If you’re serious about your training and sprinting faster, you need to focus on it. Squats and deadlifts have their place, but they won’t give you the movement pattern needed to drive your sprint performance. The key is knee behind your glute to build speed and power when and where it counts.
One of the biggest takeaways was the long-term impact of physical activity. It’s not just about being active today, but setting kids up for a lifetime of better cognitive function and mental health. By engaging in physical activity from childhood into adolescence, kids are priming the pump with stronger minds and bodies for the life ahead of them.
This isn’t just about a limp handshake. A strong grip indicates a high level of emphasis on training and/or manual labor. Can't have a strong body and a weak grip. Usually a weak grip is equal to weak body.
You have heard about Compensatory Acceleration. But what about the Stretch Shortening Cycle? The stretch shortening cycle (SSC) is the spring-like action of muscles where an eccentric contraction is followed by a concentric contraction. The SSC is akin to the compressing a spring. The more force that is applied the more explosive movement. Athletes using a countermovement jump with a pre-stretch or pre-load will consistently jump higher than athletes jumping from a static position.
Power Athlete has long put a focus on rotational power and transverse plane in all training programs but primarily focused on those programs aimed at developing athletes for the field or mat like Field Strong and Dragon Slayer. By putting focus on the transverse plane, athletes become well-rounded, resilient, and capable of performing at the highest level.
Post Activation Potentiation (PAP) is a training approach that allows an athlete to enhance their performance through strategic manipulation of muscle activation. Initially discussed by Yuri Verkhoshansky in his groundbreaking work *Science and Practice of Strength Training*, PAP has since been integrated into the training of high level athletes and used by me, John Welbourn to perform at the highest level as NFL player. And now I bring it to you in the [...]
Compensatory acceleration represents a significant advancement in the field of strength training, influenced by the pioneering work of Dr. Fred Hatfield and the practical applications here at Power Athlete. Hatfield’s theoretical foundation in Power and John's integration of these principles into the Power Athlete training system have collectively enhanced the understanding and application of this method. As athletes and coaches continue to explore and utilize compensatory acceleration, its impact on strength, power, and overall performance will likely remain a crucial element in achieving athletic excellence.
Hello John, My office gym doesn't have a barbell. I have put in a request for new material but it has not been fulfilled. From my researching on the Internet, I know BB Squat is king, but in the meantime, can you help me with a temporary alternative? I have access to a single 70-pound dumbbell and a leg press. I don't care much for the leg press, but if I have to, [...]
This phase of movement refers to the bridge between the eccentric and concentric phases. The amortization phases uses the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) in production of power, as the length of amortization is a vital component in your ability to display your strength. If the amortization phase is slow, the energy stored during the eccentric phase dissipates, thereby reducing the effect and killing power...
When I first started training with weights, I was obsessed with the practice of moving a weight or object from point A to point B in as short a period of time as possible. The ability to move an object faster in the weight room translated to football field better than anything short of learning to anticipate the snap count - I defined this as power. Power as you know is found in [...]