MOVEMENT OVER MAXES

DEVELOPING THE FOUNDATION FOR BASEBALL

PERFORMANCE

ZACH DECHANT
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
Endorsements
Preface

1. Principles of the Foundation Program

2. The Athletic Position
3. Speed and Acceleration
4. The Big 5 Movement Patterns
5. The Squat Pattern
6. The Hip Hinge
7. Upper Body Pull Pattern
8. Upper Body Push Pattern
9. ISO Core Patterns + Single Leg
10. Scapular Glenohumeral Complex
11. Programming Principles
12. Positions Block
13. Patterning Block
14. Performance Block

Beyond Movement
About The Author
References
 FOREWORD
BY MATT CARPENTER

As a junior at TCU, I was overweight and out of shape, with little to

no muscle and weighing about 230 lbs. I had season-ending Tommy
John surgery and knew if I wanted to get healthy and back on the
field I needed to make some serious changes to my diet and
exercise. I started to make these changes on my own, running miles
and miles every day, eating better, and training in the weight room. I
got down to 182 lbs... skin and bones. That year, TCU hired Coach
Dechant and I met the man who would change the way I approached
training forever, and the guy who would have a major impact on my
career.

Coach Dechant came in Day 1 and took the team by storm. He had
the knowledge, the track record, the experience in professional
baseball to gain instant respect from every player. More importantly
though, you could tell he cared about you individually and wanted
you to become the best player you could be—not only as a group,
but specifically as me. Our bodies changed dramatically. I was up to
210 lbs. in a matter of months and the most explosive and athletic I
have ever been.
Zach has mastered the ability to get the most out of his players. The
Foundation Program is designed for athleticism, core strength,
power, and efficient movement that translates into better baseball
athletes. His real gift is teaching. In the weight room, where every
movement is critical, his instruction is second to none and his
players reap the benefits of proper and sound fundamentals. I can
say, without a doubt, I would never have been the player that I am
today without him. Currently, I’m in my 10th season of professional
baseball and every off-season I come back to Fort Worth to train with
Zach. Every off-season, he has me 100% prepared to play at my
best.

-Matt Carpenter
St. Louis Cardinals
3x MLB All-Star
2011 World Series Champion
 ENDORSEMENTS

“Zach Dechant, in my mind, is the best baseball strength and

conditioning coach in the business. He definitely makes a difference
in wins and losses on the field, but his ability to develop baseball
players individually is what separates him from his peers. His track
record of developing young baseball players into not just
professional baseball players, but major leaguers, is second to
none.”

–Randy Mazey
Head Baseball Coach at West Virginia University

“I’ve worked with Zach since my freshman year at TCU in 2011.

Every day, he researches new workouts and exercises that can
make the body of a college baseball player stronger and faster. Zach
has made a huge impact, not only on my career, but on many other
professional baseball players as well. Without the Foundation
Program, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
 –Brandon Finnegan
First Player in History to Play in the College World Series
and Major League Baseball World Series in the Same Year

“Coach Dechant is one of the most exceptional and progressive

strength and conditioning coaches I have worked with. The
Foundation Program he developed and implements shows his
meticulous ability to develop quality movement in his athletes, and
not rush to loading dysfunction. His athletes and the university are
lucky to have him. I have been lucky enough to work with and learn
from Coach Dechant, and he continues to challenge me in my
thinking to this day. He is a great resource and wealth of knowledge
that I hope to continue learning from for years to come.”

–Sean Bardenett, DPT

Manual Therapist for the Kansas City Royals

“Coach Dechant has been an integral part of our baseball program’s

success over the last 15 years, not just with his amazing strength
and athletic development of our players, but also with helping us
build and maintain a culture of discipline and excellence. He is a
forward thinker who is always on the cutting edge of what is in the
best interest of the development of the athlete. If you want to
improve your program and give your athletes a winning edge, this
book is a must!”
 –Jim Schlossnagle
Head Baseball Coach, TCU

“Zach is one of the foremost experts in baseball strength and

conditioning at the Division 1 level. His research-based program has
proven for many years to be on the cutting edge of developing
collegiate players. The Foundation Program is incredible with
respect to developing the player’s athleticism as the core base for
player development. Each individual derives confidence from Zach’s
program, as they become more athletic in movement patterns and
strength, which allows them to expedite development on the field. I
have had the privilege to work with Zach for numerous years. He has
a unique ability to gain trust and confidence from his athletes, which
is the most crucial attribute a coach can have in regard to training.”

–Todd Whitting
Head Baseball Coach, University of Houston

“There are many reasons why I moved to Fort Worth, but the biggest
one is Zach Dechant. As a Major League Baseball player, the
majority of my off-season is training to get better and it all starts in
the weight room. So why go anywhere other than the best, and Zach
is the absolute best—not only as a strength coach, but as a person.
He genuinely cares for every athlete that he works with and puts
forth the time and energy to specifically make that person better at
their craft. I was a sophomore when Zach came to TCU, and he
immediately skyrocketed the program. We hit more homers than
ever and had just one injury (a broken collarbone on a diving play).
One—THAT’S INSANE! Personally, I think Zach is the reason why I
am a big leaguer. I was weak, and had no clue how to take care of
my body. He showed me the fundamentals, how to move my body,
how to lift properly, and most importantly, how to keep my body on
the field. I was talented, but he made me an athlete and helped me
get the best out of myself. I’ll admit I was mad when he wouldn’t let
me go heavy (and I still get mad), but before I knew it, I was moving
more weight than I could have ever imagined. Thank you for
everything, Zach.”

–Bryan Holaday
Catcher for the Miami Marlins
 PREFACE

Regardless of training age or development, many coaches put an

athlete under the barbell and a max load on day one as a starting
point to development. After all, without a starting point there can be
no clear-cut path to getting strong, right? Numbers often matter way
too much to coaches, and can come at the peril of movement.
Technique goes out the window as kids load the bar and move it any
number of body-altering ways.

But shouldn’t we be asking what happens if that athlete has never

touched a barbell before? What if that athlete hasn’t been taught
how to squat or hinge correctly? What if that athlete can’t even get
into a proper athletic position? How can we expect an athlete to
properly absorb the force of landing a jump correctly when they’re
unfamiliar with the foundational positions of basic athletic
movement?

Movement Over Maxes is a foundational program that serves as that

starting point for any athlete. It functions as a guide for all coaches to
begin to understand and implement basic movement patterns with a
long-term development approach. It is a starting point that values
movement above all. Movement Over Maxes creates movement
competency that will carry athletes through future endeavors with a
solid foundation of development.

Many schools lack the necessary resources to hire a certified

strength and conditioning coach, thus leaving the sport coach
responsible for off-the-field physical development as well. At high
schools and colleges across the nation, baseball coaches must take
on this responsibility or watch athletic development go by the
wayside.

I created Movement Over Maxes for the coach who wears every hat
for their program. The coach who mows the grass, drags the infield,
handles the equipment, and trains the athletes. This is for the coach
who devotes their life to not only creating better baseball players, but
growing boys into men through sport. I commend those coaches for
taking an active role in their team’s development and I wrote this
resource to help.

Every minute, coaches and athletes are bombarded with information

from social media—so much so that a keen eye must sort through
what is appropriate and what is not. Every player wants to do what
he sees his favorite pro athlete doing online. However, what most
need more than ever are the essentials of movement, broken down.
Simplicity is often the key to efficiency.

This Foundation Program is built on simplicity. I created it to address

the need to maximize movement with minimal equipment. The real
nuts and bolts of the program require a barbell and a coach with a
desire to develop athletes the right way. For instance, many coaches
ask why the trap bar deadlift isn’t part of the program as it is such a
basic movement. The reason for its exclusion is that the trap bar is a
luxury for many programs; a luxury I didn’t even have until fairly
recently. Many high school and small college programs don’t have
access to trap bars, but virtually everybody developing an athlete
has a barbell. A barbell and an athlete are truly the only things a
coach needs to start.

The resounding issue that led to Movement Over Maxes was the
need for movement literacy in and out of the weight room. It was the
need for athletes to possess the basic skills that would create the
foundation of future development. It was a starting point to not only
protect them from injury, but create more sound movement and body
control.

The best athletes in sport are often the ones who have great body
control and a wide array of movement skills at their disposal. Yet, so
many athletes lack general movement and lifting skills. It seems that
an increasing number of today’s athletes have never really been
taught the proper way to move. This Foundation Program fills the
void by building athletic-based movement from the ground up,
providing a more thorough understanding of developing basic
movement patterns off the field.

The following chapters will provide fundamental progressions to the

Big 5 movement patterns for all athletes. These are movement
patterns every developing athlete should know: how to squat, hinge,
push, pull, brace, land, jump, and sprint. The basics are the basics,
whether the athlete is in high school or college. Although it was
optimally built for the overhead athlete, this program isn’t necessarily
one of specialization. It is focused on developing the entire athlete
and quality movement first and foremost so future loading can take
place. Every concept in this manual will build upon the previous
ones, leaving athletes with a well-rounded foundation.
Movement Over Maxes will detail:

1. Building the athletic position.

2. Teaching landing mechanics and absorbing force, then
applying force.
3. Speed and acceleration mechanics and programming.
4. The Big 5 movement patterns.
5. Protecting the shoulder.
6. Developing the Foundation Program.
 1

PRINCIPLES OF THE FOUNDATION PROGRAM

The principles of Movement Over Maxes underlie the principles of

long-term athletic development. Building movement is a long-term
commitment to physical literacy. It is training to improve the overall
athleticism that is vital to producing optimal athletic potential. Without
a long-term outlook, what is right for the athlete’s future is often
replaced with what is right for right now. Short-term viewpoints don’t
take overall athletic development into account, so they can delay and
stunt future athletic growth.

As coaches, we don’t know who will be a superstar athlete, or when

one will emerge. Development doesn’t happen on a specific timeline:
Athletes develop on different time frames, and take a variety of
routes to their ultimate athleticism. The principles listed below can
begin to give coaches and athletes alike a philosophy to follow for
overall development.

Whether on the field or in the weight room, developing fundamentals

should be a priority for every athlete. The Foundation Program is
built on nothing more than fundamentals. The basics are boring, but
the basics are what support all future development. Coaches in all
sports focus heavily on the fundamentals in the early weeks of
practice. However, when it comes to physical development, we often
gloss over the basics and jump right into training.

Coaches take it for granted that athletes have either been taught the
basics, or will pick up the basics as they go. Until you build
movement patterns, it makes no sense whatsoever to load and/or
test strength in these patterns. Adding strength to broken-down
movement is not progress—it’s a problem, and it often leads to more
problems. Often, the underlying issue for coaches who gloss over
the basics is a fear of time. Loading occurs immediately instead of in
gradual progressions because they fear they don’t have the time to
commit to such basic movements.

The result we often find is bad movement layered on top of poor

technique to compensate for heavier and heavier loads. Valuing
quality movement doesn’t mean we devalue strength. Strength is a
huge component for all athletics. Strength is the foundation for all
other abilities in the developing athlete. It is extremely important in
the overall growth of an athlete, but not at the expense of movement.

Devaluing movement in favor of strength results in compensations,

breakdowns, and eventually, injuries. The process of an athlete
returning from injury usually involves regaining motion and mobility,
and re-ingraining proper movement patterns. These are all issues
that you can solve on the front end of training by developing
movement as a priority.

Slow Cooking the Process

The most important principle in training during the Foundation

Program is possibly that of “slow cooking” the athletes. Slow cooking
means not rushing athletes through to levels of training they aren’t
prepared for. It means taking the time to develop them completely.
More and more athletes are completely skipping over fundamental
levels of development in favor of more advanced training and
specialization. Competent basic movement development is being
overlooked, especially with youth and teen athletes, and missing this
key level of development will limit their future sporting growth. Some
athletes can overcome the issue, but it will stunt the progress of
others.

Anything good takes time and developing an efficient mover is no

different. Athletes should be extremely efficient with their movement
before progressing further to more advanced training. Rushing
progress breaks down the process of slow cooking athletes and
results in future marginal gains. Learning to move correctly first and
foremost will aid not only all physical training down the road, but all
skill training as well.

The Foundation Program is not a weight- or numbers-focused

program. In all honesty, no athletic program should focus purely on
numbers. Correct movement patterning over the long term is the
basis of the Foundation Program. Numbers on the barbell are truly a
by-product of what is produced through the process of slow cooking
an athlete on the front end. Maxes become a by-product of
movement. Quality movement produces numbers on the back end.
Worry about movement first and the weights will take care of
themselves.

Numbers often dictate a program. Coaches and athletes alike get

caught up in numbers. From maxing out on the first day of training to
maxing out on the last day of training, they worry so much about
results that they completely lose sight of the process. Results-
oriented outlooks produce many problems along the way—namely, a
lack of results.

Focus on the process of developing correct movement as the

athlete’s progress dictates. Skipping over the process of movement
development does nothing but create a future void where athletes
will be exposed. Not only do you create an athlete who lacks the
appropriate movement skills, but you can greatly limit his ability to
gain strength, which in turn assists speed and power development.
Maximal strength, speed, etc. will all be a result of adhering to a
consistent process of improved movement.

Numbers are a result of the program. Being focused on movement

produces an athlete who can control his own body first. Without that,
athletes truly have nothing. Weight doesn’t even come into the
picture until that ability is mastered. Don’t chase numbers. Numbers
don’t win baseball games.

Movement Not Muscles

The outline of this program and all future training is geared towards
movement, not muscles. Muscles are in place to coordinate
movement. Athletes are in the business of efficient movement, and
the best are incredible at controlling their body. When muscles
become the priority, programming has the tendency to become
bodybuilding.

Muscles mean little individually without the ability to synchronize

movement in the appropriate skill. Coordinated movement doesn’t
come from isolated exercises geared at building muscle size. Large
multi-joint movements will take care of building muscle as a by-
product. The problems with muscle-focused programming instead of
movement-focused programming are:

1. Volume can easily get carried away.

2. Training sessions can become long when working to stress
every muscle.
3. Exercises become very isolated versus movement training.
We want big compound movements to teach neuromuscular
coordination throughout the body as a whole.
4. Big muscles don’t always transfer to sport. Strength, power,
and speed do transfer, and the ability to coordinate fluid
movement certainly transfers.
5. Athletes need to groove movement coordination.

The template used for developing the Foundation Program is one of

total body. Every time we train, it is from head to toe, utilizing the
entire body. This is accomplished through synchronized athletic
movement on the field. We don’t have the ability to separate the
upper body from the lower body during competitions, so why would
we want to train it differently? Training isolated components may
have a time and place, but this program is neither the time nor the
place. Again, focus on creating and developing coordinated total
body movement.

Motor Learning

The initial stages of the Foundation Program teach motion 3-5 days
per week. I train athletes with these movement patterns every day,
from head to toe. Yes, I vary volume and intensity later on, but the
early stages of this program groove and pattern movements. These
movements aren’t just a progression over a day or two until we start
“lifting”—this IS the lifting. I focus on these base movements for the
first several weeks to months of the athlete’s training, progressing
him as he becomes capable. It comes as a shock to most coaches to
find out that we squat 5 days per week. When it comes to learning,
frequency is key, as you’ll see below.

The guiding principles that drive motor learning and my Foundation

Program follow the 3 F’s for early development:

1) Frequency

Practicing assimilating a skill means performing technically correct

repetitions over and over. I develop the 5 primary movement patterns
5 days a week for extended periods of time.

2) Fatigue

To practice and drive home technically correct movements, we must

do them in a non-fatigued state. Athletes can’t be continually gassed.
Learning a new skill isn’t effective when fighting fatigue. The idea of
training hard when coordination and body control are impaired is not
sensible at all.

3) Failure

At no point in the Foundation Program should athletes reach

technical failure. Teaching motor skills should not go to the point of
technical breakdown during a set. When athletes get close to failure,
especially when learning new skills, patterns go out the window and
get replaced with survival. A mindset of “get the bar up however
possible” takes over on the last few reps. This isn’t conducive to a
learning environment.
The principles of fatigue and failure are combatted in the Foundation
Program by the fact that movements are often accomplished with
light to moderate loads in the first two programming blocks.
Additionally, the use of 5 reps on a consistent basis with lower-body
compound movements helps to ensure higher movement quality with
a lower chance of movement breakdown.

Frequency of practice is the most important factor in developing a

new movement or motor skill. We want the athlete to replicate these
movement patterns over and over. If it’s important, we want to do it
every day. Baseball players don’t take batting practice once a week,
yet when it comes to lifting programs, athletes often only squat or
RDL once per week. How do we expect athletes to get great at those
movements when they may only do them every 7 days?

This analogy has stuck with me for many years now: Imagine you
had to add 100 pounds to an athlete’s squat in a month. What type
of program would you use, one that squatted once a week for 4 total
sessions or one that squatted multiple times per week? You’d
probably have them squat multiple times per week with varying
intensities.

Many programs squat one time a week, with other days designated
for alternative movements. Let’s use an example of an 8-week
program, and let’s say we perform an average of 40 squats per
weekly training session. Over the course of that program, an athlete
would have squatted for 8 weeks and done somewhere in the range
of 320 reps. Compare that to a program of patterning movements
every day of the week for that same 8 weeks. The result is 1,600
reps. That’s 500% more. We could even cut the reps in half per day
to 20 squat reps, and still more than double a program that only
reinforces the squat pattern one time a week. More doesn’t always
mean better, especially when it comes to training. But, as you’ll find
through the following chapters, we can achieve great gains with low
intensity and high frequency.

This “every day” concept should be applied with caution. It’s not
meant to crush kids with long heavy workouts every day; it’s in place
to create learning in the primary patterns of movement. Continually
reinforcing movements on a daily basis keeps the body learning and
progressing. A younger athlete doesn’t store patterns as readily in
his memory bank and he loses gains quickly. Continual
reinforcement early on is incredibly important. Which program would
you trust to produce a higher quality of movement, one with 300 reps
or 1,600 reps?

Long-Term Development

Developing athletes take time, patience, and consistency. Society is

in a state of “results now,” skipping over much of the process that
produces results. It takes a bold coach to dig in their heels and do
things the right way for the long-term benefit of an athlete. Long-term
movement development is much more important than a max on day
one with a freshman baseball player.

Compounding poor movement patterns with heavier weights does

not solve any issue of quality movement. Everyone wants results
immediately, but the training process is one of delayed gratification.
Training is the ultimate when it comes to compounding gains. The
gains athletes make in movement early in the training process, even
though small and unnoticeable, will eventually explode in the
developing athlete.
One serious problem we see when skipping the development of
basic movement is athletes who are forced to stall or even regress in
training, wasting precious time. These are the athletes who haven’t
learned correct patterns and eventually break down as the training
advances. A house built upon sand is easily washed away. Why
would we want to advance our kids into a heavier squat when they
can’t squat in the first place? Every coach has the kid who looks
great at 50%, but starts breaking down at 80%. He can’t get parallel,
or he can’t hold the bar properly when front squatting, or his back
starts rounding over.

As coaches, we easily see that we can’t keep him on this path. A

smart coach knows this athlete can’t keep working up to heavier
weights. We may have hoped it would get better as he got stronger.
As the athlete progresses up in weight over weeks, the movement
pattern breaks down more and more and more. Soon, we’ll need to
say, “We’re going to have to take you back down and teach you to
squat correctly, and then you can start to work back up.” Every
coach has had these athletes. Not only did not teaching movement
first waste valuable time, but it’s quite discouraging to the athlete as
well.

He may not understand the reason his peers are moving up in

weight while he is moving back to square one. Mentally, it’s crushing
for an athlete to watch his teammates work up to heavier weights
when he has to be taken back down. Physically, it’s dangerous if he
doesn’t know how to hold a front squat correctly, or shifts forward
with his knees as weight goes up, or is unable to hip hinge correctly.
We are setting athletes up for failure. An athlete who keeps adding
weight when he can’t perform the necessary movement increases
his risk of injury.
Teaching the basics first eliminates future problems. I don’t know any
coach who doesn’t want to avoid having an athlete who, 2 years into
his program, has to regress back down to a beginner’s level to re-
learn correct movement patterns. Building a solid foundation early is
the key to future development. The house analogy is the exact same
as an athlete’s movement. Not knowing how to hinge or squat
correctly is an injury waiting to happen, whether it’s today or 3 years
down the road.

Athletes of all ages, from 10 to 20+ years old, can use the
Foundation Program to build proper movement. They advance as
their progress dictates. Each athlete is an individual and no two are
exactly the same, so it makes sense that their progress won’t be
exactly the same either. The focus of the Foundation Program is on
gradually climbing the mountain as growth dictates.

John Kessel, current USA Volleyball Director of Sport Development,

told a story about a junior high school he became involved in
coaching at. This junior high routinely had more than 100 girls, all
around 13 years old, try out for the volleyball team, which only took
24 athletes. Kessel’s idea was that there be absolutely no cuts.

Instead of being cut, the athletes who didn’t make the A and B teams
were kept on to develop their skill during the week. Each was put on
a team, and these athletes only practiced one time per week and
played one competition on the weekend. The goal was to keep the
athletes involved in the sport. Even though they were not playing as
much as their counterparts, over 50% of the junior varsity team the
following year in high school was made up of those practice squad
players who didn’t make the A or B teams. The story shows that
having a longer-term outlook instead of a “now only” approach can
pay dividends down the road.
Athletes do not biologically develop at the same pace. A published
study from Serbia details a similar situation as the example above,
but on a larger scale. The study details what many refer to as “late
bloomers” in the athletic world. Late bloomers are nothing more than
teenagers that go through their development cycle later than their
counterparts. The purpose of the study was to determine the
prevalence of biological maturity among boys playing soccer at age
14, and compare their ability to adult performance 8 years later.

Fifty-five 14-year-old boys were categorized for biological age by

skeletal growth. Of the 55, 43.8% were classified as early maturers,
35.4% as normal, and 20.8% as late maturers. A significant
difference was found among the boys at age 14, with boys that
developed earlier more prevalent in elite youth soccer. When
followed and assessed at the age of 22, 16 of the original 55 players
had made it to the elite professional level. Of those, 60.1% came
from the late maturing group versus only 11.8% from the early
maturing group, showing that the best young teenage athletes don’t
always rise to be the best adult athletes, contrary to many societal
beliefs. Biological age and early maturity are huge factors in youth
and teen athletics.

Everyone knows stories about “late bloomers.” The most famous

may be that of Michael Jordan, who didn’t make his high school
varsity team as a sophomore. What many people don’t know about
Jordan’s story is how his coach handled his development throughout
the rest of his high school career. Jordan took his team to a No. 1
state ranking his senior year, but lost in the conference
championship game. The opposing coach, Jim Hebron, was quoted
as saying about Michael’s coach, Pop Herring: “He could’ve played
him inside and won a state championship. But he didn’t. All he was
concerned about was, ‘How can I best prepare Michael for college?’”

Athletes who develop later often have a higher potential ceiling.

Looking further than the current moment is imperative, especially
with younger athletes. A high school freshman entering the weight
room for the first time has 4 years of development. If he maintains 3
training sessions a week for even just 40 weeks over that time, it
becomes almost 500 training sessions. There is no need to rush
through the first 20 or 30 in hopes of high maxes and numbers. This
is a foundation that will serve his athletic development for years, if
not decades. We have no clue how far each athlete will go in a
college or even pro career. Give him the skills necessary to achieve
those dreams on the front end.

When I arrived at TCU in 2008, I didn’t know 187-pound junior Matt

Carpenter was going to be a Major League All-Star someday. I
developed every movement pattern in this Foundation Program while
he was a junior in college. He still applies every one of the
movements he learned then when he comes back in the off-season
to train. The foundation built back then now serves as the basis for
his more-advanced training today. Without that foundation of
movement to build upon, advancing his training would have been
nothing but a pipe dream.

Build the Motor

An issue I believe we currently see too much of is the

overabundance of skill development versus physical development.
Lessons are seemingly the only way to become a better baseball
player, in the eyes of many parents and athletes. Year-round lessons
on top of select teams, high school seasons, and showcases are
leading players down a road of injury and to a lack of athleticism and
overall development. What makes the best athletes you’ve seen on a
field? Body control, strength, power, speed, and often, size, are big
factors that assist in building the base for skill development.

The overemphasis on skill dominates the youth and high school

baseball cultures. Lessons are being ingrained into the fabric of
player development ahead of developing the athlete to handle and
surpass the stresses of sport. Parents prioritize skill, while the
engine that drives skill development is often neglected. This lack of
development doesn’t just manifest itself as a lack of general athletic
abilities, but in skyrocketing injury rates as well.

Eventually, athletic abilities cannot meet the skill demand. Plateaus

occur because the skill eventually gets ahead of the body’s
capability. Skill is a necessary part of any sport—in fact, the most
necessary part. Without continuing to build a foundation of proper
movement, strength, speed, and power, skill training can only go so
far. Athletes will reach their ceiling.

This ceiling often depends on genetics, but we’ve all seen athletes
who blew by others at the high school level, never doing anything to
develop their body off the baseball field, only to find themselves
weeded out quickly at the next level because they didn’t possess a
foundation that could propel them to greater heights. The athletes
got by at lower levels based on early skill development because they
were ahead of the rest. At the next level, as maturity and
development catch up, athletes with a higher ceiling will eventually
surpass many of those who lack the necessary physical tools.
Well-rounded athleticism that raises the ceiling of possible skill
development is what separates good from great. Mastering basic
movement and turning that into greater physical capacities is the
ultimate foundation for skill to build upon. Building the foundation will
raise the roof of possible development. All this should not detract
from the importance of skill, but show the importance of the harmony
that must exist between skill development and physical
development.

Many athletes would be better off dropping half of their weekly

private baseball activities for a competent program built around
movement, strength, speed, and power development. I frequently
use the expression: “You have to build the motor.” Lessons do not
build the motor. Lessons build the specific skills of hitting a baseball,
throwing off a mound, fielding a baseball, etc. What drives the
vehicle is the motor behind it. If you want to throw harder, hit farther,
track down every ball hit on your side of the infield…you must build
the motor.

Develop the athlete. Lessons will not do that. Lessons assist in

specific skill development, but they don’t build the capacity for power,
speed, and strength. The beauty of training is that not only do you
build a higher capacity for those biomotor abilities, but you also
effect skill development in the process. Yes, you heard that right.
Training can assist in building skill on a baseball field. Building
general abilities like strength, power, and speed gives athletes the
ability to display a wider range of athletic skill.
An athlete who can’t brace on his front leg will never blow radar guns
away no matter how many lessons he has. Having the best-looking
swing on the team doesn’t mean anything when you can’t get the
ball out of the infield. Being stronger can increase skill development
by giving athletes increased body awareness, movement capacity,
and overall athleticism. Training creates the ability to control the
body, as well as external implements, better. A hitter who is too slow
with the bat to get to a down-and-away fastball now has more bat
control because he has developed into a stronger, faster athlete. A
hitter with more speed and power can now wait a split second longer
in determining whether to swing at an incoming pitch. With young
athletes, strength is the foundation of all physical abilities. A rising
tide lifts all ships. Strength is the basis for future power and speed in
novice athletes.

With more-advanced athletes, the general doesn’t necessarily lead

to the specific, which means taking a pro baseball player and making
him stronger than he already is doesn’t make him a better baseball
player. With novice athletes, this isn’t the case. Until a large base of
development has been established, building general skills will create
better athletes and better athletes means increased skill
development capacity.

Athletes have a massive developmental window during their teenage

years. On the topic of long-term athletic development, Canadian
sports scientist Istvan Balyi stated, “Damage done between the ages
of 10-16 cannot be fully corrected and athletes will never reach their
genetic potential.” Damage refers to early specialization, improper
training, and/or lack of overall athletic development. Hormones are
flooding the body to help build muscle, coordination, strength,
movement speed, etc. It’s a time that shouldn’t be wasted or
neglected. An athlete will never have a better period for growth than
he does during his high school years.

Athlete First, Specialization Later

Movement Over Maxes is really about building the overall athlete,

not the baseball player. One of the reasons we don’t need specificity
is because it’s already happening to the nth degree. As I mentioned
earlier, players are getting baseball skill work year-round. The
general and the specific are way out of whack for most athletes.
Younger baseball players need to increase the general work to build
a foundation of development that will aid the specific.

There is no need to worry about specificity in the weight room; begin

developing the general movement skills athletes can use later down
their athletic road. A long-term approach doesn’t leave out specific
skills, it makes sure to also include a large foundation of other
movement skills. Early specialization results in many issues in the
developing athlete. Three longitudinal studies from three separate
countries show some of the problems associated with early
specialization.

Early specialization produces early results from the frequency at

which athletes are performing their skill. On the surface, this alone
makes coaches and athletes excited about the future and creates a
system of even more one-directional baseball-only training, but it
often comes at a cost to later development. Similar to the Serbian
soccer study mentioned before, athletes that specialize early often
hit a “ceiling” of development, while those that continue to build a
larger foundation often produce well into their adult years.

This isn’t to say baseball players shouldn’t play baseball. They

absolutely should and must to develop the skill necessary for the
sport. It’s saying that other movement skills and abilities shouldn’t be
dismissed and forgotten about. Training should be multilateral and
not unidirectional. Specialization should happen later in adolescence
after a large base of movement skills has been developed.
According to Professor Tudor Bompa, often referred to as the father
of sports periodization, baseball athletes shouldn’t begin
specialization until the ages of 15-16, with highest performances
occurring between the ages of 22 and 28.

Developing the foundation sets the stage for all future growth. This
applies not only to baseball athletes, but developing any athlete in
general. The principles remain the same no matter the sport.
Teaching movement should always be a priority before loading. This
concept is backwards for many coaches, with loading the first thing
they think about. Loading should be a result of the movement, not
the other way around. When proper movement is taught first, an
athlete can then exponentially increase loading. When the two are
not in sync, problems occur.

Many coaches and athletes will look at the Foundation Program and
note that it’s nothing but the basics. The basics are vital in the
process of long-term development. The lack of proper development
and movement skills early on will eventually catch up to an athlete
and expose them down the road.

The movements an athlete develops at a young age will carry them

throughout their entire athletic career. Loading concurrently while
trying to teach movement patterns results, more often than not, in a
broken-down athlete who must be retrained. Coaches know athletes
who have spent a large amount of time training an improper
movement pattern. In these cases, the nervous system must be
reprogrammed with the new movement pattern. It can take a lot of
time to establish a new motor program. Building movement efficiency
up front eliminates an unwanted and time-consuming process.
Taking a slow-cooked approach results in true long-term
development. It creates a stable foundation for all other skills to build
upon. Build the foundation and watch results flourish down the road.
 2

THE ATHLETIC POSITION

The athletic position is a fundamental position for all athletes,

whether on the field or in the weight room. It is an essential position
of movement initiation in virtually all sport. Speed, power, and
movement begin with a solid foundation and that is the athletic
position. It is often taken for granted as so basic that many coaches
don’t even teach it. To me, it’s the most basic and fundamental
aspect of movement and should be the first thing taught to any
athlete. Teaching this position transfers over to the rest of the
foundational movement positions seamlessly.

The athletic position, just like all others, should be developed around
the premise of a braced spine with motion initiated at the hip.
Without this ability, power leaks exist and movement, force
application, and absorption will all be compromised. Imagine
performing a vertical jump, a sprint start, or a squat with a rounded
spine. The hips are unable to express their full ability as the spine
will give upon force application. A spine made of steel rods can
transmit forces. A spine made of Jell-O does nothing of the sort.

If we’ve done our job with the athletic position, the rest of the
positions can begin to blend seamlessly into the athlete’s movement
bank. The athletic position is truly the most basic of the basics. Many
young athletes simply have no body awareness to align themselves
in the most proper angles to initiate movement to begin with. The
athletic position serves as the basis for:

1. Position of Sport

Virtually every position of sport starts around a solid base to move in

any direction. This is especially true on the baseball field, as every
position except for the pitcher starts from the basic athletic position.
The ability to sprint forward, lateral, crossover, backward run, jump,
etc. all start from the basis of this position to react to a stimulus.

2. Squat / Hip Hinge Patterns

You will find that big patterns in the weight room are especially easier
to teach when the athlete has previously been taught a fundamental
athletic position.

3. Force Absorption and Jump Training

Athletes must be able to receive force before displaying it. Teaching

athletes how to control their body when landing and/or stopping is a
priority before teaching them to accelerate. Cars aren’t built to drive
first, with the brakes added later. The inability to control the body
when landing or stopping is often the cause of devastating injuries,
namely tearing the ACL. Train and teach athletes to control their
body and absorb force first. Once that ability has been developed,
athletes can learn to display force.

4. Deceleration and Agility Development

Deceleration ties into the idea of force absorption first. Controlling

the body into a stop and, ultimately, a change of direction mainly
requires athletes to lower their center of mass into a position of
efficiency. This athletic position allows for athletes to redirect force
and propel themselves in another direction. Again, this basic athletic
principle of stopping is often overlooked by many coaches. This is
the reason you see athletes out of position when the time comes to
stop and/or change direction. Athletes are outside of their frame and
struggle to control their body into the direction they want it to go.

One of the best examples on a baseball field is a pitcher fielding a

bunt. How many times have you seen a pitcher sprint off the mound
to field a bunt and slip as he goes to pick up the ball? His feet come
out from under him and he takes a seat as the runner finds himself
easily at first base. As the pitcher goes to stop, his weight shifts back
and his feet are in front of his body. His body is outside of the frame
of a quality athletic position, where the weight is centered over the
feet. A poor position of not being able to stop under control is a real-
life example of teaching and training athletes the ability to decelerate
correctly in the athletic position.

The athletic position we want is a hip-dominant position. It loads the

hips and not the knees. Many athletes want to shift forward with their
knees to lower themselves down while keeping a vertical spine. The
pattern we want is one of shifting the hips back. This posterior weight
shift moves the hips back and keeps the knees over the foot path,
versus a knee-dominant pattern where the knees shift beyond the
toes. Loading the hips results in potentially greater power output,
stronger positions, and less chance of overloading the knee,
especially in younger athletes. With the hips shifted posteriorly,
athletes now find their chest out over their knees and their body
weight centered.
The athletic position is about movement. How can coaches expect
an athlete to find the athletic position during movement when he
can’t find the athletic position to begin with? Without a starting point,
how well can he finish? Developing the pattern gives the athlete the
awareness and ability to perform foundational movement patterns in
any given sport. All too often, coaches skip the basics in lieu of more
advanced training when the basics are truly where the most
advancement will occur. Advanced tools like velocity-based training
are sexier than teaching the athletic position, but the majority of
youth and teen athletes need to develop better basic positions.
Advancing beyond an athlete’s trainability is a recipe for failure down
the road. Using up advanced training before he is ready leaves an
athlete nowhere to progress.

Optimal Position

1. Feet shoulder width apart and

facing forward.

2. The biggest key is teaching the

athlete to reach his hips back and
not shift forward with his knees.

Have athlete stand 6 inches in front of a wall for cueing, if need be.

3. Knees should stay above the foot path.

They should not be in front of the toes.

4. Back is flat and in a neutral position.

5. Chest and shoulders should be out over the knees and not behind
them.
A great coaching cue is to hang the arms relaxed from the athletic
position. If they contact the upper thighs, they are in an incorrect
position. The arms hanging loosely should be out in front of the legs.

6. Head is neutral.

7. Shoulders should be pulled back.

8. Arms bent at 90 degrees in front.

Progression

1. Athletic Position Stances

a. Athletic Position ISO

Once the proper position is established, perform ISO holds in the

athletic position. Teach athletes to create tension and hold that
posture of athleticism. Holds start at 10 seconds and progress
towards 30+ seconds.

b. Split Stance AP ISO

Once confident in the athletic stance, add the split stance athletic
position. The split stance is the same fundamental positioning with a
split single leg stance. With the split stance, add the proper arm drive
sequence.

c. Switching ISO

Once athletes master the athletic position in both the double leg and
split stance, begin to mix the two. Over the course of a 20- to 30-
second hold, have athletes switch back and forth between the two,
based upon your command.

d. Movement ISO

The next progression is to add complexity in maintaining the athletic

position. Begin to add movement through the previous positions. The
movements are only single steps and based upon the coach’s
command. They consist of taking a step forward, backward, or
laterally, or moving into a right or left split stance. These are done for
a time under tension protocol. Athletes will perform these slow
walking movements for 20-30 seconds while maintaining the proper
athletic positions.

2. Snapdown Series

a. Snapdown ISO

From there, begin to add speed to the movement in the form of what
I call “snapdowns.” Snapdowns commence from a tall starting
position with arms overhead. Upon command, athletes pull down
hard into a proper athletic position and hold that position for 1-5
seconds. Athletes should focus on pulling down hard into the final
position. This creates the beginnings of my deceleration training.
Snapdowns are great for teaching athletes to coordinate arm
movement with landing, jumping, and force absorption.

b. Snapdown to Vertical Jumps

Following snapdowns, the next step is to add my entry-level jumping
protocol. Athletes will snap down into the athletic position and hold
for a count, then perform a vertical jump with arm drive and land
back in the snapdown position. Depending on the level of the athlete,
some may need to start with a lower intensity jump to maintain the
snapdown landing mechanics. We want perfect positioning upon
landing. Teach athletes to stick the landing and stop motion. Start
with 1-5 reps per set and build up to 10 reps. Always maintain
movement mechanics first and foremost.

c. Snapdowns to Lateral Jumps

Once the vertical jump has been added to the mix, begin to add
another level of complexity by organizing the body into the athletic
position with lateral vertical jumps. Athletes will snap down and jump
laterally to the left or right and land again in that athletic position. As
a progression, you can mix between the 2 jumps: vertical and lateral.

d. Snapdown with Spins

Spins add another laying of movement complexity. Athletes start tall,

snap down, and on command, jump and spin 90 degrees and land in
the snapdown position. On command, they vertical jump and spin to
the left or right and into the snapdown position again. They perform
1-5 reps initially, but do upwards of 5-10 upon demonstration of body
control. The addition of 180-degree spins is another level of
complexity.
3. Snapdown to Split Stance

The snapdown to a split stance is just that. Athletes start tall in the
initial high reach position and snap down, but reorganize to the split
stance athletic position. This is similar to a lunge position. After the
initial learning period of the split stance snapdown, athletes can
follow the same progression listed above through both vertical and
lateral jumps, as well as spins.

4. Snapdown to Single Leg Stance

The most advanced version I’ve found is the snapdown in the single
leg stance. This is only pulling down onto one leg. The other leg is
off the ground and offers no support. Again, use the above
progression of positions first, then go into vertical jumps, lateral
jumps, and finally spins when the athlete is able.
Coaches will find that these progressions can occur relatively quickly
and don’t always have to go in step-by-step order. Younger athletes
will spend more time working through the levels, but older, more-
developed athletes may move rather quickly through these and into
more advanced jump training. The variations of snapdowns, jumps,
lands, etc. are vast and only limited by the coach’s imagination.

Programming

The athletic position and snapdown progressions are most

appropriately placed at the front of a training session. Using them
immediately after the warm-up emphasizes the positions that all
movement for the session will stem from. Once athletes have moved
through the basic progressions listed here, coaches can easily put
the athletic positioning and snapdown work into the warm-up itself.
When done in this format, they serve as an excellent means to keep
the principles ingrained daily.
 3

SPEED AND ACCELERATION

Baseball is a sport that is almost solely built around speed and

power. Those characteristics dominate the game. As such, we want
to train like the game is played. Athletes, especially in their teen
years, have a unique window for developing speed and training the
nervous system.

There are too many benefits to sprint training to carelessly pass it

over in lieu of longer runs to “get in shape.” When was the last time
you saw a movement that was done slowly on a baseball field?
Athletes must react incredibly quickly. They have to sprint to an area
with no lag. Throws and swings are all single-event explosive
actions. There is nothing that happens slowly on a baseball field. So
why would you train in that fashion?

Charlie Francis stated, “watch the player not the sport.” Train that
way and you won’t regret it. Sprinting is not just beneficial in terms of
speed development, but can assist in overall athletic development.
The benefits to sprint training extend beyond speed.

1. Neuromuscular Efficiency
This is the increased ability of the nervous system to transmit signals
between the brain and the muscles. Two principle adaptations
through training are increased fiber recruitment and rate coding, or
the speed at which signals can be transmitted.

2. Reactivity and Speed of Contraction

Speed training, especially maximal speed, is highly dependent upon

reactivity. Reactivity is the ability to contract, relax, and contract a
muscle again repeatedly. Reactivity ties into increased
neuromuscular efficiency as well.

3. Power and Strength Development

Training for speed develops the nervous system through the same
channels as all other training. Sprinting can actually assist in
developing power and strength in the weight room. It’s a “the chicken
or the egg” concept.

4. Coordination

Sprinting is actually a highly complex process involving the upper

and lower body to produce fluid movement. Don’t overlook sprinting
as a means of developing coordination, especially in younger
athletes.

5. Specificity
Out of all of the concepts in Movement Over Maxes, sprinting is
easily the most specific athletic movement. Virtually every team sport
athlete will sprint at some point or another in competition.

Being in Shape

What does it mean to be in shape to play baseball? I often hear of

coaches running athletes into the ground to get them in shape to
play. When was the last time you watched a baseball player during a
game throw up on the field from too much repeat running with little to
no rest? Never. But when was the last time you saw a speed demon
get to first base in the ninth inning of a tie game and got worried? Or
a CF chase down a for-sure in-the-gap triple with speed across the
outfield?

Being in shape is something that truly doesn’t factor into playing

baseball. It’s so general to say “being in baseball shape” that it really
refers to nothing at all. The shape we want is explosive, powerful,
and fast. I don’t want a team of cross-country runners, I want a team
of thoroughbreds. Follow the principles listed here and you’ll be on
your way.

Develop Speed with Speed

Charlie Francis has been a great influence on me over the course of

my career. The famed Canadian sprint coach believed we develop
speed with speed. Every rep is as fast as the body will carry us with
full recoveries in between. If you want to teach athletes to run fast,
then make them run fast.
95%+ Effort

Submaximal intensities do not develop all-out speed as per Francis.

All runs are as fast as the body allows us on that given day, which is
why I say 95%+ effort. We don’t train in submaximal intensity zones.
Submaximal intensities in the range of 75% to 95% are too slow to
train fast, but too intense to count as recovery or be utilized on an off
day.

Take baseball players running poles as an example that athletes

commonly have to do in their conditioning protocol. These runs
aren’t full-out sprints, but aren’t easy runs either. Players aren’t
training for the ability to develop speed, yet aren’t able to train
recovery either. Those runs lie in the in-between spectrum of 75% to
95%. Athletes can’t sprint the distance at full speed the entire time
and are gassed at the end. If lactic conditioning is your goal, then by
all means, poles can assist athletes to that end. But if the goal is fast
athletes who can get to a ball hit deep in the five hole, then short
powerful sprints are the better answer.

Most development in speed and acceleration for baseball athletes

takes between 10 and 30 yards. I don’t know how to do a 10- or 20-
yard sprint at 85% of effort. By nature, sprinting is an explosive
movement that relies on intent. Add competing teammates into the
mix, and submaximal sprinting goes out the window quickly. Whether
you are truly training at 95%+ for the day isn’t as important as
athletes who are sprinting with full intent for the training session.

Athletes Should Be Fresh

Training for speed should not induce muscle fatigue. Athletes should
not be gassed after speed training the way they would doing 6 sets
of 6 on a back squat at 80%. The fatigue from maximal speed
sessions is very much nervous system based. Athletes will report
that they feel sleepy, to an extent, after a lengthy speed session.
Muscles should not be sapped of glycogen.

If athletes report being gassed with severely fatigued legs, then look
closely at the parameters you’re using. Often, rest intervals are too
short, and/or distances are too long. Younger athletes have yet to
develop an efficient, highly trained nervous system, so speed work is
actually less fatiguing in that aspect. That doesn’t give coaches the
green light to run athletes to death outside of the parameters I will
talk about here. Speed training is an incredibly important aspect for
motor development, especially for younger athletes. Windows exist
in late childhood and the early teen years for greater speed
development versus other periods of growth.

With older, more-developed athletes, the nervous system can be

highly involved. The more advanced an athlete, the more efficient his
CNS. Developing an overall program with this in mind is paramount.
Every piece of training fits together like a puzzle. They are not
separate entities. They blend together and each piece has a huge
effect on the other. Speed programs that pay no attention to other
variables drive me crazy. Speed training, strength training, mobility,
skill work—they are all pieces of the larger picture, and they feed off
one another. Too much of one disrupts development in another.

Programming speed sessions around the CNS becomes important

with more-developed athletes. A fatigued nervous system from
previous lifting, running, etc. will quickly diminish the benefits of any
sprint training. Not only will gains suffer, but continually adding to the
workload will increase the risk of sickness and injury.

Understand the Difference Between Speed and Conditioning

Herein lies the biggest factor that can make a difference in an

athlete’s training immediately. Training for speed and training for
conditioning are not one and the same. Energy system work has its
place and it’s a huge place in team/field sports. If you’re trying to
develop the ability to sprint faster, doing it under conditions of fatigue
is not the answer.

Speed is highly CNS driven and even more so the higher the level of
athlete. Sprinting in conditions of fatigue does not allow an athlete to
run full speed. The difference in developing speed versus energy
systems come down to distances, intensities, and rest intervals.
Paying attention to rep recovery is vital when training for acceleration
and speed improvement. A general guideline I use is 30 seconds to
1 minute per 10 yards of distance. Speed, just like max efforts in the
weight room, requires long rests to ensure full recovery. Remember,
you want athletes to be at peak speed every rep. In order to do that,
make sure they aren’t huffing and puffing.

Depending on the sport, energy system development can be more

important than speed. Speed is great, but without the ability to
display it over and over and over with short rests, it really doesn’t
matter. This is clearly not the case with baseball. Baseball is
characterized by fairly short sprints followed by long periods of rest.
Yes, there is the occasional 30- to 60-yard sprint on back-to-back
pitches, but those are few and far between, and the rest period in
between can be fairly significant. We want to develop the all-out
ability to beat a ball down the line, or the ability to accelerate to a ball
hit deep in the hole.

Follow the Arms

Movement comes in various shapes and sizes. There is no technical

model to follow. Different body sizes, limb lengths, and
neuromuscular systems all help form an athlete’s individual technical
ability. Look at the differences between Usain Bolt and Michael
Johnson. Both set world records through completely different styles.
What works for one athlete technically may be another’s downfall.

Allow your athletes to move better and more efficiently within their
own framework instead of overlapping another athlete’s framework.
Their body will figure out the motor skill per their own structure and
on their own terms. The athletes I train have been running for more
than a decade on their own already, so it’s not as if I’m working with
an empty palette. I may be able to assist them in this endeavor and
adjust things here and there, but in the grand scheme of things, most
athletes will revert back to their natural ingrained motor patterns
when it becomes an all-out battle anyway. It’s human nature.

Tom Shaw talked about this very concept when training Chris
Johnson for the NFL Combine by working on correcting technical
flaws. When it came time for his 40-yard dash, Chris went back to
the same “flawed” motor pattern he had used forever…and still ran
the fastest time in history, up to that point. Allow players to move
within their own framework. Mechanics are important, but I would
rather spend the bulk of training time developing the nervous system
and sprinting full speed than battling an already deeply ingrained
motor pattern that, in the end, may be extremely difficult to alter.
Technique has its place in training but, given time restrictions, many
coaches don’t have the time to hammer away at hours of technical
work when it comes to sprinting. Not only that, but many team sports
don’t run full speed in a straight line anyway. Now, if my primary
sport was track and field, that is an entirely different scenario, but
because our athletes play a field sport, we must know which battles
to fight in terms of time. If we do technical work, it is reserved for
later stages of the warm-up and early parts of a speed session. But
again, when we look at the reward vs. time spent, it’s often not
favorable for our training scenario so we must pick our biggest battle.
Adding large elements of technical work into the warm-up allow us to
kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

For the athletes I work with, the primary emphasis of technique

becomes to correct arm drive. Correcting arm drive will often set the
body up to assist lower-body mechanics. The focus becomes
emphasizing big angles, as Stuart McMillan would say, driving the
elbow down and back. For every action, there is an equal and
opposite reaction. By focusing on elbow drive back, we get high hips
and knee drive forward on the opposite leg. Charlie Francis always
said: “The arms control the legs.” The arms, being closer to the
brain, receive neural input first. If you don’t believe the arms control
the legs, have your athletes try to sprint with short, quick, choppy
arm movements…it doesn’t work. The legs follow with the same
short, choppy action below. Sprinting is a highly coordinated
neuromuscular movement pattern of equal and opposites.

I teach athletes to drive the elbow back, focusing on hip pocket to

the chin. My coaching is geared more to the elbow than the hand so
there is shoulder rotation instead of elbow extension, where it looks
as if a kid is just swinging a hammer. Pelvic rotation is important
when it comes to sprinting. Don’t let athletes get carried away
crossing their arms across the midpoint of their body. Teach and train
the arms coming to the midline, but never crossing.

One of my cues is to imagine a sheet of glass running through the

midline of the body. Cue athletes to touch it with their hands but don’t
break the sheet of glass. Remember, sprinting is a coordinated
movement pattern of equal and opposites. Allowing the arms and
upper body to rotate frees up the pelvis for increased rotation and
subsequently increases stride length. Focus on correcting arm drive
and the rest will fall in line.

Sprinting Means and Methods

The following means and methods are used to lay the foundation for
speed development, as well as develop overall coordination and
technique acquisition. The movements progress from a more-
controlled environment with the A-Skip Series to learning at
increasing speeds with buildups. They finish with all-out full-speed
runs that teach athletes overall athleticism and the ability to repeat
proper acceleration angles from a variety of body positions.

The A-Skip Series

The A-skip series goes to great lengths to teach general athletic

coordination, especially in younger athletes. Many coaches use them
for developing the technical aspect of sprinting. While this can be
beneficial, I truly believe they are the most effective for teaching non-
track athletes proper arm drive and general coordination. The
younger the athlete, the more we use A-skips for those two huge
reasons.

In time, being able to shut off the mind and sprint without thought
brings about faster speeds. Conscious thought in high-speed
activities does nothing but slow athletes down. Sprinting technique,
and specifically great arm drive, should become an instinct. It should
be subconscious, and it should just happen. Thinking takes time.
Speed happens without thought. This is where the A-skip series can
help athletes.

The A-skip series progresses from static positions to dynamic

positions. Teach athletes to move forward slowly, by performing a
high amount of reps per distance. The series will only fail if athletes
perform just a handful of reps per the distance because they’re
moving forward too fast.

Initially, have athletes start over a distance of 10 yards and build out
to 20 yards. Athletes must be able to hold and maintain the proper
positions. Any breakdown means fatigue has set in and is
detrimental to technique acquisition. As athletes progress, the
addition of a sprint upon finishing each movement can be
implemented. The addition of a sprint can help to reinforce the
movements that are being drilled through A-skips. An example is a
10-yard A-skip into a 20-yard buildup.

1. A-March

- Marching through the A pattern.

- Athlete must stand tall and drive the knee up, toe up.
- Pause at the top to hold position.

- Focus on arm drive.

2. A-Skip

- Skipping through movement.

- Pattern is L L R R L L…

- Athlete must stand tall and drive the knee up, toe up.

- Focus again on arm drive.

3. 1-2 Pause

- This is now a running pattern.

- Pattern is R L R and Pause on that leg, then L R L and Pause on

that leg.

- Focus is on holding position on pauses. Arm and leg action

remains the same as the previous movements.

4. 3 Hop

- This is a hopping pattern that emphasizes holding the position

while in dynamic motion.

- Pattern is R R R L L L R R R.
5. A Run

- This is nothing more than a run.

- We are focused on front-side mechanics.

- Coaching cues should be focused on stepping over the opposite

knee.

- Athlete must stand tall and drive the knee up, toe up.

- Focus again on arm drive.

Lateral

All the same patterns can then be applied laterally as well. This is
more difficult, but adds to the coordination requirements. The
emphasis in a lateral pattern must be on not crossing the feet over
each other.

Backward

The skipping series can also be performed backwards. These

variations from the forward series are especially productive with
younger athletes, as they go deeper into motor development.

The skipping series can be done over the course of 10 yards. Focus
on a high number of foot contacts during the distance selected. The
more, the better. These movements are no different than any in this
manual in that quality execution without breakdowns is key.
Buildups

Buildups are an entry-level progression to acceleration, and

eventually full-speed sprinting. Buildups are performed exactly as the
name says. They are a gradual building up of speed. Athletes start
and increase speed every step until the required distance is reached.
Athletes are instructed to start at zero, and gradually and evenly gain
speed with each step.

The beauty of buildups is that coaches can fully control the intensity.
A buildup out to 20 yards would be a fairly low intensity run. Athletes
building up gradually would not hit anywhere near top speed.
However, setting a distance of 40 yards or even 50 yards would
greatly increase the intensity, as athletes would easily come close to
full speed at the full distance.

Buildups provide athletes with a great opportunity to focus on

technique acquisition. Since runs are generally submaximal
intensities, athletes can focus on proper arm drive and relaxation.
They also provide a gradual progression of intensity into maximal
speed training instead of going from virtually nothing to full speed
sprints. Buildups bridge the gap.

Multi-Positional Starts

One of the best ways to develop acceleration for field sport athletes
is to start from multiple positions. Acceleration from multiple
positions teaches athletes several things:

Body control and organization

Repositioning
 Body orientation
Application of force in the appropriate direction
Optimal angles of ascent
Task-solving motor learning

There are three primary orientations for starts that I utilize to perform
max effort sprints:

1. Blind starts
2. 3- and 4-point stances
3. Standing athletic positions

Blind Starts

Blind starts are done from a prone, supine, or side lying position,
facing various directions. Although these are not specific to the
position a baseball athlete generally starts from in competition, they
go a great distance towards developing the qualities mentioned
above. They develop an athlete’s ability to control his body and find
the most optimal angle of acceleration.

Prone is on the stomach lying face-down. The most common

position is the head in line with the direction of the sprint. Supine is
lying on the back. Side lying is on the side. In all these positions,
athletes can have their head facing in line of the direction of the
sprint or away from it, or any variation between. The most favorable
method is in line, as this sets them up for the most efficient path, but
real body control and task-solving occurs in positions such as on
their back with the head away from the direction of the sprint.
3- and 4-Point Stances

The second position used is a 3- or 4-point stance start. These aren’t

common starts like a track athlete or defensive lineman before the
snap. The 4s refer to an athlete being on their hands and knees. The
4-point starts can face any direction and require the athlete to
organize themselves for acceleration. The 3-point starts refer to the
points of contact as well. These are with a knee-down/lunge-type
position. The 3 starts require the down leg to power the body into a
position of acceleration. It is great for overloading the back leg at the
start for power development.
Standing Athletic Positions

The athletic stances I use are just common 2-point starting positions.
The difference is that these are trained with a variety of directions
toward and away from the desired sprinting direction. When we look
at what happens on a baseball field, athletes sprint from an athletic
stance in any number of directions. Generally, the sprint is in a
straight line to a point where the player perceives he will meet the
ball. The athletic stance start is the most specific to what happens on
the field. Athletes again have to reposition themselves with their first
step to go in the desired direction. It’s no different than when an
outfielder reacts to a ball hit into the gap and must turn and run.

Programming Parameters

The three parameters we must focus on for programming speed

development are distances, rest intervals, and total volume.

Distances
The distance of training becomes a very important factor in speed
development. Anything over 60 yards becomes speed endurance
and does not assist us in our goal of faster field athletes. The
emphasis of our sprinting is generally 10-30 yards. Yes, there are
important times to work out even farther, but the vast majority of
team sport athletes are going to hit 90%+ of maximal speed before
30 yards, with younger athletes even less. Most high-level athletes
are slowing down after 60 yards, and even 100m Olympic sprinters
have likely hit top speed by 60 meters and at that point are trying to
hold on.

If we plan on training fast, sprints over 60 yards have little

significance in our system. There is a strong case for training
maximal speed runs between 20 and 50 yards with team sport
athletes even though many will never reach these speeds on the
field. These longer runs assist in building acceleration ability, as well
as many other positive factors. Stride length, reactivity, relaxation,
and coordination are all aspects developed with novice athletes
training maximal speed.

Rest Intervals

Both speed and energy system work have their place, but
understand there is a huge difference in the means and methods
utilized to develop each. To get the desired training effect, rest
intervals become critical. Too little rest between sprints and lactate
begins to accumulate, causing quality to diminish. When it comes to
speed and acceleration development, remember quality over
quantity.
A guideline to follow is 1 minute per 10 yards of distance. A 40-yard
sprint requires 4 minutes of rest prior to another. This becomes
incredibly difficult with the time parameters that most team sports
must currently follow at the college and high school levels. In recent
years, I have moved to using a walk back recovery for anything
under 20 yards. At 30 yards, a walk back plus 60 seconds has
shown to be appropriate. The key is to make sure athletes have
caught their breath and feel restored before the next rep begins.

Volume

Tracking total volume of training on the field is just as important as in

the weight room. I see coaches meticulously plan lifting sessions,
percentages, total volume, etc. but callously run kids into the ground,
training what they perceive to be speed. If you have no idea how far
your athletes have run for the day or week, it becomes almost
impossible to assess the overall training effect.
Tim Gabbett’s research deals with understanding athlete workloads
over the course of time. His research has shown that many injuries
come from large jumps in training loads over a short period of time.
Athletes who are unprepared to take on such high levels of
workloads eventually break down. Tracking volumes and intensities
for sprinting should play an equal role to training in the weight room.
Athletes cannot continually increase the volume of all high-intensity
means. When another high-intensity activity takes a larger place in
the training, something else must be removed or limited to account
for the increased stress. These high-intensity means must remain in
harmony with each other and tracking sprint training is a must.

Training volumes for the athletes I work with generally range from
150-300 yards per session. Most of the work will fall in the middle of
that range and can occasionally exceed the high end, depending on
the time of year and goal of the block. Less is usually more when it
comes to training for speed. Err on the side of caution.

These volume parameters will look oddly low to many coaches.

Running poles would far exceed the volume listed here. Even just
one pole would exceed the recommended high-volume parameters.
Much of the running done today is at intensities too high to recover
from and too low to actually build speed. Bow and arrows, poles, etc.
are often 300+ yards per run and performed with little rest. The
intensities of these runs are in the zones we prefer to avoid. Training
to be fast means training fast. The only way to properly do that is by
obeying rest intervals and sprinting at full speed.

Progressions and Parameters

Training for speed happens with full rests not only between reps but
between sessions. The high-low system of training, which will be
introduced in the patterning chapter, allows for high nervous system
activities to be separated by days of lower intensity to allow the body
to recover. The use of this split allows for the prioritization of speed
and power. A program for speed development should generally
rotate around a 3-day programming format that incorporates rest
days or days of lower intensity between high-intensity workouts.

Programming should be based around the level of the athlete as

well. Younger athletes in pre-teen and early teen years don’t have to
adhere to the high-low method of programming. A less efficiently
developed neuromuscular system allows for training stimuli daily.
Young athletes recover quickly. The use of skipping series as well as
sprints can occur daily if care is taken with less-developed athletes.

Progressions into speed training must be done with special attention

to workload and intensity. Jumping into high-intensity sprints before
athletes are prepared is a recipe for hamstring injuries. Gradual
increases in intensity and volumes are key. The progressions utilized
over the course of the Foundation Program are as follows:

1. A-Skip Series

a. Goal
-Technique acquisition

b. Distances

-10-20 yards

-Addition of light buildups to further increase intensity

c. Rests

-Allow for full recovery/athletes to catch their breath.

2. Buildups

a. Goal

-Ingrain technique at faster speeds.

-Build volume.

-Build intensity.

b. Distances

-20-50 yards

-Shorter distances control intensity.

-Longer distances reach full speed.

c. Rests

-Due to submaximal intensity on most runs, buildup rests generally

don’t have to fully adhere to speed training rest intervals.

3. Full-Speed Sprints

a. Goal

-Sprinting acceleration and maximal speed

b. Distances

-10-50/60 yards

-Shorter = Acceleration

-Longer = Maximal Speed

-Dependent upon level of athlete

-Dependent upon goal and time period

c. Means used

-Blind starts

-3- and/or 4-point stances

-Athletic positions

d. Rests

-Full rests are utilized.

-See accompanying chart.

The layout of speed development will fit seamlessly into the training
blocks to be detailed in later chapters. The A-skip series is about
positions, buildups are about increasing intensity, and full-speed
sprints are about high-intensity development.
 4

THE BIG 5 MOVEMENT PATTERNS

The Foundation Program is developed around 5 big patterns of

movement. These patterns entail the basic foundational movements
for all athletes. A squat, hinge, push, pull, and stabilization of the
spine—the 5 patterns are truly a program in themselves. They cover
the entirety of the upper and lower body.

1. Squat Pattern
2. Hip Hinge Pattern
3. Upper Body Pull Pattern
4. Upper Body Push Pattern
5. ISO Core Pattern + Single Leg

In the coming chapters, I will detail each movement pattern’s

development and importance. Each will feature an array of options
for teaching and reinforcing movement competency, from the novice
to the more-advanced athlete. I will provide an array of progressions
and options to use within your program to fit the needs and varying
abilities of your athletes.

The Big 5 patterns will be broken down into 3 possible categorical

progressions for coaches to pull from.
Every pattern progression will build upon itself, starting with the
grooved regressions, moving to bodyweight progressions, and then
progressing to the main movement and its advancements. Athletes
can start in a variety of places depending upon equipment, training
age, competency, etc.

The progressions detailed can follow many paths. Some may use it
in a step-by-step fashion, advancing their athletes through each.
Others may pick and choose 1-2 movements to build each pattern.
Again, the choice of progression will depend on many factors, and
each coach will determine the route for their athletes. There truly is
no wrong answer. Enhancing movement abilities is the only right
answer.

The progressions are not necessarily written to follow each

movement from start to finish, but give the user a vast amount of
ideas to implement with their team or athlete based upon their
needs. Coaches may find the best plan is to mix and match
movements. This manual should act as a guide to assist in the
search for each athlete’s optimal path.

Grooved Regressions

Grooved movements are the regressions to the Big 5 movement

patterns. They are movements developed to assist the athlete into
the proper position. The grooved movements will be a large part of
the Positions Block in the programming chapter. They are especially
excellent for beginners and younger athletes who lack body
awareness and control. While any athlete can be missing these
qualities, you will find that the younger the athlete, the tougher it is to
cue specific body awareness. A cue like “keep the spine flat”
registers little with an untrained middle schooler. The same cue for a
college athlete can easily correct the situation. Knowing the level of
the athlete can be key.

The grooved movements serve two essential functions:

1. Eliminate overthinking of the situation

In effect, the grooved patterns help to eliminate any overthinking of

the situation. The brain will often get in the way while discovering
proper movement. In many cases, the less a coach needs to
interfere with talk, the better.

2. Assist in taking the athlete where they need to go

The grooved regressions help athletes who are unable to easily

perform a movement. They create a stimulus for the athlete to move
into the correct positions, and essentially take athletes where they
need to go.

The grooved movements act as the first stimulus to training the Big 5
movements properly. They are simply a regression. They work for
middle schoolers all the way up to college and even pro athletes
when needed. Regressing the movement is often the best place to
start over after a faulty movement has been ingrained. Use the
example of an athlete who’s been taught to squat down and not
back: He is unable to fully utilize his hips in the squat pattern.
A movement that is ingrained can be a tough one to break.
Regressing athletes back to a corner barbell squat guides them into
the proper position and can help re-teach the pattern of a hip-
dominant squat. For instance, take an older, more-advanced athlete
who can’t perform a proper push-up. Regressing him into a band-
assisted position or a top down push-up for control will restart the
process of developing proper upper body push patterns without
compensations.

Don’t look upon the grooved movements negatively. They can be a

huge key in development patterns. More-advanced high school or
college athletes may only need to train the grooved patterns for a
few days or weeks to reset or build proper movement patterns.
Some may not need to use the grooved movements at all. However,
for young athletes, the grooved patterns will be their own training
program. Young athletes may use the grooved movements for
months to build outstanding movement patterns before progressing
to more advanced loading.

Bodyweight Progressions

The bodyweight movements are simply a progression to the grooved

movements. They are built around controlling an athlete’s own body
weight first and foremost. While the grooved patterns assist the
athlete into position, the bodyweight movements require the athlete
to control his body into the correct position.

An athlete who fails here must be regressed to the grooved

movements in time. If an athlete can’t control his body weight, he
has no chance of controlling his body with an additional external
resistance like a barbell or weight. He must own his body weight
before progressing into the main movements and beyond. The
bodyweight progressions range from the use of no external load to
the use of light weight in the form of barbells.

Main Movement to Advancements

The ultimate goal is to develop quality movement in the Big 5

patterns. The grooved and bodyweight movements are in place to
progress athletes to the point where they can safely train using
weighted movements. The ability to safely load movements opens
the door to a vast number of training possibilities. This is the goal of
all training: The ability to load movements to develop strength,
power, and speed.

Often, coaches don’t teach movement first because they expect an

athlete will pick it up along the way. That is, if injury or breakdown
doesn’t happen first. Optimally developing movement will take time
and patience. There is no one perfect movement for all. Athletes
have different body types, which results in movement variances. We
guide each athlete to their own perfect motion built around basic
principles that shape each movement.

Take the squat pattern, for example. Many factors will influence how
an athlete moves into a squat. Ankle mobility, femur length, hip
mobility, pelvic structure, etc. will all determine the squat form. Some
athletes will be able to squat like an Olympic champion from day
one. Others will take weeks and months to optimize what works for
their body. Don’t take that as an excuse not to continually work
towards achieving better motion in every athlete. Strive for the best
within everyone.
Progressions

The progressions that a coach utilizes to instill a proper pattern may

go many different routes. This depends heavily on the athlete’s
training age, movement ability, and equipment. Many older athletes
will be able to skip the grooved/regressed patterns and move into
bodyweighted progressions. Knowing your athletes is key.

Not all of these patterns will progress at the same pace. The upper
body and ISO core patterns will progress much quicker than the
more complex lower body movements. And that’s fine. Don’t limit
athletes who are revved up to progress. After all, progression is what
we’re after. We want them moving forward. Let it happen as their
movement dictates. Movement first; strength will follow.

Training groups or teams is a very different dynamic than training

one or a few athletes at a time. Group training must often bend to fit
the overall collective. An easy approach to train younger athletes is
to pull one pattern from each of the sections of movement. Take one
from the grooved movements and train it until it is perfect. Once
athletes are fully able, advance into one of the bodyweight
movements, and eventually into the loaded main movement. There
are a multitude of options at each coach’s fingertips.

Variation Overload

The first question on everyone’s mind is whether these 5 movement

patterns are all I do. Yes, variation in the weight room is actually
something that can hinder athletes early on. This philosophy goes
very much against the grain for common coaching programming.
Many coaches want to make changes to an athlete’s program every
week, and even every day. With a younger, less-trained athlete,
changes are unnecessary and counterproductive. That thinking
doesn’t give athletes the ability to adapt to the given stimulus and
store it in their motor program. I want athletes to master movement,
and I want them to get really good at the basics.

I refer to a concept from Anatoliy Bondarchuk, one of the world’s

most renowned Olympic sport coaches. Coach Bondarchuk had his
Master of Sport athletes, who are some of the greatest athletes in
the history of their sport, perform the same sets, the same reps, the
same percentages, and the same exercises for 6+ week blocks.
They didn’t switch anything.

He wanted them to get good at the skill they were practicing in their
sport. The weight room wasn’t a big drain on their central nervous
system. They had limited time and energy to adapt, and he wanted
to focus that adaptation to be in their sport skill. The point is, if it’s
good enough for the best athletes in the history of a given sport to do
the same exercises, rep scheme, sets, and percentages for long
blocks before switching, it should be more than good enough for
developing athletes who haven’t mastered their own body weight yet.
 5

THE SQUAT PATTERN

The squat pattern is the first pattern in the Foundation Program. You
can make an argument for the hip hinge to be the first pattern taught,
but I find that younger athletes more easily learn the squat pattern.
The squat is a posteriorly shifted weight pattern. Athletes need to
reference the squat as a “sit back” pattern and not a “sit down.” Too
many coaches and athletes believe the squat is down only. It’s not
down—it’s shifting the hips back. Shifting weight forward onto the
forefoot or toes causes large stresses to be transferred from the hips
to the knees. Utilization of the hips increases the ability to handle
higher loads without breakdowns. Teaching athletes to sit back
during the squat should be the most important aspect of teaching the
pattern.

Why the Front Squat

The front squat is my preferred choice for baseball athletes for a

number of reasons. If you’re a coach who doesn’t believe in the front
squat, it’s not a big deal. You can implement the back squat, goblet
squat, etc. All I’m talking about is training and teaching a squat
pattern. Everything I’ve mentioned remains the same regardless of
what form of squat you do.

I have no problem with coaches who do back squats, as it’s a great

foundational exercise. Athletes are not professional lifters and they
shouldn’t be thought of that way. They all have technical flaws in lifts,
especially as the weight increases. There isn’t one lift that makes or
breaks a baseball player, or any team sport athlete for that matter.
Each case is individual and there are certainly those who can
perform a lift for a lifetime without injury.

I believe the front squat is a safer alternative, based on the issues

we see with today’s athletes. The theme throughout this manual is
protecting athletes from the common injuries that coaches see from
overuse. The biggest are stress fractures in the low back. I utilize the
front squat exclusively with athletes for the following reasons.
Lumbar Spine and Pelvis Mechanics

The biggest reason I moved exclusively to the front squat years ago
is stress to the low back. The front squat goes a long way in keeping
the pelvis in a more neutral state compared to the gross anterior
tilted pelvic patterns many athletes get into with back squats. Front
squats don’t allow the pelvis to shift as anteriorly as back squats do.
That anterior shift in the back squat creates huge shear forces
through the lumbar spine. Doing so on the front squat would require
a massive amount of lumbar hyperextension just to keep the spine
erect, which would be incredibly tough to do and keep hold of the
bar. Shear forces on the back squat can grow exponentially high,
especially with kids who have less-than-stellar technique.

Any coach with significant time in the field of strength and

conditioning has had athletes come up with low back pain after
squatting. If you haven’t, then you haven’t coached long enough.
More often than not, this is just a minor issue. The pain limits them
for a week or two, but gradually goes away and they return to
normal. Eliminating back squats in favor of the front squat has
eliminated the lumbar spine problems of the athletes I work with.
Type “front squat vs. back squat” into Google and you’ll find any
numbers of studies citing higher compressive and shear forces
occurring at the L1-L5 levels of the spine in the back squat.

What really turned my attention to front squats was the huge

epidemic of stress fractures happening with today’s youth. Pars
fractures are currently a huge problem with baseball players, due to
the year-round games, lessons, lack of off-season development, etc.
Protecting the lumbar spine has become priority No. 1 in the weight
room. Pars fractures come from extension and rotation patterns.
Guess what every pattern on a baseball field involves? You got it—
extension and rotation.

Hip mobility limitations and weak trunk musculature, pelvic control,

and glutes all factor in to controlling those rotational forces. The
larger forces, along with the anterior pelvic tilt and extension patterns
of the back squat, create a recipe for aggravation and injury. With
pars fractures, athletes are often asymptomatic. Guess what a good
ol’ back squat will do to that? You got it…not asymptomatic anymore.

Technique

This second point ties in completely with the above notion, but I have
seen athletes maneuver a back squat up in 100 different ways.
Athletes can grind their way through a back squat with horrendous
technique that, when finished, makes you wonder how they’re not
partially paralyzed from their butt actually beating their shoulders to
vertical. Again, if you’ve coached for any amount of time, you’ve
seen these problems. You’ve seen an athlete who looks great at
70%, but at 90% turns into horror show.

I don’t want to make absolutes here, but it is much tougher to

compensate in the front squat with a less-than-stable spine. If an
athlete folds forward in the hole, he drops the bar… and that’s it. If
his hips rise before his shoulders, he can’t keep hold of the bar and
the lift is over. It’s incredibly tough for an athlete’s hips to rise faster
than his shoulders in the front squat. The front squat, by nature, is a
more protective lift than the back squat because when an error in the
torso occurs, an athlete is unable to hold the bar. No more breaking
down at the spine yet muscling up a back squat like a contorted
question mark.
More Even Loading Pattern

Powerlift-style back squats with a low bar and extremely wide base
use much more hip activation to accomplish the movement. One of
the things I like about the front squat when taught properly is it uses
a more even loading pattern throughout the lower body. Athletes will
always compensate to their strengths.

We have all seen that athlete who, when the weight is too heavy in a
back squat, keeps pushing his hips back, folding over more and
more in the hole but not actually getting any lower. Knee angle never
changes once they reach that sticking point. The front squat requires
much more knee flexion and athletes can’t compensate for heavier
weights by lowering the bar on the back and eliminating knee bend. I
still emphasize a posterior shift in the front squat, but I can get a
more even loading pattern with the quads and hamstrings.

Thoracic Extension

Thoracic extension is a massive part of baseball and the front squat

promotes thoracic extension. Without it, athletes can’t complete the
lift. The same isn’t true of the back squat. Thoracic extension and
rotation are vital for any throwing athlete. It’s my opinion that many
athletes are too inactive these days. They sit too much and stare at
handheld screens. The result is their shoulders get rounded over and
their posture sucks. We’re promoting posture with the front squat by
strengthening the long and weak mid back and forcing thoracic
extension.
Why Teaching Athletes to Sit Back Is Important

The front squat is a staple in my program, but I often differ from

others in the reason I teach the movement the way I do. It is
commonly associated with an anteriorly loaded pattern that has a
more vertical torso than the back squat. With the front squat, we
often see athletes drop straight down into the hole with their butt
between their feet, and knees 12 inches in front of their shoes. This
is a common movement compensation we want to stay away from.

From day one, I teach and train athletes to reach back and utilize the
hips in every movement, especially the front squat. This differs from
the more traditional model that keeps an erect torso and allows the
knees to travel forward past the toes. There are several reasons we
want to teach a more hip-dominant pattern.

Stress at the Patellofemoral Joint

Many weaker athletes want to shift forward into their quads and
become very knee dominant when front squatting. In trained Olympic
lifters, this is fine. They’ve developed the mobility and movement
skills to be able to push through their heels while being more upright
to prepare for the jerk. The truth is, Olympic lifters don’t shift forward
like novice athlete do. It takes an experienced eye to see the subtle
differences in what seems like a similar movement. The end result in
a less-trained athlete is a faulty movement pattern and
compensations that grow weaknesses instead of strengths.

We want our emphasis to be into the much stronger hips and not into
the knees. Ariel showed that subjects with the greatest movement
forward of the knees while performing the squat also had the highest
tibiofemoral shear forces. Restricting the forward shift of the shins
changes the biomechanics of the movement up the kinetic chain as
well, resulting in more hip activation.

With more severe cases, athletes eventually get to the point where
they can no longer get lower because of a severe anterior shift. I’m
talking along the lines of struggling to reach a half or even quarter
squat depth. The hips appear as though they have a block in them. If
the athletes tried to get any lower they would collapse.

The last straw is as athletes go higher in weight, they can no longer

even complete the movement. This is not due to maximal strength
limit being reached, but to movement pattern failure. As body weight
shifts anteriorly, the knees shift past the toes, bringing the heels off
the ground and overloading the knees. Hence, the reason we see
the pattern get higher above parallel as the weight goes up. The hips
almost stay in place as the knees try to shift forward in a last-ditch
effort to get lower. This is a major fault of the front squat.

We want to ingrain a proper movement pattern, so it is the exact the

same across all loading schemes. Yes, the velocity of the bar, effort,
etc. all change the difficulty of the load, but the pattern itself should
not morph into something different. When you let a faulty movement
pattern take hold, the compensation eventually takes over to the
point of no return. Athletes can no longer reach quality depth and, as
weights increase, quality of movement continues to decrease. This
shouldn’t happen. We want to reinforce positive movement patterns
continually.

ACL Stress Reduction

Technique efficacy on the squat matters more than just loading a
clean pattern; it has influence on loading of the joints. Letting the
heels come off the ground in a squat, which generally results in the
knees traveling past the toes, has shown to result in over 3 times
more ACL loading. This anteriorly shifted squat pattern creates
concerns over knee health when compared to a posteriorly shifted
squat with the weight through the heels. It has been shown that as
the knees go forward beyond the toes in a squat, the tibial plateaus
slope anteriorly, which results in increased load on the ACL.

Sitting back with the hips results in a more forward trunk lean during
the squat pattern, which also has its effect on the ACL. Compared to
a more vertical trunk position, performing a squat with the trunk tilted
forward and using hip flexion has been shown to decrease ACL
loading as well. Shifting the hips back with posterior loading matters.

Hamstring Activation

Ohkoshi reported that there was no ACL loading at any of the knee
flexion angles tested (15, 30, 60, and 90 degrees) when maintaining
a squat position with the trunk tilted forward and weight through the
heels. A more forward trunk tilt results in much higher recruitment of
the hamstrings. Increasing hamstring activity exerts posteriorly
directed forces at the tibia, decreasing quad activity and minimizing
ACL load as well.

You can see that a posterior weight shift matters. Not only can we
recruit higher activity in the posterior chain, but we can also reduce
loading through an important ligament by doing so. It becomes
virtually impossible to squat correctly with a vertical trunk position
without the knees shifting forward and losing pressure through the
heels. I believe anytime we can emphasize more glute and
hamstring activation with athletes is a good thing.

Teaching the squat pattern, whether front or back, should focus on

posterior weight shift first and foremost. Too many athletes associate
squatting with moving down. We want to teach athletes to think back,
not down.

Teaching and training efficient movement patterns goes beyond

numbers and pretty lifts. Removing strain from joints that already see
their fair share of it should be a priority. Training off the field or court
should, in the end, add to an athlete’s resilience, not add to breaking
them down.

Optimal Position

1. Rack position

• The rack position is the most important aspect of a good setup.

• Teach athletes 2 fingertips on the bar to start.

• This helps to eliminate stress on the wrist.

• Elbows must be high.

• The bar must be held on the shoulders and not in the hands.
2. Start with feet set up in an athletic position slightly wider
than the hips.

• Feet neutral to a slight 0-10 degree outturn.

• Limitations will exist for many, but this is a general guideline to start
from.

• Too much outturn of the feet eliminates the ability to utilize the
glutes and create torque through the lower half.

3. Sit BACK

• The most important aspect for any squat pattern is to teach athletes
to sit back and not down. Many visualize the squat pattern to be
down, and that thinking sets up an array of technical errors.

• Break at the hips first and not the knees. Create the image of sitting
back in a chair or onto the toilet.
• Weight should be posteriorly shifted to the heels.

4. Drive the knees out.

• Teach athletes to drive their knees out by creating torque at the

ankle to eliminate the collapsing knee and control the femur with the
gluteals.

• A great coaching cue is to spread the floor apart with the knees.

5. Head position

• Keep the athlete’s head in line with his spine throughout the
movement. It should always be a neutral spine. The spine will follow
the head when a huge arch is placed on it, causing a shift forward.

6. Elbow position

• Elbows must remain high in the bottom position to keep from

folding over or losing the bar.

• A great coaching cue on the way up out of the lift is to drive the
elbows up.

Regressions / Progressions / Advancements

Grooved Regressions

1. Corner Squat

• The corner squat is one of the best patterns I’ve found for younger
athletes to learn the posterior shift in a squat pattern.
• The arch of lowering the bar assists athletes into the proper
position. It is very difficult to shift forward.

• Place barbell into corner or against an object.

• Feet must be placed behind the barbell.

• Barbell held at chin the entire time.

2. Rack Holds

• This is nothing more than

athletes holding onto the upright
of a rack.

• The rack allows for stability and

to unload a portion of their body
weight and groove the pattern to
reach back with the hips.

• As athletes get proficient, hold the rack less until no hold is needed.
3. Plate-Assisted

• Pressing a plate out as the athlete squats back reinforces posterior

shift. It helps an athlete counterbalance when he reaches back with
the hips instead of sitting down.

Bodyweight Progressions

1. Box Squat

• Box just at or below parallel.

• Athlete stands 6-8 inches away

from corner of box.

• Athlete is forced to reach back

for the middle of the box and sit.
• Don’t rock from this position. He must stay tight, and pick hips up
first.

2. Soft Touch

• Same setup as before

• Athlete simply touches the box softly but doesn’t sit on it.

• Pretend that box is a sheet of glass; touch but don’t break it.

3. DB / Goblet Squat

• Dumbbell or kettlebell is held under the chin in a front squat

position.

• Hips are shifted back to sit.

Main Movements and Advancements

 1. Barbell Front Squat
2. Trap Bar Deadlift
3. Back Squat

Common Faults

1. Feet spinning out

• Often a sign of a lack of hip mobility into internal rotation and/or

ankle mobility restrictions

• Emphasize creating torque at the ankle and driving the knees out to
open the hips.

• Depending on athlete, some may need to start with a more

outturned feet position. Use the knees to make up for this fault by
driving them out.

• Add a band around the knees to reinforce pushing out and glute
involvement.

2. Knees collapse

• Often a glute weakness and control issue

• Add band to knees to emphasize gluteals controlling the femur.

• Weight is too heavy if this is happening as well.

3. Wrist pain
• Roll bar back onto the fingertips as far as possible.

• Only emphasize the very tips holding the bar.

• The higher the elbows, the less strain on the wrist.

• The bar absolutely cannot be held in the hands as shown below.

 6

THE HIP HINGE

The hip hinge is the most important pattern in all athletic

development. I cannot overstate the importance of an athlete being
able to to separate his hips from his spine. Virtually all athletic
movement is initiated from the hip in some format or another. Speed
and power both depend on this interplay, whether it is rotational or
linear. The foundation of the hip hinge lies in the athletic stance, and
vice versa. It’s a shortstop in a ready position at pitch release. It’s a
middle linebacker before the snap. It’s a basketball player in a
defensive stance.

Athletes learning the ability to separate their hips from their spine
may be the most important concept of this entire book. As athletes
develop, every movement they make—sprinting, jumping, landing—
involves motion at the hips. It must be a priority to learn the hinge not
only for power and strength development, but for health down the
road. The inability to move correctly puts undue stress on the spine.
Not only will athletes never reach full potential, but back issues will
result.

The hip hinge is built around the powerhouse muscles of athletic

performance: the glutes, hamstrings, and lumbar erectors. This
complex makes up the posterior chain and is possibly the most
important anatomical region for athletic development. The majority of
athletes I see have an undertrained posterior chain. This isn’t just
baseball players, but athletes across the board at the high school
level. The hamstrings and glutes often don’t get the attention they
deserve. The glutes control the pelvis, and a lack of control can bring
about many problems, from hamstring strains to vertebral stress
fractures, and beyond.

Athletes must learn to lock the lumbar spine to the pelvis in a neutral
position and create movement from the hip joint. McGill has shown
that repeated flexion and extension of the lumbar spine raises the
risk of disc injury. In a sport where the spine already has extreme
motions placed upon it at high speeds, we want to emphasize health
first and foremost. The best ability an athlete has is durability.
The old adage “lift with your legs, not your back” is true here. Every
posterior movement must be initiated and controlled through the hip
joint. The back cannot be allowed to round over because it results in
power loss, positioning loss, and undue stress on the vertebral discs.
Lifting with an incorrect back position for even small periods of time
can translate into a lifetime of problems. They may not manifest at a
young age, but at some point in adulthood they will, and you’ll regret
lackluster form.

You may wonder why this pattern is second if it is so important. I put

this pattern second because it is a very unnatural movement to teach
younger athletes. They don’t have the body awareness to fully
comprehend spine and hip separation. When they bend over, it
usually involves rounding the back over. The hip hinge isn’t yet in
their movement vocabulary. I’ve found the grooved squat patterns
actually have the ability to teach a locked spine and hinge faster than
focusing on the hip hinge itself. The arrow goes only one way;
meaning grooved squat patterns can teach the hip hinge, but
generally not the other way around with young athletes. This is just
my experience. Others may have different experiences.

The inability to lock the spine results in a power leak. Power output is
lost through a lack of stiffness. In order for the hips to fully display
power, we need a stable spine. An unstable spine cannot transmit
force developed with the hips.

The RDL, or Romanian deadlift, is the exercise choice for the hip
hinge pattern. The RDL is a huge compound movement that
essentially develops the posterior chain from the head to the ankles.
It has huge bang for your buck. There is no comparison when
looking at other movements such as the leg curl.
The hamstring spans two joints at the knee and hip, which means it’s
important for hip motion as well as knee motion. Performing a leg
curl is training the isolation of the hamstrings. It leaves out the all-
important glutes and trains a motion that is seldom a factor in sport
performance. The real meat and potatoes of the posterior chain is
hip extension. This is where speed, power, and strength originate.

Optimal Position

1. Feet hip width

• Imagine testing a vertical jump. We wouldn’t jump from a wide

base.

2. Knees should be slightly bent

• Knee angle doesn’t change with the RDL. It remains fairly constant
throughout the movement.

• Knees bending means the athlete is substituting sinking the hips

down instead of back.

• Shin angle should remain fairly vertical.

• If the shins are moving forward, the athlete isn’t shifting posteriorly.
Again, he is sinking down.

3. Neutral spine and pelvis

• Flexing the spine is a power leak and a giant injury risk, especially
when loaded with weight. The same can be said of hyperextending
the spine. The spine should stay locked and neutral.

4. Push hips back

• Focus on shifting weight posteriorly and pushing the hips back.

• Bar should travel just below knees or until limited by hamstring
stretch earlier.

5. Scapular retraction/Lat tightness

• The lats assist in lumbar stability. Teaching athletes to pull the bar
back into the body will not only stabilize the spine, but keep shear
forces under control.

• Bar stays close to the body throughout.

6. Neutral head position

• Head and spine always aligned.

Regressions / Progressions / Advancements

Grooved Regressions

1. PVC on Spine

• Coaches can have athletes place a PVC down the spine. They
must maintain three points of contact throughout the entire
movement, on the head, mid back, and pelvis.
• Any separation from the PVC
means an athlete is breaking a flat
spine.

• This is a great movement for

immediate athlete feedback.

2. Wall Drill / Foam Roller

• Have the athlete stand 3-6

inches from a wall or use a 3-foot long foam roller standing on its
end placed behind the athlete at that distance.

• Athletes use the external cue of reaching back to touch the wall or
foam roller. With the proper pattern of posterior weight shift, they
should have no problem.

• Without a posterior shift, athletes are just bending over at the waist
and will not reach the obstacle behind.

3. Corner RDL

• Barbell is placed into a corner or against an object.

• Hold barbell end with both hands.

• Feet directly under the end of the barbell.

• Path of the barbell takes athletes back into a posterior shift.

4. Band-Assisted

• Using bands attached above can assist an athlete who

demonstrates trouble shifting their hips back.

• The athlete will hold the band in the hand or hands and shift
posteriorly.

• The bands also assist in the countermovement of the hip hinge.

• Straps attached high can be used in this progression as well.

Bodyweight Progressions

1. Unloaded PVC RDL

• Movement patterning with a PVC pipe

• Emphasize the bar staying close to the body throughout.

2. Band-Resisted PVC

• Attach bands from rack to a PVC pipe.

• The athlete will be forced to hold the PVC tight to the body
throughout the movement.

• The band provides resistance and athletes must tighten the back to
keep the PVC close to the body throughout.
3. Plate / DB / KB Loaded

• Advancing to holding weight

• An initial progression for athletes progressing to heavier weights.

Main Movement and Advancements

1. Barbell RDL
2. Single Leg RDL
3. Hip Extension on the Glute Ham

Common Faults

Most faults you will see with athletes in the hip hinge stem from their
inability to separate the spine from the hips. They can’t keep their
back flat and generate motion at the hip joint. The use of regressions
will go a long way in correcting these problems.

You will also find that overly tight hamstrings will create problems
with the hip hinge. Although the problem can be much deeper than
this, the act of the hip hinge itself will begin to release overactive
hamstrings. The pattern often feeds on itself. As athletes continually
perform the pattern to the range of motion they have, they will begin
to loosen up. As they loosen up, they will be able to perform the
pattern with more motion. It’s truly a case of lifting creating mobility.
Consistently reinforcing the proper pattern to their individual depth
will go a great deal towards decreasing hamstring tightness. The
RDL done correctly will be more effective than any stretch you could
perform.

1. Athlete bends over and doesn’t shift

• Watch that the athlete doesn’t just bend over. Emphasize the hips
moving back only. The hips moving back will create the torso moving
down. Use the grooved regressions along the wall or with a band to
create more separation.

2. Knees bend on way down

• This is often associated with hamstring tightness. Emphasize that

knee angle doesn’t change from start to finish. Don’t let the athletes
bend their knees to straighten at the top or bottom. Keep a constant
knee angle.

3. Back rounds over

• Athletes must be taught the separation of the spine from the hips.
The use of a PVC pipe with three points of contact can assist this
faulty movement. Coaching cues to help are shoulders back and
hips back. An athlete who rounds over often does so with straight
legs as well. Make sure he is bending his knees and the problem
often resolves itself.

4. Shoulders rounded over

• Cue athlete to pinch and pull the bar toward them. Pulling the bar
towards the body results in engaging the lats and back musculature.
 7

UPPER BODY PULL PATTERN

The upper body pull pattern is what I term a “reverse pull-up.” Others
may call it an inverted row, bodyweight row, horizontal row, etc. The
reverse pull-up is my primary choice with pulls due to scapular
involvement. The scapular stabilizers are as important a group as
you’ll find in preventing shoulder and elbow injuries in the overhead
athlete. The reverse pull-up is a total body movement that matches
the push-up on the front side. Among other things, it develops:

1. Scapular control
2. Scapular patterning and ROM
3. Total body bracing
 4. Core and glute activation

Taught correctly, the reverse pull-up will demonstrate and develop

proper scapular motion. Full scapular range of motion in pulling
exercises is crucial for developing strength and stability on the back
side. As a huge plus, the reverse pull-up also teaches athletes core
control. The core isn’t just the abs on the front side; it’s a corset that
surrounds the spine on the front, sides, and back. Training the entire
region is important for spinal stability and rotational power.
Developing only the abdominals, or what’s thought of as the “6-
pack,” is a huge mistake when it comes to building athletes,
especially rotational ones. The reverse pull-up creates bracing
patterns on the back side. The spinal erectors, glutes, and even
hamstrings become involved, controlling the bodyweighted
movement.

Any manual on developing baseball athletes would be completely

remiss if it didn’t focus heavily on shoulder health. Protecting the
shoulder and elbow is a tall order, and a priority in any baseball
program. How is the shoulder affected by the pull pattern I’m talking
about? The scapula acts as a foundation for the shoulder.

Mike Boyle’s “Joint-by-Joint” approach is a great overview of the

body’s stability-mobility continuum. The scapula is a stable platform
for the glenohumeral joint. What the shoulder lacks in stability, it
makes up for in motion. Because of that, the scapula must pick up
the slack to assist in stabilization. “You can’t fire a cannon from a
canoe” is an appropriate analogy. A lack of scapular stability will
compromise shoulder function. Always remember: Shoulder health
starts with the back side.
The Back Side Is Key

The back and, more specifically, the scapular stabilizers are the most
important muscles for protecting the shoulder.

“Scapular instability is found in as many as 68% of rotator cuff

problems and 100% of shoulder instability problems. That means
that two-thirds of rotator cuff problems and 100% of shoulder
problems can be attributed to the weakness and/or dysfunction from
the scapular stabilizers.” (Paine)

Focusing less on the deltoid and more on the scapular stabilizers

involved in horizontal pulling will go far in keeping athletes protected.
Lifestyles today promote Upper Crossed Syndrome. The increasing
use of smartphones, tablets, etc. all promote an athlete who is
hunched over with poor posture. This position alone predisposes an
athlete to shoulder problems before he even picks up a ball. The
muscles of the back become long and weak. Athletes become highly
overactive, and tight on the front side.

If your program lacks the necessary pulling movements to correct

this, then you’re only adding to the problem. The middle and lower
trap, as well as rhomboids, rotator cuff muscles, and serratus, all
attach to the scapula. All play an important role for a throwing
athlete. While not all of these are developed with the reverse pull-up,
many of them are highly active in the movement.

Programming Ratios

Proper programming is really where the rubber hits the road for
doing all you can to protect athletes. With overhead athletes, we
want to emphasize more pulls on the back side versus pushing. Our
goal with baseball athletes is a 2:1 pull to push ratio.

While the ratio is widely known, more times than not it is lacking
when I help coaches with their current programming. We especially
want more horizontal pulls than pushes. If you’re having lots of
problems with shoulder injuries, 3:1 may be a better solution. I
realize a lot more goes into protecting the shoulder, but this is a
great place to start with general programming. It’s not uncommon for
me to see programs with 15 sets of pressing in a week versus only
3-5 sets of pulls. If this is your program, then I’m willing to bet
shoulder injuries are also a part of your culture.

The opposite ratio should be in place to protect your athletes.

Athletes perform on the back side; they look pretty on the front side.
Every time I write a program, I have a checks and balances system
to make sure I have the proper volume and ratios in place. Whether
you’re counting total volume of reps or total sets, always make sure
your workout matches the goal you have set forth for your athletes.

Why Not the Pull-Up

Talking with many coaches about protecting the shoulder has given
me insight into their view on training the back. When their program is
laid out for me, I usually find out that the pull-up is often their only
form of posterior upper body work. The pull-up is awesome and
great for the upper body, and I use variations of the pull-up often.
While it’s definitely an option in many of my programs, don’t get
carried away thinking the pull-up equally balances front to back work.
The pull-up isn’t your best option for protecting the shoulder.
Vertical plane pulling movements involve the lat as the prime mover,
which is also an internal rotator of the shoulder just like the pecs. By
doing more pull-ups, we may be making our initial problem worse.
The lats do not counteract the horizontal forces from the front side.
We want to offset the front side work with more work on the back
side in the horizontal plane. When applying the ratios mentioned
above, make sure you use horizontal pulls, scapular stabilizer
movement, and even rotator cuff work, not vertical plane
movements. I’m not saying to eliminate pull-ups by any means, but
make sure the horizontal plane movements make up the bulk of your
backside training.

The pull-up is a great movement and one any athlete should

develop. The reason it doesn’t make the cut in the Foundation
Program is the simple fact that overhead athletes need to focus on
the scapular stabilizers.

Emphasize Correct Movement Patterns

For horizontal pulls to benefit your athletes, YOU MUST TEACH

THE CORRECT MOVEMENT PATTERN.

1. Teach and coach your athletes to use full scapular motion.

Don’t let athletes lock the scaps in one position to the rib cage
throughout the movement. Yes, the scapula needs to be stable, but it
also needs to move through complete ranges of motion to fully train
and develop the stabilizers attached to it. Otherwise, you turn pulling
movements into arm movements. Release the scapula out fully and
pull it back fully. You want it to move all along the rib cage. Teach full
range of motion.
2. Retraction and depression

Look for athletes to pull down and back with the shoulder blades.
You absolutely do not want them shrugging or elevating the
shoulders into a movement. Overactive upper traps are a common
problem in shoulder injuries. Imbalances develop between the upper
and lower trap that cause dysfunction. Eliminate improper pulling
patterns first and foremost.

3. Watch the shoulder and the elbow.

The shoulder and/or elbow are easy giveaways on improper pulls.

Watch from the side: If the shoulder moves forward as the athlete
pulls, you’ll run into trouble. The result is visible in the elbow as well.
When athletes pull with the arms and not through the scaps, the
result is a forward-traveling shoulder and elbow that finish way
behind the body. The end result is an arm in hyperextension, not
scapular retraction, which is a bad pattern that needs correcting
immediately. The athlete is allowing the humerus to glide forward,
and the scapula to roll forward into anterior tilt. Athletes will begin to
recruit the stronger pecs to assist the movement, which is exactly
what you don’t want.

4. Head position

Focus on keeping the head pulled back to the spine in a neutral

position. Poking the head forward alters body position and pulling
mechanics. Proper patterns become tough. Athletes will start to flex
over, causing an inability to retract and depress the scapulae.

As the pull happens, you should see the shoulders move back.
Watch the shoulder in relation to the ear: It should move front to
back. Teach your athletes to pull with their scaps through their
elbows and not with their arms.

Optimal Position

1. Set a barbell in a rack between the waist and chest. The closer to
the waist, the more difficult the movement; the closer to the chest,
the less loaded and easier for athletes.

2. The best setup I’ve found is to sit directly under the bar. The waist
crease should be directly beneath the barbell. This sets up athletes
in the optimal angle and positioning to pull low.

3. Set a bench or block at the athlete’s feet to brace against

throughout the movement.

4. Athletes should remain flat as a board, with a straight line from the
shoulders to ankles.

• The head should remain pulled back, chin to spine. Don’t let the
head poke out, as this affects the position and movement of the
scapula.

5. Underhand grip with the hands, palms facing up. When using the
overhead grip, athletes will default to anterior glide at the shoulder
and try to internally rotate.

6. Scapulae should retract and depress. Pull down and back.

• Don’t let athletes shrug up. You don’t want to see the shoulders rise
with the pull.

• Also, don’t let the shoulders roll forward. They should pull back
throughout the movement. You don’t want anterior glide of the
humerus.

7. The barbell should touch the chest below the nipple line.

8. Don’t overextend the spine. A common fault or weakness is to

overarch into a hyperextended position.

Regressions / Progressions / Advancements

In my time working on the reverse pull-up, the best method I have

found is to start with the barbell set in a rack. It is great to progress
to using various strap systems, but with novice athletes, I find the
more stable barbell eliminates compensations. The barbell gives
them cues to proper positioning and adds stability.

I have determined the best way to regress the reverse pull-up is by

raising the height of the barbell. The more vertical the athlete, the
less of his weight he has to fight. Some use a knees-bent approach,
but in my experience, the degree of bodyweight lift is still
overbearing for many.
Obviously, a more vertical torso results in more unloaded body
weight. Regressions must start there. Again, because the movement
itself is bodyweight in nature, there are fewer exercises necessary to
teach the movement.

Grooved Regressions

1. Raised Barbell Height

• Use the barbell set up in a rack at mid torso. Bar should be

between the belly button and the nipple line.

• You can use bands looped from the top of the rack to assist the
athlete as another method of unloading body weight, but I don’t
commonly do this.

2. Top-Down Eccentrics
• Athlete starts in the top position of the push-up and lowers himself
over the course of 4-6 seconds. Emphasize control all the way to the
ground.

• Once fully at the bottom, he picks himself back up however he can,

back into the starting position.

Bodyweight Progressions

1. Lower Barbell Height

The standard barbell height should be placed at the level of the

waist.

2. Straps

I don’t let athletes start with straps due to the increased balance
demands. The barbell doesn’t allow for deviation. The athlete knows
exactly where he has to pull his body. With younger athletes using
straps, I see an inability to pattern the scapular pull correctly the first
few times. With a fixed bar, the athlete can turn his focus to only
positioning.
Main Movement and Advancements

1. Feet elevated

Place feet on a bench or box in front. This raises the movement

difficulty. The body is parallel to the ground.

2. Addition of weight
The addition of weight with the use of bands works well. Take a band
through a plate and put it around the shoulders, similar to what we
term a “baby carrier.”

3. Tempo changes

The addition of tempo changes can increase the intensity of the

movement.

Common Faults

1. Overextending spine

Athletes will commonly overarch coming up. Emphasize tight core

and glutes. Visualize a yardstick running from the shoulders to
ankles. Don’t let the yardstick bend or break.

2. Sagging

The inability to control the back side by sagging puts the athlete in a
poor position all the way up. The glutes and posterior chain must
brace. Sagging also results in poor scapular movement.

3. Shrugging

Shrugging the shoulders instead of squeezing down and back is an

issue. Visualize pinching a pencil down low between the scapulae.

4. Anterior tilt / Humeral glide

If the athlete’s shoulders roll forward, you want to have him pull the
shoulders back. Never allow shoulders to roll forward in pulls.

5. Humeral hyperextension

This ties into the above anterior tilt and humeral glide. When the
scaps don’t move, the arms are often left to do the work. When the
arms move behind the mid-line of the body, the shoulders have to
roll forward. Scapular motion is key. Pull through the elbows and not
with the hands or arms.

6. Head poke

The head must remain tucked back in line with the spine; otherwise,
the result is poor scapular positioning. The spine will often follow the
head and a poked head creates a rounded spine. Again, this results
in the inability to fully integrate the scapular stabilizers in the correct
pattern.
 8

UPPER BODY PUSH PATTERN

The upper body push pattern I utilize is the hand pick-up push-up.
Learning to control their own body weight is vital and the push-up
gives athletes that control. We’ve all seen athletes who could bench
press 300+ pounds, but couldn’t do 5 strict push-ups. That should
tell you something is off as far as body control goes. The benefits of
push-ups far outweigh those of pressing movements, especially for
younger athletes. These benefits include:

1. Core bracing
2. Scapular motion
 3. Body weight control
4. Serratus activation

Everybody has an athlete who, when doing push-ups, gets down

with his hands way wide and moves about 6 inches up and down. He
pokes his head to the ground but his body doesn’t move. Continually
reinforcing a poor movement pattern will ingrain a poor movement
pattern and you’ll watch strength gains go by the wayside. This is
where the hand pick-up push-up comes into play.

The hand pick-up push-up is a normal push-up, with one exception.

The athlete goes all the way to the ground on each rep and
essentially lays down. Before coming up for the next rep, he picks up
his hands. This variation is great for several reasons. First, depth is
always controlled. The weakest part of the push-up is the bottom.
Athletes will gravitate away from weaknesses, so as fatigue sets in,
a normal push-up becomes a half push-up and so on. The hand
pick-up makes that weakness a strength. Full range of motion push-
ups are the end-product of a hand pick-up variation. I know every rep
is to the ground.

Core bracing is the second reason to use the hand pick-up push-up.
By setting up bottom first, you can emphasize body position and core
control. The hand pick-up variation forces the core to be the limiting
factor. To complete the rep, the core has to fire and brace. It is the
only link between motion occurring and an unbraced spine.

The third reason is the ability to set up in a perfect position each rep.
You can now reinforce proper head, hand, and elbow positions each
rep. Using this technique goes a great distance in eliminating
compensation patterns.
Scapular Motion

The scapula can go through its full range of motion during the push-
up because athletes can move the scaps freely on the rib cage. This
generally isn’t possible in the bench press or DB bench press
variations. When an athlete is lying down bench pressing, the scaps
are locked into place with the athlete’s body weight on top of them.
Movement doesn’t occur. In fact, it shouldn’t with the bench press
variations because we want stability during this time.

With the push-up, you actually want to emphasize motion in the

scapulae. The exact same motion we talk about with the reverse
pull-up is what we look for on a push-up: retraction while lowering, to
eliminate scapular anterior tilt and humeral glide; and protraction at
the top, to involve the serratus anterior.

Serratus Anterior

Full scapular motion means activation of the serratus anterior at the

top of the movement. The serratus anterior is a commonly inactive
muscle that is extremely important for any overhead athlete, both
throwing and non-throwing. The serratus is quick to shut down at the
first sign of shoulder trouble. Dysfunction in the serratus can cause
the scapula to wing, or not move at all, creating instability and
movement compensations.

The most important function of the serratus is possibly the primary

movement it provides with scapular upward rotation. The serratus
works in a force couple along with the upper and lower trapezius to
complete this motion. Upward rotation is absolutely vital for throwing
athletes. We want upward rotation in order to create room in the
subacromial space and avoid impingement when we raise our arm.

Where the benefit lies for serratus activation is trying to push as far
away from the floor as possible at the top of the push-up. Many
athletes fail to get this benefit by not completely finishing the rep.
Performing push-ups correctly with full extension of their reps and a
focus on pushing the chest away from the floor will activate the
serratus. Many coaches have heard of the push-up plus exercise,
where the athlete does a push-up to extension and then pushes his
shoulders out a bit more. This shouldn’t be a special exercise in my
eyes—it is just the correct way to do any push-up.

Core Bracing

Outside of the scapula, the biggest benefit of the push-up is torso

stability. The spine and core are areas where we want as much
stability as we can get. According to McGill, low back flexibility and
low back pain have a negative correlation. The more movement we
have in the lumbar spine, the more susceptible our lower back is to
pain and injury. As I’ve already mentioned, the biggest injury concern
for baseball athletes is currently lumbar stress fractures. Thousands
of reps of extending and rotating with weak, unstable cores leads
athletes down a road of pain and injury.

According to an unpublished study by Jeffrey McBride, the push-up

has higher muscular activation in the obliques than a large majority
of traditional ab exercises. McBride even found higher oblique
activation levels in the push-up than the side isometric plank. Not
only is the push-up great for the upper body, but it as good as any
movement for teaching core bracing. Creating a stable platform while
limbs mobilize is the basis of all athletic movement. A strong, stable
core provides the ability to transfer force up the kinetic chain, which
is vital to rotational athletes.

Optimal Positioning

Making sure your athletes perform the push-up correctly is half the
battle. Not only is it more effective, but it ingrains proper motor
patterns.

1. Hands and elbows

Have the athlete lie on the floor, with his hand position around
shoulder width and close to the chest and the elbows back at a 45-
degree angle. Many athletes will set up with the hands wide and
elbows flared to perform the movement. This is not only a
fundamentally weaker and more difficult position, but also puts
undue stress on the shoulder.

2. Head position pulled to spine

Another frequent problem with the push-up is a forward head

posture. The first compensation for an athlete not being able to get
depth with his torso is to poke his head to give the impression of
depth. The head should remain pulled back and in line with the spine
throughout the movement.

3. Neutral pelvis
Keeping the pelvis in a neutral position with the back flat throughout
the movement is easier said than done. Weaker athletes will sag
their core at the lumbar spine level. They shouldn’t be able to hold a
small pool of water in the small of their back. Make sure they are
flattened out, with no sagging or tilt. As I mentioned earlier, push-ups
are one of the best exercises to train torso stability. Athletes must
ingrain the hips rolled up and core tight over and over.

4. Knees off the ground

With the hand pick-up variation, athletes will flex their quads to keep
their knees off the ground in the start position. This puts all the
emphasis on the core as the linkage. It’s the bridge—don’t let it fail.

5. Toes pulled to shins

A common problem I see with younger athletes is them not pulling

the toes up to the shins in the setup. Toes that point away from the
body only create a longer lever to battle against and make the push-
up more challenging on the core than it already is.
Regressions / Progressions / Advancements

Many athletes can perform the hand pick-up from the get-go; albeit,
for few reps. Athletes who are unable to perform the standard hand
pick-up for more than 5 reps should use the regressions first.

Grooved Regressions
1. Top-Down Eccentrics

• Athlete starts in the top position of the push-up and lowers himself
over the course of 4-6 seconds. Emphasize control all the way to the
ground.

• Once fully at the bottom, he picks himself back up however

possible into the starting position.

2. Band-Assisted

• Tie a band to the barbell to perform a higher number of reps.

• Work up to 15-20 reps before advancing and/or lower the intensity

of the band.

3. Inclined

• Perform push-up movement on edge of bench, barbell in a rack, or

table to deload the movement.
Bodyweight Progressions

1. Bodyweight

• Athletes should be able to do a minimum of 5, but preferably 8,

quality reps before using full hand pick-up push-ups. Any fewer reps
and effort becomes near-maximal, which results in movement
breakdown.

Main Movement to Advancements

1. Weighted

- Chains

- Plates w/Bands

2. Push-Up w/DB Row

3. Push-Up w/Rotation
4. Opposite Hand Push-Up Touches

Loading the Push-Up

When it comes to the push-up, a lot of coaches complain that it isn’t

easy to increase the load. The most effective tool I’ve found for
loading up the push-up is bands and/or chains. The use of bands to
hold weight may be my most preferred method. Running a band
through a plate and placing it on like a backpack works well.

Common Faults

1. Head poke

Have athletes pull their chin to their spine. The head should stay in
line with the spine throughout the movement.

2. Spine sagging

Coach athletes to tuck their hips under them and create tension
through their glutes. Everything from the tops of their knees to their
chest should be tight.

3. Shoulders rolled forward

Emphasize pinching the scaps as the athlete lowers. It should

resemble the same motion as the reverse pull-up. Shoulders should
move back as he lowers and not roll forward. Often, the rolling
shoulder is partly due to tightness throughout the chest. The pecs
can become easily overactive and limit scapular retraction.
 9

ISO CORE PATTERNS + SINGLE LEG

The last primary pattern is the ISO core pattern. Training the body to
create stiffness throughout the midsection teaches one of the most
fundamental principles governing human motion. The muscles
throughout the torso are responsible for transferring forces
developed at the hips and pelvis through the thoracic spine to the
arms. Rotational movements are a mix of stiffness and compliance
that allow for speed and fluidity of movement, yet strength and
rigidity at the right moment. Developing a rigid torso revolves around
the same principles as the Foundation Program itself. These
concepts apply to all athletic development endeavors, but especially
to the core.
 1. Groove motion patterns
2. Build stability
3. Increase endurance
4. Build strength
5. Transfer to power and speed

What Is the Core?

When referencing the core, I’m essentially talking about the torso
and pelvis. Everything starting below the chest and finishing at the
top of the thighs can be considered the core. It is not only a 6-pack
of muscles on the front side; it is a full corset of muscles, front to
back, surrounding the spine and pelvis.

Dr. Stuart McGill described the core perfectly as “proximal stiffness

that occurs between the ball and socket joints” (i.e., everything
between the hips and shoulders). These include the obliques, rectus
abdominus, quadratus lumborum, glutes, psoas, multifidus, and even
the lats, among others, and all play a huge role in spinal stability.
The list of muscles that help do the job of core stability is long, but
they are the primary drivers for total body power and control.

Training the core revolves around a healthy back, and a healthy

back revolves around the functions of the hips and pelvis. The pelvis
acts as a platform for the spine, so any talk about spinal stability
involves the pelvis as well. Special attention should be given to the
gluteals. The glutes are as important for core stability as any muscle.
They assist the torso musculature to hold the pelvis stable and help
when in single leg stances, walking, etc.
Function

The trunk musculature’s first primary role is the stabilization of the

lumbar spine. If the trunk is unable to stabilize the spine, other joints
pick up the slack, which results in overactivity and tightness. If
you’ve ever seen an athlete with back problems, he usually has
incredibly tight hips and hamstrings as well. Joints surrounding
injuries lock up to provide added stability. The body will always find a
way to compensate to protect itself from pain and injury. Take away
stability from a joint that desperately needs it and you create
compensation problems in the surrounding joints.

A weak or unstable core will leak energy in explosive movements,

limiting force output. What does that translate to on the field? Slower
velocities, slower swing speeds, limited sprint speeds, collapsing
when changing direction, etc. Rotational movements require a mix of
stabilization and mobilization in proper sequences to effectively
transmit forces to the limbs. Rotational athletes build potential
energy with the ability to separate their shoulders and hips. If the
hips and shoulders don’t separate, little to no elastic energy will be
built and the ability to rotate powerfully will be completely diminished.
A stable base for the upper body to move around creates potential
that can be transferred to the arm and released in the form of faster
velocities.

Imagine holding the end of a rubber band in each hand. When you
pull one hand away from the other, the band tightens and builds
potential energy. One hand is mobile, the opposite hand is stable.
The moving hand depends on the stable hand to build that potential
energy. If the mobile hand pulls away and the other hand moves with
it, no energy can build. The same concept happens throughout the
body. If the torso is unable to resist motion, separation cannot occur.
The same muscles responsible for transferring rotational force
through the body are also responsible for the deceleration of those
same movements to protect the spine from injury. The spine
undergoes large extension and rotation forces in any rotational
movement. Athletes who cannot control end ranges of motion will
end up ramming bony anatomy together while decelerating rotational
movements. This results in stress fractures in the lumbar spine.

The No. 1 injury in baseball at the youth and teen levels is currently
to the low back, in the form of pars fractures. These stress fractures
are out of control. The reasons include overplaying, lack of core
strength, hip mobility issues, lack of pelvic control, faulty movement
patterns, etc.

The beauty of this Foundation Program is its emphasis on body

control. Core development is a factor in every movement, whether
primary or secondary. The push-up… is core stability. The reverse
pull-up… is core stability. The hip hinge is grooving a movement
pattern that teaches the spine to stabilize while the hips create
motion.

Zero Traditional Core Training

All this talk of the core leads me to talk about how we develop it to
correctly accept, resist, and transmit force. This is not the traditional
core training many think of, like sit-ups, leg raises, sitting twists, and
crunches. Those movements have no place in my program…EVER.
They never have and it will remain that way.

Spine mechanist Stuart McGill has shown that repeated flexion

movements such as sit-ups, crunches, and leg raises are quite
unhealthy for the lumbar spine. Discs eventually give out from these
exercises, in the form of a bulge or herniation. The same can be true
for extension of the spine. In athletics, we don’t want power
developed from the lumbar spine. It must be created through the
hips.

To keep backs healthy, I focus all of my energy on stability for the

spine in the form of anti-extension, anti-flexion, and anti-rotational
movements. This concept ties into the hip hinge pattern as well.
They are one and the same: hip motion, spine stability. This is the
reason teaching athletes the hip hinge pattern and a separation of
the hips from the lower back is so important for injury prevention.

In athletic movements, the torso doesn’t act as a flexor. This is the

main reason we don’t train it that way. Yes, the abdominals can flex
the spine, but their primary job is to control the pelvis and stabilize
against spinal rotation and extension. Look at athletic motions such
as sprinting and cutting. The core acts a stable base for creating
motion. It is this action that develops power in the extremities. During
most activities, the abdominal muscles provide isometric support and
limit the degree of rotation of the trunk, particularly the lumbar spine.
Teach and train athletes to resist motion with core training and you
will develop athletes who can create huge rotational power.

The Glutes and Pelvic Control

The glutes may very well be the most important “athletic muscles” in
the body. A healthy spine revolves around the glutes and pelvic
control. Remember, many of the core muscles I mentioned find
attachments on the pelvis in some form or fashion. The pelvis and
spine are closely associated with each other and each must function
properly for the other to stay healthy. As one goes, so goes the
other.

There are many reasons the glutes may not function properly, and
these reasons often start with lifestyle and posture. As the glutes
lose function, compensation patterns occur. If athletes are unable to
control the pelvis, the low back and hamstrings suffer the
consequences. As the cycle of poor movement continues, the pelvis
anteriorly shifts forward, creating tightness in the hip flexors and
weakness throughout the anterior core. Famed physiotherapist V.
Janda first named this issue “Lower Crossed Syndrome.”

The gluteals are highly responsible for pelvic stability and motor
control during virtually every movement you can imagine. The
gluteus maximus is a main stabilizer of the pelvis, while the gluteus
medius is primary during lateral stabilization. Without stabilization,
rotation is limited. Thus, the body resorts to the path of least
resistance to generate power, regardless of rotation. These energy
leaks can transfer the need for force to be developed elsewhere. The
spine often picks up this slack, but forces are commonly transferred
distally to the shoulder and elbow.

A lack of pelvic control creates large extension movements through

the lumbar spine. Now add to the equation a lack of the core
musculature to stabilize at the proper times or decelerate powerful
rotational movements and you have a recipe for repeated stress
injuries as mentioned above. An athlete who can’t decelerate the
end range of a swing repeatedly with soft tissue will use bony
anatomy as a decelerator. Again, pars fractures result.

The hamstrings and the glutes work as synergists to produce hip

extension. When the glutes lose their ability to produce quality
motion, the hamstrings take on more load. More load means
increased stress and eventual failure in the form of strains and
injuries.

All in all, the glutes are an incredibly important factor in all athletic
endeavors, including general movement, spine health, power
development, etc. Don’t neglect their importance in overall athletic
development, as well as injury prevention.

Resisting and Developing Rotation

Athletes must be able to stabilize and prevent rotation before they

learn to produce it. Teaching whole body stabilization is a primary
principle. We do this initially by teaching the body to stabilize the
torso before moving on to more advanced means. Once efficient,
athletes can move on to resisting rotation in the form of anti-
rotational stability, which also aids in creating powerful rotation.
Muscles that resist rotation are the same ones that produce it.
Training the core to resist rotation means creating powerful rotational
athletes.

One of the main factors in rotation that should be noted is the lack of
motion from the lower back. The lumbar spine L1-L5 generally only
provides 10-13 degrees of spinal rotation. Each segment has about
2 degrees of freedom for rotation. Yes, it rotates, but we don’t want
to train it to move more. The lumbar spine needs to be strong and
stable. Being more mobile is associated with increased risk of injury.
The lumbar spine and pelvis should act as one during movement.
When we watch athletes rotate, the belly button stays stacked on the
pelvis with the shoulders separating from the hips at the thoracic
spine level.
Shirley Sahrmann said it best: “The thoracic spine not the lumbar
spine should be the site of the greatest amount of rotation of the
trunk. When an individual practices rotational exercises, he or she
should be instructed to think about the motion occurring in the area
of the chest.”

The role of a mobile thoracic spine now comes into play in keeping
the lower back healthy as well. Remember, the body is always
working in combined states of mobility and stability. Compensation
patterns occur when one of those segments isn’t doing its job. In the
case of a locked-up thoracic spine, the body will look for rotation in
the form of the path of least resistance and this is often spinal
rotation lower down the chain.

Medball Throws

With all the talk about core training and rotational power
development, what about medball throws? Medball throws are not in
the Foundation Program due to the fact I want to develop core
stabilization, which is a primary ability athletes often lack. The
existence of back injuries tells me that we don’t have enough core
control yet, and my focus is developing that first. Skill development is
year-round in baseball athletes, and they train rotation daily.

We want to prioritize proper core stability first. The repeated stress to

the spine and subsequent injuries I see across the board with youth
athletes tells me this is the proper route. Stability is the priority in this
Foundation Program. Advancements beyond the Foundation
Program can begin to use medball throws.
Optimal Position

Rib and Pelvic Control are KEY

1. Front ISO Abs

• Posterior tilt of the pelvis flattens the spine.

• Pull ribs down tight.

• Squeeze the glutes for super stiffness throughout.

• Coaching cue is we don’t want water to puddle in the sinkhole of

the low back. It should roll off a flat surface.

• Head remains in neutral alignment with chin pulled back to the

spine.

• Toes pulled to shins

• Shoulders pressed away from the ground

2. Side ISO Abs

Straight line from ankles to

ears
Ribs pulled down
Glutes contracted
Feet stacked with or top foot
in front
Opposite hand on hip
Head remains in neutral alignment with chin pulled back to
the spine.

3. ISO Hip Raise

• Feet hip to shoulder width

• Set under the knees to a 90-degree angle at top.

• Ribs pulled down tight

• Pelvis posteriorly rotated

• Rectus abdominus and obliques control pelvic tilt so manually

palpate for contraction.

• Coaching cue is to roll hips up into the belly button.

4. ISO Lunge

• Feet facing forward

• Chest directly above the hips

• Legs are split stance with feet facing forward.

• Legs around 90-degree angles at the knees.

• Wider stance stretches the back hip flexors.

• Careful of spine and pelvic position.

• Lower down into a thigh parallel stance.

• Hands placed on hips or head

Regressions / Progressions / Advancements

Regressions

1. Bodyweight

Based on each athlete’s capability, some may need to attach a band

to a rack to assist in holding body weight. This deloads weight to
create optimal patterning. I haven’t found many athletes who need
this deloaded version, but it is always an option if they do.

• Front ISO Timed

- 20-30 seconds

• Side ISO

- 20-30 seconds each side

• ISO Hip Raise

- 20-30 seconds
- Addition of an ankle band at the knee to create larger glute medius
contraction

• ISO Lunge

- There really is not a regression for the ISO lunge except for a
decrease in time and/or height of hips. If an athlete struggles greatly,
have him raise his hips to a higher position.

- 10-15 seconds each leg

- 10-second rest interval between legs.

Progressions

1. Build endurance

• ISO Core Patterns

- Add time to each movement with gradual progression up to 60

seconds.

- When 60 seconds can be maintained, I add weight to the

movement in the form of plates added to the back, side, or front.

- Start back at 30 seconds.

- Build to 60 seconds.

• ISO Lunge Pattern

- Add time to each movement, with gradual progression up to 30

seconds each leg.

- When 30 seconds can be maintained, I add weight to the

movement in the form of holding a plate in the front.
- Start back at 15 seconds.

- Build to 30 seconds.

Advancements into Movement

1. Core

• Alternating ISO Abs

• Alternating ISO Hip Raise

• Dead Bugs and Variations

- Medball Throws

Why don’t I teach medball throws in the Foundation Program? Athletes are
already rotating so much that I want to stabilize the core first and foremost.
Create the ability to protect the spine, then teach the core to transfer force.

2. Single Leg Patterns

• Reverse Lunges and Variations

• Split Squats and Variations

• Step-Ups and Variations

 10

SCAPULAR GLENOHUMERAL COMPLEX

It’s no secret how important the scapula is in the health of an

overhead throwing athlete. A stable scapula gives rise to a healthy
and mobile glenohumeral joint. The scapula is to the shoulder what
the low back and pelvis are to the hip. The human body is always
stabilizing and mobilizing at the same time to create motion. Look no
further than Mike Boyle’s Mobility/Stability Continuum article for
further clarification that summarizes the body’s organization in
movement. This means for the shoulder to effectively move, the
scapular complex must aid in stabilization. The shoulder’s greatest
asset—its range of motion—is also its greatest enemy. With great
motion comes great instability, and it’s here the scapular stabilizers
come into play.

Paine summarized the importance of the muscles involving scapular

and glenohumeral control: “Most shoulder complex injuries incurred
as a result of sport activities can be traced to abnormal
biomechanics, which, in turn, can be related to improper functioning
of the scapular muscles. In fact, scapular instability is found in as
many as 68% of rotator cuff problems and 100% of glenohumeral
instability problems.”
Scapular Stabilizers

With that being said, any talk of the shoulder and/or rotator cuff must
be centered first around the scapular stabilizers. The majority of
biomechanics problems and overuse injuries in the shoulder girdle
are attributed to dysfunction of the scapular stabilizers. Weakness
leads to abnormal positioning, disturbances in scapulohumeral
rhythm, and shoulder complex dysfunction. The scapular stabilizers
include the trapezius, levator scapulae, serratus anterior, and
rhomboids. All these have their role, but for the full function of the
overhead athlete, a major focus should be on the trapezius and
serratus anterior.

Upward Rotation and Posterior Tilt

Upward rotation and posterior tilt are the most important movements
for keeping the shoulder moving well overhead. The lower trap,
serratus anterior, and upper trap create a force couple for upward
rotation of the scapula. Upward rotation of the scapula assists the
arm in moving overhead. You can see why it would be especially
important for overhead throwing athletes. Without upward rotation,
they run into a host of problems at the shoulder. An inability to
upwardly rotate decreases the subacromial space and can limit full
overhead arm range of motion.

First, the subacromial space is an important one. It’s the gap

between the humeral head and the acromion process where
important structures like the rotator cuff and bursa reside.
Decreasing that space can create a host of problems, ranging from
irritation to impingement and rotator cuff fraying to severe
inflammation. Second, limiting the ability to get overhead can open
another can of worms in the form of pain resulting from altered
mechanics, compensation patterns, and eventually injury concerns.

Generally, the biggest bang for the buck when training the scapular
stabilizers is to focus on the lower trap and serratus anterior. They
are the most commonly weakened or inactive muscles, but may be
the most important for health. The lower trap functions to posteriorly
tilt and rotate the scapula up to allow clearance in the subacromial
space. Kibler has stated that posterior tilt of the scapula may be the
most important aspect to injury prevention in the shoulder of an
overhead athlete.

The rotator cuff gets all the play when it comes to talking about injury
prevention with baseball players, but without a strong foundation of
the scapula, the rotator cuff means little. Two-thirds of rotator cuff
problems and 100% of shoulder problems can be traced back to the
scapular stabilizers—most importantly the lower trapezius, as well as
the serratus anterior. Creating scapular control is often easier said
than done. Many coaches prescribe exercises, but few focus time
and attention on their execution.

Athletes suffer injuries and the doctor or physical therapist looks and
then says the athlete has a lack of scapular control or weakness
surrounding the shoulder. Coaches often take this personally,
knowing they are doing scap work. I have certainly been in this
situation many times, knowing we were doing more than our fair
share of scap work. My first thought was, “Don’t tell me they’re
weak.” But what I found when I looked deeper was interesting. Just
because athletes were performing exercises didn’t mean they were
fully capable of controlling their movements. With that in mind, I
determined what it means for athletes to train to create scapular
control.
Creating Scapular Control

Scapular control is THAT important in the grand scheme of shoulder

health. As coaches, we may do our fair share of training the scapular
stabilizers to prevent injury, but we may not always see the end
result of healthier athletes. These are the three methods I devised to
aid in creating stronger, more-active scapular stabilizers; hopefully,
with an end result of healthier overhead athletes.

Eliminate Compensation Patterns

We all see athletes who compensate motion at one joint for motion
at another. One of the biggest involving the scapula is the rib flare.
Athletes will overextend the spine and arch into extension in lieu of
scapular motion with many pulling movements. This compensation
pattern happens during retraction/depression as well as motions
going overhead. Although different mechanisms can be at play with
the opposite ranges of humeral movement, the major compensation
to the goal of proper scapular control remains.

Emphasizing spinal stability to eliminate a giant arch will go far

towards shoring up the scapular stabilizers. Athletes who struggle to
fully move the scapulae around the rib cage will compensate with
that rib flare. Pulling the ribs down tight with the use of the obliques
and a neutral pelvis helps to keep that compensation pattern at bay.
Compensation patterns are often just weakness. Using too heavy of
a weight and doing reps sloppily both feed into the compensation.
Controlling Tempo

Controlling the tempo of the movement can have a great benefit

when it comes to the scapular stabilizers. A huge problem I see is
athletes rushing reps with no purpose when it comes to the back
side. I believe the best times to use controlled/mixed tempos are with
pulling and scapular exercises, bar none. A set tempo forces an
athlete to slow down, allowing for increased awareness of not only
the technique of a movement, but focus on specific areas of
activation. This ties into the third concept of the mind-muscle
connection as well.

I use a variety of pauses, as well as eccentrically controlled lowering

schemes. What creates a higher demand for the scapular stabilizers:
15 blown-through reps that required less than 15 seconds to
complete or a set of 8 reps with a 2-count isometric pause at the top
and 4-count eccentric lowering? I’ve actually timed athletes doing 15
reps of a T exercise in under 15 seconds. It sounds hard to do, but
it’s achievable, I kid you not. How much actual scapular control,
activation, and strength do you think they’ve built with that set? I
would have to guess very little.

Slower tempos again allow increased focus, which in turn can allow
an athlete to adjust intra-set to a movement. A common
compensation pattern is shrugging a horizontal row instead of
creating retraction/depression. With the slower tempos, coaches can
cue an athlete during the pause to set the scaps differently.

Mind-Muscle Connection
Too often, athletes blow through lighter, scapular-based movements
without so much as a thought. Cueing an athlete where and what to
feel with many scapular patterns can aid in increasing true activation
without compensation. There are plenty of studies that show the
mind-muscle connection to be powerful at creating a stronger
stimulus for muscle activation. The lower trap has to be the most-
sought-after muscle to aid in shoulder health, yet it commonly
doesn’t pull its weight in many athletes. What can drive a coach
crazy is the fact they may be doing plenty of this work, yet the
outcome doesn’t always show that. Why? The athletes aren’t fully
using the lower trap when it’s called upon in movements.

One method that can be useful is pinpointing the lower trap with a
hand or finger while an athlete goes through an exercise. Not only
can you see if the lower trap is kicking in, but it also gives feedback
to the athlete where he should feel an exercise. When problems
arise, you can adjust the athlete’s scaps on the fly to create the
desired activation. Once athletes know where and what they should
be feeling, they can visualize and focus on that muscle and
movement pattern when training on their own.

How many athletes pull with their arms or only really think of the
arms moving? On many exercises, we teach athletes to focus pulling
with the scaps, while leaving the arms as nothing more than hooks to
the weight. Instead of going straight to the end result of the arms
moving in a direction, we want them to think of using only the scaps
to then move the arms. Again, think of it in terms of a cable Y
exercise. We don’t raise the arms. They are only a hook to the cable,
and moving the scaps will move the cable. It takes focus, but again,
the mind-muscle connection can get us up and running with greater
requirements from the scapular stabilizers.
Rotator Cuff

Now that I’ve covered the massive importance of the scapular

stabilizers in shoulder health, we come to the rotator cuff. The
importance of the rotator cuff can’t be dismissed when it comes to
the shoulder. I want coaches to understand, without the stable
platform of the scapula first, the rotator cuff can’t pull its own weight.

Depress and Stabilize

Contrary to popular belief, the rotator cuff has two essential

functions. These are to depress and to stabilize the head of the
humerus. Many coaches and athletes believe the rotator cuff does a
myriad of things, including being primarily responsible for throwing
harder. I believed that very thing as a young athlete. I lacked the
knowledge that the rotator cuff is really there to keep my arm in
place instead of flying off my body when I release a ball. The rotator
cuff, along with the posterior deltoid, dissipates enormous forces
acting to pull the arm out of the socket at ball release. Joint
distraction forces at the shoulder reach 1-1.5 times body mass in
that moment. The rotator cuff and posterior shoulder musculature
require huge eccentric forces to keep the body together in that
instant.

The cuff is also highly important in all movements of the throwing

motion. However, they all relate back to the functions of stabilization
and depression, which throughout the throwing motion comes to
mean centration of the humerus in the joint. We don’t want it banging
around sloppily in the joint.
No Shoulder Work

Form equals function. By nature, the deltoid exerts an upward pull on

the humerus. The rotator cuff is there to counteract those forces. The
body is an amazing machine that keeps balance among joints. There
are often imbalances between the deltoid and rotator cuff
musculature. Many athletes will overtrain the deltoid with specific
work, yet skip the smaller, albeit necessary, rotator cuff muscles.

Posture, lifestyle, etc. all feed into the problem of a weak, inactive
back side. The larger deltoid will overpower the weaker rotator cuff,
which causes the humerus to be pulled up in the joint and decreases
centration. Pulling the humerus upward results in a host of problems
that can start with mild irritation and move to impingement, and
eventually result in more serious events like cuff fraying and labrum
tears. Allowing the humeral head to migrate superiorly also means
decreased stability during all phases of the throw, and eventually
pain.

Because of these issues, and in an effort to keep the shoulder

healthy, I do no direct deltoid work whatsoever. I consider direct
deltoid work to be front raises, lateral raises, and all variations of
such. Through the various form of push-ups, reverse pull-ups, and
direct cuff work, the deltoid gets its fair share of stimulation. Athletes
don’t need more in the form of direct shoulder work.

The deltoid is a relatively small muscle, so additional isolation work

is completely unnecessary. Training the deltoid borders on
bodybuilding and becomes training muscles over movements. In a
movement-based program, the individual muscle matters not.
Complex movement patterns reign and we should devise programs
with that thought in mind.

The Internal Rotators

When it comes to the opposite side and the internal rotators, I do

virtually zero internal rotation in my rotator cuff work. Many cuff
programs incorporate large amounts of internal rotation. The internal
rotators of the arm are mostly the big boys when it comes to upper
body muscles. They are the powerful movers that consist mainly of
the lats and pecs. They are often very tight, and overactive.

Everybody wants to train what they can see in the mirror and the
pecs get more than their fair share of work. A common theme
throughout this manual has been the effect lifestyle has on posture
and function. The iPhone generation is hunched-over from looking
down at screens all day. This rounds over the shoulders, tightens the
internal rotators, weakens the back side, and pokes the head down
and out. This is not an optimal position for shoulder health in high-
speed overhead movements.

The internal rotators get more than enough work, not only from what
I’ve previously mentioned, but from the act of throwing every day. I
want to focus time and energy to the back side, where most athletes
show large imbalances and weaknesses. The majority—if not all—of
rotator cuff work should be directed posteriorly.

Training the Scapula / Shoulder

1. Train the back side

Focus on training the back side first and foremost. Far too many
coaches prioritize pushing, and the front-side muscles.

2. Ratios of 2:1 or even 3:1 pull to push

Pulling should be a priority over pushing, especially as athletes

advance to higher levels of programming. Early in the Foundation
Program, athletes don’t have to necessarily adhere to the ratios
when learning proper movements. As programming moves forward
with heavier weights, athletes should work towards training the back
side more.

3. Emphasize proper pulling patterns

Don’t teach athletes to lock the scaps down. Let them move freely on
the rib cage. As athletes near the bottom of a reverse pull-up,
emphasize letting their scaps out. Full motion creates more robust
neuromuscular control. After all, their scaps will move when they
play a sport. We want them to be strong and stable through
movement.

4. Emphasize proper pushing patterns

The same principle of full range of motion applies here as well. Allow
the scapulae to move freely on the rib cage during pushing
movements. Emphasize full protraction at the top of push-ups to fully
engage the serratus. Another major factor is to reinforce proper core
control patterns. Not only does this develop core stability, but it also
places the scaps in the best position to move correctly.

Movements

1. Y T C ER
Movement Options:

• Inclined Bench

- The lower the incline the better.

• Floor

• Stability Ball
• Quadruped

- Thumbs up

- Develops Lower trap

- Elbows remain locked

T
- Thumbs up

- Middle trap and rotator cuff

- Thumbs down

- Rhomboid and posterior deltoid

- Generally stay away from thumbs down versions

C – Cobra

- Palms down to floor—anatomical position

- Sweep around
ER – External rotation

- Elbows at 90 degrees

- Elbow rotates in one spot—pure centration

2. Serratus Anterior

• Hand Pick Up Push-ups

- Advanced push-up movements that include reaching.

• A-Frame Push-Ups

• Scap Push-Ups

- Feet and Hips Elevated

- Higher humeral angle compared to torso

- Increases serratus anterior activation

 11

PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLES

Now that the Big 5 patterns have been put in place, it’s time to focus
on actual implementation and programming. The following chapters
will detail putting movements into action.

Session Development

The logistics of facilities, equipment, numbers of athletes, time

available, etc. will all come into play when creating your training
sessions. In the ideal world, we move from fastest to slowest
movements over the course of a training session. The order of
training progresses from movements requiring high levels of speed
and nervous system requirements to those that are slower and less
involved.

1. Dynamic Warm-Up
2. Athletic Position / Snapdown / Jump Development
3. A-Skip / Speed / Acceleration Development
4. Big 5 Pattern Development
With the Foundation Program, I often include the athletic
position/snapdown progression in the warm-up or the jump period,
as it precedes most everything. As mentioned in the athletic position
chapter (Chapter 2), it is the basis for all movements and
progressions. The importance of setting athletes up in a proper sport
position to protect the athlete from injury can’t be overemphasized.
The transfer to all other movement skills, whether on the field or in
the weight room, applies as well. The squat and hip hinge become
much easier with an athlete who has the athletic position imprinted
already. We have all seen the athlete who bends over to field a
ground ball with an unathletic rounded back. This position is
inefficient and creates huge power leaks when it comes to the hips.

Programming

As I break down programming in the Foundation Program, you will

see three primary blocks of development. The Positions Block leads
into the Patterning Block, which leads to the Performance Block. The
program will incorporate all facets of development throughout each
block. Movement, speed, and weights will blend seamlessly to
develop the total athlete. Each block will be detailed in the following
chapters.
Positions Block

The Positions Block is the first stage in the Foundation Program. The
Positions Block is used to repeatedly teach the entry-level positions
of movement. When put in place, it positions the athlete for success
right off the bat.

This block uses grooved and bodyweight movements for loading. It

does not load the athlete externally. The progressions taken depend
on the coach, and the athlete’s needs. The Positions Block is solely
there to teach movement through the progressions to the point
where the main movements can be performed. This block is
originally meant for a 5-day-a-week program, but can be adjusted to
fit any time frame. The ideal 5-day time frame allows for constant
reinforcement of technique acquisition.

Patterning Block

The second stage in the Foundation Program is the Patterning

Block. In this block, athletes pattern the main movements over and
over. The goal is to ingrain the technique learned from the Positions
Block. The Patterning Block was originally created to take place over
a 5-day period, with alternating moderate and low intensity.

The Patterning Block creates the foundation of movement and the

beginnings of strength development through sub-maximal weights.
This block highlights the importance of moving correctly. Don’t worry
about weights—worry about movement. The weights used will be
light to moderate. The movement patterns used will be the Big 5
patterns main movements: the front squat, RDL, reverse pull-up,
hand pick-up push-up, and ISO core patterns.

Performance Block

The Performance Block is in place to accelerate development. The

goal is to gain strength in the patterns developed. The Performance
Block is where an athlete’s training can branch out in many
directions, depending on the coach. The program is now built around
a true high-low system with 3 main training days due to increasing
demands. The other 2 days are dropped or reserved for recovery-
based training. Weights will progress from moderate to heavy, and
the various movements will range from the main pattern to more-
advanced movements.
 12

POSITIONS BLOCK

The Positions Block is nothing more than learning the Big 5 patterns,
either with the grooved patterns or the bodyweight progressions. The
goal is to learn technique: teaching athletes the proper positions of
movement.

Frequency

The Positions Block is used as a 5-day-per-week block. While you

can adjust it to as many days per week as your schedule permits, it
thrives on the “more is better” concept. Every day is focused on
positioning movement with the grooved or bodyweight progressions.
Remember, frequency will be the primary driver of movement
acquisition. The more, the better in this stage. The exercises will
progress based on movement competency. Due to the very light
loads in this stage, fatigue is generally not an issue despite
performing 5 days a week.

Sets / Reps

During the Positions Block of movement learning, I prefer lower reps

and higher sets. The preference is for athletes to have to set up in
the start position as many times as possible during the session. I
would rather have them do 8 sets of 5 reps than 4 sets of 10 reps
any day of the week when learning. Remember: Frequency drives
movement acquisition.

Lower rep sets are ideal for learning, whereas higher rep sets can
lead to fatigue creeping in. An athlete who fatigues during a set will
commonly break down technically. Their body will essentially go into
a type of survival mode and do what’s necessary to complete
movements. Obviously, this isn’t optimal when learning. We wouldn’t
have a 10-year-old learning to pitch off a mound for the first time
throw 100 pitches in a row to really drive home technique. Having
him throw small amounts every day, though, would greatly help him
develop the motor skills necessary.

I’ve found over 15 years of teaching athletes this Foundation

Program that the setup is a critical step. I want more setups on a
movement, as well as more first reps. The total work will often come
out the same, but the quality becomes higher. This is especially the
case for the lower body movements, as you’ll see throughout this
chapter.

During the Positions Block, I focus intently on time parameters for

the squat and hip hinge movements. I set an amount of time for the
movement and work to get as many sets in as possible. Generally,
this is a 10- to 15-minute block of time for each pattern. Time
parameters give us a chance to get a huge workload in a time-
controlled environment. This sounds fatiguing, but generally because
of regressed or bodyweight loaded movements that accompany this
block, it is nowhere near as tiring as it sounds.

When I first began developing programs to focus on technique, I

found that 3, 4, or 5 sets weren’t getting the job done. I would be
running around from rack to rack trying to coach every athlete and
before I knew it, 25 minutes of our session was gone and it felt like
we did nothing. That’s why the total time method has become such a
key aspect in this block. Start the clock and work for the designated
time. Do as much as you can and when time is up, move on
regardless. You keep the program moving and live to fight another
day. If you use the Positions Block over the course of 5 days per
week, there is ample time to improve, due to frequency of
movement.
The Use of 5s

With that said, let’s talk about the dominance of sets of 5 throughout
the coming blocks of training. You will see the predominant use of 5
reps per set in the parameters of all these blocks throughout the
program, mostly on the lower body movements. I find 5 reps a set to
be in line with all our goals during the Foundation Program.

Fives don’t create a lot of fatigue per set, which allows for better
focused reps. It also gives athletes an easy understanding of when
they can bump up their own weight. With coaches limiting the reps to
5, it allows athletes more control over their weight selection and
gives them an understanding of when the right time to add weight to
the movement may be. They have a reference point each time they
come into the weight room. They know what they’ve done previously,
so weight selection is easy. As the sets progress, athletes can easily
judge how their body feels compared to other days and whether
more or less weight is the answer. We’re teaching body awareness
every day with a steady diet of 5 reps. Using different rep schemes
every day wouldn’t be as full of information to the athlete.

I’ve always found 5 reps to be optimal when learning. In a typical

program, coaches often progress from 12 reps to 10 reps to 8 reps
to 5 reps, and so on over the course of time. My concerns when
using higher rep sets early in the learning process are the
breakdown of movements and the time involved. In a team setting,
high rep sets leave athletes standing around more. Fewer total sets
results, again, with fewer setups in their positions and fewer first
reps.

Advancing through the Patterning and Performance blocks, it is easy

for athletes to see and understand their own progress. The use of 5s
enables them to see progress and determine their own weights.
They see results easily when they used 95 pounds during the first
week of the Patterning Block, but now finish the Performance Block
with weights over 200 pounds.

I believe the steady use of 5s, especially in the team setting, is

easier on coaches as well. Athletes can be left to control their weight
selection because they are used to doing it over and over. Switching
rep schemes too often in an early learning phase can throw athletes
off and overwhelm the coach with questions about what weight to
use and breakdowns from athletes selecting something too heavy.

Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore detailed the effectiveness of 5-rep

sets in their book Practical Programming. EMG and force plate data
showed that as reps increase above 5, there is motor coordination
loss, and eventually force production loss. In phases of technique
acquisition like the Positions and Patterning blocks, using 5-rep sets
is the answer on the more complex lower-body barbell movements.

Young Athletes

Young athletes are an exception to using the timed method. The

Positions Block may be the only block these novice athletes use for
some time. For those situations, don’t be scared to move away from
the total time parameters after several weeks. A young athlete may
spend weeks and months working through the regressions.
Examples are junior high athletes and those in their pre-teen years
who are learning movements for future development. In these
instances, eliminate the total time-based method and use a more
standard set and rep scheme.
Again, I have personally found the use of 5 reps per set to be optimal
for young athletes. Many coaches may want to start novices with
high rep sets, but I have witnessed using 5s with young athletes to
be a more successful rep scheme. The lower reps allow for a higher
quality of movement. Higher reps bring fatigue, which is something
we don’t need with young athletes. I can see that movement and
focus are at a much higher level when we perform lower rep sets as
opposed to higher rep sets.

Weight / Intensity

The weight in the Positions Block is extremely limited. Most athletes

will use some form of grooved or bodyweight progression here to
build technical positions. Remember: When teaching movement,
weight cannot override the body’s ability to perform the movement.
The weight is completely insignificant here. As the block progresses
and athletes become more familiar with their skills, lighter weight
may be added to some movements. Some regressed and
bodyweighted movements will naturally occur with plates, barbells,
PVC pipes, etc., so it can’t be stated that absolutely no weight will be
used in this block. It must be dictated by the coach’s progression and
judgment of movement quality.

Movements

The Positions Block is all about creating efficient movement

positions in the foundational patterns. For this block, the movements
used will be grooved or bodyweight progressions. A coach’s
selection will vary based upon equipment, development of athlete,
etc.

Younger athletes may be best suited by starting with all grooved

movements. They have less body awareness and motor control, and
may struggle to understand concepts associated with proper
movement mechanics. Progressing to bodyweight patterns and
eventually the main movement over the course of weeks and months
allows for ample time to perfect movement. Don’t rush young
athletes through this phase. Junior high and pre-teen athletes may
stay in the Positions Block for months, if not longer.

Older, more-advanced athletes may be easily able to start with

bodyweight movements immediately and progress within a matter of
a few weeks, or even a few days, to the main movements and
beyond. A quick example progression on the squat pattern with my
collegiate athletes is starting on the bodyweight box squat and
moving to the barbell front squat within 5-10 days. Again, it depends
on the situation and the athlete, but most trained athletes can glide
through the Positions Block relatively quickly.

Parameters of the Positions Block

Squat and Hip Hinge Patterns

Parameters:

• Time: 10-15 minutes of total work

Organization hint: Generally, in the team setting, put 3 athletes into a group.
One athlete does the squat pattern while the other two rest. Another method
for a time-restricted program is have Athlete 2 on scapula/rotator cuff while
 Athlete 3 rests. Don’t get carried away with working so fast that quality
deteriorates.

• Reps: 5 reps per set

• Sets: As many sets as possible in time period

• Weight: Negligible

- Only pattern development or light implement use such as bar,

weighted PVC, plate patterns, etc.

• Movements

- Grooved or bodyweight

• Progressing

- Main movement pattern with barbell

Upper Body Push and Pull Patterns

Parameters:

• Time: 5-10 minutes of total work

Organization hint: Generally, in the team setting, put 3 athletes into a group.
One athlete does the reverse pull-up pattern, 1 athlete does the push-up
pattern, and 1 athlete rests. Don’t get carried away with working so fast that
quality deteriorates.

• Reps: 5-10 reps per set, up to 15 reps

- Weaker athletes are limited to 5 reps per set or using grooved
movements.

- Older, more-advanced athletes can easily work into the higher end
of the rep ranges.

• Sets: As many sets as possible in time period

- Take this with a grain of salt. Don’t get carried away trying to get in
more and more sets each time. Quality not quantity.

- The appropriate volume is generally 3-5 sets.

• Weight: None to light

- Pattern development

• Movements

- Grooved or bodyweight

• Progressing

- Rep increases up to limit

- Then add weight

ISO Core Series + SL Patterns

Parameters:

• Time: 5-10 minutes of total work

- ISO Core: 20-60 seconds

- Progress as athlete is able.

- Progress can happen quickly.

- Raise time 5-10 seconds each session.

- ISO Lunge: 10-30 seconds each leg

- Rest is generally 10 seconds between legs.

• Reps: 1 rep per each superset

• Sets: 2-3 sets

- Superset each movement through back to the start.

• Weight: None to light

- Pattern development out to end of the time bracket.

- Once high-end range of bracket is reached, add weight and bring

the time back down to lowest bracket and begin to work back up.

• Movements

- ISO Core Series only

- Bodyweighted movements

- Use time as the regressions.

• Progressing

- Time increases out to range limits.

- Then add weight

Programming Template

Simply following the parameters above can give coaches all the tools
they need to develop a program that fits their needs.

With that thought in mind, here is one template I use during the
Positions Block. It is the foundation template you can use throughout
all three blocks of development. I understand many training
programs, especially at the high school level, are limited by time
more than anything else. Training must be extremely efficient. Many
high school coaches have a time block of 45 minutes to achieve a
full session, which can make things difficult in terms of the perfect
program. Therefore, the perfect program is often the one that fits the
current situation.
I understand this template may not be ideal for every situation, but it
serves only as a guide for coaches to utilize if needed. This template
is based upon timed work as detailed above. However, the high
school coach with a shortened class window in which to train can
shorten the time parameters or adjust the program itself to a specific
set and rep scheme if need be.
The template itself leaves the squat and the hip hinge patterns by
themselves so full attention can be paid to these as the most
important of movements.
As we move down the template, the upper body movements are
placed in a superset fashion. In the early Positions Block, the push-
pull ratios are not as critical as they can be down the road. One easy
way to do more pulling than pushing is have athletes start and stop
on the upper pull pattern, giving them one additional set over the
push pattern.

The entire core plus single leg pattern is a superset as one piece.
Athletes roll through the core and single leg patterns and then begin
again at the top for added sets.

The scapula/rotator cuff series is usually placed last as a finisher, but

you can add it as an active rest station for the squat or hip hinge
pattern as well.

Programming Options: Micro-Dosing Technique Acquisition

Starting a new program always involves a massive amount of

teaching, demonstrating, and coaching movements. The first weeks
of the Positions Block with any athlete will be no different. Older,
more-advanced athletes will often pick the positions up quickly, but
younger athletes will need more work. This aspect will inherently
take time away from the athletes actually performing the movement.

When it comes to teaching all 5 patterns in a day, some coaches

may find they don’t have the time available. The quality of work is
rushed. This could easily be the case at high schools, where training
sessions are limited by a class schedule.

The first week of the Positions Block can take added time for
demonstrations. One option for those who are extremely limited is to
micro-dose the week. Micro-dosing essentially means spreading out
the daily or weekly workload into shorter, more frequent amounts
throughout the week. Instead of doing all Big 5 patterns every day,
coaches can cut the work in half and alternate them throughout the
week.

While I fully understand this isn’t truly the definition of micro-dosing,

it applies when you think of it versus performing the Big 5 patterns 3
days per week. Instead of a large training load on just 3 days, we
split the session in half and spread it over the weekly cycle. This
gives coaches a chance to get very high-quality work in a short
amount of time in the first weeks of coaching the Big 5 patterns.

Putting It All Together

The Positions Block will focus on the entry-level progressions of the

athletic position, snapdowns, and skipping series for speed
development.
Athletic Position / Snapdowns: Progress through the ISO hold
positions to those of movement. Set a time parameter and get as
much work done as possible. The athletic positions should be put in
place before the snapdown progressions are started. Make sure
athletes can maintain the perfect athletic position before asking them
to do it more dynamically in the case of snapdowns.

Speed Development: Progress through the A-skip variations,

starting with the straight forward. As athletes become proficient,
substitute lateral and eventually backward into the mix. Again, select
a time frame to work within. Begin at 10 yards per movement and
either incorporate longer distances out to 20 yards or add buildups to
increase intensity and begin accumulating small sprinting volumes.

Coaches have an array of options to progress a team or athlete. The

ideal format is listed below, but it only serves as an example for
coaches. You may have to utilize shorter time frames or adjust based
upon your weekly schedule.
Foundation Template for Positions Block Example
Duration and Progression to Patterning
There are no concrete rules as to how long each block of training
should be used. This is based on the coach and the athlete. Train
the Positions Block until athletes are capable of progressing to the
main movement with a light load, such as a barbell or light dumbbells
in the front squat and RDL patterns. All we really want is athletes to
be able to perform the movement with little to no breakdowns.

Of course, I know this process will involve continual coaching, but

coaches will know when the time is right. I use the all-important
squat and hip hinge patterns to determine when it’s time to advance.
Once an athlete can easily jump under a bar and move correctly, I
advance the training. Progressions aren’t over the course of a day or
two. They are in place until the necessary criteria are met. The
criterion here is movement.

More-developed athletes will generally move quickly through this

block in less than a few weeks. You will find that younger athletes in
their early teenage years will take longer. Often, this is the training
program for a younger athlete for 4-8 weeks. Younger athletes don’t
need to worry about loading whatsoever. You can train a younger
athlete on the goblet squat or corner squat for months on end,
knowing you have ample time to progress development.

Athletes at the collegiate level may fly through the Positions Block in
less than a week or may not even need it. The key is advancing
when ready. You aren’t necessarily trying to keep athletes in this
block. The whole goal is progression, so keep trying to move forward
through progressions as deemed necessary. Progress always.
 13

PATTERNING BLOCK

Once athletes are stable in the main movements, we progress into

the Patterning Block. The requirements to advance into the Pattering
Block are simple: they’re based on the ability to perform the main
movements. The Patterning Block exists to pattern the movements
over and over. It’s in place to reinforce what has been built up
through the Positions Block. We want to ingrain the Big 5 patterns.
This block becomes the meat and potatoes of not only movement
development, but the beginnings of strength development as well.

Frequency

This block changes somewhat from an everyday 5-day program to

the use of a modified high-low program. In perfect form, though, the
Patterning Block is still a 5-day-a-week program.
The Beginnings of a High-Low System

As I detail in the next two blocks, the high-low system was

popularized by the late Canadian sprint coach Charlie Francis. A
high-low system, if you are unaware, means high CNS intensive
demands are all placed on one day, followed by low CNS demands
the following day.

Using this format allows for greater recovery in preparation for the
next high training day. Speed, strength, and power are all highly
dependent upon the neuromuscular system, or the CNS. Training
high-intensity elements on back-to-back days constantly creates
CNS fatigue and disrupts the body’s ability to produce at a high
output. High CNS means are prioritized with at least 48 hours of
recovery before they should be trained again. The rest gives the
neuromuscular system time to rebound. Fatigue doesn’t bode well
for developing speed, strength, and power—or movement.

The level of the athlete is important in the high-low system as well.

Although the high-low system is not used in the Positions Block, as
the athlete progresses into patterning and especially into the
Performance Block, it becomes more and more significant.

Novice to Advanced

Young, novice athletes have little need to adhere to the high-low

concept initially. They lack an efficient neuromuscular system and
therefore do not develop the same level of fatigue from training that
a more-advanced athlete would. Novice athletes rebound quickly,
allowing for multiple development opportunities throughout the week.
This is great for technical acquisition.

The concept of training the Positions and Patterning blocks 5 days

per week works great for athletes of a low training age. The continual
repetition deeply ingrains movement patterns. Less-experienced
athletes don’t need difficult programs. The more novice the athlete,
the simpler the program. They will develop with only the basics.

Novice athletes also do not need a wide variety of exercises. The

need for basic skills and a foundation from which to build strength
are most important. Few exercises need be considered. As the
athlete progresses in movement, motor control, and coordination,
you can successfully introduce more exercises and movement
variations.

The ability to recover changes quickly with more-trained athletes. As

athletes advance, more stress is required to adapt. More stress
means higher levels of output, as well as more exercise variation. As
more stress is applied, more attention to recovery must be allotted.
The nervous system becomes more efficient and outputs are at
much higher levels. Eventually, as training continues, athletes will
outrun their ability to recover.

Using the Position and Patterning programs on a 5-day approach

with more-advanced athletes is fine, but coaches must be cognizant
that fatigue will eventually begin to accumulate. These blocks with
more-advanced athletes will be generally be shorter in nature. Many
will learn the progressions quickly and time spent in the early blocks
will be minimal. Overtraining is much easier as the level of athlete
increases.

High / Low Days Outline

The ultimate result of the high-low format when used in this block will
be an alternating daily cycle of lower rep strength development and
higher repetition movement patterning. The low day is where our real
change in format takes place during the Patterning Block.

High-intensity days equal 3 days per week: Monday, Wednesday,

and Friday.

Low-intensity days equal 2 days per week: Tuesday, and Thursdays

if utilized.
High Days

The goal of high days is to progress movement under external load

in the Big 5 patterns. The block stays in much the same format as
previously used, but athletes now use the full movements and not
grooved or bodyweighted progressions. They have graduated into
the full movements with load.

Weight / Sets / Reps / Intensity

Time parameters for squat and hip hinge patterns no longer apply
and we begin to use a rep scheme. The coach’s eye is absolutely
integral here. Detailing programming in a book is incredibly tough
because coaching isn’t done on paper. It happens in front of you and
adjustments take place on the fly. That is truly what makes a great
coach—being able to see movement difficulties and make
modifications to keep an athlete safe from injury and on the right
track.

The use of sets of 5 reps stays prevalent here on the lower body
movements. With that in mind, I let athletes bump up their weight
each set and each day as they feel comfortable. Again, the coach’s
eye is extremely necessary here. You don’t need fancy percentages
or advanced rep schemes at this point. There is something to be
said for progressing weight based on how the athlete looks and
feels.

Movement will vary on a daily basis. On some days, athletes will

move like gazelles; on others, like sloths. Let the day determine their
weight. You do not have to bump the weight up day after day. Let me
repeat that! You do not have to bump the weight up day after day or
even set after set. Make sure they are moving well, first and
foremost.

There is no need for extremely challenging weights in this block.

Emphasize submaximal weights at all times. The volume and
repeated repetition will do wonders in this block, without the use of
anywhere near maximal weights. If athletes use near-maximal
weights, fatigue will set in quickly because of the volume of weekly
training. Let frequency be the driver and not max effort weights.

I encourage athletes to start with a light weight following the warm-

up sets and bump up gradually as their movement dictates. Allow
athletes the freedom to choose their weights as they feel it, but keep
a close eye on how they move. Where this process can fail is when
an athlete bites off much more than he can chew. It must be up to
the coach to remedy this immediately or throw the entire program out
the window. If athletes are allowed to use a heavier weight than their
current technical abilities allow, then the entire training to this point
will be for naught. Make sure the athlete’s technique is absolutely
firm with each addition of weight. When I see an athlete begin to
break down from an advancement in weight, I immediately remedy
the situation by decreasing the weight back down.

There is something to be said for novice athletes bumping up

gradually over the course of weeks and months. Progress can
happen quickly with the untrained. Allow it to happen without the
need for percentages and/or reps to failure. Do not go to failure or
anywhere close to it—it isn’t needed at this point. Breakdowns in
technique occur frequently when athletes are tested before they’re
ready. The quantity of the weekly volume will greatly improve an
athlete’s strength. Don’t overdo it by letting athletes run into max rep
sets and training to failure.

All of this is not to say we don’t work hard. As the athlete advances,
weights that challenge them will become significant. It takes courage
to set a precedent and do things the right way for the long term. The
beauty of letting athletes dictate their own weight instead of
assigning it based on percentages or some other method is that it
permits athletes to progress as their movement dictates. Some will
be stronger and farther along the development ladder and have the
ability to use more weight. Don’t hold them back unnecessarily. Let
them fly. If their movement is quality, let them bump up their weights
and develop.

The use of a perceived exertion scale, or an RPE scale, can be

beneficial for coaches in this instance. RPEs are a subjective
measure for athletes to judge how hard they feel like they’re working
during a particular set or exercise. The score ranges from 0 to 10
with 10 being a maximal effort. A score of 10 essentially means that
effort was maximum at that weight. They could not do any more reps
whatsoever. Intensities during the high days should stay in the 5-7
range; lower earlier in the block and progressing higher as athletes
are capable.

Movements

The 5 basic foundational movement patterns are all that are used
during the high days. We build those movements with increasing
weight.

Squat Pattern and Hip Hinge

Parameters:

• Reps: 5 reps per set

• Sets: 3-5 sets per day

• Weight: Full weighted movements

- Bump up weight each set

• Movements: Main patterns

Upper Body Push and Pull Patterns

Parameters:

• Reps: 8-20 reps per set

Larger athletes will not be able to handle their body weight as well and will
often remain using the assisted push/pull patterns. Attempt to progress to
the higher rep ranges of those patterns. Once successful, drop the reps
down and attempt to lighten the assistance or move to bodyweight
movements.

• Sets: 2-4 sets

• Weight: Loaded by plate or chain

- Reverse Pull-Ups: Feet on bench if easy

- Change the angle for increased difficulty

• Movements: Main movements

ISO Core Series

Parameters:

• Time:

- ISO Core: 30-60 seconds

- ISO Lunge: 15-30 seconds

- Rest is generally 10 seconds between legs.

• Reps: 1 rep per each superset

• Sets: 1-3 sets

• Weight: Should be weight on all ISO holds.

• Movements: ISO Core Patterns

Programming High Days

The foundation template previously used in the Positions Block is the

same format used during the high days in the Patterning Block.
Putting It All Together

Athletic Positioning / Snapdowns – Progress through the AP work

and snapdown series as athletes are capable. As the Patterning
Block begins, most athletes should have a great foundation in the
athletic position. More time can and should be spent in the
snapdown series. Snapdowns are just a more-dynamic form of the
athletic position. Keep progressing as athletes show capability. You
can implement both the snapdowns and the A-skip series into part of
the warm-up to keep training sessions moving along.

Speed Development – While in the Patterning Block, all-out high-

intensity speed work should be kept to a minimum; hence, the
reason for a focus on buildups. The goal of the Patterning Block
should be to gradually raise volume and intensity. Due to the overall
high volume of lifting in the Patterning Block’s format, the overall
volume of speed should be kept towards the lower end of the
spectrum. Coaches can begin to extend buildup distances out from
20 yards as the block progresses. Farther distances equal higher
intensities. Buildups should be the main sprint movement utilized
during the Patterning Block. Teach positions with the skipping series,
then ingrain them through patterning.

Foundation Template Patterning Block Example for High Days

Low Days

Aside from the progression into weighted movements, the change in

the Patterning Block is the use of the low-intensity patterning day.

What was once specific training in the Positions Block now becomes
general training in the Patterning Block. It has moved from THE
training to an accessory. The point on low days becomes high
repetition patterning.

Concurrent programming is one of the best methods of programming

for novice and intermediate athletes. Concurrent programming is
such that a wide range of abilities are trained within the same day
and/or week. Mel Siff detailed the effects of such programming in his
book Supertraining. In it, Soviet athletes were split into 3 groups.
One group trained with 90% weights, while another group trained
with only 30%. The final group trained with both the 90% and the
30% weights concurrently. The results spoke for themselves. The
athletes utilizing both weights concurrently far exceeded the other
single-weighted groups.

While this block doesn’t use 90% weights, the concept still applies.
Athletes are using lower rep heavier weights to further develop
strength and technique under load, and lighter high rep weights to
pattern the movement.

Movements

On low days, athletes will revert back to the use of the bodyweighted
or grooved movements that were used in the Positions Block to fill
the low-intensity days. Those become a lighter weight, higher
volume training session. We continue to groove movement patterns
on a daily basis, but the program becomes alternating high- and low-
intensity days. The alternation of the loaded movements on high
days and regressed movements on low days throughout the week
helps to build some movement variability as well.

Weight / Sets / Reps / Intensity

The low-intensity days are based around high reps but fewer sets.
The weight on low-intensity days should be easy enough to complete
all the necessary reps with quality.

In terms of following an RPE score, I again prefer to stay at 5 or

under on low-intensity days. Remember, the total workload of 5
training days will add up to create the necessary adaptive changes
without heavy load.

Squat Pattern and Hip Hinge

Parameters:

• Reps: 10-20 reps per set

• Sets: 2-4 sets per day

• Weight: Light to moderate load

• Total Rep Goal: 40 reps

- 2x20, 3x15, 4x10 are available schemes.

- Vary them
• Movements: DB patterns from bodyweight or grooved patterns

- Squat: DB or goblet squat

- Hip Hinge: DB RDL

Upper-Body Push and Pull Patterns

Parameters:

• Reps: 5-10 reps per set

• Sets: 2-4 sets

• Weight: Bodyweight or assisted only

- No weight used

• Total Rep Goal: 20 reps

- 2x10, 3x7, 4x5

• Movements: Main movements

• Movements should be fairly easy and submaximal.

It’s absolutely not a problem to eliminate the push-up on low-

intensity days for baseball athletes. I would recommend it.

ISO Core Series

On low-intensity days, the ISO Core Series is often where we can

begin to advance. The ISO movements now progress into stabilizing
the core while mobilizing the arms or legs around it. By this point,
athletes should be able to very easily stabilize in the ISO patterns.
Now we begin to add the element of movement around a stable
spine.

If you eliminate the low-intensity days from your training cycle, you
could move this core section to high days in place of the ISO Core
Series. But don’t move it until several weeks of ISO Core Series
have been performed on the high days. Make sure a strong, stable
core is the result first. All variations are non-weighted.

Parameters:

• Reps: 10-20 controlled reps per set (5-10 per side)

• Sets: 2 per day

• Weight: Body weight/band/light weight can be used.

• Movements:

- Front ISO Abs progresses to

- Alt ISO Abs

- Deadbugs

- Side ISO Abs gets eliminated

- ISO Hip Raise progresses to:

- Hip Raise

- Alt Hip Raise

- Hip Bridge

- ISO Lunge progresses to bodyweight

- Split Squats
- Reverse Lunges

Programming Low Days

Low-intensity patterning sessions will take on almost a circuit

fashion. The template supersets lower-body and upper-body
movements. This format allows for recovery between movements
and helps to speed up training sessions.
Foundation Template for Patterning Block Example for Low
Days

Duration and Progression to Performance

Use the Patterning Block until an athlete’s progress is such that a

stronger stimulus with more recovery included is necessary. For
collegiate athletes, this might occur over the course of 2-4 weeks.
High school athletes may be longer, in the range of 4-8 or more
weeks. The stronger the athlete and heavier the weights become,
the more recovery becomes a necessity and the shorter the
Patterning Block will be. When technique is stable and working
weights become challenging, athletes can progress to a more
customary high-low format.
 14

PERFORMANCE BLOCK

Once through patterning, athletes progress into more advanced,

higher intensity training. The goal of the Performance Block is now to
fully strengthen the Big 5 patterns or their advancements. We have
taught the positions and patterned the movements, and now it’s time
to focus on real strength development.

The high-low format is still present in the weekly breakdown but

there is complete divergence between the high and low days. Low
days now become geared solely toward recovery. For some
coaches, this may mean low-intensity active work; for others, it may
be completely eliminated and used as an off day instead.

High Days
You should use the high days to continue progressing the intensity of
the training. At this point, athletes should be extremely familiar with
the Big 5 movements and have no issue loading them intensely.
Technique should be stable, whether the first warm-up set or the last
rep of a maximum effort set.

All elements are still involved as before but you can advance the Big
5 movements. The training here isn’t as detailed and begins to
branch out and can take on the shape of the individual coach. Some
coaches may want to stick with the squat pattern 3 days per week
with varying intensities. Others may decide to include other
movements, such as the trap bar deadlift in place of one day of the
squat pattern. There really isn’t a wrong answer once movement is
competent.

Low Days

The low-intensity day changes from the previous Patterning Block.

The low-intensity day becomes recovery-based to fuel the gains from
the high days. The low day can be completely removed or adapted
into more recovery-based means instead of the light loaded
patterning used previously. Removing the patterning low day allows
athletes’ bodies more recovery in place of a stronger training
stimulus from the high days.

Any large increase in training intensity and/or volume must be

accounted for in the overall plan. As we increase intensity on high
days, we must concurrently decrease intensity on the low days.
Whether it’s practice or the weight room, coaches have to account
for energy expenditure.
Frequency

The Performance Block is 3 days per week utilizing the total body
split. The breakdown is truly a high-low setup. The high days, MWF,
are oriented towards development and strength gain. Low-intensity
days can be implemented on TTH or eliminated altogether if time
doesn’t allow.

The Performance Block begins to blend the Patterning Block with

heavier strength work. An undulating model, where intensity and
volume are waved through the week, can be used in the
Performance Block. The most common method is to alternate
volume and intensity. If intensity is high on Monday, a low volume of
work would occur. Wednesday would be a high volume of work with
a low intensity, and Friday would take on a moderate intensity and
volume. The variations are limitless. Putting this model into practice
means Monday would be all heavier low-rep sets, Wednesday would
be higher-rep lightened weight, and Friday would be in the middle.
Another method, and the way I prefer to use undulation throughout
the week, is within the workout itself. On the days I train the squat
pattern heavy, athletes perform a lightened higher rep hip hinge
pattern. On heavy hip hinge days, they perform a lightened squat
pattern. This interplay can happen throughout the rest of the workout
as well. If more upper body is performed, use less on the core
superset and so on. Think of it this way: If an athlete is crushing
heavy weight on the squat, do you want them to turn right around
and crush more heavy weight on the RDL next? This would be
stressful on the entire lower body and especially the back. To spare
them that stress, we alternate what gets loaded when throughout the
week.
Sets / Reps / Weight / Intensity

The Performance Block uses the entire spectrum of rep ranges, from
low rep, high loaded movements to the high rep, low-intensity
movements used in the Patterning Block. The Performance Block
adds an intermediate rep zone to the mix as well. The intermediate
zone referred to as size uses reps in the 8-12 range with a moderate
weight and 3-4 total work sets.

Notes:

Squat Pattern – It is perfectly acceptable to begin working into

heavy and challenging weight. Repetition maximums in the 1-5
range or heavy singles as the block progresses are acceptable.

Hip Hinge Pattern – Typically stay around 5 reps. We don’t drop

lower than that. Stay here but continue to try to dominate increasing
weight.

UB Push and Pull Pattern – Continue to increase weight, alter

tempos, and/or move into the advancements.

ISO Core Patterns – Advancement into other patterns and

movements.

The weight should begin to increase in the Performance Block. Our

goal is strength. Allow athletes to bump the weight up as their
movement dictates. Don’t fear working to heavier weights in the 1-5
rep range for the lower body movements. Working up to a rep max
or a heavy single is fine in this stage, provided athletes have
satisfied the technical requirements in the previous blocks. The goal
of this block is to build strength on top of movement but not at the
movement’s expense.
As far as intensity goes, the RPE can help during the Performance
Block. On heavy days, you want an RPE in the 8-9 range and
possibly going up to 10. On lighter days, you want an RPE in the 5
range and on moderate days working up into the 6-7 range. These
are just examples of ways a coach can set intensity parameters
without utilizing percentages.

Movements

You may use a wide range of movements here. Strength is the main
goal of the Performance Block. Some coaches may begin to employ
more variety, such as the trap bar deadlift in place of one or more of
the squat patterns. Again, the goal is to begin to build strength in the
Big 5 movements and their advancements.

Putting It All Together

The Performance Block is the ultimate culmination of the previous

two blocks of dedicated movement development. By this point, the
athletic position should be deeply ingrained. It either remains in low
volumes during the general warm-up or is removed in place of higher
intensity snapdowns and jump training. Remember that progression
is the name of the game.

Full speed accelerations and sprints from varying positions can be

implemented with increasing volumes in a true high-low format.

Programming Template
There are two possible template variations for coaches to use in the
Performance Block. The first is the standard template we have
utilized throughout. This is the foundation template I introduced in
the Positions Block and you can use it just the same in the
Performance Block. The only real change is dropping the side ISO
abs variation in place of using only one core variation.
Foundation Template for Performance Block Example
Streamlined Template

However, there are variations during the Performance Block that I

have used to streamline training sessions in the form of supersets for
those who lack time. The more-streamlined performance template is
as follows:
A variation within this template that may take place because of
equipment is swapping the upper body pull and push movements.
Some programs may not be able to have one athlete doing an RDL
while another does reverse pull-ups in the rack. Rack space and/or
barbells may be limited. If space requirements don’t work out, you
can make these adjustments.

When it comes to high school development, I understand many

programs don’t have the necessary time available to train athletes on
the perfect program. Many are limited to a 45- to 50-minute class
block. With that in mind, I recommend the above template. Time and
time again, this template has allowed coaches to train all elements in
under 45 minutes. The way you achieve this is by super-setting
movements to keep athletes moving through the training.

Some of the ways I have built efficiency into this template for time-
constrained high schools are listed below:

1. Squat Pattern

One method I have used is super-setting the squat pattern with short
sprints. It’s not uncommon for coaches to pair together a strength
and speed movement in a superset. Research has shown a
strength-speed complex to be an effective complementary method.

Example: First set of squats followed by short sprint of 5-20 yards.

We often perform two sprints with a walk back recovery in the rest
period between the squat pattern. This is one way to easily build
speed work into the program in a short time frame.

If sprinting is not necessitated, another superset method is to use the

squat pattern paired rotator cuff and/or scapula work. One athlete
squats, another performs a rotator cuff, or scapular movement, and
the third athlete rests.

2. Posterior Superset

The hip and pull patterns are now super-setted. In some cases,
coaches may need to swap the pull pattern with the push pattern.
Equipment available is often the limiting factor in program design. It
becomes difficult to use the barbell for reverse pull-ups when an
athlete may need the same rack or barbell for RDLs. In those
instances, switching the upper body pull with the push pattern is
acceptable. When doing this, be aware of the volume and ratios of
the two.

3. Superset

The last superset breaks down to an upper body push, one ISO core
movement, upper body push, and the single leg pattern. An
alternative method to get the entire core series involved is to do one
movement each set through. Example: First set through is ISO Abs
Front, second set is Side ISO Abs, third set is ISO Hip Raise. If the
upper push pattern was swapped earlier, the upper body pull pattern
is placed with the core. But coaches must be aware of ratios when it
comes to the upper body pull versus push. To keep a quality 2:1
ratio, I often drop off one day of the upper push pattern and add a
core or hip movement.

4. Scapula / Rotator Cuff

The scapula/rotator cuff series remains the same unless super-

setted due to time constraints with the squat pattern as detailed
above.
Streamlined Template for Performance Block Example
Progressing Beyond…

Once finished with patterning, the Performance Block is where I work

athletes up to the ability to utilize percentages. There really is no
finishing the Performance Block. Over the course of weeks and/or
months, allow athletes to work into a rep max or heavy single. Again,
they should be technically sound. Athletes who aren’t technically
sound at heavier weights must be shut down from progressing
further and continue to develop at that current weight. Allowing an
athlete to break down on a heavier rep max set means the athlete is
not prepared for that weight. Using percentages based upon that
weight is a mistake that could prove costly in time. Instead, find the
last weight he was solid at and utilize that as a means to a maximal
number from which to progress training.
 BEYOND MOVEMENT

The best advice I can offer coaches when creating a training

program is DON’T OVERTHINK IT. We are all guilty of this at times,
myself included. Coaches often hinder themselves by using training
methods that are much too advanced for the level of their athletes.
Know the level of your athletes. More than likely, what they need is a
program based around doing the basics really well. Programs often
go wrong by progressing beyond movement capabilities too quickly
instead of truly building the base. Train everybody like an athlete
first. The focus on specialized training comes down the road as
progressions take place.

Movement Over Maxes is a philosophy built around creating an

athletic base for advancement. It’s taking a long-term approach to
athletic development. It serves as a roadmap for coaches to develop
athletes from the ground up. Over the course of an athlete’s overall
career, the commitment to proper movement is quite minimal. Don’t
get caught up in numbers. Teach and train movement and the
numbers will take care of themselves.

Durability is the best ability for an athlete. Building an extensive

foundation of movement not only helps increase athleticism, but can
protect athletes from injury. Visualize a teen athlete who isn’t taught
how to create a lock in his spine and use his hips properly for
motion. Compensations and breakdowns are a regular part of his
game. As his career continues, he is limited by his durability as he
struggles to stay on the field, fighting constant back issues.
Eventually, an issue that could’ve been solved on day one has
possibly cost this athlete his career. An injured athlete will never
reach his potential. Injuries are part of sport, but we want to eliminate
the weight room injuries that happen from a lack of movement
awareness.

The duration and progressions a coach utilizes depend on factors

that include, but aren’t limited to: time availability, an athlete’s
training age, an athlete’s level, how fast an athlete picks up
progressions, and an athlete’s current movement capacities. In the
end, there are a million ways to train athletes, and this is just one of
those ways. Movement Over Maxes will open the eyes of coaches to
creating and implementing their own Foundation Program. Great
movement is a never-ending quest, and the result is more robust
athletes. Set them on the road to athletic success from their very first
day and watch them develop far beyond expectations.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zach has been in place since 2008 at TCU as the Senior Assistant Director of Strength and
Conditioning. He oversees the development of Baseball, as well as the quarterback
development for Football. Alongside these priorities, he also handles the development and
implementation of the Strength and Conditioning Internship Program.

During baseball off-seasons, Coach Dechant trains a group of 30+ current MLB/MiLB Frogs.
The pro Frogs spend 4 months back on campus training for the upcoming season.

Previous experience to TCU has included two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels of
Anaheim, two years at Missouri State University, as well as time spent with the University of
Washington as an intern.

Zach graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Wellness from Missouri State
University in 2003. He is certified through the CSCCa, NSCA, FMS-1 and the USAW.

To download corresponding videos and other exclusive resources, visit

MovementOverMaxes.com/Bonus.

For more information, follow Zach on Twitter @ZachDechant or visit ZachDechant.com.

 REFERENCES

Ariel, B. G. “Biomechanical analysis of the knee joint during deep

knee bends with heavy loads.” Biomechanics IV. Baltimore:
University Park Press; 1972; 44-52.

Balyi, Istvan, Richard Way, and Colin Higgs. Long-Term Athlete

Development. Human Kinetics, 2013.

Bompa, T. O. Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training.

Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1999.

Boyle, Michael. “A Joint-by-Joint Approach to Training.” T NATION,

20 June 2007, www.t-nation.com/training/joint-by-joint-approach-to-
training.

Cook, Gray, et al. Movement: Functional Movement Systems—

Screening, Assessment, and Corrective Strategies. On Target
Publications, 2015.

Dietz, Cal, and Ben Peterson. Triphasic Training: A Systematic

Approach to Elite Speed and Explosive Strength Performance. Bye
Dietz Sports Enterprise, 2012.
Gabbett, Tim J. “The Training-Injury Prevention Paradox: Should
Athletes Be Training Smarter and Harder?” British Journal of Sports
Medicine, 2016;50:273-280.

Gordon, J. (2017, September 11). “A Biography of Michael Jordan as

a High School Basketball Player.” Retrieved from
https://www.livestrong.com/article/450727-a-biography-of-michael-
jordan-as-a-high-school-basketball-player/

Kenn, Joe. The Coach's Strength Training Playbook: Featuring the

Tier System. Coaches Choice, 2003.

Kibler, W. B. “The role of the scapula in athletic shoulder function.”

The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1998;26(2):325-37.

Kulas, A.S., T. Hortobagyi, and P. DeVita. “Trunk position modulates

anterior cruciate ligament forces and strains during a single-leg
squat.” Clinical Biomechanics, 2012;27:16-21.

McBride, Jeffrey M., et al. “New Training Techniques.” Biomechanics

Department of Health, Leisure & Exercise Science. Appalachian
State University. Unpublished Research, 2006.

McGill, Stuart. Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance. Backfitpro

Inc., 2014.

Myslinski, Tom. “The Development of the Russian Conjugate

Sequence System.” (Master’s Thesis, Salisbury University, HPR-Ed
2990, Dr. Robert J. Robertson, Advisor), 2003. Retrieved from
www.elitefts.com.

Nisell, R., M.O. Ericson, G. Németh, and J. Ekholm. “Tibiofemoral

joint forces during isokinetic knee extension.” American Journal of
Sports Medicine, 1989;17:49-54.
Ohkoshi, Y., K. Yasuda, K. Kaneda, T. Wada, and M. Yamanaka.
“Biomechanical analysis of rehabilitation in the standing position.”
American Journal of Sports Medicine, 1991;19(6):605-611.

Ostojic, Sergej M., et al. “The Biological Age of 14-Year-Old Boys

and Success in Adult Soccer: Do Early Maturers Predominate in the
Top-Level Game?” Research in Sports Medicine, 2014;22(4):398-
407.

Paine, R. M. and M.L. Voight. “The Role of the Scapula.”

International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2013; 8(5):617-
629.

Rippetoe, M., L. Kilgore, and G. Pendlay. Practical Programming for

Strength Training. Buchanan: The Aasgaard Company. 2006.

Sahrmann, Shirley. Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement

Impairment Syndromes. Mosby, 2008.

Toutoungi, D.E., T.W. Lu, A. Leardini, F. Catani, and J.J. O’Connor.

“Cruciate ligament forces in the human knee during rehabilitation
exercises.” Clinical Biomechanics, 2000;15:176-187.

USA Hockey. “Motor Learning Principles with John Kessel —

Director of Sport Development, USA Volleyball.” YouTube, 29 May
2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu6_H00VoLk.

Verkhoshansky, Y., and M.C. Siff. Supertraining. Rome, Italy:

Verkhoshansky, 2009.

Warner, John J.P., et al. “Scapulothoracic Motion in Normal

Shoulders and Shoulders With Glenohumeral Instability and
Impingement Syndrome.” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related
Research, 1992;(285):191-9.