Strength, power, and speed are all interesting concepts on their own, and each has its place in a strength and conditioning program. However, different athletes have different needs. In my opinion, that which is generally accepted by the majority of coaches isn't just incomplete. It's wrong and it's crippling kids who have/had potential for very successful, fulfilling, and injury-free athletic careers.
Years ago, I struggled with this topic. Everyone said running plus jumping equals success. It was difficult to get on board with that idea. The more time that goes on, the further it becomes clear that: There isn't any speed or power without strength! Without strength, all those sprint drills, agility ladders, and plyometrics are a waste of time and are potentially creating movement compensation patterns (highly likely, especially with today's youth).
An athlete needs to be able to put his foot in the ground (for instance, make a cut look pretty) and deliver movement through the entire chain (such as by training with Prowlers, squats, and deadlifts). If he can't squat his body weight properly, how is he going to move at top speeds? It won't be pretty.
Perplexed: 1. (of something complicated or unaccountable) Cause (someone) to feel completely baffled. 2. Complicate or confuse (a matter).
-Google search results definition
The truth is that most kids (and anyone without strength) can barely do this at slow speeds in a closed loop, controlled environment. It's my goal here to remove the complications from this issue and shift the paradigm so that athletes aren't ruined or wasted on training practices/drills that they aren't ready for and don't need.
- Closed loop = Shooting free throws, hitting the driving range in golf, or performing tackle drills with cones in football
- Open loop = Dribbling and jumping to hit a fade away during a game of one-on-one, actually playing golf down the fairway, or playing defense in a football game
In a split second (or the time when the foot is actually in contact with the ground), an athlete has to:
- Eccentrically absorb the force of his body weight to decelerate (which can be above six times one's body weight, and I don't know anyone who can squat or deadlift that) with his muscles, not his ligaments or tendons (of which sloppy movement patterns do, which increases the potential for injury)
- Own his position isometrically without movement. (Our bodies inherently take this time to find and know the positions of the joints in order to produce force, as in the stall when we lose balance and the foot turns. If we pushed, we'd cause injury. It's stalling to find a better position from which to produce force and keep us safe. The shorter this isometric time is, the quicker and faster we are. This is the same reason why over-speed training doesn't work. There isn't enough time for the foot to know/gather itself on the ground and produce force output.)
- Concentrically propel his body in the opposite direction (or further increase speed in the same direction)
Before we even get to propulsion, we've already had to be coordinated and strong enough to handle two different muscle contractions across every muscle in the body. If we lack in strength, timing, or coordination in any way, we'll lack the ability to perform a quick turn, juke, cut, or break down to decelerate and stop.
With a quick YouTube search, here's a video showing kids who can't properly maintain body position, or put their foot in the ground with strength, but they have a coach who doesn't know the difference between speed work, conditioning, and proper form and shouldn't be coaching anyone. But I digress...
Don't get me wrong. Some (not all) of these are fine things to do (even if they're only useful during a warm up), but not together or in succession like in this video, and not with this group of kids. Even in the same direction (sprinting), there's still a foot strike (eccentric loading to absorb force and isometric change of muscle contraction, giving the body time to know the position in order to have a concentric contraction for propulsion). I'd argue that most kids are actually just using momentum and hoping their legs keep up with the body.
On the field/mat/court, we're asking them to do this in an open looped (not rehearsed, unplanned, random, and reactive) or uncontrolled environment. The weight room is the most controlled, general (opposite of sport-specific), and safe environment there is for a training athlete.
Training for power is incomplete
Yes, Olympic lifts are for power. Eventually, we can get the strength we need from cleans, jerks, and snatches (even if I don't agree with the "overwhelming usefulness" of Olympic lifts or that everyone should be using them). The real value of Olympic lifts, especially for youth athletes, is in the initial pull—which is a deadlift, and in the front and overhead squat of the clean and snatch, as well as in holding the weight above the head during the jerk. Weighted plyometrics are in the same category.
When I consulted Coach Boyle on this topic, he simply said (as he often does), "Power is an expression of strength, so the logic follows." In my opinion, coaches who are extremists of Olympic lifting probably found that their lifts and athletes' improvement came more readily if they were taught a certain way:
- Sit deep into the clean/snatch and squat out of it (the steak is in the front/overhead squat).
- Develop the lift from the floor (the deadlift is the money), and don't just do it from a hang position.
- Hold the position for each rep (own proper positioning and then move the body against the weight, out of that proper position).
The money isn't in the power portion of the lift (which is typically the coaching emphasis). You can see it here from about 3:10 on:
Olympic lifts are great for certain athletes. However, we don't really use them at GRIT, mostly because they take too long to learn. Few are ready to incorporate Olympic lifts into their programming, and the majority of my athletes are in overhead sports. So I won't put their elbows—UCL to be specific—at risk.
I'm not saying anything bad regarding these lifts. I'm saying that until an athlete can own strength throughout a proper movement pattern every time, there is little need for "power" in the program. So adding momentum to that bar shouldn't be the emphasis/practice—unless you're an Olympic lifter who is strong. Use the real drivers of usefulness that are in these lifts: not the "power" development (snap of the hips adding momentum to the bar) but the overhead/front squats and deadlifts.
In the video below, this guy can squat 800 pounds raw and his joint centration (the balance of stiffness, mobility, strength, and stability throughout a joint) is incredible. He's strong. The power portion is the extension/thrust of his hips into the bar, adding momentum. Until he lets the momentum of the bar continue to rise, it's a deadlift.
Every rep should be fast and explosive no matter what, and the hips should come through this way whether it's a snatch or a deadlift. Most kids aren't ready for power movements—Olympic lifts or weighted jumps, and most kids aren't ready for speed or agility work. It will just be sloppy. Getting them to own their position throughout a squat and deadlift lets them coordinate and strengthen, as well as learn the timing of movement in an extremely controlled environment.
Do not be this guy. This is one of the worst videos I've ever seen:
Instead, be this guy:
He also happens to be this guy:
To everyone who has dismissed this article based on loyalty to the Olympic lifts and sees me as a simple hater, please realize that I was a long-time loyal user of the Olympic lifts. In addition, notice the coaches listed at the end of this article. Many are pro-Olympic lifts. But as far as I can tell, all of them are able to separate likes with needs.
All strength work versus all speed work
To be honest, the difference in improvements between an all-speed/movement work program and an all-strength work program is staggering when the athlete isn't strong (yet). This goes for long- and short-term results.
The real issue/concern
The real problem is when training causes a feeling of failure/success for young athletes. Most kids just aren't ready for speed camps where all they do are sprints, plyometrics, and agility work. They aren't strong yet, and they're getting set up for failure when they might have had the potential to be a very special athlete. However, now they associate the game with how much they failed at "training" for it. This is really very sad.
I run into this issue with parents all the time. Kids need to be swinging on monkey bars, skateboarding, riding bikes, jumping into creeks, fishing, catching frogs, throwing mud, and climbing trees. Allow kids to be kids but give them a fighting chance. Don't put them in year-round or overlapping competitive seasons. Also, get them to a good strength coach. It’s invaluable.
In my opinion, Coach Rooney's daughter said it very well:
What am I calling for?
Cover fewer joints with medicine ball work: Get kids on their knees (tall kneeling or half kneeling). Use hip tosses, which are great for teaching the hip hinge. Using extremely light implements, hip hinges break down the pattern and slow the athlete down enough so that he understands what's going on.
Own squat technique and use necessary progressions: These should include body weight squats, goblet squats, one leg (lunge, RFESS, one leg box squat), and overhead (if shoulder flexion allows). Load a front squat, load a box squat, and load a RFESS.
Own the hip hinge with the necessary progressions: These should include the trap bar deadlift (light), one-legged Romanian deadlift, kettlebell sumo deadlifts/swings, and the glute ham raise. Load the bar for deadlifts (I prefer the trap bar almost exclusively).
Drastically cut down movement drills: A 4 X 10-yard start (2 X right and left) is enough for one day most of the time (leave it for practice/play). Always put the movement at the beginning of the workout— I prefer soon after medicine ball work.
Stop using "plyometrics" for metabolic conditioning: Enough said.
Break down movement for the athletes one direction at a time: Don't do any more squares or cuts (leave that for practice/play/competition). Movements should be all lateral and all linear— even separate them to different days).
- Monday: Linear (forward/backward, speed, sprint, starts)
- Wednesday: Lateral
Don't do any of this transition stuff. Break it down to extremely basic levels in one direction. Use shuffles for lateral movements and emphasize proper deceleration with each drill (but don't use it as the drill). On a side note, bands are very useful for lateral movement (i.e. shuffling).
Use the Prowler often: Use it for pushes and lateral pulls/shuffles. I suggest doing lots of pushing. Using the Prowler, or pushing any sled or implement, may be the best thing you could possibly do for training. I don't have any problem putting this into a program more than three days per week. Please keep your neck packed.
Usually people ask me, "So you want me to push this without looking where I'm going?" Yes, that is exactly what I want you to do, especially with kids because it feels more like they're just playing around, as they should.
Connect with your athletes: Upper/lower cross issues, such as poor forward head, upper back, and shoulder posture, aren't all because they're sitting at school and texting. Maybe they're scared, insecure, anxious, developing, confused, or lacking confidence or a sense of self-worth. They could just be stiff, too. Who knows? But being a driving example of how to live life is of the utmost importance. One small movement pattern, change in training, or improvement/success in any particular medium— training or competition— can change the entire career of an athlete, and an athlete's potential for success is always unknown. Never underestimate a driven athlete. This may even change the entire path of his life. Strength training is a medium athletes can control and be successful at immediately. And it can be all theirs (which is more important than you think).
Have fewer rules and more guidelines: I put this in my welcome letter for my newsletter. I don't believe in rules or laws. I believe people will adhere to what they value. For example, speeding means there's a low value on safety concerns. Almost everyone speeds at least at some point. However, murder is wrong because we have a high value on life. The majority of us aren't murderers.
Under "coach" and over "produce": Let athletes be free and work within the confines of technique to understand the exercises/drills/lifts that are in the program (safely though—you're ultimately the coach). But if we force them to be robots, we've just crippled their creativity, and we’re bullying them into something they may or may not be ready for (mentally and/or physically). We’re also teaching them that this type of behavior is acceptable.
I need to thank the following:
- Coach McGettigan
- Coach Boyle
- Coach John
- Coach Cressey
- Coach Robertson
- Coach Smith
- Coach Gentilcore
- Coach Hulse
- Coach Weingroff
- Coach Rooney
Thank you for all the information you've shared and the work you took upon yourself to learn and grow to be able to put forth that information. There are pieces of each of you throughout this text, and I can't post it without giving credit.
However, for everyone else, don't live and die on every word that anyone says and/or naively use their ideas without exploration. The idea that we understand every position in entirety immediately after listening to a presenter is wrong. Take time to work through it. I take a minimum of one month to work with my personal body, or until I understand the topic. Then when it's warranted, it’ll be put in the program. Process what the experts say, keep the critical eye, and use bits and pieces of what makes sense and what becomes useful. This leads to discoveries that maybe I, or we, didn't understand before. Ultimately, aid improvement with the goal of being an incredible coach and person.
What is a coach
"Coach" isn't a title to me. It's a display of respect and the highest honor one can attain. To be a coach is a huge responsibility to those who are affected by us. Our responsibility to our athletes isn't singular to their physical state. It's significant to their life and future. We hold a position where expertise, knowledge, education, and professionalism aren't enough. Caring without end, growing all avenues of interaction and education, living with integrity, and being a steady, strong, and guiding light is vitally important in a world that is extremely confusing, lazy, and submissive. This is an incredible calling and one that I personally do not take lightly.
In conclusion
Strength is the underlying difference between an athlete being fairly good and being great. The athlete wants to be better and deserves the best that each coach has to give. In this case, I'm saying (depending on the athlete, sport, and time of year) to make them drastically strong and then progress toward adding movement work. Be a great coach (and person), and it will show through each athlete.