Bonus Audio Gift - Underground Interview

Copyright 2008, Strength Camp, Inc. , All Rights Reserved
Distributed by, Critical Bench, Inc.
www.CRITICALBENCH.com
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This program is for educational and informative purposes only and is not intended
as medical or professional advice. Always consult your doctor before making any
changes to your diet or nutrition program. The use of diet and nutrition to control
metabolic disorders and disease is a very complicated science, and is not the
purpose of this program. The purpose of this program is to help healthy people
reach their cosmetic fitness goals by educating them in proper nutrition and
exercise guidelines.
No health claims are made for this program. This nutrition and exercise program
will not help cure, heal, or correct any illness, metabolic disorder, or medical
condition. The author is not a medical doctor, registered dietician, or clinical
nutritionist; the author is a fitness and nutrition consultant.
All individuals, especially those who suffer from any disease or are recovering from
injury, should consult their physician regarding the advisability or undertaking any
of the activities suggested in these programs.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that apparently
healthy individuals who are male and over 40 or female and over 50 to have both a
physical exam and a diagnostic exercise test prior to starting a vigorous exercise
program. A diagnostic exercise test and physical examination is also
recommended in individuals of any age who exhibit two or more of the major
coronary risk factors (smoking, family history of heart disease, elevated blood
cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes). Any individual with a known
history of heart disease or other heart problems should be required to have a
medical evaluation including a graded exercise test before engaging in strenuous
physical activity.
The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any
person or entity with respect to any of the information contained in this manual.
The user assumes all risk for any injury, loss or damage caused or alleged to be
caused, directly or indirectly by using any information described in this course.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: No part of Critical Gridiron Program may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval
system, without expressed, written and signed permission from the author (with the
exception of brief quotations as used in reviews or discussion groups, with
attribution to the author and source).
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Table Of Contents
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
a. Best & Worst Strength Coach
b. Why Most Programs Fail
c. Savvy Marketers
d. Principles
p. 4 - 6
p. 7 - 9
p. 10 – 11
p. 11 – 13
The Foundation
a. Nasty Attitude
b. Responsibility
c. Visualize
d. A Beast in the Weight Room
p. 14 - 15
p. 15 - 17
p. 17 - 18
p. 18 - 20
Strength and Speed Training
a. Periodization
b. The Conjugate Method
c. Power Lifting
1. Lower Body Exercises
2. Upper Body Exercises
d. Body Building
e. Super Speed
f. Flexibility
g. Work Capacity Conditioning
h. Putting it All Together
Eat Like Man
a. The Price Factor
b. High Octane Fuel
c. Supplements
d. Meal Plans and Preparation
p. 21 - 23
p. 23 - 24
p. 24 - 28
p. 38 - 41
p. 41 - 46
p. 46 - 47
p. 48 - 49
p. 50 - 53
p. 54 - 60
p. 61 - 68
p. 69 - 70
p. 71 - 91
Getting Started
a. Step By Step Program
#1. Performance Assessments
#2. Order Your Tools
#3. Choose Your Plan
#4. Choose Your Training Program
#5. Create Your 24 hr. Schedule
#6. Begin Your Program
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p. 92 - 110
I. Introduction
Hello and welcome to Elliott Hulse’s Critical Gridiron Program. I want to
acknowledge you for taking action towards your strength & performance goals…
you are truly in a class among the few. You may want to listen to these MP3s at a
table where you can absorb the information and take notes.
Hi. My name is Elliott Hulse. I am a Certified Strength And Conditioning Specialist
and owner of Strength Camp, a Sports Performance service in St. Petersburg
Florida. I train athletes to get stronger and faster in a "warehouse gym" with only
$1000 worth of equipment. The reason why I mention this is because I’d like you
to understand that you don’t need a fancy gym or facility that looks like Florida
University’s weight room to build extremely strong, massive and explosive Football
players. What you need is the right system and the attitude to get it done!
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where sports and fitness was taught
to me at a very young age. My uncle lived with us when I was a kid. He was a
black belt in Kung Fu; he was also a former gymnast, bodybuilder and marathon
runner. Needless to say, growing up around a guy who chops bricks in half with his
bare hands and did back flips - had a huge impact on my 5-year-old mind.
My Uncle Elroy at age 41!
My uncle taught me how to do push-ups when most kids were still in training
diapers. By the time I was on the high school football team, my uncle had become
a personal trainer. He taught me how to weight train in my basement with only 1
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barbell, a few weight plates and a 4' wooden box. At the age of 14, I was squatting
over 350 pounds and could dunk a softball - at the height of only 5'7.
My junior year at St. Johns U (#42)
I earned every athletic award conceivable and I earned a college scholarship to
play football at a small division 1AA school - St. Johns University. If it weren't for
the fact that my uncle had taught me how to perform heavy squats, dead lifts,
bench presses and box jumps - when I was only 14 years old, I wouldn’t have
achieved ½ of all the success that I did.
I learned at a very young age that the season is won in the off-season. I got so
strong and fast during the off-season that sometimes I couldn't wait until the
season was over so that I could get bigger, stronger and faster - all over again.
a. The best strength & conditioning coach I ever had...
The truth is that I didn’t like this guy, but he helped me to get super fast & massive
in only a few short months.
In college, I lifted like a maniac and destroyed all of the schools strength records.
At 230 pounds I ran the fastest 40 on the football team - 4.34 (the coaches made
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me run it 4 times to make sure that is wasn't a mistake!) This was my freshman
year and the strength coach at the time was an ex-power lifter. He designed
programs the same way that my uncle did. Heavy squats, dead lifts, bench press
and cleans. He knew more about speed development than my uncle, so we did a
lot of jumping, bounding and sprinting up staircases, but as far as sprint training
went… that was it. I was the strongest and fastest I had ever been.
The worst strength coach I ever had...
The following year, our university hired a new strength and conditioning coach.
This guy was about 150 pounds 'soaking wet' and had a doctorate in exercise
physiology. The first thing that our new "strength" coach did was to add an arsenal
of fancy new exercises with yoga balls, rubber bands and wobble boards. We
trained a ton of ‘speed technique with cones and ladders’. The biggest change he
had made to our program was that he reduced the amount of weight that we were
lifting… for safety reasons.
The Worst Strength Coach I ever had.
Interestingly – this was the very first season that I had ever gotten injured. Not
only that… I had gotten slower and weaker despite all of the new so-called
advances.
Let me ask you Question:
Have you ever felt like there is way too much information on strength &
conditioning, and that you don’t even know where to begin? Well, that was me.
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After graduation, I studied exercise physiology in college and met much
of the same type of ‘educated’ students and coaches teaching tons of fancy new
ball and band exercises - so called stabilization and core stuff. Because they were
all "smarter than me", I figured they knew what they were doing…so I went along
with it.
After grad school I interned at a gym with some guys that were the experts in this
'core training'. They “taught” me everything!! Now, I was smart too.
I've amassed a huge library on ‘functional training’; I've taken several courses all
over the country and even began training athletes with these new techniques. Long
story short, my athletes were not getting stronger and they were not getting
faster… although they could stand on a yoga ball and juggle pink, plastic coated
dumbbells at the same time! –
All in the name of being on the "cutting edge."
Needless to say, I was pretty upset and discouraged about the whole sports
performance profession - I was almost ready to give up. As a last ditch effort to
recover my passion, I spoke with my uncle about the methods he used to
transform me into a high school super-star. After our long talk about what it takes
to become a championship athlete - and several months of re-researching in a new
direction. I discovered a few things…facts that most coaches and athletes don’t
know and that’s why I’m here. Listen closely!
Most of the new and cutting edge sports and fitness training 'guru's' are nothing but
great marketers! (in fact the best coaches are sometime the ones you never hear
about – they are too busy training their athletes) Any way these “so called” strength
coaches understand that in order to sell tickets to their seminars and sell their
books - they must devise new and exciting techniques for you to get excited about.
Also, because they must appeal to the parents of young children, who want to see
their 'little tigers' doing speed and agility drills that seem safe and fun they spend
your time and hard earned money teaching you fancy foot tricks that don't make
athletes any faster!
b. Why do most strength & conditioning programs fail to produce the desired
results?
I’m going to tell you about several Common Misconceptions (myths) about strength
for football – this is very important so listen closely.
“Coaches & Athletes spend too much time trying to figure out the complexities of
training without getting the basics right first…Jim Wendler of Elite Fitness said –
“Train for 10 years first, then start asking questions” His point was that you’ve got
to build some experience first then look for the secrets. In the same light – the old
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school martial arts sifus of masters would not accept question, comments or
debates (even simple ones) from students until they trained for several years first
and learned the basics. A great T-shirt I read once said “Shut up and train.” – and
that’s what this program is all about!
This program is BASIC there is no magic pill, I am not going to teach you anything
BRAND NEW or REVOULUTIONARY. All I’m going to do is show you how to get
super strong and fast using the most basic of strength and speed training
principles.
Now, one of the most common myths that I come across is that you can “teach” an
athlete how to become faster by improving their technique… I'd like to talk about
that.
Let's face it - athletes today are plain-old weak!
More often than not, parents walk into my gym and demand that I teach their son
or daughter to get faster. This is all well and good, but when I simply ask Junior
(who is 6'1 - 205lbs) to perform a bodyweight squat and he can't do it without
rounding his low back and keeping his chest up - I have to tell mom that it cant be
done!
Well, why is this the case? What’s your bench?
First of all the foundation for all sports movements - including sprinting, is a solid,
unshakeable foundation of STRENGTH (and flexibility). Not only must you be
strong enough to move your own bodyweight, you've got to be able to do it with
other athletes learching themselves at you... and you had better be able to do it
quickly!
If you can’t perform a simple primal pattern movement such as a squat - properly,
then you’re in big trouble. Squatting is such a basic movement skill that we have
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actually been designed to eat, communicate and defecate in this position. So to
put it bluntly, if you can t squat – you aren’t worth shit!
Also, Relative Body Strength is the single most important quality to develop for
increased power and speed. What this means in a nutshell is that the athlete that
can move his own bodyweight with the greatest ease will generally be the faster
athlete. In fact is has been observed by some of the best strength coaches in the
industry that CHIN UPS are one of the best indicators as to how fast an athlete can
run – the more chins you can do the better your relative body strength and the
faster you will be.
HEAR ME SAY THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL - Teaching sprint technique and
speed drills to a weak athlete - is a waste of time!
Anyway… As far as technique is concerned... think about this. If you are a running
back carrying the ball towards the end zone with 12, 270+ lb. behemoths trying to
rip your head off, are you thinking?:
A) Keep my elbows "tight" and hands loose.
Or B) How can I smash my opponent in the head so that he wont try tackle me
next time.
Strength coach Dave Tate once said "Get stronger, and the rest will take care of
itself!" - This doesn't mean that we don't speed train, it simply means that we begin
with the foundations of speed and build from there.
Another common misconception is that football players need to build a foundation
of aerobic conditioning in order to “Get in shape” for the sport. This myth has
caused an abundance of wasted time, effort and energy that is completely
unnecessary. If you are a coach in the 20th century and you still time your athletes
in the mile run, I consider this irresponsible and down right lazy. There is way too
much information available for you not to know…
Aerobic training for an anaerobic sport makes as much sense as playing the piano
to become a better singer. This is an "apples and oranges" situation. Unfortunately,
regardless of all the literature suggesting that running a mile or even a 300 yard
shuttle, for that matter - has very little impact on a football players ability to perform
his sport, many coaches still train these events and even test their athletes with
them.
Football is an anaerobic sport and must be trained as such. If this weren't the case,
then Lance Armstrong would be trying out for the Atlanta Falcons next season.
A more productive alternative to jogging or cycling a couple of miles would be to
perform multiple anaerobic activities with short rest intervals over a prolonged
period of time. For example, I'm going to teach you how to perform GPP (general
physical preparedness) workouts that consists of bodyweight calisthenics (jumping
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jacks, bodyweight squats, squat thrusts, etc.), movement skills (power skipping,
side shuffling, back pedaling, etc.) and mobility drills, which is far superior to linear,
slow, long-distance running. This is a far better alternative to mini-marathons…
also you sadistic coaches out there who like to punish your athletes by making
them run for an hour straight are only making them slower – so they’ll probably
lose again next week! A much better form of punishment (I'm sadistic too) that is
more specific to the energy demands of football would to have them do as many
chin-ups or modified chin ups as possible for 10 sets with 30-60 seconds rest in
between.
By performing exercises that challenge an athlete’s relative body strength, balance
and coordination in a continuous fashion, we’re able to improve their endurance
without the loss in muscle mass, and speed that’s associated with the slow
distance method. In fact with my program it is not unusual to have athletes gain 2030 lbs of mass and have improved endurance!!
What I am going to tell you next is something that I am very passionate about…
This is the single worst mistake that I had made about strength training for football
and I don’t what you to waste your time and money the way that I did.
c. Savvy Marketers & So-called Performance Coaches
Understand that there are many savvy marketers out there disguised as "Strength
Coaches" that are tricking coaches and athletes into believing that their techniques
will prevent injuries and produce results - this is simply untrue. Also, several of
them have fancy tools; toys and machines for sale... remember that I received a
college scholarship by training with a few weight plates and 1 barbell in my
parent’s basement.
So-called "functional training" has it's place - but is isn't your weight room. They will
try their best to convince you otherwise but don’t fall victim and contract their
disease… they don’t even know they have it.
Listen, so called "Functional Training" with physio balls, rubber bands and wobble
boards will NOT make your athletes stronger.
I don't know about you, but I would like to coach a team of STRONG, Massive and
Explosive athletes. The bottom line is that this is only achievable when they are
lifting heavy weights, eating a ton of food and sprinting / jumping often. Simple.
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Athletes cannot get STRONG, Massive and Explosive using what has been termed
as "Functional Training."
.
What’s your bench?
d. Here are a few principles that I use to create all-star performers:
1) All athletes must perform Max Effort Upper and Lower
Exercises weekly. This means that exercises like the Dead Lift,
Squats and Bench Press must be heavy enough that it can only be
lifted a maximum of 3-5 times.
2) All athletes must perform "Jump-Speed" training every week.
This means that building Absolute Strength is only one part of the
equation. Athletes must be able to transfer their newly built strength
into explosive POWER. To do this, athletes must use exercises like
Box Jumps, Speed Squats, Bounding and Vertical Jumping.
3) All athletes must perform "Speed-Flex" training every day.
Being big, strong and powerful is not worth your weight in beans if
you are tight and slow. Most high school and college football players
spend most of their days seated in a classroom or on a couch. This
leads to chronically tight hip flexors, glutes and pec minor. We use a
simple 3-step formula that eliminates the most common causes of
immobility.
4) All athletes must perform Body Building techniques to build
MASS. I'm sure you've heard the saying "Athletes should not train
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like bodybuilders." Well, I completely disagree. We all know that
bodybuilders are the most massive of all athletes, although they are
tight and slow. But if done properly, the techniques used buy these
mass monsters can be quite productive for young, skinny athletes.
The truth is "You can't flex bone!" If you are skinny or weak and lack
real muscle mass you MUST use some form or bodybuilding in your
program.
Who put shaving cream in my helmet?
5) All athletes must condition using "Work Capacity" or GPP
circuits. Like I mentioned earlier, football is an anaerobic sport.
Conditioning for these athletes must emulate the type of energy
demands that will be placed on them during a game-like situation.
Short-Hard bursts of energy followed by a rest interval. If you still
have your athletes running miles and training like a marathoner, then
you'll get what your asking for - a team of kids that look more like
Nicole Ritchie than Ritchie Anderson (ex- NY Jet).
6) **BONUS** Secret Principle - Use Russian Conjugated
Periodization
Here is an example of the often used "Traditional Western" form of
periodization used my most football and strength coaches in the
USA.
===5-weeks of 'Conditioning' followed by
===5-weeks of 'Strength Training' followed by
===5-weeks of 'Power Training' followed by
===5-weeks of 'Sports Specific' training.
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With "Conjugated" periodization we train ALL energy systems and
strength qualities AT THE SAME TIME. This make the most sense
because when you leave one phase for another you lose the strength
/ energy system qualities from the preceding phase. Also many high
school football players are multi-sport athletes and need to be
STRONG, CONDITIONED & FAST - all year round! This form of
periodization is a no-brainer but often over looked or ignored in most
training programs.
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II. The Foundation
a. Nasty Attitude
Now before we go any further I would like to make a disclaimer. This program
or any other program for that matter will not work for you, or your team if you
are a coach… if you do not actively and consciously cultivate the proper
attitude to accompany it.
Attitude is the driving force behind this program. The techniques contained in it
come from a variety of sources but the only source that really matters is the one
beating in your OWN chest. No one can give this to you – YOU must seek and
use it on your own. I’ve trained several athletes who are physically gifted but
never amount to very much because of a lack-luster attitude. I have also
worked with athletes who were not super strong or fast by nature but excelled
in their sports due to a championship attitude.
Now, when I speak of attitude it is not in the same manner that your parents,
teachers, church leaders or mentors may be referring to - this generally
conjures up ideas of a “nice-young man” with his hair neatly combed to the side
sitting upright in a church pew. When I speak about attitude I am referring to
the rebel that spits in the face of convention because he’d rather die than to be
average… he despises the mediocrity that he sees around him and is willing to
stand out (if he must) to make sure that his life is different.
This man has a rebel attitude!
Most people you know are sheep and they are just following everyone else off of
the cliff. They may look OK right now or even for a few years perhaps well into
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adulthood, but they are going to fall and fall hard because most people follow each
other rather than following their hearts.
Most people are cowards. Notice that I didn’t say scared – everyone is scared at
one time or another, but cowards run away from their fears – this is not for you,
you do what your heart tells you to do NO MATTER WHAT or how crazy it may
seem to others.
When I was in high school l was amongst the few sophomores to make the varsity
football team. I knew then that if I was going play alongside the older, larger
players (some weighting as much as 80 pounds more than me) I was going to
have to do things a bit differently. And this was evident on the very first day that
we put on the pads and helmet.
Keith Leatod was a 300-pound defensive lineman and senior captain of the team.
He was my first target! In tackling drills I made sure that I stood inline so that I
would be sure to go head to head with this beast. When we both approached the
line, my coach looked at all 175 pounds of my skinny body and asked me if I was
sure that I wanted to drill against Keith The Beast. My answer “ Hell Yea” I knew
that If I hit this enormous son of a bitch hard enough that it would not only ring his
bell but it would ring a bigger bell that would sound through my school and town.
At the sound of the cadence I bulled my neck and riveted my body face first into
Keith’s chest right below his rib cage – the beast fell to the ground and rolled over
holding his chest and reaching for his asthma pump and that was the first day that
my coach remembered to pronounce my last name properly…. It’s HULSE!
There is another word that I would like you to remember and it is the foundation on
which your attitude stands, the word is…
b. Responsibility
Again I warn you that I don’t mean this word in the conventional sense – such as
making sure you take the trash out on time or being a snitch when your see some
one cheating on a test. When I use the word responsibility I am speaking about
holding yourself 100% responsible for all of the results in your life.
We live in a time when everyone is looking to blame someone of something else…
either your too black or your too white, too fast or too slow, your too short or too
tall, your can blame your genetics, you can blame your parents, teachers, coaches,
you can blame God. Just watch the TV, fat people blame the fast food restaurants
for their fatness, smokers blame the cigarette companies for their smoking, and
people blame their kids and boss for their depression or even their so-called
chemical imbalance.
I accept none of this. I believe that everything that happens to you – good or bad is
a result of some choice that you have made in the past. Sure, freak things
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happen like accidents but then too you have a choice about how you are going to
react to it – you can fold up and get depressed, start drinking or doing drugs or you
can “MAN UP” and turn your tragedy into triumph. Join a wheelchair basketball or
better yet doge ball team! Just get up – its your choice – its your responsibility.
You want to be stronger, you want to win more games, you want your team to
respect your wishes to “not party” during the in-season. What ever it is that you
want you can get – if and only if you take FULL responsibility for the results or your
reaction to it. “Within a desire is the seed for its creation” YOU create your life.
Choose to be a victor not a victim. And notice when those options are being
presented. Most people are not willing to take responsibility for themselves
because of one simple and very sneaky behavior – LAZIENESS. Most people are
just down right lazy and in various forms. They would much rather be victims of
their circumstances rather than taking the time to look at what they have done to
create their situation or how they can change their behaviors to create a better
future.
Another word about responsibility – be mindful of what messages you let into your
mind. We are constantly receiving suggestive messages from TV, our parents,
teaches and friends. Before you accept and emotionalize what is being suggested
(for example – “Is OK to eat McDonalds before a game because Allen Iverson or
who ever does) you know this is BS, you don’t need me to tell you this. But the TV
will have you believe otherwise with over 20,000 messages a year. Just notice. If
you want to receive a college scholarship and everyone around you doesn’t think
its possible – get the hell away from them. Close your door and cultivate your
dream.
Your brain is like a garden. You can plant flowers and create a beautiful life
through your productive thoughts or you can let if fill up with weeds by default. If
you don’t consciously and deliberately plant flowers – you had better be sure that
other people and things are planting their weeds in you. Its like a mental war – you
must FIGHT and fight continuously for the right to choose and harbor your
thoughts and focus on your goals – no matter how outrageous they seem to other
people. Do You!
People ask me “Elliott why do you spend so much time talking about our thoughts
and the way we think?”
Because it is the most important thing in your life. The only things that no one can
take away from you are the thoughts that you choose to have. And it is critical to
choose your thoughts wisely. Ever hear of the law of attraction? Or have you ever
read in the bible “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Well this means that you are a living
magnet and you will invariably attract into your life the people, ideas,
circumstances and resources in harmony with your dominant thoughts.
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It’s the truth – you become and get what you think about. If you are always
thinking about guns and violence chances are that you are going to injure or kill
someone or someone is going to kill or injure you. If all you think about is how
slow you run then you will always run slowly. What you focus on grows!!!
The law of attraction works in both directions – good and bad. If you think about
and emotionalize great things happening to you then no matter what the world
outside your mind looks like, great things are going to happen to you. There is an
incubation period a time to wait for your seeds to grow but if you keep your focus
on the things that you want they WILL happen.
When I was in high school I was very undersized for my position – I played nose
guard at 5’7 and 190 pounds in my senior year. Although I was small, I was so fast
that I made a ton of backfield tackles and sacks- this made me valuable. I knew
that I was playing out of position and that I would be much better at a position like
running back. I also knew that no matter what I was going to play football in
college and that I would receive a ‘full ride’. Well, long story short, during the allstar game of my senior year I had 6 sacks and blocked a field goal – this brought
me to the attention of several colleges that looked past me all season long. That
winter I was offered a full ride to St. Johns university… still being small for my
position I excelled at d-line so well that my impressive speed caused my coaches
to allow me to play running back at various intervals during the games.
So, what went from being a dream became a reality, but little effort of my own, I
just thought about what I wanted and trained very hard to be the best at where I
was not matter what. I knew that the law of attraction was true the very first time I
sacked a quarterback that weighed 30 pounds more than me and recovered the
ball when he dropped it. On the next offensive play I ran the ball for a 64-yard
touch down. Luckily, I was excused from the kick off team on the next play.
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c. Visualization
The very easiest way to activate the law of attraction in your life is to practice
visualization. But before you visualize you must be VERY clear about what it is
that you want. You should be able to see it in your minds eye with all of its details
just like a movie in your mind – everything down to the smallest detail. This
process very simple and can be performed daily, preferably right before bed and
upon rising just like your prayers. In fact I include this technique with my daily
prayers as it also acts as a form of gratitude.
The first step is to make sure that you are calm and cool take a few deep breaths
and close your eyes. Next relive a moment that was great, a time that you
performed at your best – it could be when you called a great play or perhaps had a
huge sack that caused a fumble and game-winning touchdown. Whatever it is –
just relive it in your mind like it is happening right now – feel it! Feel the wind on
your face and butterflies in your stomach.
Next, hold on to that feeling and then see you’re self-performing in some future
event in the same manner. See yourself signing a college commitment letter,
winning a state championship game or even going to the prom with that hot girl in
your Spanish class – what ever it is think about it like it is happening right now.
Finally, be grateful – say thank you to God or Allah or whatever you believe. Just
show your gratitude for giving you what it is you desire – just like you already have
or have achieved it. It may seem silly at first, to be thankful for something that you
do not yet have at hand but what this does is it changes your attiude and behaviors
to align with your newfound success. You will in essence be acting like you are
already the success you seek and you will set yourself up to attract it towards you.
Notice how Jesus always referred to his father by saying “I thank thee father that
thou hearest me.” Jesus knew that God is already setting into motion all of the
events necessary for his and your success. Just be patient and keep your
thoughts focused.
Remember, this is not easy – nothing worth doing is. Outside forces will distract
you but you are strong. Bring your mind back and re-focus, you may need to do
this often. But it is well worth it. The reason why there are not many people at the
top is not because there is not enough room, there is plenty of room for all of us…
its because most people are too lazy to keep their minds and actions focused and
lose heart and give up. Not you – you know what you want and you will not stop
until you get it.
The final word in this chapter that I would like for you to consider is INTENSITY.
Your level of intensity is a direct expression of your attitude. And it is with intensity
of purpose that you will attack every aspect of your training and life. If you are a
coach, it is your level of intensity that is the catalyst for your team. If you are
player, your level of intensity will rub off on all those around you. An intense
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burning desire is displayed in your tone of voice, the way you carry yourself, and
even the way other people FEEL your presence.
d. What is the best way to become an intense athlete in the weight room,
field and in life?
I sum it up with on phrase – “Turn off your brain.” I learned this trick when my
college buddies used to come and train with me and my brother in our basement
during the summers. One day we were performing back squats for reps… and I
told everyone that I had an idea “Lets continue to perform reps beyond what we
were used to 8-12 and see how many we can do and the way we are going to
make this happen is by reminding the guy performing the set to turn off his brain
when he got tired.
“Shut my brain off?”
The results were amazing! What would normally be a 15 rep set turned into a 2530 rep set!!! Why did this happen? Because when you remind yourself to Turn
your brain off – you destroy 2 things, first is the ego, this little voice that tells you
what you should or shouldn’t do or the remnants of your mommy’s voice saying
“my poor baby is going to get hurt, come here let me kiss you.” The next is
inhibition…. This again is a little voice that warns you ‘that you are getting out of
your comfort zone’ and that it may be scary out there. This voice is not you friend.
He aims to keep you mediocre, normal and sane.
Remember this “The Same old thing equals the same old thing” - you’ve got to get
uncomfortable if you want to be the best! Discomfort will become your friend
because it is a reminder that you are getting better. And something new is on its
way. You’ve got to break a few eggs to make an omelet.
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Shut Your Brain Off whenever you hear a voice tell you that “you cant” or “that’s
too dangerous” or “you’re not smart enough or good enough” in any fashion. Sure,
your body can get tired but a heart full of intensity of purpose never grows tired!!!
Scream & shout when you train! I do, that why I train in a warehouse hidden deep
in the Florida swamps. When we train we make so much noise that alligators run
scared!!! Why do you think Bruce Lee made all of those wild Kung Fu noises when
he was kicking some poor guys butt?
Don’t be afraid to make noise – literally and figuratively. Shut your brain off and do
what needs to be done. Notice when the ego or mommas voice gets in your way,
shut them out... fast. (sorry mom) Know exactly what you want, keep your
thoughts focused on it and be thankful for it as if it were already at hand.
Bruce Lee was also JACKED! (at 135 lbs)
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III. Strength & Speed Training
This program is a combination of several styles and programs that I have
discovered in my 10 years of experience. You will read about systems that I’ve
learned from Joe DeFranco, Dave Tate and Louie Simmons. You will learn
philosophies that I’ve adopted from BFS’s Greg Shepard, Mike Boyle and Paul
Chek. I’ve learned a ton by training with Strongman Champion Tom Mitchell and
watching videos from the Parisi School. I enjoy reading Ian King, Charles Poliquin,
Dan John and Arizona States Joe Kenn. I’ve combined systems from Power lifting,
Strongman, Olympic lifting, Track and Field and Bodybuilding. I can tell you that
there are probably hundreds of more coaches, books and seminars that I've
learned from and they have all contributed in some way to my design for this
incredible football training system.
I would like to repeat that this information is not new – only packaged differently.
And I will site the respected sources when I approach information that I gathered
from them. I am not only a coach and an author I am also a student of Strength &
Conditioning for football. I am grateful to all those who have contributed to my
success and the success of this system...
Also, I would like to mention that there are hundreds of programs available out
there, some of them good, some great and some plain old bad. But, a system is
better than no system. And the key to ANY system is to follow it consistently until
you get the desired results. So, I urge you to put your time and money to good use
and follow my program – to the letter, as you WILL get all that you signed up for.
While you are on this program it would serve you well to avoid reading articles on
websites or magazines that speak about other programs. This is not because I am
egotistical and believe that only my program should be followed but this practice
will help you to avoid training ADD. This is when you jump from one program to
another without fully completing the one you started with. Also, avoid people and
friends that tell you that you should quit what you are doing and follow what has
worked for them. I’m sure what they have to say is valid but YOU’VE got a
program and you are following it to fruition.
a. Periodization – Conjugated vs. Linear
The most popular form of periodization is the western linear approach to
Periodization. Basically, there are phases of training periods divided throughout an
annual plan. It may look something like this – Hypertrophy, Strength, Power and
Transition phases. These phases are broken down into sub-phases and macro or
micro cycles. Reps, sets, exercises and percentages are varied to help an athlete
reach a peak level of performance at a particular time.
Although this system seems logical at first there are a few, HUGE drawbacks.
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First, when you move from one phase to another in linear periodization you leave
behind the strength quality that had been developed during the previous phase.
For example if have just spent the last 5 weeks developing maximal strength with
my athletes and it is now time to move into a power / speed phase… with the
traditional western linear form of periodization I will be spending the next 5 weeks
on Power while leaving behind the maximal strength method. What happens to
our maximal strength you ask? It’s capacity decreases. My athletes will get faster
and more explosive but they will lose a huge chunk of the hard earned strength
that was amassed in the prior phase.
I am going to introduce you to a system that trains ALL strength qualities at the
same time. This includes Hypertrophy (bodybuilding), Strength, Speed and Power
all in the same program at the same time! I will also show you how to implement
this program to receive the greatest results in the minimum time.
The next big problem with linear periodization is that it is based on percentages.
So for example in the first phase you may be training with 65% of your one rep
max on the bench press and in the second phase it may be 90%.
My first question is “how accurate can these percentages be?” And what about
these so-called “maxes”? Lets say Joey Guns can bench press 300lbs and
suppose he’s training with 75% – 225lbs. Yet, when he comes to my gym and
sees all the HUGH records on the board and hears 50 cent or Disturbed blasting
on the stereo he gets super pumped up and presses 355lbs! So now what? In all
probability his training with 225 for the past 8 weeks was a complete waste of time.
With my system athletes are will always be training very close to their one rep max.
Every week we perform ALL OUT maximal effort exercises, not puny percentages
based on a number that was established during last months test day, which also
happened to be the same day that Joey Guns’ girlfriend dumped him.
Also, according to Vladimir Zatsiorsky in the text, Science and Practice of Strength
Training, long breaks (from working at percentages close to your 1RM) can ruin
physical fitness. Vladimir asks, "If a mountaineer wants to climb to the summit, will
he climb halfway up then back down to go back up again?" These long breaks are
detrimental because motor abilities are built and retained at different rates, which
are fairly specific to each individual. Some may be lost very quickly while others
will be held.
Finally, what about your multi-sport athlete? According to Dr. Greg Shepherd of
Bigger, Faster, Stronger a periodization program done halfway properly can drive a
coach nuts with its complexities. You’ve got 12 kids going out for basketball after
the football season is over. Half of them will continue with a spring sport. The rest
will join your lifting program with the other 24 kids that have been doing it for the
last 8 weeks. In the summer you get 9 new kids come out for the football team and
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have to fit them into the lifting program with the other who have been lifting all
spring. If this sounds like a nightmare to you, your right – it is!
Imagine a system that allows your athletes to transition from sport to sport and
from in season to off seasons with incredible ease. Imagine your athletes could
continually progress all year long and reach their fullest potential. Well that is
exactly what I am going to show you how to do.
b. Conjugated Periodization?
Conjugate periodization is a system of periodization where several abilities are
coupled together throughout the training. (Strength, Hypertrophy, Power, Speed,
etc.) Depending on the time of the training year, certain abilities are emphasized
unilaterally over others.
For example, in the very early off-season the majority of a football players focus
should be on The Bodybuilding Method (or Repetition Method), this will allow for
increased muscle mass where much as been lost during the season. At the same
time The Power Lifting (or Max Effort) Method is being used, but to a lesser
degree. While Super Speed (or Dynamic Method) is only used sparingly.
The closer we get to the season the more we begin to emphasize The Super
Speed Method and Power Lifting while minimizing the use of The Body Building
Method. This is not to say that we completely disregard bodybuilding during this
phase (it’s what got us here!) but only that we emphasize speed instead of
bodybuilding.
Basically, this training should be multifaceted and include specific stimuli to
produce the strength fitness required for the given sport based upon the athlete’s
level of sports mastery. Therefore, the conjugate method of training maintains the
advantages of the cumulative results of training as well as the accentuation of the
specific training effect of the loading of a given training objective. This results in a
higher level of work capacity and training fitness for the athlete.
Also, this form of periodization allows for high motivation and intensity, low chance
for plateaus, positive progress for the multisport athlete and ease of
implementation.
The entire CGP method is centered around three basic methods to strength
development:
1. The Power Lifting Method (or Max Effort)
2. The Body Building Method (or Repetitive Effort)
3. The Super Speed Method (or Dynamic Effort)
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Each of these methods is described below along with the best exercises and
means for developing them.
c. The Power Lifting Method
With this method you will get Super Strong. When you lift heavy weights your
nervous system and endocrine system are forced to adapt. First, the strain on the
nervous system causes an increase in intermuscular and intra muscular
coordination. It is this type of demand that causes your muscles to grow stronger.
Also, whenever you strain with a heavy weight your endocrine system responds by
increasing the release of anabolic hormones including testosterone and growth
hormone. So basically you are causing your body to release its own form of
Anabolic Steroids – naturally.
The one downside to using this method is that you can't train with weights above
90 percent RM for much longer than three to four weeks before the nervous
system begins to become overwhelmed and weaken. When this happens your
strength will begin to diminish.
The way to overcome this strength barrier is to change the exercises used for
the max effort method every three weeks. This keeps the body fresh so the
method can be used all-year round, in-season, off-season and rabbit season. Also,
we have found that athletes enjoy the constant change of max effort exercises as
they many become bored after a few weeks.
Here’s how you apply this method to your football-training program. First, decide
on one main exercise that will be trained with this method for both the upper body
and lower body. For football, the best exercises are Bench Press variations, Squat
variations and Dead Lift Variations. After the dynamic warm-up and flexibility,
proceed to this exercise and begin to warm up with the bar. Taking small weight
increases, you begin to work up in weight with sets of 5-6 reps depending on the
experience of the lifter. When 5 reps begin to feel heavy, you drop down to 1-3
reps depending on the experience of the lifter. This is when you begin to try to
“max out” on the exercise. Keep increasing the weight until you've reached your 13 rep max.
Make sure to keep track of what this weight is, because this is what you'll try to
beat next week. But if you don’t beat the record, don’t beat yourself up. You will
still get the anabolic response associated with lifting heavy and straining.
**Note – In your training manual I have several programs with this system outlined
step-by-step. So, if you are becoming confused or overwhelmed with how to
perform this – don’t worry, its all in there for you.
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Train Heavy
The very first thing that I would like you to understand that with this method you
must lift heavy. Many coaches, athletes and parents are afraid to train with
maximal loads but if you are not using weights that are above the 90% mark then
you will not receive the benefits of this method.
A note on Safety – it amazes me that the sport that yields the least amount of
injuries (weight lifting) receives the greatest criticism with regard to safety. In fact,
it doesn’t really amaze me – the fact is that in order to sell you unnecessary and
expensive exercise equipment, manufactures must use ‘hot buttons’ to get their
point across and their crappy equipment in your gym. Safety is a hot button.
They convince unsuspecting coaches and athletes that lifting free weights is
unsafe and may become a liability, then when you’re eyes are bulging out of your
skull with fear of a law suite or worse, they hand you the receipt for your shiny new
$2,500 piece of trash.
Leg presses, smith machines and bench press machines are among the most
expensive pieces of scrap metal that I see in typical high school and college weight
rooms. If you own one of several of theses machines your best bet is have them
melted down and molded into 45-pound bars, plates and round lifting stones.
When understood, and coached properly, weight training is very safe. The
problem with most training programs is that sports coaches are not necessarily the
best strength and conditioning coaches. This is understandable, I’ve spent
thousands of dollars and several years learning how to coach lifts properly, but
don’t ask me to show your wide receiver how to run a pattern. Also, by going to 5
hour seminars and reading books many coaches have amassed just enough
information about weight training to become dangerous.
So, Elliott what the heck does that mean for me? Well, if you are a coach, parent
or athlete preparing to use this program you are in good hands. Although it would
best serve you to hire a strength coach for your program or send your son to a
Strength Camp I am going to relay all of the finest points and cues with regard to
the most complex power lifting exercises in this manual. Also, you have access to
our online exercise database at www.StrengthCamp.com/exercises.htm
1. Lower body Exercises (Power Lifting Method)
Choose one of the following exercises for your power lifting lower body exercise.
You will perform 2-4 warm up sets followed by an all out max effort with your
chosen exercise for 3-5 reps (younger weaker) or 1-2 reps (advanced). Rotate
your chosen exercise every 3 weeks.
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Back Squats
Click Here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ-4q5vxlvM
Good old-fashioned Back Squats are
in my opinion the BEST choice for
your lower body power lifting
exercise. If you’ve only got the
ability to perform one exercise, this
is it! The squat not only builds an
incredibly strong core, back and legs
but it elicits are hormonal response
from the endocrine system to
release buckets of growth hormone
and testosterone. Great for getting
big and strong!
Athletes MUST squat, and they must squat LOW. The depth of your squat is very
important. If you are only performing a quarter squat or if you are concluding the
decent of the squat anywhere above “thighs parallel” to the floor, you are wasting
your time. In order to train the essential muscles of the posterior chain, including
the glutes and hamstrings athletes must squat with their thighs moving into the
“below parallel” position. This will not only ensure that you get bigger and stronger,
but you will get faster!
Squatting Technique
One of the best ways to get an athlete who has never squatted before to being
squatting is to have him sit in a chair. From this ‘seated’ position we will then focus
on five important cues: Athletic Stance, Show The Chest, Arch The Low Back,
Eyes Focused Forward, Lead With The Top Of Your Head.
*Athletic Stance – Tell your athlete to assume an “athletic stance”. This means the
typical linebacker / running back stance. Another way to cue this is to tell them to
get into a “Jump Stance”. The position that they would assume if they were about
to jump.
It is from this foot positioning that you are now going to build your squat. While
keeping your feet glued to the floor, reach your butt back and sit into a chair.
Athletes and coaches should spot each other to ensure that the squatter looks like
and athlete, or is an athletic stance the entire time.
*Show The Chest – This is an incredible cue for getting athlete to tighten up the
mid and lower back so that they can maintain an athletic position throughout the
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squat. If they cant seem to keep their chest up, its because the back is weak and
unproductive. This cue seems to get those muscles firing.
*Arch The Low Back – This cue and “Show The Chest” are two sides of the same
coin. I almost never repeat “show the chest” without coupling it with “arch the low
back. Another cue that seems to get the same response is, “Stick your butt out.”
The back must create the shape of a “C” or a “U” with a great concave lower back
position. This is very important, there should be no round backs in your weight
room.
“Show the chest” and “Arch the low back” will be repeated over and over and over
in my weight room. I say these to phrases until I want to puke! You’ve got to
constantly remind your athletes to keep a solid position. I’ve got athletes that I’ve
been training for several months and still have to remind them… its OK, just keep
on top of them.
*Eyes Focused Forward – As a coach or an athlete, you know that ‘the hips follow
the eyes’. Well, this is just as true in the weight room as it is on the field. It is not
only more effective to look straight ahead during the squat; it reduces the risk for
injury. Avoid looking up at the ceiling and by no means ever, look down at the
ground when squatting.
*Lead With The Top Of Your Head – When ascending out of the bottom of the
squat position many athletes have a tendency to straighten the legs and lean over
at the hips. Giving then a “bent over” look when standing up. This is not only
ineffective, but very unsafe squat form. In order to assist the athlete to maintain an
erect posture while ascending out of the squat I cue them to “Lead with the top of
their head” or pretend that you are a puppet with a string attached to the top of
your head and are being pulled out of the squat.
When lifting heavier weights it may be impossible to remain “tall” through the entire
squat, but an attempt must always be made to do so.
A Good Looking Squat
Here is the sequence of the perfect squat:
1. The Start: The athlete should be very focused and attentive. Eyes are
looking straight ahead. He will dip his head under the bar, rest the bar
across the shoulders and take a deep breath. Note: it is very important
that the athlete places the bar on his shoulders – NOT his neck. There
is a “groove” that he will find across the shoulders.
He will then stand up with the same technique as he would if he were
squatting the weight and take a few small steps back away from the
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rack.
2. The Decent: The athlete will descend in a controlled manner, not too
slow and not too fast. The athlete will hold his breath as he lowers his
hips down between his feet. The coach or spotter should be mindful that
the athlete is maintaining a strong low back position with the chest up.
The athlete should not be falling forward, sit tall.
3. The Bottom: At the bottom of the squat the athletes thighs should be
parallel or below parallel to the floor. This is VERY important, as many
athletes will not squat low enough. It is only when the athlete squats low
that the essential musculature of the glutes and hamstrings become
activated.
4. The Upward Drive: At this point the athlete should be ready to come out
of the bottom position. The breath is still being held. Once the athlete
has gotten as low as necessary, he will quickly drive his feet deep into
the ground and stand up as if being pulled by the top of his head towards
the ceiling. Many athletes will be too weak in the core to keep the torso
upright and stand tall. This tells you 2 things. First, this kid needs to
spend more time training the abs and low back. Second, you’ve got to
either lighten the weight or have him make a conscious decision to
maintain an upright posture. Sometimes, it just plain old laziness!
Safety and Spotting
Spotting technique is just as important as squatting technique. Spotters are
provided the give the athlete technique cues as well as maintain an environment
encouragement and safety. In the most optimal situation there will be 3 spotters, a
back spotter and one on each side.
1. Back Spotter
The back spotter should stand behind the squatter at all times with his
arms ready to be slipped under the squatters armpits to his chest. This
way if the squatter begins to reach failure prior to completing the squat
the back spotter can help him re-rack the bar.
It is important also, that the back spotter cue the lifter as to his depth in
the squat as well as shouting encouraging words and motivation.
2. Side Spotters
The side spotters should be positioned on the sides of the bar with their
hands underneath the bar. These guys need to be ready in case their
help is needed on a missed rep. After the set is complete the side
spotters will grasp the bar and assist the lifter back to the rack.
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The side spotters are also to keep an eye on the lifters form and shout
encouraging words and motivation.
Although there are various schools of thought with regard to use of a Power Rack
for safety, it has been my experience that you should squat inside a Power Rack
and set the pins for safety. When setting the pins (the safety bars that accompany
the squat rack) make sure that it is set high enough to catch the bar if the lifter
misses and low enough that a full range of motion can be achieved with each rep.
If your spotters are doing their jobs then the occurrence of a missed rep leading to
the use of the safety pins is minimized. But still set them!
Belts and Knee Wraps
There was a time early in my education that I was told never to wear belts when
lifting for a number of reasons including the idea that my core would not get
stronger. I no longer believe this is the case, especially if you only use the belt
during maximal efforts. When used properly and at the right times (only during
maximal lifts) the belt not only acts as a safety device but it will allow you to use
much greater amount of weights. Search the Internet for power lifting belts or visit
APT Pro Gear for the best available belts.
Lifting belts are now a staple in my weight room. Belts not only provide an amount
of physiological support by bracing the abdominal but it also provides a significant
amount of psychological support.
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Although I have knee wraps it is a rare instance that we will use them. Power
lifters often use knee wraps to increase the amount of weight that they can lift.
This is fine, granted that you are only using them for your ALL OUT most intense
sets, perhaps on an assessment or “combine” day. Knee wraps also provide a
certain amount of psychological support.
Box Squats
Click Here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TECWmEH5RTo
Box squats and box squat variations are a staple in FSS program. I love box
squats for beginners and veterans for different reasons. First of all when you are
working with a beginner the box squat is the easiest way to teach them how to
squat and to prepare them for the more demanding back squat. Also because
their confidence at this point sucks they feel more comfortable with a support
structure underneath them. As for the coach it takes a ton of the frustration out of
teaching young weaklings how to move.
When it comes to more advanced lifters the box squat shifts from being a
technique and strength builder into a Super Speed and Power exercise. This is
due to the fact that when you box squat the demand on static to dynamic strength
increases. Essentially you need to generate enough power to get off of your ass
from a low box with massive amounts of weights on your back. This can also be
done with lighter weights for speed.
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The box squat develops hip, glute and hamstring strength without the typical
soreness associated with back squats. So, this means that you can go heavy on
squat day and still have enough energy to give 100% in practice the next day.
Below are pictures and descriptions with the essential cues that you must master
in order to get your body squatting BIG.
*Stance – With the box squat you are going to use a high box (thighs above
parallel) or a low box (thighs below parallel) depending on the strength and
flexibility of your athlete. Also, you may want to design boxes of various heights
(18-21”) for shorter or taller athletes. Before I had a box like to one in the picture I
would simply use a bench. Just remember that safety is paramount and that you
use a sturdy structure.
This picture is a bit misleading and doesn’t tell you the whole deal. Here is what
you need to know: in my opinion it is best to squat and box squat in a squat rack.
Because I couldn’t get a good shot for you in the rack I took it out. Now, with this
type of squat I prefer the power lifting stance, this is with your feet a bit wider than
shoulder width and toes pointed slightly out. Also, your knees should be spread
open- like your showing your crotch! Athletes with weak glutes have a tendency to
let the knees buckle in, you correct this by cueing them by saying “show your
crotch” or spread your knees.
* “Butt Out & Chest Up” – Ok, once you’ve lifted the bar off of the rack you will
need to take a few tiny steps backwards and position yourself in front of the box.
The heavier the weight gets the less you are going to want to move back towards
your box so make sure that it is basically situated right behind you or your athlete.
Here is when you begin the decent of the squat movement. You are going to want
to keep your eyes straight ahead, your chest up or “spread” and stick your butt out
like a chick in an MTV video. This will ensure that your back remains tight or in a
“C” position.
It’s very important that you stress proper form with this exercise. An athlete that is
too weak to keep his chest up or stick his butt out is going to have a hard time
handling heavier weights. Make sure that you can perform this movement properly
for several reps with the bar alone or even with just your bodyweight before you
begin to add weight. Once you get the form right ½ the work is done, your nervous
system will begin to adapt to the new movement and your strength will go up very
quickly – but don’t rush!
Another thing, your feet should remain flat on the floor. ALL of your foot should
receive the same amount of weight-distributed trough out it. Most young or weak
athletes will end up on their toes with their heels lifted as well as placing too much
weight on the insides of the feet. More often than none I have to tell the athlete to
press the floor with the heels and outsides of their feet.
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As far as hand and elbow position is concerned, I tend to have my athletes grip the
bar about 6 –8 inches outside their shoulders. Many coaches and power lifters
have them grab the bar wider but I feel that the closer grip forces the athlete’s
shoulders into external rotation especially if the elbows are tucked under or
pointing down. This is important because most young athletes have poor posture
and tight pecs; my technique exposes this weakness so that it can be corrected.
I’m not saying that the others are wrong, just that this is what works for me. The
cue I use for this is “Tuck your elbows.”
“Sit back on to the box & show your crotch.” - At this point in the movement you
should be reaching your ass out or sitting back onto the box while keeping your
knees spread. I know is sounds like I’m giving you a ton of different phrases and
cues for each of these movements but sometime one cue works for 90% of your
athletes and another for the 10% that didn’t get the first one. Sometimes I spend
weeks trying to coach someone a move and one day they finally get it, so I ask
them… “What made it click today?” and he’ll tell me “It was when you said
BLANK____.” All it takes is the right descriptive term and someone who is hard to
coach becomes your best student when you repeat the magic phrase.
Anyway, sit back onto the box without crashing down onto it. This is important, as
many athletes will think of sitting on the box as a rest when it couldn’t be further
from the truth. In fact you want to keep some tension in your legs and your feet
firmly grounded when you are sitting on the box.
From this position you then want to push your feet into the ground and stand up
tall. I say “tall” because many athletes will only come up partially and keep their
hips flexed. I want to you explode off of the box and stand up tall. A good cue to
use is to tell your athletes to imagine that there is a rope attached to the top of their
head and it is pulling them up towards the ceiling. This will keep them tall
throughout the entire movement. Stand tall and then repeat.
Box squat variations include:
Dynamic Box Squats - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=545KA0nDnWA
Squats with bands - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VinL0EdICzQ
Box Squats with chains - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpmmQbCh6E
Box squats with specialty bars - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjPpxQZ9e3s
Visit www.StrengthCamp.com/exercises.htm for more video representations of
these exercises.
Remember because we are rotating power lifting exercises every 3 weeks we need
a few alternate movements for variety.
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Front Squats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eT1ebtpRt0
The front squat is a great variation of the squat movement and I encourage you to
add them into your exercise rotation. Also, because of the front hold position with
the front squat the athlete is forces to remain more upright throughout the
movement there by increasing the strength of the “extensor chain” or muscles of
the upper and mid back.
There are a few variations of this movement with regards to the way the bar is
held. My favorite is the “arms crossed” hold. This is where the bar is held on the
front deltoids with the arms crossed over it to keep the bar in place. It is also very
important to cue the athlete to keep his “elbows up” in this position. If the elbow
drops, so will the bar.
Trap Bar Dead Lifts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaHTtJgvCSI
I love the trap bar dead lifts as a lower body max effort or power lifting exercise
because of its simplicity and how easily it is to teach. Also, because the trap bar
allows you to stand inside the bar, the weight of the exercise is loaded right over
your base of support this allows you to lift more weight.
Poor Form – “Show your chest off!”
1. All the same rules apply as well as the same cues as the squat. Keep your back
flat, eyes forward, chest up and butt out. I wish I could tell you that all of my
athletes practiced perfect form all of the time, but I would be lying. In the picture
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above, this guy needs to drop his butt more and flatten his back. Also his chest is
dropped and needs to be “shown off” In the position that he is in right now he is at
risk of injury as well as remaining weak!
2. From this position you are simply going to stand up tall. It’s as simple as that.
On of the best and easiest lower body exercises to teach. If you don’t have a trap
bar, get one. I bought this one used at a sporting goods store in my city, it cost me
less than $100 and we use it almost every day!
Although we call these lower body exercises I would like to mention that these are
really FULL body exercises as you will be using every joint and muscle from your
head to your toes to move these weights. This is an important part of getting big
and strong for football because exercises like this cause your body to release a ton
of anabolic hormones like GH and testosterone. So, if anyone tells you that you
cant get huge without steroids, tell them to shut up and squat! I have helped
athletes to gain as much as 20 pounds in only a few weeks by teaching them
theses exercises and how to eat right.
When I was in high school my uncle designed a training program for me that
consisted of only dead lifts, squats and bench presses and I was able to use this
foundation to land a college scholarship. Don’t let anyone tell you that you need
fancy equipment or drugs to become successful in your sport. These people are
usually lazy and /or jealous of you and your potential.
Other Lower Body Exercises Include:
Standard Dead Lifts - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2Cz46kTstw
Safety Bar Squats - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPW7gcK1-k
Rack Pulls - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zweyUSaJ6c
Visit www.StrengthCamp.com/exercises.htm for video representations of these
exercises. As well as other exercises not mentioned.
2. Upper Body (Power Lifting Method)
Bench Press
There has been some talk lately about how bench presses are not sport specific
and that football players should not do them. I say that’s bullshit! Everyone knows
that a huge, massive upper body is essential for football strength and the best way
to do this is with heavy weights the best exercise for moving heavy weights in a
pushing manner is the bench press. The bench press not only builds a massive
and strong chest but it is an incredible exercise for the triceps and shoulders also.
If you are not bench-pressing heavy weights you are truly missing out.
34
I’m sure I don’t have to spend too much time convincing you to bench press as
everyone loves to do it, but the majority of athletes and coaches put too much
emphasis on this movement and are usually performing it improperly.
1. I like to have my athletes take a slightly wider that shoulder width grip; also I
prefer that they wrap the thumbs around the bar. Another little trick is to grip the
bar as tight as possible; you’ll notice that when you do this all of the muscles in
your arms tense up.
Also, I teach my athletes to draw their feet under them and squeeze their glutes.
This is a technique that I learned from power lifters, it really adds to the force
production when pressing.
Another little benching trick is the draw your shoulder blades together and ‘sit’ on
your traps. This will raise your chest up a bit higher and allow for less room for the
bar to travel. Also, make sure that your elbows are at a 45-degree angle from your
body, not straight out the sides.
Sure, I can hear you now… Elliott, I want my athletes to get stronger why are you
teaching them how to cheat in the bench press? Well, if you consider that the way
we are going to build super strong athletes is with heavy weights then wouldn’t it
make sense that we do everything in our power to have our athletes lift the
heaviest weights possible? These are tricks, yes, but I assure you that they will
allow your athletes to lift heavier weights and get stronger than using the typical
bodybuilding bench press form.
35
2. Once the bar has been lowered under control, simply push it straight back up.
Forget the whole push back in an arching pattern. Just press straight up! And
repeat.
For variety you can also perform bench presses with rubber bands and chains.
This will add some ‘accommodating resistance” as well as offer a different stimulus
to the muscles to allow for continued progress. Remember that we want to change
exercises every 3 weeks or so, this just adds to your arsenal of exercises. You
don’t need them but they are a great addition, especially with athletes who have
been lifting for a while.
Bench Press Variations:
Incline Bench Press - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhLkWc1nTw
Close Grip Bench Press
Wide Grip Bench Press
Bench Press with Chains
Bench Press with Bands
Bench Press Weight Releasers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mntOBhTgoI
Visit www.StrengthCamp.com/exercises.htm for video representations of these
exercises.
Floor Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrZcrcJnUZA
Floor presses are just like bench presses but
they are performed off of the floor. You will have
a limited range of motion, as the floor will stop
your elbows.
One of the major differences in technique with
floor presses is the fact that you will pause at the
bottom of the press. This adds to the static-todynamic capacity of the muscles being worked.
In a similar manner to the box squat, the floor
press is great for building strength and power.
You can also use chains for the floor press.
36
Board Presses or towel press
Board presses are another great alternative for your max effort / power lifting upper
body day. I like this exercise because of how pumped my triceps feel afterwards.
Because you are not going through a full range of motion it is a great exercise to
use if your shoulders need a break from heavy bench pressing.
You can use a 1,2,3 or in some cases a 4 board. All these boards are a few 2x4
planks duct taped together. Make sure you have a good spotter holding the
boards in place on your chest for you.
Why don’t you use Olympic Lifts like The Power Clean?
I used to compete in Olympic weight lifting. I think it is a great sport, but that’s it!
In my opinion the benefits of performing these exercises to build power and
strength for football players is outweighed by the amount of time it takes to teach
these exercises and perform them properly.
If you and I both have a linebacker to train for strength and speed and I show mine
to box squat and vertical jump in 1 session and you spend 2 weeks working the
technique of a snatch, who’s backer do you think is going to get faster and stronger
in the shortest period of time?
The fact is that you can get the same or better response than Olympic lifting with
power lifting and ‘super speed’ training. Follow my program and stay away from
Olympic lifts, if you are sold on the idea that Olympic lifting is necessary for sports
performance and you decide to add them to this program, please repackage this
book or CD and just send it back to me for a refund. Because you are wasting
your time and will make me look bad when people ask you why you are not making
progress on my program.
Remember, there are a ton of gurus out there and people with their own agendas.
I’m sure many of them are sincere but I am interested in only what works best.
Olympic lifting is cool but leave it for those guys in the spandex cover-alls and
bowling shoes.
d. Body Building Method
Want to get HUGE? Do you want to gain a significant amount of muscle mass and
strength? Then do what the biggest, most muscular, muscle mass monsters on
earth do – Body build.
With this method we train all supplemental or auxiliary exercises meant to support
your power lifting exercises. Generally body builders use this method by training
each muscle or exercise to its momentary failure (you cant move the weight any
longer) with a lighter weight. When you train a muscle to failure the maximal
37
number of motor units are recruited. This system of training is great for the
development of muscle mass, which is why it's become so popular among the
bodybuilding population.
“I am KING of the Mass Monsters!”
The big drawback with this type of training, if done alone, is that it is done with submaximal weights and will fail to build your absolute strength. Just because a
muscle is huge, doesn’t mean that it is strong. We have all seen the guy at the gym
or have had the kid on our team that LOOKS like a monster but the moment you
put a barbell on his back he looks like he’s going to have a seizure. Also, by
training to failure on several sets you fatigue your nervous system to such a
degree that it takes several days to recover and may hamper your strength gains.
In order to get the greatest benefit from this method without the drawbacks we will
modify it slightly. Instead of performing every set to failure, we train with a weight
until our form breaks down. So, if you are performing a set of biceps curls (ooh,
did I say biceps curls in a football program?), for 4 sets of 12 and on the final set
you begin to lose decent form on the 8th rep – simply stop. By training to failure on
every set you'd be taking away from the general purpose of the movements, which
is to increase work capacity and add to your overall strength not detract from it.
Body Building – Parameters & Best Exercises
These are the exercises that are going to get you ‘jacked’. They are supplemental
to your power lifting exercises but just as important. They will not only make you
38
bigger, but stronger and less injury prone. You can see these exercises in action
at www.Strengthcamp.com/exercises.htm
Also, I have added videos below to only the most uncommon exercises.
The bodybuilding method is also known as the Repetition Method. This is because
we are often more concerned with the amount of reps that are being performed
then the amount of weight being lifted. The rep ranges that I typically use are 6-8,
8-12 and occasionally 12-15. The weight being used needs to allow your athlete
to perform the prescribed amount of reps within the range without being able to
exceed it.
For example, if your rep range is 6-8 and you choose a weight that your athlete
can only perform 4 reps – then its too heavy. If you choose a weight that the
athlete can perform 12 reps with – then its too light. Adjust accordingly.
Your Teams New Defensive End!
39
Body Building Exercises
Push / Chest and Shoulders
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Flat DB bench press (palms in or out)
Incline DB bench press (palms in or out)
DB floor press - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtEzJpPR2Zg
Barbell push-ups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3BNUaeKq1Y
Blast strap push-up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aED6pjn8bMI
DB Bench w Ball http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGmssUtKF4k
DB lateral raises http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioVv9DhsOGk
Front plate raises http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmTsTmjlUes
o
o
DB military press
Push-up variations
Pull / Back
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
DB rows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YvZvtLtoYM
Chin Up variations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buxYWBFQoZs
Barbell rows
Seated cable rows (various bars)
T-bar rows
Lay back chin ups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-MrW3zZRUw
Rear delt flyes
Scarecrows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh2cYXE5LWE
Face pulls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SbDmXL8sww
Seated DB “cleans” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0I0pXhYh8c
Band pull-aparts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUlLyueK_ks
Lat pull downs (various bars)
Straight arm pull downs
Traps / Neck
o
o
o
o
o
DB shrugs
Barbell shrugs
Trap bar shrugs
Behind the back barbell shrugs
Neck Harness Curls
Biceps & Triceps
o
o
o
Barbell curls (8-10 reps each set)
DB curls (8-10 reps each set)
Seated Incline DB curls (8-10 reps each set)
40
o
o
o
Hammer curls (8-10 reps each set)
DB triceps extensions (10-15 reps each set)
Triceps Pushdown (15-25 reps each set)
Unilateral / quads
o
o
o
o
Split squats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlnTZrDzcP8
Reverse lunge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AdIRpE0Zgk
Step-ups (box height slightly above knee)
Walking lunges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fZnLJ_3f74
Posterior Chain / Glutes, Hamstrings and Low Back
o
o
o
o
o
o
Reverse hyperextensions
Pull-through http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-1kMHjTlI
Ball hip extension http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl--2lCJ_jQ
Glute-ham raises http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0oqLDZ8JcI
Romanian dead lift
Forw sled dragging http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7D2uckRYl4
Weighted Abdominals
o
o
o
o
o
DB side bends http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzYBgGAJ6qY
Seated MB Twist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfh8iX_iM5Q
Hanging leg raises
SledgeSwings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aozHRykemss
Weighted Swiss ball crunches
Grip / Forearms
o
o
o
o
o
Wrist roller (2-3 sets of 2-3 reps)
Thick bar or heavy DB holds (2-3 sets of max time)
Plate pinch gripping (2-3 sets of 2-3 reps)
Hex DB hold http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYGCRGx3eco
Captains of Crush gripper (3 sets of max reps each hand)
41
e. Super Speed Method
It is with this method that we take all that hard-earned muscle and turn them into
weapons. This is when your arms actually become guns! Building strength is great
and it is the foundation of improving all athletic capacity. Also, building size is not
only great for knocking your opponents onto their heels the extra size will help you
prevent injuries. But, none of this will get you a college scholarship, championship
ring or professional contract if you’re SLOW and unauthentic.
I call this method Super Speed because we use several different modalities to
build Strength-Speed and Speed Strength. Basically there are times when we
move moderate weight as fast as possible and times when we simply move our
bodyweight as fast as possible as in plyometrics.
The objective here is to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible in the shortest
period of time. This improves an athlete’s ability to run faster, jump higher and
change directions on a dime! Because of the enormous carryover of this method
into sports performance a great deal of emphasis is put into this method, but it is
often used improperly.
Please remember that although it would seem that the exercises used in this
method alone would make you faster don’t forget that your expression of speed is
determined by your foundation of strength. Many coaches make the mistake of
over emphasizing this method without first building the proper relative body
strength that most young athletes lack. This would be analogous to putting the cart
before the horse or putting on your tie before your suit.
In the early stages of the program, during the early off season and with younger
athletes a lower volume of Super Speed training is used, but as strength and
maturity improve so does the volume and variety of Super Speed training. In fact I
have observed that with younger and weaker athletes by simply improving their
relative body strength, their speed improves, without any formal speed training.
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Super Speed – Best Exercises
Vertical Jumps - this Super Speed
exercise should be uses as a method
for assessment as well as training.
Do the vertical jumps by a wall marked
with inches or a basketball standard.
Measure each jump and try to improve
on each successive jump. Take a
minimum of 20 seconds rest between
jumps.
Broad Jumps – similar to the Vertical
Jumps this exercise is also used as an
assessment.
Do the broad jumps by marking the
floor for inches and jumping as far as
possible. (Example floor markings are
in the “Bonus” section.) Measure each jump and try to improve on each successive
jump. Take a minimum of 20 seconds rest between jumps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdaInCBqzq8
Box Jumps – I can attribute much of my personal success to box jumps. This is a
great exercise for building power and agility. Begin by jumping on lower boxes
(assuming that you have made or purchases boxes) and progressively work your
way up to single jumps onto a 36 to 40 inch box. You may wish to use this as an
assessment also as it will create a ton of enthusiasm in your program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd9MgIOxgmY
Other great “Jump Exercises” Include:
Bounds For Distance
Bounds For Height
-Sprint Technique – the next few “Super Speed” exercises are actual sprints. As
we get closer to the season these exercises become a more and more important
part of the program. Sprint training often takes place 2-3 times per week at this
point.
43
Your athletes should be tested monthly in either the 20 or the 40-yard dash. Times
should be recorded and broken each month.
Below I have broken the sprint down into 3 sections (The Start, First 10 yards and,
Top Speed) In each section I will give you an outline of the most important aspects
and how to train them for maximum efficiency.
The Start –
1. Be sure to start with the foot that you would jump off of from a running start
in front. This is the left foot for 90% of people. This foot should be placed
1-6 inches behind the starting line.
2. The back foot should line up about 1-6 inches behind the first foot. The feet
should be placed about hip-width apart.
3. Place both hands on the ground about a yard in front of the start line.
4. Walk the hand you will be placing on the line, back to the line. (If your left
foot is forward, you will walk your right hand back of the line) Turn this hand
sideways and place the tips of your thumb, index finger and middle finger on
the line.
5. Your head and shoulders should remain over the line. Your knees slightly
bent, placing your hips higher than your shoulders.
6. Now, bring the opposite hand off the ground. Bend the elbow of this arm at
90 degrees and put your hand at your hip. You should feel as if you can’t
hold this position for very long. Once this hand is at your hip you will pause
for a split second and take off.
7. Note – the position of your head is of great importance also. Keep your
head in line with your spine and look to where you want to land your first
step.
First 10 yards –
1. The first 10 yards will make or break your 40! Think of the first 10 like an
airplane taking off. Before the airplane reach top speed it must make a
quick and even acceleration.
2. The first step is the most critical part of the first 10 yards. From the stance
described earlier, you are going to drive out for your first step.
3. Basically this first step is a forward “jump”, driving both legs into the ground
and landing the first foot about a yard in front of you.
44
4. At this point your body will be at a 45-degree angle to the ground.
5. The back knee should drive as far back as possible.
6. At the point of the first step, the arms should be “hammering “ back hard.
7. The head, torso and legs should be aligned at about a 45-degree angle.
8. Each step following the first should be slightly longer and the angle of the
body will gradually approach 85
degrees.
Top Speed (or Transition) Mechanics
1. The head should be aligned
with the spine. Not leaning
back or rotating from side to
side.
2. The face and jaw should be
relaxed and held loose.
3. The shoulders should also be
relaxed and not shrugged up
high.
4. The elbows should be locked at 90 degrees. Also, you should be firing the
arms backwards during your 40.
5. The ankles and foot should be held in a “toe up” position.
At this point you will be nearing the end of your sprint. Be sure to sprint through
the line and never slow up prior to completion of the sprint.
Plyo Push Up Variations – This is a great upper body speed developer that will not
only create faster hands but will also work to improve the amount of weight you
can bench press.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNK7IFYIeOI
Variations include: Push Ups for speed, “jumping” push ups for height, plyo push
ups off of boxes, plyo push ups off of a medicine ball, any type of fast and
explosive push up will get the job done!
45
Medicine Ball Chest Pass - Similar what the Plyo Push Up does for performance,
this is a great addition to your upper body Super Speed regime.
As is implied in the title, you are simply going to chest pass a heavy medicine ball
or sandbag towards another athlete who will pass it back to you; or chest pass for
distance or towards a brick wall.
IMPORTANT WARNING!!!
Super Speed or Agility Training of any sort - IS NOT CONDITIONING!
On almost a daily basis I will meet parents and athletes who come to me
complaining about not being able to gain mass on the strength and conditioning
program designed for them by their high school coach. When I take a look at the
strength training programs, they are typically well designed and follow basic
strength and mass building principles. Then they pull out the “speed and agility”
program and the reasons for their failure becomes evident.
First football coaches, athletes and parents need to understand that there is a
difference between constructing a fast and powerful athlete and an aerobically
conditioned one. Speed and agility training should be designed to get your
athletes to sprint, run and change directions faster… not compete in the Boston
Marathon.
Although many of the drills and exercises used are good, the parameters that most
coaches are following hinder the very response that they are aiming to evoke. For
example, rest periods are too short. If your aim is to have an athlete perform a
Maximal Effort Sprint or even 90%, you must give him the same amount of rest
that you would if he were performing power cleans. By limiting the amount of
recovery time from rep to rep the athlete will not be able to stimulate the nervous
system to reproduce his fastest sprint possible after the first one or two attempts.
One of the principles of speed training is to train the nervous system to reproduce
a technically sound, maximal effort sprint in order to become more and more
efficient at the skill. I once was told by a mentor of mine, “Repetition is the mother
of all skill, granted that the repetition is completed properly.” This would mean that
each sprint should be as close to “perfect” as possible. This is not attainable with a
tired athlete.
Each athlete is going to be different, but a good rule of thumb for rest intervals is
around 90 seconds between reps. In fact, I often let my athletes rest up to 2
minutes between sprints.
The next point that I would like to make with regard to this so-called approach to
speed training is that most coaches have their athletes perform way too much of it,
46
way too early in the off season. Many coaches have their athletes perform 2-3
hours of “speed training” per week in the winter months of December – March.
It is during this time that athletes need to recover from a season of sprinting and
begin to build up some muscle mass. If you are spending 3 hours a week of
precious muscle building time, sprinting with short rest periods… you are going to
have a team full of skinny, weak but well conditioned athletes, this is great if you
are a soccer coach!
I urge you to consider leaving your high paced sprint work and conditioning until
the late spring. If training camp begins in August then you can afford to leave
conditioning off until April or even May. It doesn’t take very long for young athletes
to get back in to “playing shape” 6 – 8 weeks of conditioning prior to training camp
is ample time to get into great condition for football.
f. Speed Flex System & Pre Training Routine
The CGP Speed-Flex System –
There are many differing opinions about stretching and flexibility in the strength
and conditioning arena. Many will tell you that static stretching is worthless and
you should only stretch dynamically. Others tell you that you must perform
“corrective stretches” prior to (but never after) a training session. I will tell you
what has worked for me.
There was a point in my career that I studied Corrective Exercise with some of the
worlds leading authorities on the subject. I had all of my athletes and clients
complete a full length-tension assessment to determine what specific muscles
needed to be stretched and which ones needed to be strengthened.
Although this system of “need analysis” is highly effective, it wasn’t efficient or
practical. Often times I would design stretching routines for athletes that contained
12 different corrective stretches along with mobility exercises.
How many of them do you think did my stretches? None.
Though trail and error I have discovered that there are typically 3 muscles that are
tight on young athletes and stretching them allows for greater range of motion
during sprints as well as decreasing the chance for injury. The 3 muscles that I am
referring to are:
1. Pec Minor
2. Psoas (or hip flexors)
3. Piriformis (deep gluteus muscles)
47
Now don’t get me wrong, there are instances where an athlete must stretch other
muscles due to severe imbalance or injury… but for the most part these 3
stretches are a “catch-all” for improving speed flexibility.
How to perform them:
1. Pec Minor Stretch: Approach the corner of
a wall; turn your back to it so that it splits
your legs when you look through them.
Reach your arm around and place your
forearm on the wall with your thumb
pointing backwards. Keep your knees
slightly bent. Gently lean into the wall and
twist your body away. Hold stretch for 30
sec. and switch sides. 3-5 reps each. Be
sure to stretch the tighter side more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEtuF9m_xOY
2. Hip Flexor Stretch: Get into a lunge
position with one knee on the floor and
the opposite foot flat on the floor. Tuck
your butt under in order to keep your back
flat (rotate your pelvis toward the front
leg)… lean forward at the hips. To
increase the stretch you may lean over to
the opposite side of the knee that is down.
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the
other side…3-5 reps. Be sure to stretch
the tighter side more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxiIEWpnvDA
3. Glute Stretch: Lay flat on your back.
Grab one leg and extend the other.
With the leg that you are holding.
Wrap both hands around your knee
and pull the knee towards you as it
crosses the mid line of your body. You
should feel a stretch deep inside the
glute of the leg you are stretching.
Hold for 30 sec. and repeat. . 3-5 reps. Be sure to stretch the tighter side
more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruld056nUmA
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I coach my athletes who have severe tightness in these areas to stretch them prior
to and after training. Those who do not display extreme tightness are encouraged
to stretch at bedtime and upon rising.
Dynamic Flexibility Warm Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWoAJHjIPcQ
This warm up / flexibility routine is done before all sessions, speed and weight
training, but after the corrective stretches. Search the Exercise Index videos for
demonstrations of this warm up. But most of them are self-explanatory.
1. Jumping Jacks
2. Seal Jacks
3. Split Jacks
4. Speed Skips (10 – 20 Yards)
5. High Knee Tuck (10 – 20 Yards)
6. High Knee Run (10 – 20 Yards)
7. Quad Stretch (10 – 20 Yards)
8. Butt Kickers (10 – 20 Yards)
9. Figure 4 (10 – 20 Yards)
10. Straight Leg march (10 – 20 Yards)
11. Walking Lunge with a lean (10 – 20 Yards)
12. Backwards walking lunges (10 – 20 Yards)
13. Backwards Skips (10 – 20 Yards)
14. Backwards Reach Run (10 – 20 Yards)
15. Lateral Shuffle (10 – 20 Yards)
16. Carioca (10 – 20 Yards)
17. Over Head Squats
18. Walkouts
g. Work Capacity / Conditioning
Like I mentioned earlier, aerobic training in the traditional sense, for football
players makes no sense. Instead we focus on the energy system demands that
the sport of football requires. Primarily Strength, Power and Speed… all of which
can be described as “ATP-CP or more accurately The Non-oxidative / Glycolitic
Systems.
According the Mel Siff, Work Capacity refers to the general ability of the body as a
machine to produce work of different intensities and duration using the appropriate
energy systems of the body. The energy systems that we would like to train
typically follow the parameters of High Intensity at Short or Moderate Rest
Intervals. Basically this means that we are going to kick butt for 30-90 seconds
49
and then rest for 30-90 seconds. This can be repeated 1-10 times depending on
the time of the off-seasons and the goals of the program.
Generally the training of Work Capacity and
most conditioning programs may be delayed
until later in the year and be consistent with the
specific demands of the sport / position as it
exists during games. For example special
conditioning training and Sport Specific practice
itself (running routes, tackling drills etc.)
Many coaches and athletes make the mistake of
conditioning way to early (December – May) and
sacrifice time and resources that can be
harnessed for the development of muscle mass,
strength and power.
Prowler Push
Below are some examples of Work Capacity Routines that we use starting late
May through the summer. You can add these circuits to the end of your Super
Speed or Weight Training days or you can reserve special training sessions for the
completion of these workouts.
Work Capacity #1 (repeat 2-10 times, 60-90 seconds rest) (click here to a video)
• Weighted Tire Sled Dragging (30 yards)
• Burpees (10 reps) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Dq_NCzj8M
• Farmers Carries (30 yards)
• Vertical Squat- Jumps In Place (10 reps)
Work Capacity #2 (repeat 2-10 times, 60-90 seconds rest) (click here to a video)
• Body Weight Squats (20 reps)
• Body Weight Lunges (20 reps)
• Body Weight Step Ups (10 each leg)
• Burpees (10 reps)
Work Capacity #3 (repeat 2-10 times, 60-90 seconds rest) (click here to a video)
• Pull Ups (5 reps)
• Medicine Ball Slams (10 reps)
• Burpees (15 reps)
• Car Push (40 yards)
Work Capacity #4 (repeat 2-10 times, 60-90 seconds rest) (click here to a video)
• Push Ups (15 reps)
• Bear Crawls (20 yards)
• Crab Walk (20 yards)
• Star Jumps (10 reps)
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Work Capacity #5 (repeat 2-10 times, 60-90 seconds rest) (click here to a video)
• Weighted Prowler Push (40 yards)
• Heavy Sand Bag Carry (40 yards)
• Bear Crawls (40 yards)
• Sprint (40 yards)
h. Putting it all together
Here is a sample program; it shows you how to structure your programs with the
exercises above. This is an excellent template to follow but in your handbook are
several variations on this program for you to use. Remember, the templates are
good but I encourage you to design your own programs for variety, using the
framework below. For example many athletes and coaches will not have the
luxury of training 5 days per week, so they would add the Super Speed Training
Days to the beginning of the lifting days. This way they can complete all methods
within the allotted amount of team time.
Also, It is the intention of this book to educate you on the principles associated with
designing sound strength and conditioning programs, not to provide you with a
cookie cutter version of a single program. Use the templates at first, then design
your own progams based on individual needs and time of the year.
All you would do is replace the exercises in each category for new ones every 2-3
weeks
Monday – Power lifting Upper
1. Power Lifting Upper: Choose one of the following and work up to a 35 rep max.
•
•
•
•
•
Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Close Grip Bench Press
Board Press
Floor Press
2. Body Building Upper: Choose one of the following and perform 3-4
sets of 6-10 reps.
•
•
Dumbbell Bench Press (Palms in or facing out)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (palms in or facing out)
3. Body Building Pull: Super Set one exercise from the first group of
exercises with one exercise from the second group. Perform 3-4
super sets of 8-12 reps.
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Group 1
• Lat Pull downs
• Chin Ups
• Seated Cable Rows
Group 2
• Face Pulls
• Rear Delt Flys
• Scare Crows
4. Traps / Neck: Barbell Shrugs – 4 sets of 10
5. Arms: Barbell Curls – 4 sets of 10
Tuesday – Super Speed (Low volume early in the off season to high volume
close to the season)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dynamic Warm Up
Vertical Jumps x 5 -10
Broad Jumps x 5 - 10
20 Yard Dash x 5 - 10
Wednesday – Power lifting Lower
1. Power Lifting Lower: Choose one of the following exercises and work up to
a 3-5 rep max.
•
•
•
•
Back Squats
Box Squats
Trap Bar Dead Lifts
Standard Dead Lifts
2. Quads / Unilateral: Choose one of the following and perform 3 sets of 8-12
reps.
• Step Ups
• Reverse Barbell Lunges
• Single Leg Squat Variation
3. Posterior Chain: Choose one of the following and perform 3-4 sets of 8-15
reps.
• Glute Ham Raises
• Straight Leg Dead Lifts
• Forward Sled Dragging
• Cable Pull Through
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4. Abdominal Circuit –
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
V-ups x 10
Push Through x 10
Knee Push x 10
Bicycles x 10
Single leg pushes x 10
Straight Leg sit ups x 10
Thursday – Super Speed (Low volume to high volume)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dynamic Warm Up
Box Jumps x 5 -10
Bounding for distance (20 yards) x 6
20 Yard Dash x 5 – 10
Friday – Bodybuilding Upper or Dynamic (for advanced lifters)
2. Body Building Upper: Choose one of the following exercises and perform 3
sets of as many reps as possible with 2 min rest in between sets.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Push Ups
Barbell Push Ups
Bodyweight Dips
Chin Ups
Bench Press
Inverted Rows
3. Body Building Pull: Super Set one exercise from the first group of exercises
with one exercise from the second group. Perform 3-4 super sets of 8-12
reps.
Group 1
• Lat Pull downs
• Chin Ups
• Seated Cable Rows
Group 2
• Face Pulls
• Rear Delt Flys
• Scare Crows
4. Body Building Push: Choose one of the following and perform 3-4 sets of 815 reps:
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•
•
•
Seated Dumbbell Press
Standing Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
5. Grip: Choose One
• Wrist Roller 3 x 2 (up and back is 1 rep)
• Thick Bar Hold (135 lbs or 225 lbs for time)
• Dead Hang for time
• Plate Pinches for time
• Hex Dumb Bell Hold for time
6. Abdominal: Choose One
• Weighted Crunches 4 x 8-12
• Wind Shield Wipers 4 x 20
• Reverse Crunches 4 x 15
• Sprinter Crunches 4 x 20
• V ups 4 x 15
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Eat Like A Man
Diet & Supplements
On this program you’ve got to eat. If you are skinny and weak, you need to eat a
ton of food. And don’t just tell me that you eat a lot, I get this from a lot of kids and
when I take one look at what they really eat it turns out to be nothing more than a
few slices of pizza and some cereal all day long. If you plan on skipping this
section because you think:
a. you already eat enough and eat well
b. you don’t have time to eat.
Pack it up right now and just forget the whole thing because you are fooling
yourself and you will never reach your potential no matter what program you use.
You’ve got to eat more, plain and simple.
Even you fat kids. You’re not only eating crappy food, you too are not eating
enough or as frequently as you need to. An example of a typical fat kids diet would
look like this:
Breakfast: Cheerios & Skim Milk
Lunch: nothing
Snack: A Hot Pocket & Soda
Dinner: Spaghetti O’s, Kool Aid & Cookies
“Either you eat that or I WILL!”
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Seems like this kid would be skinny because he barely eats all day, but the truth is
that he is fat because he his malnourished. I don’t have time now to go into the
reasons why eating too few empty calories per day makes you fat but trust me if
this kid ate even 2,000 more calories per day, on my program he would not only
get build massive muscles he will lose fat. When you eat more food your body also
responds by releasing greater amounts of growth hormone and testosterone, yet
another form of natural steroids.
Chances are that you or your athletes are either skinny and weak or plain old fat.
And that’s why I thought it was important to write this section. Also, many athletes
today are severely injury prone. This has to do with the fact that their bones, joints,
tendons, ligaments and muscles are literally made up of Twizzlers and Coca Cola.
You become what you eat. Every cell in your body has to me made of something,
right? Well every 30-90 days billions of cells are replaced with new ones and the
are made up of the foods that you have been eating. So if you’ve been eating chips
and soda then guess what your ACL is made of. Look at it this way, if you lifting
weights and expect to get stronger and the building blocks for that muscle is
garbage food, how strong can you expect to become?
Eat more, and eat higher quality foods. In fact just eat food! This may sound
strange but most of what you eat is not even considered food. What the heck is a
Hot Pocket anyway, and if you tell me meat and bread then I urge you to read the
labels. This is NOT food. In my opinion if it wasn’t here 10,000 years ago then it
isn’t food. Chicken, rice, spinach all comes from the earth. Even hamburgers,
peanut butter and milk can all be traced back to something that was here 10,000
years ago.
Also, don’t be fooled by the term all-natural. Monkey brains and dog feces are all
natural but I wouldn’t eat them if I wanted to get stronger.
In the following section I am going to give you a little background on our food
situation and how you can approach your nutrition for maximum results.
Remember, if you are not eating right you are wasting your time… just quit the
program if you are not willing to go out of your way to eat right.
Also, later on I am going to give you a meal plan to follow based on how much you
weigh and your strength goals. So listen up!
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The Price Factor
“That modern man has been declining in physical fitness has been
emphasized by many eminent sociologists and other scientists. That the
rate of degeneration is progressively accelerating constitutes a cause for
great alarm, particularly since this is taking place in spite of the advance
that is being made in modern science along many lines of investigation.”
Dr. Weston A Price
Nutrition & Physical Degeneration
The late Dr. Weston A Price has documented the most comprehensive study ever,
of the primitive man and his diet / lifestyle in his groundbreaking book Nutrition &
Physical Degeneration
Dr. Price was a dentist in the late 1930’s, he began to notice that an increasing
number of his patients were contracting dental maladies such as cavities and
rotting teeth… don’t we all? And most notably, his younger patients were being
born with what Dr. Price called “facial deformities”.
These ‘facial deformities’ have become commonplace since the 1930’s, they
include: crowding of the teeth, crowding of facial features and, a narrowing of the
palate and jaw. As well, Dr. Priced noticed an increased susceptibility to illness
when these ‘deformities’ were present.
Not only did Dr. Price notice that the physical structure of man was deteriorating
but he noted that the function of the mind and the body was wasting away also.
Today, it is common for children to be born with these ‘facial deformities’ as well as
behavioral and cognitive dysfunction; prior to the 1930’s this was not the case. Dr.
Price knew that something was wrong and he set out to find an answer.
So, like any sane, wealthy, doctor of the time… he set out to find groups of isolated
“primitive” peoples through the world. Dr. Price wanted to discover what “Man”
was truly intended to eat and how “Man was truly intended to live.
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The Worlds Strongest People –
The Swiss Alps (1931-1932)
The first isolated peoples that Dr. Price studied were as group of folks living in the
Loetschential Valley waaaay up in the Swiss Alps. Modernized societies found it
difficult to corrupt these guys because trucks containing loads of garbage foods
couldn’t make it way up those hills.
In fact, these folks lived on a diet of foods that were completely locally produced…
think about that when you’re eating a mango and you live in Canada!
So, what did Dr. Price find in these cold hills…
“It has been the achievement of the valley to build some of the finest physiques in
all Europe. This is attested to the fact that many of the famous Swiss guards of the
Vatican at Rome who are the admiration of the world and the pride of Switzerland,
have been selected from this and other Alpine valleys.” (1)
We are really interested in what these people ate… they were smart, peaceful, and
strong as oxen!
Their diets consisted of:
•
Butter – not just any old butter, this butter was special… so special that they
would hold festivals and celebrations in its honor. They instinctively knew
that “butter from cows grazing on fresh, growing grass” had amazing livegiving properties. Despite what our honored T.V say’s, butter (from quality
sources) is among the healthiest foods on earth. You’ve got to … eat
butter.
•
Cheese – Again, if you think they were eating Kraft Fun Slices then you're in
deep denial. Their cheese was loaded in all kinds of stuff that would make a
bigger man out of you! And if your worried about high cholesterol and other
myths of the sort, remember… they had NO DOCTORS. They didn’t need
em’. If you think ‘Gulaf The Swiss’ was taking Lipitor because his LDL’s
were high – then you haven’t been paying attention!
•
Rye Bread – Dr. Atkins would have a heat attack! These folks loved to take
large slabs of Rye bread and put a slice of cheese (equal is thickness) on it
for a mid-day snack. This bread is the way bread was meant to be. It was
grown in healthy soil (this is another story) and prepared with time, effort
and lots of love. A far cry from the processed fortified and, genetically
engineered garbage grains that we eat today.
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So, it should be obvious to you that a large part of why these folks were so big,
strong, happy and healthy is due to the way that they ate….
So, your asking yourself Elliott, why does this matter to me? I just want to run
faster and get stronger. Hey, if you need me to answer this question then you
haven’t been paying attention. You are what you eat and theses people are what
they ate. You are weak, get the flu every winter and have dislocated your shoulder
7 times in the past year. They are strong, rugged and disease resistant.
Now, if you were looking for a left tackle to protect your quarterback who would you
choose?
I want you to know about these people because they exemplify our true physical
potential and may be able to teach us a thing or two about how to eat and live so
that we too can have bones as strong as steel
The North American Indians
After some time in Europe Dr. Price came back to America to study the various
native peoples of his homeland.
The Native American’s lived for thousands of years completely isolated from “The
Civilized Man”. These folks have adapted to their given environments and have
learned how to live WITH the land, not just on it.
They ate meat, meat and meat with some meat on the side. Every part of the
animal was eaten. Of greatest importance were the organs of the animals that
they ate. These wise people knew that it was in the organs that all of the potent
nutrition resided… not in the lean meat. In fact if the meat wasn’t fatty enough it
was fed to the dogs!
Think about that the next time some puppet tells you to eat only lean meats and
chicken breast.
There was no Colon Cancer… so out the window goes the Meat = Colon Cancer
Theory.
These were rugged and intelligent people.
“They lived in a country in which grizzly bears were common. Their pelts were
highly prized and they captured many of them with baited pitfalls. Their knowledge
of the use of the different organs and tissues of the animals for providing a defense
against certain of the affections of the body which we speak of a degenerative
diseases was surprising.” (1)
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Their “Fad Diet” consisted of:
•
Wild Animals Of The Chase – Bear, Moose, Deer, Caribou etc. These
people were strong because the animals that they ate were strong. The
wild game that served as a staple in the Native American’s diet were
respected for their life-giving properties and lived off of the organic land
before being sacrificed for human consumption. I wonder where that
chicken nugget you had for lunch came from?
•
Animal Organs – From the Rooter to the Tooter! The Natives knew that the
most nutritionally potent parts of the animal meal were the organs. In fact
when a kill was made, our savvy ancestors would immediately cut it open
and eat the adrenal glands, liver, pancreas and heart first. All the other
meat was either stored for later of given to the dogs… especially the
despised lean-meat.
•
Veggies – If they were in the stomach of the animal. Why waste valuable
time and energy looking for veggies and cooking them when our friendly
animals will do all the work for us. The animals are so kind that they are
even willing to predigest the plant food for us. Primal man knew that meat is
much more nutrient dense than grains and greens so he ate the animals
who condensed all of the plant nutrition into tasty little bites.
•
Sea Food – Fish, Fish Eggs and Sea Weed. Today our oceans are so
polluted that it is nearly impossible to get your hands on some clean,
untainted fish. So I don’t suggest dining out for sushi every evening. Fish oil
is essential and should be a part of every man’s diet.
Africa - Masai Tribe of Western Africa:
These guys are my favorite… the Milk & Meat People of Western Africa!
About them:
The Masai are a highly skilled nomadic tribe. They live off of meat and the blood
and milk produced by their livestock. The warriors of the tribe used the extremely
vital bodybuilding materials, vitamins and fat-soluble activators in the animal’s
blood to maintain them as the strongest and most disease resistance tribe in West
Africa.
Their knowledge of animal rearing and care tops that of any industrial farmer in the
American North-West today. So particular about which animals were to best to
60
nourish themselves with that if a mother cattle didn’t raise quickly after giving birth
to her calf… they would consider her meat, blood and milk inferior.
Think about the cramped, dark and dirty factories where you meat comes from and
the fact that the animals in them are so diseased and mistreated that they have to
pump them full of anti-biotics just so they don’t rot alive before they can get to your
dinner table. Do you think Mr. Masai would even look at your meat? Not a chance
– he’d rather starve!
Not only did they know how to care for animals but they knew how to hold their
own amongst them too. The Masai boys would learn at a very early age how to kill
a lion with their spear…. This is a far cry from our little punks who cry when an
angry mutt barks at him! In fact he wasn’t allowed to date Masai chicks until he
killed one of these big cats.
When a Masai gets the munchies he eats:
•
Meat- The Masai were geniuses when it came to caring for and raising
healthy livestock. The meat from their roaming pack was so healthy that it
could be eaten exclusively for days.
•
Some Fruits & Veggies- I’m sure that the vegetation that made up a portion
of the Masai diet was not nearly as tasty as the “fruit roll-ups” that we feed
our kids. Then again the Masai kids are probably not the candy-asses that
our kids are.
Masai Warrior thinking over his grocery list before going to Wal-Mart.
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High Octane Fuel
Remember, ‘You Are What You Eat’… from the moment that you put something
into your mouth your body begins using it to create new cells somewhere in your
system. Are you going to be made of Cheese-Its and Soda or are you going to be
made of a robust free-range, organic turkey and unprocessed milk?
The Choice is ALWAYS yours!
Eat Organic Food
People are always quoting the latest ‘study’ that claims that organic food is no
better than conventionally raised foods. Besides being completely misinformed,
these folks have fallen victim to corporate greed. I don’t expect everyone to run
out and begin buying food from their local farmers this week, but I just feel that it’s
fitting to include this information in this program.
The companies that fund these so-called studies are the same companies that are
manufacturing the herbicides, pesticides and fungicides that poison your food.
Always look a little deeper!
Another point that I would like to make with regard to conventional vs. organic food
is that countries like China have been using organic methods to farm their lands for
tens of thousands of years.
They have been such skillful farmers that their soil is just as nutritious as it was
thousands of years ago. Also, they have a fraction of the farmable land that we
have in the US and a boatload more people to feed. So, do not let anyone tell you
that we need conventional farming to feed the worlds people.
In fact, the “world’s people” are so aware of the poor quality of our food that many
starving nations will not even accept our grains as a gift!
Why should I buy organic food?
For starters, the soil that organic food is grown in is much more nutritious than that
of conventionally raised crops. If the nutrients aren’t in the soil, they can’t get into
the plant. If the nutrients are not present in the plants, they will not be present in
you when you eat it… its as simple as that.
There are several reasons why our soils are so nutrient deficient (it wasn’t always
that way), but for now we’ll just say that our farmers have done a lousy job taking
care of the land.
When the soils are depleted the crops that they yield will be deficient in:
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•
Secondary Nutrients- there are over 10,000 secondary compounds found in
plants. Many of these nutrients have yet to be studied and understood, but
every year a new study emerges stating that one or more of them have the
capacity to prevent and reverse cancer, diabetes and aging!
•
Protein Quality –When our food is raised with conventional farming methods
the essential microorganisms that ‘feed’ the crops minerals, trace minerals
and trace elements, are destroyed by the chemical fertilizers, pesticides,
herbicides and fungicides that are administered. When this occurs the
amino acid composition is destroyed.
Next, organic food is grown without the use of toxic chemicals such as pesticides
and fertilizers. This fact alone makes buying organic food worth the extra pennies.
Don’t be fooled by those who tell you that pesticides will not harm you… the effects
are evident and super obvious. A small example… a study done in Latin America
to discover why children born at the top of a industrially farmed hill-side had better
motor skills, increased intelligence and better behavior than the children at the
bottom of the hill… showed that there was an increased amount of pesticides in
the water, food and ground of the homes of the children at the bottom of the hill,
this was due to the ‘run off’ effect, when it rains the chemicals made its way down
hill.
I don’t know about you, but I would like to see my children reach their full physical
and mental capacities without the interference of toxic chemicals that I have the
choice to expose them to or not.
Before a food can be labeled as Certified Organic in the US the fields on which it is
grown must go through a 3-year ‘gestation’ period in which the farmers must use
organic farming methods only. This time period assures that the microorganisms
have time to digest and eliminate chemical residues.
So what do I do?
•
•
Choose organic whenever possible.
Organic food not only helps you and your family remain healthy and free
from toxins, organic farming practices are good for the planet… let’s leave a
safe home for our great, great grandchildren.
Processed Food
I am appalled at what people think is food these days! Just look at some of the
garbage that we are feeding our children… what this heck is hotdog anyway?
Nothing on the labels of any of these foods even resembles a food. I guarantee
that over half of the “stuff” on the ingredient labels, you can’t even pronounce! It
looks more like a label for an air freshener than a food.
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These “foods” not only have a long list of “non-foods” on the label but there is a ton
of other garbage that doesn’t even need to be labeled (due to our wonderful law
makers). Did you know that there is antifreeze in your iced cream? It’s not
labeled… that’s because it is an industry standard… that means no label needed!
The Average American eats about 150 pounds of food additive each year… this all
comes from processed foods. Also, don’t be fooled by the term ‘all-natural’, rhino
feces is ‘all-natural’ but I wouldn’t want it in my soup. Food manufacturers know
what you want to hear… so they say it, beware.
If you refer to the previous section on “The Strong People” that Dr. Weston Price
studied, you could never imagine that we were designed to eat all of this garbage.
The fact is, that until we began ‘playing with our food’, we suffered from only a
fraction of the disease that we see today. The ‘Strong People’ had no words to
describe what we call Cancer, yet due to our straying from natural path we have
adopted all sorts of fun stuff like obesity, cancer and autoimmune diseases.
And, I don’t want to hear the “genetics did it to me” excuse, we do it to ourselves.
You choose what to eat and you suffer the consequences. Take responsibility for
your actions; stop blaming your ancestors… they never blamed anyone for their
mistakes.
“If I am what I eat, then my name is - ferrous sulphate (iron), B
vitamins (niacin, thiamine mononitrate [B1], ribofavin [B12] and folic
acid), sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose,
modified corn starch, cellulose gum, whey, dexturm, calcium
castimate, polysorbate 60, yellow 3”
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So What Do I Do?
•
Avoid processed foods. If it is in a box, can, or bag and can last on a shelf…
you can rest assured that it is processed
•
Eat only WHOLE FOODS that you can pronounce and find in nature… can
you say carrot or potato?
Fruits and Veggies
As mentioned in the organic foods section, plant foods contain many secondary
nutrients that are essential to vibrant health. But, these vital nutrients can be
destroyed if the foods are not prepared properly.
For example, you know that broccoli is good for you. You intend to nourish
yourself with the life-giving powers of this ‘super food’, so you throw some in a pot
to boil for 20 minutes… when the broccoli is done you scoop out of the pot what
looks like green oatmeal. It’s been over cooked.
When you cook most fruits and veggies you destroy many of the enzymes and
nutrients that make the food worthwhile.
Fruit juice is another issue… if you are using store bought, pasteurized fruit
juices… rest assure that you are drinking nothing but sugar water. In fact, any fruit
that is ‘juiced’ only have 1 hour before it begins to lose it’s value.
So what do I do?
•
Juicing your own fruits and veggies IS a good idea! It is a great way to get
numerous servings of raw veggies into your diet without having to eat it all.
Just be sure to consume all of the juice within one hour of making it.
•
Eating a variety of fruits and veggies is also a good idea; the average
American only eats about 10-12 different foods in their entire life. By
consuming a larger variety of foods you will get a better balance of nutrients
and avoid food allergies.
•
Also, be sure to choose organic when possible and always wash produce
with a non-toxic soap before eating.
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Meat
You are going to need to include some meat in your diet. Here we will discuss the
importance of getting the highest quality meats available.
Meat and eggs are the most plentiful source for the essential amino acids that are
necessary for normal growth and the formation of hormones. Meat is also loaded
in the life enhancing, fat soluble vitamins A and D… as well as saturated fats and
cholesterol that help to produce testosterone and keep your cells healthy.
Please, note that proteins cannot be adequately utilized without fat. I advise
against any diet that is high in protein and low in fat as this can lead to several
metabolic problems. In nature fats always accompany protein.
Dr. Price, in his studies of 15 groups of “primitive” people, found that the
populations that included meat in their diets were by far the healthiest. Studies of
the remains of these folks reveal that they had excellent bone structure, heavy
musculature and flawless teeth.
Many of the “diet dictocrats” will claim that eating meat and animal fats is bad for
you. My question to them would be “Then how did we get here?” For thousands
of years man has been eating meat – it is the quality of the meat that has changed.
Cows, sheep, and buffalo are designed to eat grass. In today’s factory farms this
is not the type of food that they receive. Factory farmers have been known to feed
their cattle things such as Cement Dust, Cardboard, Plastic Chips, Wood Chips
and Newspaper to name just a few.
When they get sick from eating this garbage and living in a factory they receive
mega doses of antibiotics. Feeding the animals in this way reduces the farmer’s
costs and fattens up the cattle for higher profit.
When animals are fed and treated poorly the effects are devastating to the health
of the animal and subsequently yours.
Did you know that the USDA says that it is just fine for you to eat cattle that have:
Cancer, Pneumonia, Glandular Swelling and Lymphoma, Sores, Infectious
Arthritis, Intestinal Worms and Tumors?
So what do I do?
•
Do yourself a huge favor and always choose organic meat. Even better,
choose organic – grass fed meat. When the animal on you plate has eaten
well… so will you.
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•
Remember, that you are what you eat… if you are eating sick, sad animals
that are on drugs. You will join the millions of Americans that are sick, sad
and on drugs.
Sugar
The average American consumes between 150 and 170 pounds of sugar per year.
That is up from only 4 pounds per person just 100 years ago! And we have the
nerve to blame genetics for our poor heath!
Let’s set the record straight folks, sugar is a drug and a poison. According to the
dictionary the definition of a poison is “something that exerts a harmful influence
on, or to pervert.” This is sugar, for sure. Sugar was even classified as a poison
by Dr. William Coda Martin in 1957.
Sugar robs your body of vital nutrients and is a displacement food. You can rest
assured that if you consume sugar in its depleted forms you are going to be fat,
sick and stupid.
Here’s why: Sugar makes you fat because excessive amounts of it are stored in
the liver. When the liver is filled to the max with sugar (glycogen) the excess gets
shipped back to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These fatty acids find a nice
home right under your chubby chin, in your love handles, on your breasts (yes,
man-breasts) and around your belly and fat butt.
Sugar makes you sick because it suppresses your immune system. In fact sugar
can incapacitate your immune system for up to 48 hours! Don’t blame “the chill in
the air” the next time you catch a cold… blame Little Debbie! Maybe she’ll make
you some chicken soup so you can feel better.
And stupid… sugar makes you stupid. According to world famous biochemist
Candice Pert, sugar has as similar effect on your brain as heroin! So, the next
time you open the bottle of ADD drugs for your hyper kid… think about how that
glass of Cool-Aid is making him the darling that he is! You’re better off giving him
a hit of some good-old heroin.
So what do I do?
•
Avoid sugar in all of its deadly forms… sucrose, dextrose, and fructose;
basically anything on the label that ends in ‘-ose’ is sugar. Don’t let the food
manufacturers fool you!
•
Sugar is EVERYWHERE… did you know that you can find sugar in
lunchmeat or cold cuts. They even put it in cigarettes! This is because food
manufacturers know how addicting sugar is – once you pop, you can’t stop.
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•
Artificially sweeteners suck too. If you think using your little yellow, pink or
blue packages is going to save you from diabetes, you’ve got another thing
coming. These ‘sugar substitutes’ are just as and sometimes even more
toxic than sugar itself. In fact some of them are even made from chlorine…
put that in your coffee!
•
Good sugar alternatives are: Raw Honey, Stevia, Fruit, Below Ground
Veggies and Succinat. Also, just because the sugar label says natural or
the sugar is brown does not make it safe… it’s all the same garbage in a
different wrapping.
•
Avoid all fruit juices and sodas. I don’t care if your doctor tells you that
drinking cranberry juice is good for your STD. It’s trash… once a juice has
been pasteurized it is as good as sugar water. And if I’ve get to tell you
about soda or “pop” for you mid-westerners – then you haven’t been paying
attention!
=
Alcohol
Alcohol is not meant for human consumption… I don’t care what they say about
the antioxidants in your red wine. It is not healthy for you, plain and simple. And if
you are an athlete drinking – you need to have a good talk with yourself.
Like sugar, alcohol is a poison. In fact all alcohol is just another form of simple
sugar. When you drink alcohol it is absorbed in to your blood stream immediately
causing your insulin to spike like a rocket. Say hello to hypoglycemia. So, actually
alcohol is worse than sugar! (and remember what I said about the “heroin factor”
in the sugar section)
68
When you sit down to have your glass of wine or beer before your meal, you are
doing several things that will make you fat, sick and absolutely de-vitalized.
First, what ever you are eating with your drink your body begins to recognize as a
poison. For example you are eating a bowl of shrimp fried rice with your beer…
because your body recognizes that there is poison in the form of alcohol in your
stomach it get rid of whatever is in your stomach as fast as possible. As this is
happening your immune system is taking notes as to what you have ingested so
that it can attack it next time it enters your system. So, next time you sit down to
another bowl is shrimp fried rice your body attacks the food like it were a
pathogen… this leads to food intolerances. I’ll spare you the details, but food
intolerances make you fat, makes your belly big, and can end up with all types of
autoimmune issues and autointoxication.
Next, alcohol is an irritant to the gut lining and causes leaky gut syndrome. Leaky
gut syndrome is just what it sounds like. Your colon wall becomes permeable and
allows undigested food particles to enter your blood stream. When this happens
you can look forward to an avalanche of wonderful circumstances such as: a
bloated gut, joint pain, rashes, autoimmune disorders, and that’s just the
beginning!
Finally, besides ruining your gut and making you fat… alcohol makes you stupid.
You know it and I know it. If you are going to reach your full potential and become
as strong and vital as you deserver to be, then alcohol is not your beverage of
choice. (9)
So what do I do?
•
If you must drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
•
Be sure to consume alcohol with a fatty food, such as cheese, to slow
absorption.
•
The fruits and grains that most alcohol is made from are high in toxic
pesticides. Choose organic drinks when possible.
69
Supplements
Supplements are meant to supplement a healthy diet, not take the place of proper
nutrition and training. Supplement manufactures would have you believe
differently but the truth is that only a handful of supplements actually work and NO
supplement works if you are lazy, eating poorly and training like a sick old lady.
There are a few really great and important supplements on the market, but there
are only 3 supplements that I recommend for my athletes, they are:
1. Meal Replacement Shakes
2. Creatine
3. Glutamine
Meal Replacement Shakes
This product is designed to give your body the correct nutrients in a simple, easy to
mix shake form. Each MRP shake replaces one meal and contains whey protein,
carbohydrates and a small amount of fat. Unless you like to cook, using a meal
replacement powder 2-3 times per day makes dieting much easier. You only need
to worry about putting together 2-3 meals per day instead of 6. Also, the whey in
MRPs saves me from trying to get a huge amount of protein from meat.
The products I prefer are Myoplex by EAS and Muscle Milk by CytoSport, but there
are dozens out there, and they are all quite similar. Since you will be drinking a lot
of these, you should find one that you like.
Creatine
Creatine is a metabolite manufactured by our bodies to supple our muscles with
energy. It is found naturally in red meat, but in very minute amounts. There are
about 7g of creatine in 12oz. of red meat. Creatine is not an anabolic hormone, or
a drug of any kind like a prohormone. Creatine is used to increase muscular
anaerobic endurance and power that will lead to increased muscle gain. Through
many scientific studies, creatine has been found to help build lean muscle mass,
increase athletic performance, increase endurance and speed recovery. It is stored
in your muscle cells and during periods of heavy muscular activity your body
converts it into ATP to power your muscles.
Is it harmful?
No. The bad press creatine has received in the past due to the incorrect usage by
the consumer, not the product. The only side effect reported is mild upset stomach
and occasional dehydration.
70
Recently, many people have suggested that taking creatine for long periods could
possibly damage the liver. A recent study suggested compared kidney health of
creatine users and non-creatine users for a period of 10 months to 5 years. The
creatine users ingested between 1-20g of creatine every day. Results of the study
indicated that supplementing with creatine monohydrate DID NOT have any
adverse effects on the kidney function or general health in any of the subjects.
I recommend either pure white creatine with nothing added or one that contains
dextrose such as Phospagen HP. Also follow the label for the loading parameters
and how to use it.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most widely used amino acid in the body. It is used to help build
muscles combat the stresses of exercise or trauma, lack of calories or illness.
Supplementing your diet with extra glutamine will help prevent muscle protein
breakdown while you’re asleep or dieting, and help increase protein synthesis.
Glutamine and Alanie are used extensively for muscle growth and repair. Large
amount are needed. Heavy training can reduce glutamine levels buy up to 50%. If
availability is low, growth and repair are slowed. Your body will preserve it for
more important functions. Muscle growth is low on the list of priorities during times
of low glutamine.
I prefer taking glutamine in the powdered form and adding it to my protein shakes.
I recommend taking at least 15 grams per day in 3 divided dosed of 5 grams each.
Since you will be using a ton of this stuff, buy it in bulk and save yourself a few
bucks.
Other notable supplements include
Fish Oil
Cod Liver Oil
Vitamin C
ZMA
Multivitamins
71
Mass Gaining Meal Plans
If you weigh 100 lbs or less, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
72
If you weigh around 100 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
73
If you weigh around 110 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
74
If you weigh around 120 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
75
If you weigh around 130 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
76
If you weigh around 140 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
77
If you weigh around 150 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
78
If you weigh around 160 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
79
If you weigh around 170 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
80
If you weigh around 180 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
81
If you weigh around 190 lbs, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
change plans when you gain 10 pounds.
82
If you weigh 200 lbs or more, use this program for gaining mass. Remember to
add 200 calories for every 10 pounds above 200 that you are or gain.
ex. If you weigh 240 you will eat 4400 calories per day.
83
Preparing Meals
Part I: Preparation
“Everyone has the will to win, but not everyone has the will to PREPARE to win.”
Bear Bryant
Shopping
*If you're just about to start the program, the best thing to do (right now) is make
sure you've got your diet planned according to the weight/body fat diet
recommendations in the manual
How much food you buy and how often you buy it is entirely up to you; some of the
program's participants buy and precook enough frozen meat for an entire month,
while some buy their food fresh every day. This guide is based on shopping once a
week, and buying food that is not frozen.
Once you've got your diet planned, write down all the foods you'll need to buy,
including the total number of portions you'll need for the week. On your first
shopping trip, you'll most likely buy too much, but after a few weeks, you'll be
better able to judge just how much food you need to buy.
It is generally best to portion your food right after you get home, as this will ensure
you only have to freeze your meat portions once. Freezing meat multiple times
causes the cells of the meat to burst, which not only kills the flavor, but also
reduces the amount of protein it contains.
84
About Portion Sizes
The nutritional values for meat in the Program assume the meat is cooked, as
meat tends to lose water weight while cooking. One way to portion your meals is
to pre-cook all your meat, then measure and portion after cooking; however, the
amount of weight that is lost (and the amount of protein the food actually
contains) will vary depending on how it's cooked. Take a look at the photos below
for an example.
85
The following chart illustrates how much weight food loses depending on how it's
cooked.
Changes in Food Mass (Chicken)
Cooking
Method
Weight Before
Cooking
Weight After Cooking
Electric Grill
8.5 oz
7.4 oz
BBQ
8.5 oz
6.5 oz
Slow Cooker
8.5 oz
6.3 oz
So! If you're eating a cooked 6.5 oz chicken breast, thinking it has 57.2 grams of
protein, it may actually have anywhere from 57 to 74 grams of protein,
depending on how it was prepared. For this reason, it's generally best to
calculate your protein intake based on amounts of raw meat, then it doesn't
matter how it's cooked. One ounce of raw chicken, for example, has 6.55 grams
of protein. Some protein is lost during the cooking process, but the difference is
negligible.
86
Once your meat is washed, simply put a few pieces into a container on top of the
scale. Add and remove pieces as needed. If all goes perfectly well, you won't have
any leftovers!
87
Part II: Cooking
88
89
When Ready to cook…
90
91
Part III: Getting Ready
Grab your shake bottles with the dry powder inside them, your meals and throw
them in a bag. You’re ready for a day of getting jacked!
92
Getting Started / Step By Step Guide
Thaddeus Bullard, former Florida Gator now with the Tampa Bay Storm has
worked hand in hand with Elliott Hulse at the Strength Camp Gymnasium.
Consult with your physician
Please consult with your physician before beginning any fitness program.
Understand that the techniques, ideas and suggestions in this document are not
intended as a substitute for proper medical advice!
I am NOT a doctor.
I urge you to consult your physician or health care professional before making
drastic changes to your diet and/or performing any new exercise of exercise
technique, particularly if you have any chronic or recurring condition.
Any application of the techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this document is at
the reader’s sole discretion and risk.
93
The author and the publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse
effects arising from following the diet and/or exercise program in this book without
appropriate medical supervision.
Proceed with this program, it is assumed that you have read and understood the
above statement.
Step By Step Program: Step 1 - Performance Assessments
If you don’t know where you are, and where you are going, how will you know
when you’ve gotten there? I think it is absolutely essential that you take account of
all of your results. This is important for several reasons but most importantly for
motivation. I have clients that have been training for 3 months and in there eyes
have not made any progress, but the moment I take out ‘before’ pictures and
remind them how they looked 90 days ago or if I remind them that they couldn’t
complete a single chin up and now they are doing 5 – they get motivated again.
Keep track of EVERYTHING! Your weight, the way you look (pictures), your
strength, speed and power… EVERYTHING. In the following section I will provide
worksheets for you to use to document and keep records of your results. I will
remind you of this again, but I suggest that you make photo copies of all of the
worksheets, 3-hole punch them and keep them in a binder. If you are a coach,
each of your athletes should have a binder that they keep all of their performance
and strength assessments in along with their training sessions and meal plans.
194lbs. Getting Jacked! (Nov 2nd)
Brandon Moll – 167lb. Young Punk
(July 23rd)
HOW DID HE DO IT??? – Brandon decided
that his future was important enough to invest
the time and money to join one of our on site
Strength Camps here in St. Petersburg FL. If
you are serious about your future in sports,
then see if you qualify to join us too.
Visit:
www.StrengthCamp.com/interview.htm
and sign up for a free performance
94interview with one of our coaches.
Body Weight & Pictures
Hey, do me a HUGE favor… Please, take pictures of yourself or your athletes
before using this program. Then take pics every 30 days. Once you’ve trained for
at least 90 days, send my your before and after pictures. I would love to feature
you in up coming products and I may even hold a contest very soon for the best
pictures. So keep em’ and send em’ to me at:
elliott@strengthcamp.com
THANKS!
Before – Date:
Weight:
After – Date:
Weight:
95
Make several photocopies of these sheets and include it in your Players Binders
along with their programs and meal plans. Test every 30 days or so.
Bench Press (1-3 reps) max strength
Date
Weight x Reps
Date
Weight x Reps
Box Squats (1-3 reps) max strength
Date
Weight x Reps
Date
Weight x Reps
Vert Jump - power
Date
Height
Date
Height
Broad Jump – power
Date
Distance
Date
Distance
96
40 yd dash – speed
Date
Time
Date
Time
Chin Ups – relative strength
Date
Reps
Date
Reps
Other assessments: You may decide to include other indicators, use the blank
spaces below.
Date
Date
Date
Date
97
Step By Step Program: Step 2 – Order Supplements, Food & Tools
Here is a list of some of the stuff you may need to purchase before beginning your
program.
Item
Description
Tape Measure - $1
To measure your body and to mark
lines for jumping assessments.
Bathroom Scale - $20
To assess bodyweight.
Food Measuring Cup and Food Scale
$15
Use to measure food weights. This is
absolutely essential in determining how
much you are REALLY eating.
Food Storage Containers - $25
I use the Rubbermaid brand
Shaker Bottle - $3
You will need a 32oz. plastic shaker
bottle to mix your protein shakes when
you are away from home.
Get the small portable kind. This is
used to carry food with you when you
are away from home for any extended
period of time.
Cooler - $20
Weight Training Belt - $35
You will need this when you are lifting
very heavy weights in the squat or dead
lift.
Sneakers & Lifting Clothes
Just make sure you are comfortable
and your sneakers aren’t trashed.
Avoid sneakers with ‘springs’ in the
heels. ie – Nike Shox
Food
Food
Chicken, Beef or Pork
Spinach, Green Beans or Broccoli
Brown Rice
Eggs
Wheat Bread
Lots of water – ½ your bodyweight in
oz. daily.
98
Item
Description
Meal Replacement Powder: Myoplex,
Muscle Milk etc. - $35 - $65
Take 2-3 servings per day
Whey Protein Powder: Designer Whey,
100% Whey - $25 - $30
Varies
Creatine: Phospogen HP or Cell Mass
$40 - $50
Follow directions on label
Glutamine Powder: buy the largest
container you can
3 servings (15g) daily with shakes
Vitamin C (1,000 mg caps)
3 tablets per day
Mike Collins Jr. Gets HUGE in 90 days!!!
“I gained over 30 pounds of muscle and added 35 pounds to my bench press.
Thanks Elliott and the Strength Camp team!”
Poor kid pukes at every workout!
At 182lbs. he’s ready to
take it to the next level!
213lbs. STACKED! Pure and natural
muscle forged by HARD WORK!
HOW DID HE DO IT??? – Mike decided that his future was important enough to invest the time
and money to join one of our on site Strength Camps here in St. Petersburg FL. If you are
serious about your future in sports, then see if you qualify to join us too.
Visit: www.StrengthCamp.com/interview.htm and sign up for a free performance interview
with one of our coaches.
99
Step By Step Program: Step 3 – Choose your meal plan
Simply refer to the meal plans located in the nutrition section of this manual.
Choose the one most appropriate based on your current body weight.
Be sure to increase your calories by 200 for every 10 pounds that you gain. Or just
upgrade to the next plan.
Remember, normal people only get normal results. You’ve got to be a bit crazy to
get something bigger!
I know at first it may seem daunting to make, pack and eat all of those meals… but
that’s what it takes! Be EXTRA – ordinary. You may have to go out of your way a
bit (go home for lunch; carry food with you; skip pizza day in the cafeteria) but
when you think about that multi-million dollar contract or that college scholarship all
of your whiny little concerns will seem to melt away!
Step By Step Program: Step 4 - Choose your training program
On the very last pages of this manual you will find a few different strength training
program to follow. I suggest photocopying these sheets and adding them to your
training binder to track your progress.
Begin with program #1 and rotate to the next program every 3 weeks. If you have
been training for about 6 weeks and being to feel ‘beat up’ take a week off and get
right back on your program.
Once you have made it through 4 programs rotate back to #1. Repeat this process
until your 1-week before 2 a-days begins in the summer.
Super Speed training is completed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Keep the amount
of reps between 3-5 for most of the off-season and increase it to 10 around April or
May.
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Top 5 Reasons To Join Strength Camp:
1. Get Stronger, Get Faster, Play Harder - Guaranteed!
When you join Strength Camp, you WILL get stronger and faster. In fact, we are so confidant
about your sports and fitness success that we will refund 100% of your money within the first
month of joining if you are not completely satisfied. You have nothing to lose and the world to
gain! Plain and simple – Strength Camp works.
2. No Nonsense, Hard Core Strength & Conditioning For Athletes
When you join Strength Camp you can expect to train hard, hard and, harder. In our training
facility you will not find the “carpets and chrome” that you find in typical fitness gyms, nor will you
see athletes dancing around cones and doing fancy foot-ladder tricks. What you will see are
100% dedicated, motivated and committed athletes pouring out their hearts to achieve their
maximum athletic potential. Our programs are based on hard science and facts – no nonsense!
3. Elite Level Strength Coaches
Our coaches are the most qualified in the field of sports science, speed and strength
development. We are certified by the most stringent and prestigious organizations in the
Strength & Conditioning field including NSCA/ CSCS, NASM and, The CHEK Institute. We also
pride ourselves on our ability to motivate and demand only the best efforts from our athletes.
4. College Scholarships & Professional Contracts
Everyone knows that scholarships and contracts only go to the ‘best of the best’. It is our
intention to give every athlete the tools necessary to achieve all of their sports as well as life
goals and purpose. “Move towards your goals and dreams with reckless abandon and your
dreams will move towards you.”
5. See What Our Athletes Have To Say
Don’t just take our word for it, see what other athletes have discovered at Strength Camp
(referenced throughout this manual)
Visit: www.StrengthCamp.com/interview.htm and sign up
for a free performance interview with one of our coaches.
101
Step By Step Program: Step 5 – Create your 24 hr. schedule
24-hour schedule (sample)
Time
12 am
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sat.
Sun.
Meal 1
Meal 1
Meal 1
Meal 1
Meal 1
Meal 1
Meal 1
Meal 2
Meal 2
Meal 2
Meal 2
Meal 2
Meal 2
Meal 2
Meal 3
Meal 3
Meal 3
Meal 3
Meal 3
Meal 3
Meal 3
2 pm
Creatine
stack
Creatine
stack
Creatine stack
Creatine
stack
Creatine
stack
3 pm
TRAIN
SPEED DAY
TRAIN
SPEED DAY
TRAIN
Meal 4
Meal 4
4 pm
Creatine &
Meal 4
Creatine &
Meal 4
Creatine &
Meal 4
Creatine &
Meal 4
Creatine &
Meal 4
Meal 5
Meal 5
Meal 5
Meal 5
Meal 5
FREE
MEAL
Meal 5
Meal 6
Meal 6
Meal 6
Meal 6
Meal 6
Meal 6
Meal 6
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm
102
24-hour schedule
Time
12 am
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm
103
Thursday
Friday
Sat.
Sun.
24-hour schedule
Time
12 am
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1 am
2 am
3 am
4 am
5 am
6 am
7 am
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
11 pm
104
Thursday
Friday
Sat.
Sun.
Name_______________________________ PHASE 1 ***www.CriticalBench.com***
105
Name_______________________________ PHASE 2 ***www.CriticalBench.com***
106
Name_______________________________ PHASE 3 ***www.CriticalBench.com***
107
Name_______________________________ PHASE 4 ***www.CriticalBench.com***
108
Step-By-Step Program: Step 6 – Begin Your Program, Monitor Your Results
& Stay Motivated!
To complete this section and this manual I have included some of my favorite
motivational quotes and pieces of wisdom. Enjoy!
If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish
your dreams.
Les Brown
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney
We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an
awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.
Jesse Owens
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses
of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the
day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to
make them possible.
Thomas E. Lawrence
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live
the life, which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in
common hours.
Henry David Thoreau
Nothing will work unless you do.
Maya Angelou
Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.
Thomas A. Edison
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some
turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
Sam Ewing
The harder I work, the luckier I get.
Samuel Goldwyn
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at
work worth doing.
Theodore Roosevelt
109
Strength Camp’s
Football strength and speed camps
Experience the intensity, motivation and results of TRUE strength training for football
at it’s finest! Even if you live in New York, Texas, Pennsylvania… where ever, I
encourage you to travel here to Florida and join our Summer, Winter or Spring
Training Sessions.
To learn more about our weekend coaches clinics or our 4 week football strength and
speed camps visit: http://www.strengthcamp.com/interview.htm
Organizing the weight room
Often coaches are overwhelmed by the idea of coaching 40 athletes in a small
high school gym, but with a little creativity and leverage you can design a high
quality program that works.
When I was in graduate school I spent time speaking with several college
strength and conditioning coaches. I would ask them questions like, “how do you
manage training so many athletes while keeping the quality of your programs
sound?”
One coach then showed me how he got the most out of his athletes, even when
he wasn’t around to count every rep and set. To this day, I use this technique
and it has made our programs several times more intense.
Make your best athletes your best coaches.
When I begin a program with a group of new athletes I quickly assess who my
leaders are going to be. They are typically older and looked up to by the other
athletes. They don’t necessarily need to be your strongest athletes but they
need to be the ones that are admired – for whatever reason.
It’s very important not to let your judgment decide who is going to be your leaders
or “assistant coaches”, see who already possess the respect of the others and
take advantage of it. In fact, there are times when the guy who is respected most
by the others is a behavioral problem… just a pain in the ass! When you give a
kid like this some responsibly you’d be amazed at how quickly he changes his
tune. Many times these guys are just bored and need some extra work to keep
them occupied.
110
Once you have privately decided who your “coaches” are going to be (with in the
first few days), hold a 5-minute meeting after training one day and give them their
new assignment.
“I’ve been watching how the other athletes relate to you guys and am very
impressed with your leadership skills.” (praise)
“I have a very important request for you and would appreciate if you would
consider it, you don’t have to accept it, but I would be grateful if you did.” (give
them the choice, a sense of empowerment).
“I only have one set of eyes and need to make sure that everyone is training
hard and their form is proper. This is where you come in. I would like to train
you to become my assistant strength coaches.” (the assignment)
“This would require that we spend extra time, about 5-10 minutes for the next few
weeks, getting your form perfected and teaching you the cues to use with the
others.”
“At which point you will then be assigned a small group (3-6 athletes), that will be
under your attention and coaching during our sessions.”
** This DOES NOT mean that you as a coach or parent don’t need to be there,
you are still the primary care giver, only now you have a little help. Remember
that the responsibility is still 100% YOURS.
From this point out, encourage your new coaches to spot, cue and motivate the
others. Direct them to activities that you have been performing for the past few
weeks.
“Hey Tyree, show Johnson what he is doing wrong with his squat.”
“Roberts, do me a favor and help that group out with spotting technique.”
Also, refer younger athletes to your new coaches. A younger athlete asks you
about his bench press form say, “Roberts is great at benching, lets go and ask
him what he does. “ – and then take the young athlete to Roberts and repeat the
statement in front of him. This will affirm your trust in Roberts as well as showing
the younger athlete that he has a wealth of resources to choose from.
Make a big deal out of your new coaches and let the younger athletes know that
that could be them in a few years. Constantly remind your younger athletes that
you are always “on the look out” for young talent.
In short, never forget that your athletes can become competent coaches.
111
“Are you ready to play at
The Next Level?”
How much would you benefit from Personalized Coaching
with Elliott Hulse and the Strength Camp team to take your
game to the next level?
Are you a:
• College Athlete Getting Ready For The Pros?
• Athlete Preparing For Your Single Shot At The NFL
Combine?
• High School Athlete Getting Ready For The College
Team?
• “Walk-On” Trying Out For A Semi-Pro or Arena
League?
If this sounds like you, then you are getting ready for The Next Level,
and I want to help you.
Call 1-800-260-0729 to schedule a FREE consultation with myself or one of our
coaches so that we can design the best strength and conditioning program for
your individual goals and needs.
You can also visit http://www.strengthcamp.com/interview.htm
This call is FREE, but it is valued at over $97, so call now as this offer will only be
available for a short time.
No one ever achieved greatness on their own, it takes a solid team and I want to
be on your team.
Call 1-800-260-0729 or visit http://www.strengthcamp.com/interview.htm
112
Bonus Audio Gift – Underground Interview:
NCAA Division I Strength & Conditioning
Coach Ron McKeefery ($25 Value)
On this mp3 file you will go deep into the mind of a master Strength &
Conditioning Specialist. Listen as Coach McKeefery of the University of South
Florida reveals several tips and suggestions for high school athletes looking to
excel at "The Next Level". You will learn:
The 3 critical factors for success in at the university athletic level.
The most common phyical weakness amongst high school athletes and the
important steps to erdaicate them completely.
Discover the most pevailent myths and blatent lies about football training that
most young athletes and their parents fail to recognize.
The truth about supplements - which ones can land you a NCAA suspention and
the only 3 that he recommends his athletes use.
DOWNLOAD LOCATION:
http://www.criticalbench.com/football/Strength_Coach.mp3
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Bonus Audio Gift - Underground Interview:
Athletic Scholarship Expert
Coach Craig Stephenson ($197 Value)
Discover what it REALLY takes to earn an athletic scholarship. If you think that your
grades and athletic ability alone will win you a "full ride", think again! Coach Stephenson
reveals the little known tips and secrets that most high school athletes, parents and
coahces don't know. He has devised a step-by-step system that practically holds you by
the hands and positions you to win an athletic scholarship. Learn:
•
The most common mistakes that high school athletes make when trying to get a
scholarship, and the exact steps to avoid them.
•
Why good grades and athletic ablity are not enough to get noticed by big
schools.
•
Why "recriting agencies" will cost you thousands of dollars and yeild minimal
results.
•
Get inside the brain of a college scout and discover what really gets them to
travel hundresd of miles to meet you.
•
The myth behind "scouting events" and travel teams and why most kids never
get noticed.
DOWNLOAD LOCATION:
http://www.criticalbench.com/football/Athletic_Scholarship_Coach.mp3
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Bonus Audio Gift - Underground Interview:
High School Combine Expert
Coach Justin Kavanaugh ($29 value)
Coach Kavanaugh is not only a Certified NIKE S.P.A.R.Q trainer, he is one of the coaches that
put the program together! If anyone knows the "in's and out's" of designing effective high school
combine prep programs, Coach Kavanaugh is your man. Listen closely to this CD as coach
reveals:
Why most athletes and coaches train ineffectively for the combine and the exact
steps you must take to improve your performance.
What tests yeild the greatest points and recuiting value and which ones have
very little or no bearing at all.
How to get the edge on your competition with these ciritcal, but little known
testing techniques.
Even if you are not a high school football player, coach or parent the information contained in
each of these in-depth interviews are great a addition to your Critical Gridiron Program.
Download Location:
http://www.criticalbench.com/football/Combine_Coach.mp3
The Critical Gridiron Program Mp3 Audio Version
http://www.criticalbench.com/football/FootballStrengthCD1.mp3
http://www.criticalbench.com/football/FootballStrengthCD2.mp3
http://www.criticabench.com/football/FootballStrengthCD3.mp3
http://www.criticalbench.com/football/FootballStrengthCD4.mp3
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For More CRITICAL BENCH Workouts Visit Us Online!
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