this as my client & NPC figure competitor Leslie Petch shows on her page.

This is one of the most challenging full body pressing movements & diagnostic drills as you’ll be forced to activate nearly every muscle in your body from head to toe as you resist enormous amounts of rotational forces. Besides devastating your glutes, it’s also one of the most brutal core exercises you’ll ever perform as it absolutely crushes your obliques & transverse abs as well as your rectus abdominals. Lastly, if you have poor foot & ankle activation you’ll know almost immediately as you’ll find it quite difficult to maintain your balance for more than a few seconds.

And yes if you don’t use 90 degree eccentric isometrics on a consistent basis as well as on this particular drill you likely wont be able to nail this as eccentric isometrics increased proprioceptive feedback thereby allowing the lifter to fine-tune their form and optimize their body mechanics.

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One of my favorite movement patterns to incorporate offset angle training on is horizontal chest presses. These represent the epitome of full body chest pressing exercises as every muscle from head to toe will need to be recruited to successfully complete these. The Anti-rolling barbell component blasts the core and eliminates the sagging hip syndrome as it reinforces a tall hip and hollowed core position otherwise the barbell will away from you. Additionally, the extension forces also act directly acting on the scapula & shoulder stabilizers. If you don’t fully depress & retract your shoulder blades the bar will literally pull out and away from you leaving you plastered to the floor. This really teaches the lifter how to pack & centrate their shoulders during pushups. When combined with the offset angle protocol the stimulus to the core is through the roof.

The single arm floor press in conjunction with the landmine produces significant rotational forces that the lifter must resist. As a result this not only crushes the chest, shoulders, and triceps, but it also highly taxes the core and spinal stabilizers. Although you can face away from the landmine anchor I find that facing towards it as shown in this video maximize the shoulder packing effect as the angle of push is up and slightly forward. This further helps depress the scapula and eliminates excessive shoulder elevation that commonly occurs during chest presses. In addition, the angle of press involves a very slight decline resulting in greater stimulation of the middle and lower pectoral fibers while minimizing the emphasis on the shoulders.

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(Note: 3x4 reps means holding holding a pullup position at the top while performing 4 sprinter movements (2 each side) - that equals 1 rep; you can jump up to the isometric hold if it's too taxing). If you’re looking to spice up your pullup workout while also taxing your lower body try performing the sprinter pullup is a must.Besides being brutally intense, the sprinter pullup has 5 unique benefits.

1. Sprinter pullups and chin-ups work both the anterior and posterior portions of the hips and thighs due to contralateral hip flexion and hip extension. In fact, these are unusually intense on the hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings, making these very conducive for working similar muscles involved during sprinting.

2. The combination of 90 degree knee flexion with contralateral hip flexion and hip extension not only crushes the lower body but it locks the spine and core in very aggressively. As a result it forces the lifter maintain near perfect upper body mechanics and postural alignment throughout the pullup if in fact they keep their hips and legs in the perfect sprinter position. It’s as if the sprinter position prevents any form of cheating, compensation, or postural aberrations.

3. One of the most common problems on pullups and chin-ups is knowing just how much extension you’re supposed to incorporate to achieve a good lat contraction and upper back squeeze. Too much extension and you’ll place excessive tension on the lumbar spine. Too much focus on keeping your core braced and you’ll often run into issues associated with shoulder protraction, forward head tilt, and slight spinal flexion, all of which make it impossible to optimally contract the upper back. So how do you find that balance between spinal extension and anterior core tension? Although there are a number of cues to help this, the sprinter pullup is literally one of the best techniques I’ve used for helping people find that optimal balance between extension and flexion. That’s probably because one hip is driving maximally into flexion while the other is pulling maximally into extension thereby producing an equilibrium effect of sorts where the spine is locked in between the lower extremities. It also helps create a bracing effect around the entire spine producing heightened levels of concurrent activation potentiation and irradiation. In other words expect unprecedented levels of full body tightness and intramuscular tension as well as increased neural drive to the rest of the body.

4. Besides crushing the upper body, core, and legs, sprinter pullups are a great diagnostic tool and corrective exercise for sprinting mechanics. Simply observe the athlete from the front, sides, and back and any aberrations in the hips and lower body including alignment and mobility issues will become immediately exposed. In addition, because the legs are holding an isometric contraction the ability to both diagnose and correct these issues is quite simple as the coach can easily cue and re-position the athlete.

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Here’s one of my awesome bodybuilder athletes Ben Lai performing an overhead pressing variation that involves 2 of my favorite methods namely the bottoms up kettlebell protocol with the half kneeling position. The combination does wonders not only for improving shoulder function and overhead mechanics but also for working the stabilizers of the core, hips, upper back and triceps. Essentially the lifter is forced to use controlled technique and smooth mechanics to maintain balance and control during the lift as there is significant instability from head to toe.

There are several components I would like to point out in this video. First, notice how ben is keeping an approximately 90 degree angle in the front knee without allowing significant anterior knee drift. This is accomplished by keeping the hips set back throughout and keeping the core tight which leads to my next point.

You’ll notice how Ben achieves ample t-spine extension particularly in the bottom or eccentric portion of the press which is critical for proper overhead pressing mechanics. You’ll also notice how the extension occurs from the upper back and t-spine rather than the low back and lumbar spine. This is accomplished by bracing the abs and keeping the core tight while also not allowing the hips to drift forward.

Lastly you’ll notice that Ben doesn’t collapse in the bottom of the press but instead pauses the eccentric isometric at 90 degrees. This represents the optimal range of motion not only for this movement for a majority of compound exercises. Unfortunately most lifters allow their arms to collapse when performing kettlebells which defeats the purpose of maintaining optimal shoulder stability, joint integrity, and proper upper body mechanics.

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 and athletes including Leslie Petch, Ben Lai, and Matt Jordan. The overhead box press provides 11 unique benefits. Read more HERE.

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Want to improve your first-step speed, unilateral power output, knee drive, hip extension, and lower body stability? Try this split stance dumbbell clean with an eccentric isometric protocol as I have 2 MLB pro baseball players Austin Meadows and Parker Meadows showing here. This is a great drill for teaching athletes how to burst out of that starting position and maximize their first step speed by relying on their hip drive. It’s also a great way to work on single leg Olympic lifts while still providing a slightly more stable base thereby allowing the athlete to focus more on power output and less on the instability.

I recommend dumbbells or kettlebells rather than a barbell for this particular variation as the split stance position would require the athlete to position the barbell significantly in front of their center of mass which ultimately places more tension the low back. Furthermore dumbbells allow the athlete to snap into the catch by supinating their arms which tends to feel incredibly natural & safe on the shoulders.

The eccentric isometric elements (slow eccentric phase followed by a pause in the stretched position) maximizes proprioceptive feedback & kinesthetic awareness due to the increased activation of the muscle spindles – a result of the emphasized eccentric elongation. Ultimately this allows the athlete to maximize their form, technique, body mechanics, as well as their speed & power output due to enhanced neuromuscular efficiency resulting from the eccentric isometric protocol.

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The overhead medicine ball slam is a simple yet very effective explosive power movement. Once athletes become efficient with it I like to progress them to more advanced variations that challenge additional biomotor capabilities. Here’s an example of that as I have Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player Austin Meadows performing a deconstructed Single leg Medicine Ball Slam. And yes you’ll need to master your single leg hip hinge before attempting these. Although Austin is making this look quite easy, this is one of the most challenging medicine ball variations you’ll ever attempt as it requires several key components.

First and as the name implies you’ll be deconstructing or breaking down the movement into individual segments all while holding your balance on one leg. This component in and of itself is quite challenging. As you drive the ball overhead the opposite leg will move into hip flexion while also maintain dorsiflexion in that foot and ankle. The concentric explosive phase requires high power output yet also significant control and stability. In other words it’s teaches athletes to control and harness their power - a very critical yet oftentimes undervalued aspect of athletic performance.

As you explode into the floor and reach the bottom position you’ll be required to brace your entire body and fire your core in order to stabilize your position while catching the ball. In addition, this bottom position should terminate in a perfect single leg hip hinge/RDL position. This is actually the most challenging portion for most athletes as a majority of folks erroneously perform single leg RDL’s without maintaining a 90-degree angle in their back leg.

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Weighted Box jumps and depth drops are an advanced exercise that's fantastic for improving vertical jump height, power output, force absorption, deceleration capabilities, and overall explosive ability.