What Does Paralympic Strength Training Look Like?

TOPIC:

Paralympians undergo rigorous training when preparing for the Paralympic Games. While the Paralympics only last about two weeks, getting ready takes place all year, as these athletes are among the most dedicated in the world. Here’s how people with disabilities prepare for their events.

How Paralympic Athletes Strength Train

Strength training is integral for success as a Paralympian. These athletes overcome obstacles and demonstrate grit and determination with their workouts. Here’s what some Paralympians endure when strength training.

Incorporating Targeted Exercises

Paralympic athletes prioritize workouts that target their niche. While they can benefit from whole-body exercises, these competitors often focus on specific parts.

For example, a wheelchair basketball player will focus most of their attention on upper-body exercises. These athletes could do Russian twists, seated rows, pullups, and other movements concentrating on their arms and core.

Another example would be a Paralympic athlete prepping for swimming competitions. The training depends on what type of competition they’ve entered — breaststroke, butterfly or freestyle. You can expect swimmers to focus on their flexibility and range of motion. These athletes may also do resistance workouts like tethered swimming.

Differentiating the Workouts

Consistency and repetition are crucial to improving a Paralympian’s performance. Practicing the same exercises aids their muscle memory and enhances their skills. However, these workouts can become stale, so occasionally switching up their routines is important to remain engaged and balance their muscles.

While switching up their routine is crucial, Paralympians should still focus on relevant workouts to boost their performance. They also might adjust the intensity of their regimen based on their training phase.

An older study from The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined how 16 Paralympic swimmers trained for the world championships. The researchers found the swimmers increased their training in the late phase but reduced it substantially in the taper phase to avoid taxing their bodies too much.

Paralympians know this strategy as periodization. You adjust the training throughout the time leading up to your competition to prepare your mind and body. Periodization is critical for Paralympians to avoid injury by overtraining. A 2019 Frontiers in Physiology study says inadequate periodization can lead to chronic damage in muscle tissue.

Using Adaptive Equipment

Paralympians need special tools to assist their training, depending on their physical disabilities. Adaptive equipment helps these athletes get stronger and faster without risking injuries. You can see examples of adaptive equipment across the Paralympic Games.

For example, running blades help track and field athletes by making their strides more efficient. Manufacturers produce them with carbon fiber, making them resilient to hard use. The devices release energy while running, making it easier for Paralympians to navigate the tracks. Some athletes prefer curved blades to increase their range of motion and implement a more natural run during their performance.

Racing chairs are another example of adaptive equipment. Companies develop these seats to fit each Paralympian and their unique body shape. A few years ago, BMW designed a minimalist racing chair to enhance aerodynamics and stability for competitors.

Working With a Coach

The first step for Paralympians is to find the right coach. People with disabilities need unique coaching that is different from that of any other world-class athlete. Someone who understands them and their disability is crucial for proper training, safety and success in their sport.

The relationship between a coach and their Paralympic athletes is crucial. The coach is responsible for setting a strength training regimen and safely pushing athletes to their limits. They must also instill confidence in their athletes so they can perform at higher levels.

For example, volleyball coach Heidi Peters has been instrumental in Canada’s Paralympic team growth. While they narrowly missed a medal at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Peters’ athletes have lauded her coaching and motivational skills. Danielle Ellis, the team’s captain,
said Peters creates individual relationships and finds a way to motivate each player when training for the Paralympic games.

“She’s not stuck with ‘OK, we’re gonna run this because this is what other top teams do,’” Ellis tells the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “She says, ‘This is how our team moves. This is how we move. We’re going to do this instead because this is
going to make us better in the future.’”

Leveraging Technology to Improve Performance

Technology has become more integral to Paralympians with every Paralympic Games. Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements have made training easier by letting athletes visualize their venue during practice.

For example, cyclists employed augmented reality (AR) at the 2020 Paralympics to simulate their tracks while watching vital rates during training. The Paralympians also used wearable sensors to prevent heatstroke, considering the Tokyo Games were among the hottest on record.

More examples of improving performance come from using advanced technology to mitigate the risk of injury. A 2023 Journal of Sport Rehabilitation study examines what Paralympians and their trainers use to assess external training load and maintain high performance levels. Some examples include:

• Internal radiofrequency-based tracking system for wheelchair rugby
• GPS devices for wheelchair tennis
• Heart rate monitors to monitor external load for paracycling and swimming
• Miniaturized data loggers for wheelchair tennis, basketball and rugby

Other Ways Paralympians Train

Strength training is only one element of Paralympic preparation. Here are other critical pieces of the puzzle for Paralympians.

Preparing Psychologically

While physicality separates competitors, Paralympians must also psychologically prepare for the games. Training occupies a significant portion of your day, but the remaining days and hours leave athletes to wonder about their performance. Some may have anxiety or uneasy feelings heading into competition. These feelings emphasize the importance of coaches and their influence on athletes. A 2019 Cognition Brain Behavior study finds that Paralympians have psychological disadvantages in contrast to other athletes at the Olympic Games.

Combating these anxieties means visualizing their success, maintaining positive thoughts, and relying on support from their coaches and teammates. Some Paralympians find motivation by
reminding themselves of those looking up to them. Kadeena Cox, a cyclist representing Britain, uses her platform to inspire future athletes and wants them to outperform her.

“I totally expect there to be a young boy or girl seeing me and going on to be better than me, and that’s what I want to see,” Cox tells the British Paralympic Association.

Balancing Work, Life and Training

Paralympians focus much of their time on training for the Paralympic Games, but they have other duties to worry about in their daily lives. Most athletes have day jobs and families to support as they prepare. They’ll find time throughout the day to incorporate workouts — even if it means waking up earlier.

Finding Time for Rest

Training occupies many days and weeks for Paralympians, but they, like all athletes, must find time for rest. Most train at least five days a week, leaving just enough time for rest. During downtime, Paralympians use numerous tactics for recovery like massage therapy, which increases acute circulation.

Paralympic Preparation

Gearing up for athletic competitions heavily emphasizes strength training and muscle-building exercises. Paralympians use this same approach, but in a different way. Adaptive equipment, targeted workouts and advanced technologies have become excellent tools for Paralympic strength training in the 21st century.

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A new competition has arisen alongside the trending buzzword “hybrid athlete”. It’s called Hyrox, and it’s growing rapidly in international popularity. Why? And how can you prepare for a Hyrox competition to make sure you don’t place dead last?

Fred Ormerod is a freelance coach, army reserve medic, nurse, master’s student, and massage therapist. He’s spent a decade working in healthcare and five years coaching in one of Edinburgh’s leading training facilities. 

What is Hyrox?

Hyrox is described as a fitness race for everyone. I’ve also heard it described as ‘CrossFit light’ since the events focus on easier functional movements, but leave out the complex barbell and gymnastic work. (Though personally, I try not to make burpees a functional part of my life wherever possible.)

Success appears to be based largely on aerobic capacity and an ability to push hard across the 8 different stages of the events and the sandwiched 1 km runs. Races can be performed at an open level (open to all), individual pro level (which includes heavier weights), doubles and relay teams.

Where the sport differs from CrossFit most importantly is in the simplicity of the movements. Where a CrossFit event separates groups based on elite skills such as advanced gymnastics, Hyrox events use movements that are more inherently doable. Farmer’s carries and sled drags don’t need hours of practice to perfect.

The beauty of Hyrox, however, is that any time spent in the gym is likely going to have some benefit on how you perform at the events, especially if you’re at a beginner level. Certain movements or attributes are important, namely running (see my article from March 2022) since you’re going to have to complete 8 stretches of running between different movements.

Breaking Down the Hyrox Movements

Some events might demand greater strength, such as farmer’s carries, or sled push/pulls, which will always be improved by increasing your absolute strength in these. Nonetheless, a focus on endurance should take some precedence.

In fact, none of the weights, even at a professional level, appear very difficult at first glance. In particular, note that your body mass will help in moving the sled before you even need to think about exerting yourself really hard.

Let’s Get to Work

The bulk of your time should be spent on “energy system training” as follows:

Aerobic Zone 2

You’ll want to put some solid focus on zone 2 work. This type of training is performed at an easy intensity, one in which you can maintain a conversation, for increasing periods of time. Start with a minimum of 40 minutes and work up to an hour of zone 2 work every few days.
Realistically, you’ll want to rotate between rowing, skierg, and running to help build your aerobic capacity. Be sure not to avoid the one you’re the worst at! This will improve your aerobic capacity (ability to endure long periods of sub-maximal effort) as well as provide a long list of health benefits.

Stroke Volume & Lactate Threshold

Stroke volume training is NASTY. Making your heart pump blood more efficiently should be like something out of a movie montage when you think about it though. Bursts of maximum effort with good rest periods will improve heart rate variability (HRV) and enable you to push hard in each stage of the event, especially those with greater loads over distance.

More importantly, it will improve the ability of your heart to adjust to imposed demands appropriately; which is useful in a race where you might look to conserve some energy while running to push harder through a burpee stretch.

I like hill sprints for this, but rowing machines and similar CV kit will suffice alongside burpees or sled work if you want to keep it competition specific.

Lactate builds up in our muscles when we exercise in the absence of enough oxygen. This is the burn you start to feel when exerting yourself, for example in sprint training. The level at which you need to train to improve your lactate threshold will vary depending on experience. The fitter/more experienced you are, the greater effort you’ll need to reach the threshold where you can feel the lactic acid start to build. That’s when you back off to stay in the “lactate zone”.

Don’t Forget to Fuel Yourself!

You should also focus on nutrition/fueling yourself adequately to support competing and training across different energy systems. This is a great excuse to re-feed depleted glycogen stores after intense anaerobic training sessions! For a better understanding of fueling and refueling with carbohydrates check out my article on carbohydrates here.

As a general rule, carbs and protein post workout (roughly 30g) is a good idea in terms of recovery and roughly 1.6-2g per kg of body weight per day is best for training athletes.

A good balance of fats (up to a considered calorie intake) will also help in preventing fatigue, injuries, burn out and illness.

For help smashing your first Hyrox, check out my 8 week program which includes nutrition guidance to get you on your way!

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10 Ways to Build an Unstoppable Engine for Competitive CrossFit

TOPIC:

To succeed in CrossFit, you need the ability to repeat near maximum efforts with as little rest as possible. It’s not enough to simply have a high one rep max or a large unbroken set of muscle-ups. How many reps at 90% of your max power clean can you do in 8 minutes?

If you do two AMRAP sets of muscle-ups in a row with 90s rest between the two, what percentage of your first set can you get on your second?

Athletes with inferior 1RM or AMRAP numbers – but with much better repeatability – tend to outperform their overly strong and explosive counterparts in CrossFit competition. Why is that? Their “repeatability” is much higher, and that’s often much more important for performance.

We’ve got a few traits we’re looking to train here:

• The percentage of 1RM of barbell lifts that an athlete can perform working sets with
• The percentage of AMRAP gymnastics sets that an athlete can perform working sets with
• Reduced rest time between these working sets at high percentages on barbell and gymnastics movements

If you’re interested in digging into more of this type of training, one of the more popular articles on South Loop Strength & Conditioning’s site is a video of me discussing the CP Battery at one of our coaches’ meetings. Check that out here if you’d like more info on training repeatability in the sport of CrossFit.

Every Minute, on the Minute

Everyone knows and loves “on-the-minute” work. As mentioned above, I think this may have initially come into CrossFit training as an adaptation of Westside style speed work, and it quickly turned into people lifting preposterous percentages of their one rep max snatches on short rest.

When videos surfaced of Rich Froning doing this type of training in the Tennessee Tech weight room, it became commonplace throughout the community.

There are lots of ways you can slice this type of training up, and it doesn’t need to always be at one-minute intervals. In fact, I’ve found good success in playing with rest intervals and allowing athletes to adjust the weight lifted based on feel.

This type of training allows an athlete to learn what they’re capable of in terms of how long they need to rest between challenging lifts, while also improving the ability to recover between challenging lifts on incomplete rest.

EMOM 3 min: 1 power snatch

E45s for 3 min: 1 power snatch

E30s for 3 min: 1 power snatch

E45s for 3 min: 1 power snatch

EMOM 3 min:1 power snatch

*Adjust weights up and down as rest intervals change. Shoot for “tough” weight, but no misses.

This can be progressed by adding volume or intensity just like everything else, but I’ve found good results with adjusting the rest times and the movements utilized. This isn’t just training the physiology of the athlete – a lot of the benefit here comes from forcing the athlete to learn how to adapt to different work/rest scenarios and understand what they’re capable of in varied situations.

Gymnastics Density Sets

We can create similar dynamics to the EMOM work described above for gymnastics work through using similar work/rest parameters.

Just as with the barbell, this allows athletes to learn how much rest they need between challenging gymnastics movements or big sets of chest-to-bar pull-ups, while also training the ability to reduce the rest needed between sets.

It’s important to note that these types of density sets with gymnastics movements should (usually) not become fatigue-based sets. It’s ok for these sets to be challenging, but I often see people dropping to singles on handstand push-ups at the end of a tough EMOM – which is probably not the point of the training session.

The goal of these types of sessions is not to fall apart and barely finish your allotted reps in the timeframe allowed. Instead, the goal is to keep things together and find the right balance between “tough” sets and being able to recover between them.

E30s for 8 min:

1st: 1 strict weighted ring dip

2nd: 1 strict weighted pull-up

EMOM 8 min:

1st: 8-12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

2nd: 8-12 kipping ring dips

It’s relatively straightforward to create linear progressions by adjusting the volume per set, the total number of sets, and the rest ratio so that an athlete is progressively doing more reps in a shorter amount of time. Varying the movements can also be relevant to prevent stalling out on simply trying to squeeze more reps in – particularly for more advanced athletes.

Drop Sets

Drop sets have long been used in weightlifting training to add volume to a session. Particularly for athletes who tend to break down under too much high volume (the intensity responders), this type of drop set can be a great way for them to train in alignment with their more explosive essence without crushing them.

The drop sets allow them to work on repeating high-ish percentages of their lifts – although a coach has to be careful in terms of the percentages that are prescribed. The more explosive and fast an athlete is, the more likely that they will struggle to use high percentages for their drop sets.

For some people, 90% will feel like nothing – others will struggle with 75%.

Back squat

Build to a tough but fast set of 5 in 10 min

E90s for 4 sets:

5 back squats @ 70-80% of A

*Keep these snappy – no grinding

These drop sets can be used as an adjunct to a strength progression, or can be the primary focus of the session itself.

Pre-fatigue sets

Top level CrossFit competitors can often do freaky things – including ridiculous performances on heavy weights and advanced gymnastics movements while pre-fatigued.

In the 2014 CrossFit Games, there was a workout that looked something like this – you may notice that the movements get more challenging as the sets go on, as the workout progresses from deadlifts to cleans to snatches, and pull-ups to chest-to-bar pull-ups to bar muscle-ups:

• “21-15-9” complex
• 8 deadlifts (155/115)
• 7 cleans (155/115)
• 6 snatches (155/115)
• 8 pull-ups
• 7 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 6 bar muscle-ups
• 6 deadlifts (155/115)
• 5 cleans (155/115)
• 4 snatches (155/115)
• 6 pull-ups
• 5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 4 bar muscle-ups
• 4 deadlifts (155/115)
• 3 cleans (155/115)
• 2 snatches (155/115)
• 4 pull-ups
• 3 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 2 bar muscle-ups

We’ve also seen plenty of escalating weight ladders in Open workouts:

• 8 min AMRAP:
• 10 deadlifts (135/95)
• 15 box jumps (24”/20”)
• 15 deadlifts (185/135)
• 15 box jumps (24”/20”)
• 20 deadlifts (225/155)
• 15 box jumps (24”/20”)
• 25 deadlifts (275/185)
• 15 box jumps (24”/20”)
• 30 deadlifts (315/205)
• 15 box jumps (24”/20”)
• 35 deadlifts (365/225)
• 15 box jumps (24”/20”)

When designing a training session, classically the more “challenging” exercise or the heavier weight should be placed first in the set since there’s less fatigue at that point in the session.

However, high-level CrossFit athletes can often perform almost as well when the order of the exercises is reversed – just like in the CrossFit Games workout above with the bar muscle-ups placed after chest-to-bar pull-ups and normal pull-ups.

Reversing the order on movements like this, or building in weight as the workout goes on, seems to be an effective way to train the ability to perform challenging movements under fatigue that separates top competitors.

However, a coach has to be careful with the prescription they write so they don’t give the athlete too much and put them into a blown up and fatigued state where they can’t effectively finish their work.

For a relatively advanced athlete, an upper body push/pull session based upon pre-fatigue sets may look something like this:

A1. Kipping handstand push-ups to moderate deficit 3×6; Rest 45s

A2. Weighted strict pull-ups 3×6; Rest 45s

A3. Strict handstand push-ups to moderate deficit 3×4; Rest 45s

A4. Weighted strict chest-to-bar pull-ups 3×4; Rest 45s

A5. Strict press 3×2; Tough; Rest 45s

A6. Legless rope climbs 3×2; Rest 3-4 min

*Adjust deficit on handstand push-ups b/w kipping and strict as necessary

We can create similar types of work for barbell movements as well, and we often end up with situations like this at the end of EMOMs of weightlifting movements where people end up hitting heavy singles while out of breath from the 15 minutes of snatching on the minute they did before.

Complexes

Barbell and gymnastics complexes are great not just for creating repeatability under fatigue with challenging movements, but also for targeting specific weaknesses.

For example, let’s say we have an athlete who struggles to lock out overhead after a tough squat on the squat clean. We can create a complex focused on improving that specific issue through something like the following:

Squat clean + Front squat + Split jerk + Front squat + Split jerk

Build to a tough complex for today in 10 min – no misses

We can progress complexes by prescribing reps and sets and varying volume and intensity, as well as by adjusting the complex on a weekly basis to vary the stimulus and the weight an athlete will be able to lift.

I often vary complexes so an athlete will be able to hit heavier weights on the prescribed complex on a weekly basis.

Muscle Endurance

Muscle endurance is probably one of the most underrated traits in a CrossFit athlete. If you ask a high level athlete what the limiting factor for them was on a workout, they will almost always name a specific body part. “My shoulders.” “My quads.” “My grip.”

Now, that doesn’t always mean that they just need to improve muscle endurance in that area. There’s likely some sort of combination between the ability to recover muscle endurance while under metabolic fatigue, as well as dominance of certain muscle groups in movements, and inability to pump metabolic waste out of tissue that results in the pumped up feeling athletes have.

But that doesn’t change the extreme muscle endurance requirements of the sport.

If you don’t have the strength or conditioning to compete at a certain level, you won’t get very far – but muscle endurance and repeatability are what separate the truly elite from the rest.

However, muscle endurance doesn’t come from the same place as maximum strength, and intervals on the assault bike are not enough to get your conditioning up to create development in muscle endurance.

Bodybuilding & German Body Comp Variations

Charles Poliquin is a household name in a lot of strength and conditioning circles, and for good reason – sometimes for offering genius programs, and other times for making outlandish statements (although I think he knows how to create controversy and often does it on purpose).

One of the most famous programs he popularized is known as the “German Body Comp” program. This program focused on high repetitions and short rest periods with supersets of a variety of both multi-joint and isolation exercises.

There are a lot of different ways to chop this type of program up, but one of the classic variations is three part supersets of increasing repetitions of movements focused on the same muscle group and movement pattern. The example below runs through a superset of upper body pushing based movements, then a superset of upper body pulling based movements.

A1. Close-grip bench press 3×5; 20×0 tempo; Rest 30s

A2. Incline DB press 3×10-12; 20×0 tempo; Rest 30s

A3. Banded tricep push-downs 3x45s AMRAP; Rest 2 min

B1. Pendlay rows 3×5; 20×0 tempo; Rest 30s

B2. Ring rows 3×10-12; 20×0 tempo; Rest 30s

B3. Banded face pulls 3x45s AMRAP; Rest 2 min

This block can be progressed on a weekly basis by increasing the reps, decreasing the rest, or varying the exercises to slightly different movements focused on the same patterns.

EMOM or Fast-Style Intervals

One of the coaches at South Loop Strength & Conditioning (Mr. Kevin Brathwaite) has developed a program called FAST (Foundational Athletic Stability Training). This program was initially developed as supplemental work for track and field athletes to keep them healthy between intensive running sessions. However, the program has been adapted for a variety of sports – including CrossFit athletes.

Through 30s intervals of both compound and isolation movements, as well as rotation through focusing on eccentric, concentric, and isometric contractions, he designs training sessions that improve blood flow, strengthen connective tissue, and, of course, bulid muscle endurance in weak areas.

The below example is a variation on a typical FAST-style circuit focused on both hip flexion and hip extension.

E45s for 3 rounds:

1st: 30s seated single-leg raises, right

2nd: 30s glute bridges w/ foot elevated on med ball, right

3rd: 30s seated single-leg raises, left

4th: 30s glute bridges w/ foot elevated on med ball, left

5th: 30s V-ups

6th: 30s kneeling banded hip extensions

I often vary these types of circuits by either increasing the work length, decreasing the rest, or rotating the exercise selection.

Blends of Gymnastics and Bodybuilding Movements

This is a slight variation on the methods of German Body Comp described above that I’ve found particularly successful, so I wanted to make sure it got its own section.

For many CrossFit athletes – especially given the event designs at Regionals this year – the limiting factor for them in competition is when they break down on gymnastics movements at high volume.

By supersetting gymnastics movements with more traditional high repetition dumbbell sets, we can force muscles to adapt to contracting repeatedly in a way that is hard to recreate simply by hitting fatigue on ring muscle-ups and ring dips and not being able to do any more reps.

A1. Strict weighted ring pull-ups 3×5; 40×0 tempo; Rest 45s

A2. Double DB bent over rows 3×8-10; 20×0 tempo; Rest 2 min

B1. Strict weighted ring dips 3×5; 40×0 tempo; Rest 45s

B2. Double DB bench press 3×8-10; 20×0 tempo; Rest 2 min

We don’t need to use weighted movements here – we can easily get a similar stimulus through higher volume, unweighted sets of pull-ups, dips, and handstand push-ups. We just need to structure the reps and sets such that the athlete can keep moving and doesn’t hit a wall before finishing their work.

Isometrics

Gymnasts spend years training isometric strength through all kinds of static holds on rings, bars, and parallettes. This type of training is often “mental” in a different way than a lot of CrossFit athletes are used to. Everyone always says “come on, you can do one more wall ball!” But that’s not always the case.

However, you can probably hold that support on rings for one more second before you drop off or let your shoulders collapse…

By sustaining extended isometric contractions, we can build up muscle endurance and focus on developing proper motor control and stability patterns through the hips, core, and shoulders.

The below superset is focused on shoulder and anterior core stability:

A1. Support on rings in external rotation 3xAMSAP (-5); Rest 30s

*Notation means leave 5 seconds in the tank on hold

A2. FLR on rings 3×30-60s; Rest 2 min

Grip also tends to be a major limiting factor for many CrossFit athletes.

While I think a lot of people whose forearms chronically blow up don’t need to simply do more grip work – most likely culprits are lack of shoulder stability creating overuse down the chain of forearms, as well as anatomy of forearm fascial compartments that allows pressure and metabolic waste build-up – it’s still relevant to train things like grip isometrically through static holds and carries.

Here’s an example of a grip circuit my coach Michael FitzGerald of Optimum Performance Training Calgary sent to me a few weeks back:

10 min:

30s suitcase hold, right (heavy)

30s suitcase hold, left (same weight)

*No torso rotation.

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Live the Functional Fitness Lifestyle Like a Pro

For CrossFit athletes who drank the Kool-Aid and have been neck-deep in the community ever since, functional fitness is the ultimate path to athletic greatness. 

Specializing is out. Well-roundedness is in. You want to be able to squat 500lbs and run a 5:00 mile (aka, The Castro Challenge). Or at least be able to hold your own in fitness tests that seem to contradict each other—clean and jerk your bodyweight, row a 5k, walk on your hands, jump up on a high box, string together tons of pull ups, do hill sprints without dying (impossible).  

There’s no denying that CrossFit has done amazing things for the fitness world in general. We’ve never before seen such dynamic athletes who can pretty much handle whatever task is thrown at them. CrossFitters often dominate weird fitness events because they train in all realms of skill, strength, and conditioning. 

Even entertaining the idea of making it to the CF Games takes grit, consistency, and maximum effort in nutrition, recovery, and each of the 10 CrossFit Commandments: 

1. Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Agility
9. Balance
10. Accuracy

The beauty of CrossFit is that there’s always something to strive for. You can always be better at one or more of those elements, no matter how experienced you are.

The challenge for most meal-prepping, crew-sock-wearing, FitAid-drinking Type-A garage gym warriors is what program to follow. You should be able to have fun, suffer strategically, test your limits, and grind away at your weaknesses while seeing progress in your body composition.

Sometimes the programming at your regular gym (Does anyone use the word “box” anymore?) doesn’t cut it. But your friends are there! It’d suck to leave. Few things are more fun than throwing down with your homies on a Saturday morning, then going for brunch in your gym clothes and eating an obscene amount of pancakes.

But you know that reaching peak human condition takes real work and quality coaching. 

If you want to excel in gymnastics, weightlifting, and metabolic conditioning, only the best will do. The TrainHeroic Marketplace proudly offers just that—teams and programs by some of the top heroes in CrossFit.   

Get daily programming delivered to your phone where you can log your times, track your weights, and see specific, individualized feedback from massively successful coaches. 

No more tunneling through the pain cave without a goal in mind. No more snoozing in your comfort zone or staring at a plateau without knowing how to smash through it. 

Ready to maximize your work capacity across broad time and modal domains? Check out these big dogs in CF programming on TrainHeroic. Get ready to PR your Fran time, deadlift double bodyweight, or land that first muscleup. And don’t forget the celebratory donuts. 🍩

The Crossfit programs on the internet

TrainFTW Thrive

Matt Chan (@matt1chan) is one of the OGs. An ultimate hero, literally. He’s a firefighter, winner of the Titan Games, and SIX-time finisher at the CrossFit Games, placing 2nd overall in 2012. He’s a masters level athlete now—though you’d never guess by his awesome physique—with the wisdom and practice of three+ decades behind his programming at TrainFTW (@train_FTW). For an outdoorsman’s lifestyle approach to functional fitness that’s “balanced, fresh, and time-efficient”, look nowhere else.  

Who doesn’t want to train with a Titan Games winner? Fun fact, Matt Chan does the Train FTW training along with his subscribers. Trying to topple him from the group leaderboards is a surefire way to PR!

Jump Ship Training

Based out of Hawaii, Seth Page (@sethjumpedship), programs mega-successful CrossFit training with a team of killer coaches, which includes Games athlete, Chyna Cho (@chynacho). Their daily workouts are 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 you get in CrossFit classes, so you have a more dedicated warmup plus some bonus work. With a guide for modifications and daily extras for competitors, it’s no wonder Jump Ship Training (@jumpshiptraining) has such popular teams in the TrainHeroic Marketplace.

Gym Jones Cult Classic

Gym Jones (@gymjonessalvation) started in 2003 as a gritty, invite-only program with a no-nonsense approach to strength and conditioning. Gym Jones focuses on mindset, GPP (general physical preparedness), heavy lifting, and HIIT workouts with an emphasis on strength. One skim of their content says it all: big muscles, stacks of plates, and faces contorted in the pain of hard physical effort. “Mental mastery and spiritual growth through vigorous exercise, or something like that.”

DEUCE Delta Bravo

Perfect for the home gym warrior, the DEUCE (@deuce_gym) Delta Bravo team programs one-hour strength and cardio workouts 5 days a week. All you need is a pair of dumbbells (for real). These workouts are designed to be done pretty much anywhere—in your backyard, basement, local park, whatever space you have available. This is maximum-efficiency and inclusive at-home training at its best.. Head coach, Logan Gelbrich (@functionalcoach) is a pretty cool guy, too. 

The Jam Method JAMMERS 

Jamie Hagiya (@jamiejoyce2) is known for her CrossFit Games appearances, body positivity, and mad basketball skills. Her programming aims to get you stronger and develop your conditioning without spending hours in the gym. She’s all about fitness for fun, which is a refreshing approach to traditionally serious coaching. “The JAM Method (@jam_method) is for those who want to train hard, crush the occasional donut, and look good naked.”

Barbell WOD

The Barbell WOD (@thebarbellwod) is strength-focused programming developed by elite level weightlifting coach, Dave Spitz, of California Strength (@cal_strength). Cal Strength has put out record-breaking Olympians, so you can trust the Barbell WOD to develop your snatch, clean and jerk, squat, deadlift, and strength in other barbell movements. It always pays to be stronger, but be prepared for some efficient conditioning pieces alongside the smart barbell work. 

Honorable Mention: MFLH

MFLH (@movefastliftheavy) run by Games athlete, Christian Harris (@iamchrisharris), is an awesome brand with stellar programming and even cooler swag.

Mohammad “Coach Mo” Nourani is the assistant track coach at Cal Poly specializing in sprints, jumps, and hurdles. A former NCAA athlete himself, Mohammad has experience working with youth, collegiate, and professional athletes from a variety of backgrounds. Here he gives a quick overview of Ramadan and provides training and nutrition solutions for observing athletes.

What Is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a holy month in Islam: a time of remembrance when the Quran was first revealed. During this month, most Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset.

This fast not only consists of abstaining from food and water (yes, both!) for 12-18 hours, but also abstaining from worldly pleasures to gain self-control and a closer relationship with God.

Understanding the Hijri Calendar

Ramadan doesn’t fall on the same month every year, making it easy for non-Muslims to miss. Most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. The Islamic (Hijri) calendar follows lunar cycles, with every new moon signifying the start of a new month.

The average lunar cycle is 29.53 days, meaning that months in the Hijri calendar alternate between 29 and 30 days. Because of this, the exact start/end dates of Ramadan are estimated beforehand, but usually not confirmed until the month is upon us.

Ramadan is the ninth calendar in the Hijri year. But since Hijri and Gregorian months don’t align, Ramadan starts about 10-15 days earlier than the prior year (on the Gregorian calendar). This also makes it possible for Ramadan to happen in every season!

Fasting: Suhoor and Iftar

As far as fasting goes, most Muslims end up eating/drinking twice a day: one meal before dawn (Suhoor) and one after sunset (Iftar).

Depending on where you live in the world, Suhoor is usually anytime from 3AM – 5AM, and Iftar from 7PM – 9PM. The daily fast commences just before the morning Fajr prayer, and ends right after the evening Maghrib prayer.

Timing Is Key: Ramadan Workout Strategies

There are a few strategies that make training a bit more manageable during Ramadan. And there are pros and cons to each.

There isn’t one that’s 100% better than the rest. What you choose to do depends on your preferences, situation with your sport and team, and schedule.

Option 1: Train After Iftar

Advantages
With this approach, you’re able to train and re-fuel simultaneously, just as you normally would. You might even be able to squeeze in a small pre-workout, and then proceed with training followed by a full meal.

Disadvantages
Training will be very late in the day, and likely after dark. Facilities might be closed/unavailable during this time. Also, if you want to work out with your coach/team/training partners during this time, it’s probably difficult to convince them to change their normal routine.

Option 2: Training Just Before Iftar

Advantages
As soon as the workout is complete, you’re able to refuel and rehydrate fully. This is when I personally prefer to do workouts during Ramadan.

Disadvantages
Getting through an entire workout while in a fasted state is pretty difficult. Also, like Option 1, it’s still pretty late in the day.

Option 3: Train Just Before Suhoor

This option requires waking up at least an hour prior to Suhoor mealtime, working out, and then eating and carrying on with the rest of the fasted day.

Advantages
Like Option 2, you’re able to fuel/refuel as much as needed mid-workout and post-workout.

Disadvantages
This is a pretty mentally taxing choice if you don’t thrive well off of little sleep (but plenty of people succeed in training with this method).

An additional hurdle with this option is finding the motivation to exercise while sleep-deprived and while it’s still dark outside.

Fueling & Hydrating: The Same, But Different

The key to planning for the nutritional component of Ramadan for athletes is to understand what you will be missing, and fill in those holes.

From a calorie perspective, most individuals do not change their normal total intake during Ramadan, because realistically, it is only one meal (lunch) that you’re skipping. And let’s be honest: most of us more than make up for that one missed meal by gorging ourselves during Suhoor and Iftar.

As an athlete, your needs are different from sedentary individuals. You need to pay closer attention to your carb, protein, and fat intake (based on your weight, training, sport/event, etc.).

This doesn’t change during Ramadan. But when you’re only eating two meals each day, you need to pay extra close attention to your macros during each meal. This is what’s going to get you through the fasted day ahead and aid your body in recovery.

A common misconception is that you can eat whatever you want during Ramadan because you lost so many calories fasting throughout the day. But we all know that not every food is going to be best for your body to recover and prepare for future workouts.

It’s tempting to just eat and eat and eat as much as possible during Iftar, so planning out your plate’s distribution of macronutrients before you begin eating is crucial.

A slight amount of weight loss (or weight gain due to overeating) during Ramadan is normal, particularly in the first couple of weeks. The overarching goal is to start and end at a similar weight to pre-Ramadan.

Remember, you’re only changing the timing of nutrition, not necessarily the amount.

Getting Enough Fluids

The trickier part is hydration. If you decide to train in a fasted state, you’re probably going to be extremely thirsty come Iftar.

The temptation is to chug as much fluid as possible, which feels great initially… until you realize all the room in your stomach has been taken up, and you aren’t hungry enough to eat properly.

My advice during Iftar is to rehydrate as much as possible, but do so slowly, and in conjunction with eating food.

Suhoor is an excellent time to hydrate as well, but again, you don’t want to overdo it and not get enough food to make it through the day. As with many things, balance is key.

How Hard Should You Train?

It’s hard to push the envelope while training in a fasted state, so the goal for most is to just maintain the levels of fitness they had built prior to Ramadan.

I recommend training at your current level, and not doing too much volume or intensity.

High-intensity efforts are absolutely still needed. It’s a common mistake to think that “maintenance mode” during Ramadan means only light or easy workouts. To keep the central nervous system sharp and the muscles firing, high-intensity efforts are required. The only difference is that the volume of intense efforts doesn’t need to be very high.

Mental Health Is Equally Important

Training and fueling aside, Muslim athletes face many other challenges during this time, including social stigma, mental state, and balancing schedules with training partners/teams.

In primarily Muslim countries, allowances are often made in everyday life at schools, businesses, etc., to accommodate citizens who are fasting for Ramadan. This isn’t the case in non-Muslim countries (like the United States).

That being said, it’s normal to feel unmotivated and lethargic during Ramadan, especially in the beginning. Don’t get discouraged if you’re unable to perform like you normally do – it comes back! I promise.

So remember to practice self-compassion (or your compassion for Muslim teammates) during Ramadan, and know that your performances/workouts don’t define you as an athlete or a person.

For a more in-depth guide on managing competitions, daily training, and sleep during Ramadan, check out this guide: A Practical Guide to Training During Ramadan.

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If your sport requires any running, jumping, skating, rotation, or throwing, listen up. Your posterior chain strength is important and it pays to know the movements in the gym that can net you the most gains. If you’re not using Romanian deadlifts to your advantage, it’s time to make sure they’re a staple in your programming.

Cole Hergott is the head S&C coach at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC. With a master’s in coaching science and his CSCS, he’s got the passion for fitness, nutrition, and sports. In this blog, he outlines why you need RDLs in your training.

Deadlifts Are Cool — RDLs Are Better.

The deadlift. So much bravado, so much ego. Everyone wants to be the strongest person at pulling stuff off the floor. Just today on my social feed, I saw three videos of athletes deadlifting incredible amounts in big box gyms as they filmed everyone’s astonished reactions. Few things are as impressive as pulling a loaded bar that bends on the way up.

As the head S&C coach at a university, I work exclusively with athletes. Do we deadlift? Yes, all kinds. Are they valuable? Yes, absolutely. However, I want to make the case that the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is one of the best pulling variations for athletics. And if you’re not doing it, you should be.

In the RDL, the bar doesn’t really need to touch the floor (unless you’re super mobile in your hamstrings), so you maintain tension through the entire movement. Let’s get into why that’s important for athletes.

RDL Benefits & Muscles Worked

Why is the deadlift so effective, and why do people do it on back day when it clearly looks like a leg exercise? If you look at the anatomy of muscles used when deadlifting from the floor, whether traditional, sumo, or using a trap bar, deadlifts work a big chunk of major muscle groups:

• Glutes (butt muscles)
• Hamstrings
• Lower & Upper Back
• Quads (in start of pull off the floor)
• Core
• Grip

One of the key players in the deadlift is your back and spinal muscles. If you’re going to pull something off the floor, you need to have a pretty strong back to keep from bending over and crumpling under all that weight.

So, while your hamstrings & glutes are the main movers in a deadlift, the upper and lower back muscles act as stabilizers so that you can get the weight up for lockout.

The Romanian Deadlift works a similar set of muscle groups — what’s the difference? The main benefit for a Romanian Deadlift compared to one you pull off the floor is not necessarily which muscles they work, but to what extent.

Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) have a larger emphasis on your glutes and hamstrings than traditional deadlifts as they rely on a larger hinge movement (pushing your butt back) as well as a larger grip component since you don’t set the bar down between each rep.

Why Is The RDL King?

First, let’s take a closer look at the RDL positioning so we’re on the same page. In the bottom position of the RDL, your back is flat and knees only slightly bent with the bar hovering off the ground. Notice how your butt should be WAY back behind you in the hinge. (Try to keep your eyes slightly forward instead of down, though.)

In the conventional deadlift, your butt is still back, but not as much. Your chest is up slightly and your knees can bend more, allowing you to use your quads to push off the floor.

Reason #1: Safety

Working with athletes, the biggest thing for me is safety in the weightroom. Yes, we need to have optimal performance gains and move big weights, but if an athlete gets hurt under my watch, that is a major sin.

In my experience, athletes often hurt themselves deadlifting. That ego of lifting big weights can get in the way and one rep with sub-par form can lead to a few weeks on the sidelines.

RDLs have a lower injury risk due to a few reasons:

1. You typically can’t lift as much, less overall stress
2. There isn’t as much hype around it, less ego lifting
3. Since you start the rep from the top and pull the bar off the pins in the squat rack, you don’t need the big “jolt” pull from the bottom that is a big driver of poor form and injuries.

Reason #2: Hamstring, Glutes, & Grip Development

The RDL is one of the leading exercises when it comes to overall hamstring development. For athletes who run, jump, swim, skate, rotate, or throw (which means everyone) that’s a pretty big deal. Your hamstrings help flex your legs and extend your hips, which is the main movement when driving dynamic power.

Your glutes also get major work done in RDLs, further driving home the hip extension used in developing power. For more on this see: A Guide To Romanian Deadlifts, King Of Glute Exercises

And let’s not forget your grip. I get my athletes to do RDLs without straps. That goes back to the safety of ensuring they don’t overload what their grip and back can handle. It also develops monster grip, which can be a limiter for many athletes. Even if you don’t play a grip-heavy sport (throwing, hockey, etc), having better grip allows you to train other important areas in the gym, like rowing and chin-ups.

A common argument against RDLs compared to conventional deadlifts is that they don’t require as much quad work. So what? We already squat, lunge, leg press, sprint, and do step-ups for our quad development. Not to mention the sport you are training for is likely quad-dominant. Being able to train your hamstrings and butt while giving your quads a break is a major win.

Reason #3: Tendon Health & Transfer to Sport

I love RDLs because they don’t require you to touch the bar to the ground. When performing RDLs, you use your core and posterior chain muscles to brace, stop the bar from going further down, and then bring it back up (which takes a ton of tension and strength).

In other deadlift variations you start from the bottom, create tension, bring the bar up, and then let it come down or just drop it.

Now let’s look at sports. When you sprint, jump, or change direction you need to create tension, stop your body from moving, then propel it again. The movement pattern of the RDL trains your muscles and tendons to be stiffer in sporting actions.

Bonus: the single-leg RDL is an even greater example of transfer to sport, using unilateral work to satisfy all you single-leg heroes out there.

Deadlifts are a great exercise with tremendous benefits. In fact, check out TrainHeroic’s other articles about their long list of benefits: Why the Deadlift is King of All Lifts, as well as why other variations are so great: Deficit Deadlift Benefits & Points of Performance, The Sumo Deadlift: How & Why You Should Be Doing Them.

But the Romanian Deadlift should be one of your first go-to’s for athletes trying to gain strength with a transfer to their sport. Start adding them into your workouts just once a week and you’ll notice some new-found power.

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Dr. Matthew Styf, PT, DPT is a certified clinical orthopedic specialist and S&C coach based out of Massachusetts. He brings a unique viewpoint to the strength training community as both a coach and physical therapist with extensive experience helping athletes/patients return to their desired activities. Here, he explains the how and why of three important exercises every athlete needs to include when rehabbing injuries.

Requirements for a Full & Faster Recovery

The loads your body has to manage during training are immense. The force from running alone is about 2-4x your body weight. Factor in jumping and landing, and you realize your body is an incredible creation that most people take for granted. But remember, just because you’re moving pain-free doesn’t mean you’re ready to return to your sport.

There are a lot of aspects to training when you’re returning to sport. I’m not going to get into how different injuries require different reps/sets (because they certainly do), but I am going to stress the importance of including all types of muscle contractions into your rehabilitation for the fastest and safest recovery.

Isometric Exercises: Manage Pain & Improve Max Force

Isometric contraction happens when the muscle is not changing in length. This type of exercise is often overlooked in both rehab and training but is increasingly becoming more popular.

Isometrics are great for pain management as well as reaching max force outputs. Push isometrics are great at improving force production and reaching max force outputs, and holding isometrics are great for developing breaks of movement.

An exercise that utilizes both pushing and holding isometrics is the split squat. It’s enough to set up and is easily adapted to both pushing and holding. Just be sure you’re not pushing for too long or holding for too short. I recommend pushing no more than five seconds and holding for at least 30 seconds.

Eccentric Exercises: Build the Brakes & Develop Power

Eccentric muscle contraction happens when the muscle is lengthening (like an RDL). This is how your body controls movement.

Eccentric exercises are great in conjunction with plyometrics to develop deceleration and explosive power. Deceleration is a crucial skill to develop when it comes to preventing future injuries and properly absorbing force.

Strengthening with eccentric exercises can be done in a number of ways, but it doesn’t need to be fancy to be effective. The simplest way to add eccentrics to your training is by using bands. (Don’t underestimate the power of bands – check out this blog on building back muscles with bands if you need proof: Banded Back Exercises You Can Do Almost Anywhere.)

A pseudo form of eccentrics is using tempo to control the descent, which is also a great way to practice mastery of certain exercises. The bench press and back squat are the most common eccentric exercises people do.

Concentric Exercises: Gain Strength & Get Explosive

Concentric muscle contraction is the one we all know and love: the shortening of the muscle fibers (like a bicep curl). These aren’t all about max strength though, especially when it comes to recovering from an injury. Do you need to be strong? Of course. But do you need to test your max strength frequently? Probably not as often as you think.

Concentric training is all about intent. If your goal is to become explosive and gain a competitive edge, you need to make sure you have periods of moving light-moderate weights quickly as well as working near that 1 RM.

Squats and deadlifts are some of the easiest and most effective concentric exercises to incorporate into your programming.

Coach’s Tip: Concentric training at lower reps is great for maintaining in-season strength.

So which is the most important when it comes to rehabbing your injury: isometric, eccentric, or concentric exercises?

None of them is more important than the other. They all need to be used throughout the various stages of year-round programming to both recover from and prevent injury.

Don’t forget to program plyometrics, agility, and sprinting as well! These activities assist with developing tissue stiffness and resiliency. Just make sure you aren’t going from 0 to 100 – start simple (like agility ladders) and build up to more complex movements.

The key is to strengthen throughout all muscle contractions and movements. This builds a resilient foundation that gets you back to your training stronger than before!

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Training Strength & Power for Bjj Fighters

TOPIC:

Fred Ormerod is a freelance coach, army reserve medic, nurse, master’s student, and masseuse. He has over a decade of experience working with athletes across the spectrum, from limping and injured to national and international champions. Here he explains how and why you should include strength and power workouts to your training as a BJJ fighter.

Be sure to check out his BJJ MAX POWER sample workout!

Strength & Power Boost BJJ Performance

During my time as a BJJ coach, I coached many athletes to victories at both the national and international level. Through it all, I found strength and conditioning plays a far greater role in an athlete’s success than a lot of people think.

This sentiment is backed by studies finding athletes who back squat and bench press 130% of their body weight pose a competitive advantage. (This number is even higher in many other sports, but I think that’s partly due to the slower uptake of strength training in BJJ practitioners.)

Get a leg over the competition by including strength and power work to your current training routine. Through my experience, I found the following exercises and workout samples to be the most effective at improving your performance as a BJJ fighter.

How to Build Unbeatable Strength on the Mats

Given that strength is a leading factor in success in BJJ competitions, let’s start with the best principles for building strength.

Strength training doesn’t always come naturally to martial artists. I can think of several athletes I worked with where I had to play mind games or tricks to stop them from turning every strength session into either a circuit class or a “bro pump” session. That’s not to say that these styles don’t have their place in the wider scheme of training, but they’re perhaps not the most optimal way to build strength.

The beauty of training strength is that you only need to do it maybe twice per week. When done properly, and to sufficient intensity, a full body training session is effective at building strength.

The benefit of full body training is that no one part of the body is too badly fatigued when it comes to training for their sport later in the day/week. In fact, if you’re able to do your strength training earlier in the day, you may find a “priming effect” if you train BJJ later on.

Bear in mind that BJJ has inherent strength qualities. Most beginners develop certain levels of strength simply by training BJJ. However, there comes a point in training where athletes plateau and adding a new or greater stimulus gives you a boost.

To develop unbeatable strength, you must work at over 80% of your maximum effort for 3-5 reps in each movement. I recommend not lifting more than this very often, so long as you notice yourself getting stronger over time.

Here are a few exercises/movements that develop your strength as BJJ athlete:

• Deadlifts
• Hip thrusts
• Back/front/Zercher squats
• Bench press
• DB bench press
• Floor press
• Pull/chin ups
• Bent over rows
• Seated cable rows
• Cable face pulls

Tempo work

One thing I would add to your training as a BJJ athlete is tempo work.

Eccentric overload training, where the emphasis is on the phase of movement where the muscles lengthen (going “down” in a squat), improves strength, hypertrophy, range of motion, and delayed onset muscle soreness when used consistently in training.

Isometric overload training, where muscles activate but don’t change in length (paused squats) elicits greater muscle fiber recruitment. It’s also great for BJJ athletes as they are often held or in holding positions under tension.

Coach’s Tip: For a better understanding of how to use tempo training in your strength work, check out this blog: Understanding Tempo Training for Strength Gains

Grip Strength

Grip strength is always an important accessory for BJJ athletes. So here are a few exercises/ideas to add to your training:

• Dead hang
• Plate hold/two plate hold
• Farmers hold/carry
• Wrist curls
• Rock climbing

BJJ Strength Training Sample Workout

Here is a rough framework of BJJ strength training sessions I use:

Progress these sessions by increasing either the number of reps at 85% of 1rm, or by increasing the amount of weight used.

How to Develop Power/Speed as a Fighter

Turning strength into something useful on a BJJ mat requires adding speed. Power is the relationship between force and how fast it is applied.

As a BJJ athlete, you need to move as fast as possible with as much force as possible. It is worth noting that speed is always limited by strength. You won’t get any faster than your own strength allows, so training for speed without strength is pointless.

You can work at different ends of the strength/speed curve depending on the stimulus you want to train. The sample workout above obviously works at the strength end of the curve, so here we will look more closely at the speed end of the curve.

I want to make an important point here first – one that is butchered all over the internet. Plyometric drills are ones that have a contact time of fewer than 250 milliseconds. These are used for conditioning elastic recoil in muscles and tendons and include things like skipping, pogo jumps, and footwork drills. Ballistic movements are dynamic strength movements used to help develop fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Ballistic movements I use include:

• Box jump
• Clean
• Snatch
• Jerk
• Ballistic push ups
• Medicine ball slams/throws

As a BJJ athlete, it’s more effective to train ballistic movements than plyometric ones. This is because dynamic, ballistic movements are far more common in BJJ than plyometric ones (we don’t have to sidestep as often as a soccer player). That’s not to say plyometric training shouldn’t be included at all, but in order to develop speed and power, ballistic training is where we’ll get the most bang for our buck while being more sport-specific.

With Olympic lifts, it’s wise to receive some coaching before you do them. However, recent research shows that the intent of the movement (so long as the bar moves fast) will yield speed adaptations. So as long as the volume of work is matched, you don’t need to include the catch phase (where you catch the bar during a snatch, clean, or jerk) to get the same speed/strength improvements.

The catch phase is where most injuries occur. By removing the catch phase and performing a jump shrug or clean high pull or similar, you’re able to load up the bar with up to 150% of your 1 rep max.

For the most part, I program ballistic training with a view to training the speed end of the strength-speed curve. So the range or weights used is just 40-60% of 1 rep max, but the load has to move fast.

Now, incorporating these movements can be done in several ways. They might even replace simpler ones in your strength training. I like to add them in as a third training session in the week so as not to mix stimuli.

Power Development Sample Workout

Here is an example of a speed stimulus training session I used recently with one of my competing athletes. Notice the isometric mid-thigh pull and wall push superset with the ballistic movement. This is to bring about what we call post-activation potentiation so the box jumps and push ups glean better results.

The important thing to remember while trying to improve your strength and power as a BJJ athlete is to work at the correct level of intensity. If you go too heavy, you’ll negatively affect your BJJ training and risk injury. But if you go too light, you won’t get any stronger and your time is being wasted.

Following these two sample workouts ensures you’re lifting the just right amount. Strength and power training (when done correctly) translates greatly to your performance on the mats. Put in the work and see your BJJ fighting improve.

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Don’t get me wrong, a strong back and chest are important, but a quick first step and an explosive split dodge can change the face of a game. For anyone looking to improve their lacrosse skills, lower-body strength is key. Focus on these five exercises this off-season for improved lower-body strength that pays off BIG TIME on game day.

Steve Gagliardi is a former D1 lacrosse player and founder of LaxFarmer and BodyBlizzard.com. Based out of Austin, TX, he is passionate about creating online resources that research and review the best new goodies in health and fitness. In this blog, he shares the top five lower-body exercises for lacrosse players based on his years of experience playing at a high level.

Lacrosse: The Fastest Sport on Two Feet

There’s a reason why lacrosse is referred to as the fastest sport on two feet. It requires athletes to be explosive, agile, and alert. The ball can zip past you at a moment’s notice, so you better be sure your lower body is trained to react in an instant.

Offensive players are faced with the daunting task of dodging defenders and getting to the goal, requiring them to change direction on a dime. Conversely, defenders must be light on their feet while maintaining the ability to open their hips, backpedal, and slide to help other defenders.

No matter where you are on the lacrosse field, lower body strength is the foundation of your athleticism.

To improve your performance on the field, I’ve come up with a list of the five best lower-body exercises for lacrosse players.

1. Squats

Squats are one of the most effective exercises out there. Not only do they work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but they also build core strength and improve balance, which is vital for generating power on your shot.

If you take a peek inside any D1 college lacrosse gym, players are back squatting and front squatting with a barbell every week in the offseason.

The secret behind offensive lacrosse greats like Jordan Wolf and Rob Pannell is their combination of core strength and lower body strength. Like a running back in football, they’re able to use a low center of gravity to win the leverage battle against 220lb defenders.

So no matter your size, you can have an advantage over your opponent. Squatting allows you to simulate that movement and build strength.

2. Dumbbell Lunges

Few exercises are as effective at working your lower body as dumbbell lunges. By targeting your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, this exercise strengthens multiple muscle groups in your legs. It also improves your balance and coordination.

To perform this exercise, stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and your back knee is nearly touching the floor.

Keep your torso upright and your core engaged throughout the movement. Press through your front heel to return to the starting position. Repeat the movement with your left leg, and continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.

Check out this blog for some more lunge variations: The Ultimate Guide to Lunges: Queen of All Glute Exercises

3. Hex Bar Deadlifts

The hex bar deadlift is a variation of the conventional deadlift that allows you to lift heavier weights while putting less strain on your lower back. This exercise is performed standing inside a hexagonal-shaped bar, which is why it is sometimes called the trap bar deadlift.

The hex bar deadlift is a phenomenal exercise for building strength, power, and explosiveness in the lower body.

4. Agility Ladder

Anyone who has ever watched a professional lacrosse game knows that the players are incredibly agile. And to be honest, a great 40-yard dash time is much less important than your ability to change direction in the blink of an eye.

Agility is more important than straight-line speed for lacrosse players.

To become more agile, players train a ton of agility work, using ladders and step hurdles from behind the net.

Ladder drills involve running in and out of the spaces between rungs and making quick changes in direction. The numerous ladder variations make it an incredibly useful tool to improve your footwork and coordination regardless of fitness level.

5. Box Jumps

Box jumps are a great way to improve your power and explosiveness without free weights. They’re also a fantastic plyometric exercise that can be scaled down for beginners.

To do a box jump, start by standing in front of a box or other elevated surface. Lower into a quarter squat, then explosively jump up onto the box. Land with both feet on the box and absorb the impact by bending your knees. Then stand up tall and jump off the box. Repeat for reps.

All of these exercises allow you to construct the pillars of athletic success on the lacrosse field: agility, coordination, and strength.

As you progress your game over time, you’ll notice that lower body strength and speed become more of a factor than ever before. So be sure to take the time to properly recover in addition to training hard, and watch it pay dividends in the game.

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Kyle Donsberger is a CSCS, lifelong athlete, and owner of Impulse Athletics. He is a current member of the Canadian Skeleton Team and a 2012 & 2016 Olympic Trials semi-finalist in the 400 meters. In this blog, he guides you through five plyo progressions (with thorough explanations & gifs!) that translate to your performance on the field, court, and everyday life.

Improve Your Health & Power Production

Plyometric training is a great tool for building strength and power with little or no equipment. Regularly doing plyos and progressing them over time keeps your bones, joints, and ligaments healthy and functioning like a well-oiled machine. Plus, who doesn’t want to be more powerful!?

If you’re familiar with plyometrics, you probably know how to do a squat jump, double hop, vertical horizontal vertical jump, lateral hop, and single leg hop. These simple (but mighty) moves are super effective in building power, but adding some modifications can really up your game by improving your coordination and dynamic force production.

Important: If you’re new to plyometric training or haven’t heard of these moves before, check out this blog before attempting any progressions: 5 Powerful Plyometric Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Squat Jump Progressions

The first squat jump progression includes a tuck jump. The tuck jump is essentially the same as a squat jump, except you snap your knees to your chest at the peak of the jump.

This progression is especially great for building bone strength and elasticity in tendons. Just make sure to load through your hips with each jump to prevent unwanted stress on your knees and ankles.

Double Hop Progressions

Let’s get into some double leg hop progressions. The first progression starts off with a double hop that progresses to a VHV jump.

The second progression is 3 double leg hop, which is essentially stringing together 3 jumps. Doing multiple jumps adds a layer of coordination and forces you to absorb the landing better (because you need to transfer that energy into two more jumps).

Once you master the 3 double leg hop, add more jumps until you get a 5 double leg hop.

Stringing jumps together correctly is harder than it looks – it gets extremely tiring if you’re putting in max effort (which you should!). For that reason, I recommend stopping at 5 double leg hops. There’s not much benefit after 5 as quality drops when your body is fatigued.

There are multiple ways to do this movement. I use boxes in the gym, but a bench, a stair, or anything that’s stable with ample landing room works just fine. I usually don’t go above 20 inches because the landing gets a lot tougher at higher depths.

The key to the depth drop is landing and absorbing force in an athletic position. This teaches your body how to transfer power effectively.

To do a banded double leg hop, do everything the same as you would in a regular double leg hop with an extra focus on driving out the knees.

If you’re up for a challenge, try adding more jumps together for a banded 3 double leg hop.

Vertical, Horizontal, Vertical Hop Progression

For this one, all you do is add more jumps. Just make sure you always end with a vertical jump.

It’s crucial to load through the hips so that you’re able to control the direction of force as you fatigue. I don’t recommend progressing past 7 jumps as technique usually starts to break down.

Lateral Hop Progression

Start with a simple lateral hop and then add a small forward hop at the end. This small hop forward is important because you don’t want to hop diagonally.

Once you take that small hop forward, hop straight across to the other side. Take another small forward hop, and hop laterally back the other way.

Remember to stabilize through your core and upper body. This prevents any twisting in the shoulders or hips as you jump, which wastes energy and power.

If you’re up for a challenge, give the final lateral hop progression a try. This complex movement pattern further challenges your body to transfer and absorb force.

Start with the lateral hop. As you land on your other leg, hop as far forward as possible and land in an athletic position. Add a small hop forward again before going into the next lateral hop.

Confused? Fair enough. Here’s a visual:

Single Leg Hop Progression

Remember when you first learned how to do a single leg hop and landed on two legs? Now try landing on just one leg, the take-off leg. This requires a LOT more stability.

Remember to keep your core stable to prevent collapsing at the hip.

Make sure you’re loading and landing through your hips. Keep your chest over your toes just like with the double leg hops. When attempting multiple jumps, try to cycle the knee of your free leg for higher power production and stability.

Here’s a look at 3 single leg hops in a row:

Add these plyometrics into your weekly workout routine and progress them over time for a more athletic, healthier, and powerful version of yourself.

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