Weekly Workout #3: Speed & Power Workout - Full Body Emphasis

Speed & Power Workout

- Full Body Emphasis -

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WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)
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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Longitudinal Goblet Squat Jump	#1,#2,#3	3	3	30-60"	4-5	2-3"

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This exercise is an eccentric isometric jump squat using the longitudinal goblet squat protocol. The squat is perhaps the most basic yet foundational human movement pattern. Unfortunately most folks have difficulty mastering their form oftentimes leading to variety of form aberrations, joint issues, and neuromuscular hiccups.

Eccentric isometrics not only help maximize squat form but they also produce phenomenal gains in lower body strength, functional hypertrophy, stability, mobility, symmetry, and motor control. When combined with the jump this makes for one incredibly potent duo for enhancing speed, power, and athletic performance as well as force absorption and deceleration. The longitudinal goblet squat position further enhances this stimulus as discussed in one of my posts from earlier this year. This eccentric isometric protocol is a topic I expound on in great depth in my book MOVEMENT REDEFINED.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Landmine Snatch Single Arm	#1,#2,#3	3	4-5 per side	60"	4-5	1-2"

Main Option

Advanced Option

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MAIN OPTION

If you’re looking for a very user friendly & joint friendly variation of the more traditional barbell snatch, try this single arm landmine snatch as shown by my awesome bodybuilder Ben Lai. This has 7 unique benefits.

1. Requires a much smaller learning curve than barbell snatches as well as dumbbell & kettlebell snatches.

2. The topic of nailing a perfect bar path is much less of a concern. That’s because the bar essentially snaps into the ideal slot position at the top.

3. Most snatch variations are pretty tough on the shoulders. While the shoulders do get taxed during the landmine snatch, the movement is much more therapeutic on the shoulders & rotator cuff as the motion is very conducive for retracing & depressing the scapula in the top position while also engaging the rear deltoids, lateral deltoids, upper back, & shoulder stabilizers. It’s also great for mobility restrictions.

4. The landmine snatch is a bit of a 2 for 1 movement as its not just a lower body power drill but it also targets muscles around the rotator cuff as well as the entire shoulder cap similar to an overhead Y position on a TRX.

5. These require the lifter to launch the weight up by extending the hips & relying on triple extension rather than attempting to jump with the weight like so many lifters erroneously do. It’s nearly impossible to jump with these therefore lifter is forced to stay on the ground and create a strong impulse into the floor by launching their hips similar to a medicine ball toss.

6. Generally speaking these are significantly safer as there’s little chance of the person dropping the bar overhead or missing a lift and catching it in a dangerous position.

7. Due to the thickness of the collar, the forearms, hands, & grip also get taxed.

ADVANCED OPTION

I’ve recently been incorporating kneeling variations of cleans and snatches into my athlete’s training programs with great success. They actually have several similarities to muscle cleans and muscle snatches. And yes these do involve a small amount of arm action to help initiate the movement, however as long as powerful glute activation and hip extension are employed it does not detract from the hips. With this in mind performing Olympic lifts from a kneeling position provide 8 unique benefits. Read more HERE.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Barbell Good Morning Single Leg Jump	#1,#2,#3	3	2 per side	45-60"	5-6	2-3"

Option #1

Option #2

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This is a fantastic drill not only for crushing the entire posterior chain particularly the glutes and hamstrings but also for simultaneously working on unilateral power output, hip extension, knee drive, stability, balance, mobility, force absorption, and posture. It’s also a great drill for bulletproofing the back and spinal stabilizers.

While the good morning exercise is an incredibly beneficial lower body hip hinge movement, many folks tend to feel it too much in the low back. The single leg variation not only tends to be more low back friendly due to the split leg position (where the back leg acts as a posterior counterweight to reduce anterior shear forces at the bottom) but also because of the significantly lighter loads employed to create a strong training stimulus.

With that said, you’ll notice how the athletes here reach an approximately 90 degree torso angle which is ideal not only for this movement for most exercises that as it represents the most biomechanically sound position for both producing and absorbing force as well as one where you achieve maximal muscle activation and minimal joint stress.

On a side note, I would have liked to see all the athletes pause longer in the bottom stretched position as this was intended to have a brief eccentric isometric protocol involved. Also Marquell could have had a slightly softer knee bend at impact to help with force absorption by more effectively engaging his hips and thighs.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Rotational Bird Dog Row	#4 & #5	3	4 per side	60"	5	2-3"

Option #1

Option #2

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Here’s one of my NFL athletes Brandon Chubb demonstrating a very difficult narrow base bird dog quadruped row with a 75 lb dumbbell. Notice how he’s also using the rotational dumbbell version which requires incredible core strength as well as back and lat activation. With that said there are 5 key benefits to this.

1. The narrow base (widthwise on the bench rather than lengthwise) is significantly more challenging as it requires even greater body control & stricter mechanics to remain stable.

2. One of the beneficial features about the narrow base bird dog rotational row is that it allows for heavy loads to be used without hitting the bench. In contrast during the standard quadruped bird dog row (kneeling lengthwise on a bench) the bench gets in the way especially when rowing a thicker/heavier dumbbell or kettlebell. These remedy this common issue.

3. The rotational row is very conducive for reinforcing natural scapulohumeral rhythm and centrated glenohumeral joint mechanics (locked in shoulder joint).

4. The rotational movement is also very effective for stimulating significant lat activation & growth. That’s because the overhand/pronated position allows a greater lat stretch during the eccentric phase, while the underhand or supinated position produces a more forceful contraction in the lats at the end of the concentric rowing phase. This produces mechanical tension, muscle damage (to a moderate degree), metabolic stress, & local occlusion. As a result the stimulation to the lats & upper back is enormous

5. The rotational method combined with the unstable bird dog position absolutely blasts the core & abs as it increases rotational forces acting on the spine that the lifter must resist. See my top 12 favorite bird dog rows as well as numerous cues and coaching tips HERE.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Band Resisted Hand Clap Pushups (Bands Optional)	#4 & #5	3	5-8	60"	5	2"

Option #1 (Bands Optional)

Option #2

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OPTION #1

Want to improve your upper body power production as well as force absorption, acceleration, deceleration, and high threshold motor unit recruitment? Try this band resisted hand-clap pushup I demonstrate in the video. Notice how one of the key factors is maintaining a neutral spine and not allowing the high levels of band tension and impact pull the low back and lumbar spine into excessive extension.

Also notice how I perform the reps in a systematic single rep fashion by sticking and holding each landing rather than having all of the reps sloppily run together as most folks do during hand clap pushups. In other words treat a set of 5 reps as 5 sets of precisely-executed singles by focusing on mastering and nailing each repetition with textbook mechanics and maximal attention to detail. This is something I recommend not only for these hand-clap pushups but for any exercise particularly larger multi joint movements.

Just be warned the levels of muscle damage, micro-trauma, and mechanical tension, are inordinately high due to the incredibly intense eccentric landing and deceleration components produced from the slingshot effect of the bands. These also pair exceptionally well with heavier pressing exercises such as barbell chest presses due to the potentiation and fast twitch fiber recruitment. Just make sure you have proper pushup mechanics as anything but rock solid technique particularly on the landing phase could lead to trauma & inflammation to the joints & connective tissue.

OPTION #2

This is a very advanced Chaos Band pushup with fat grips and single leg Bird Dog position that crushes the core, chest, triceps, shoulders, and legs.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Plank Skull Crushers	#6 & #7	3	5	60-90"	8-9	2-3"

Option #1

Option #2 (Trap Bar or Barbell)

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The traditional skull crusher plank is a great tricep and core combination movement. Unfortunately because you're resting on the floor at the bottom, it involves little to no tension in the 90 degree stretched position which is really the sweet spot for maximal muscle activation and hypertrophy. Elevating yourself just slightly allows you to take advantage of the 90 degree eccentric isometric functional strength and hypertrophy stimulus. Just be warned these are much more challenging than they look.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Reverse Bottoms Up Press	#6 & #7	3	3	45-60"	4-5	2-3"

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You’ve probably heard it a hundred times; if you’re an overhead athlete you shouldn’t perform overhead presses right? Wrong!!! In fact overhead presses and variations thereof are something I routinely use with all of my overhead athletes. Case in point, here’s Pittsburg Pirates outfielder Austin Meadows performing a reverse bottoms up overhead press with kettlebells. I started working with Austin several months ago at which time he had several injuries including a very complex shoulder issue that was preventing him from throwing. By strategically implementing numerous eccentric isometrics into his routine (for both upper and lower body) alike including the implementation of many overhead pressing variations, Austin is now back to throwing bombs and crushing his batting sessions.

In addition, I had Austin perform no additional corrective exercises, rotator cuff drills, soft tissue work, stretches, mobility drills, or any other treatment for his shoulders. Instead we relied on the correct execution of foundational movement patterns combined with properly performed eccentric isometrics to provide all of the therapeutic effects that Austin needed to restore his shoulder function and mechanics.

I also want to point out that Austin is one of the most mentally engaged, dedicated, and passionate athletes I’ve worked with. This combined with his incredible work ethic and God-given talent make him one of the most exciting athletes to coach and train that I’ve ever worked with. Keep an eye on this kid as he’s going to be doing huge things this year in the big leagues.

To read more about the reverse bottoms-up press read HERE.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Rapid Eccentric Isometric Pullover	#8,#9,#10	2	4-5	60"	5	2-3"

Option #1

Option #2

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OPTION #1

Before performing this variation it's imperative that the lifter has mastered basic pullover technique with standard pullover variations. Once you've mastered those, adding in the rapid eccentric isometric variation of the pullover is one of the best exercises you can do to activate the fast twitch survival fibers of the core, lats, and shoulder stabilizers. If you can learn to properly do these your level of core and shoulder stability will be phenomenal.

Rapid Eccentric Isometrics are an advanced proprietary training technique developed by Dr. Joel Seedman used to increase proprioceptive feedback from muscle spindles with the goal of improving performance and muscle function. Rapid Eccentric Isometrics (REI’s) also improve rate of force development (RFD), Rate of Stabilization Development (RSD), Rate of Force Absorption (RFA), and Reactive Stabilization as the muscles are forced to turn on rapidly to absorb high impact forces. Rapid Eccentric Isometrics should only be used once proper form has been established with standard eccentric isometrics (EI’s).

OPTION #2

I consider this to be one of the best postural exercises ever using the single leg sprinter Chinese Plank Pullover which not only targets the entire posterior chain but also the core and shoulder stabilizers.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eyes Closed Lunge with Swap	#8,#9,#10	2	20" per side	30-60"	5-6	N/A

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A great exercise not just for the larger muscles of the lower body but also for the muscles that help stabilize throughout the feet, ankles, and toes.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Quadruped Bird Dog on Medicine Ball	#8,#9,#10	2	20" per side	30-60"	5-6	N/A

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One quadruped bird dog variation I perform with my athletes to further emphasize shoulder stability is placing their hand on a medicine ball. You’ll want to use an adjustable step box or bench that allows the hands and knees to be at approximately the same height.

Besides forcing the lifter to pack their shoulders and centrate their glenohumeral joint, the instability provided to the upper extremities elicits further disruptions throughout the kinetic chain requiring full body stabilization. Whether you’re an athlete involved in throwing sports, a lifter who needs increased shoulder stability, or an injured athlete looking for an effective rehab exercise to fix both shoulder and low back pain, this ones tough to beat.

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EXERCISE	DURATION	# OF DRILLS	REST BETWEEN DRILLS	RPE
Low/Moderate Intensity Intervals Cardio	30 minutes	5	10-20 seconds	4-6

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Low/MOderate INTENSITY CARDIO TRAINING
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