For several weeks now, 15-year-old Joseph has been working hard on hanging-band squats and assisted chin-ups. Friday night he was able to see what effect that type of training has had. After working up to 45 pounds per side on hanging-band squats, he was ready for conventional squats with the “big plates.” No problem! Now,…
If it looks right, it flies right! I once heard a great comment from Yusuf Omar, a colleague from York University and a technical consultant for my book The Elite Trainer. He said, “An athlete’s glutes should look like half a Calabrese bread standing upright!” Yusuf has worked with elite-level athletes, including Ben Johnson, and…
For volume training with intermediate and advanced athletes, legendary strength and conditioning coach Al Vermeil recommends wave-like loading when performing squats and presses. Too much high-volume, low-intensity work can detrain the nervous system over time. This scheme works well to counter that effect: Wave 1set 1: 8-10 repsset 2: 4-6 reps Wave 2set 3: 8-10…