Factors affecting speed

#1 RELATIVE BODY STRENGTH Athletes who are strong in relation to their bodyweight are

always fast. Think about this: the primary function of your bodies 600+ muscles is to contract to

move body parts. Only MUSCLE causes movement. If your muscles are weak, they cant move your

body fast. Simple enough for ya?

I get athletes faster in a 400 square-foot room in the back of the gym commonly referred to as The

Hole. How on earth do I do this, you ask? I get them STRONG!

#2 FLEXIBILITY I feel flexibility is one of the most overlooked components of training.

If you go to a track meet at the high school, college or Olympic level you will notice that the athlete

that takes the FEWEST steps usually wins. Basically, a bigger and more powerful stride length

usually wins the race at the higher levels.

Remember this equation: FLEXIBILITY + Strength = stride length. A strong athlete who possesses

great flexibility will be able to cover more distance with each step, thus, winning the race.

#3 BODY COMPOSITION Theres no nice way to put this; If youre fat, you will never be as

fast as you can be. Fat acts as excess baggage when trying to run. Do you think you would be able

to run a faster 40-yard dash if I put a 20lb. weighted vest on you? Of course not! Clean up your

diet, shed some fat and watch your speed increase at a record pace!

#4 TECHNIQUE Most people list technique as the #1 factor that affects an athletes speed.

Although I feel that technique is important, I list it last for the following reason: If youre fat, weak

and not flexible, how the heck are you going to be able to perform the proper running technique?

You see, proper running mechanics require an athlete to possess factors #1, #2 and #3! Always

work on the above 3 attributes while learning proper technique. Running correctly will enable you to

expend less energy when sprinting. The more efficient you run, the faster you can become.

Faster and more explosive

Believe it or not, I only do 3 or 4 exercises with all of my athletes (including the pros) on leg day:

Exercise #1 - Always do a squat or deadlift variation (I favor box squats and trap bar deadlifts.

YOU MUST BE COACHED PROPERLY ON THESE FIRST! Warm-up properly and work up to 4-5 sets of

6-10 reps on one of these exercises.

Exercise #2 - Always follow squats or deadlifts with a single leg movement. Step-ups, single leg

squats with the back leg elevated and barbell reverse lunges are all favorites of mine. (There are

pictures of all of them on the "training pics" section of this site.) Choose one of them and do 3 sets

of 10-12 reps each leg.

Exercise #3 - Always finish with hamstrings! My athletes always finish their leg workouts with

glute-ham raises, reverse hypers, pull-throughs or leg curls. I'm assuming you dont have access to

the first three exercises so do 3 or 4 sets of 8-10 reps of leg curls.

Exercise #4 - Always do "core" work (abs and low back) for 5-10 minutes after legs.

In-Season Workout

You must know that you can maintain your size and strength by lifting only 2 days a week. I feel

the best way to go about this is to lift the day after the game (usually Sunday) and then again mid-

week. The day after the game I would focus mostly on muscle mass maintenance. Warm-up and

then perform 2 work sets of 6-10 reps for all the major muscle groups of your body. This workout

will help you recover from your game as well as prevent muscle mass loss. A sample workout is as

follows:

A. Barbell Squats 2 sets of 8-10

B. Flat Dumbell Bench Press 2 sets of 8-10

C. Chin-ups 2 sets of max reps

D. Standing lateral raises 2 sets of 8-10

E. Dumbell Curls 2 sets of 8-10

F. Swiss ball crunches 2 sets of 25

*After you warm-up, this workout shouldnt take you longer than 35 min.

You would perform your explosive lift(s) during the second workout of the week. This is the day

you can also work on your weak links (usually upper back/external rotators). Heres a sample

workout for Tuesday or Wednesday:

A. Hang Cleans 3 sets of 3

OR

A. Box Squats with chains (50-60% of 1RM) 6 sets of 2

B. Reverse Hyperextensions 2 sets of 10

C. Bent-over Dumbell Rows 2 sets of 8 each arm

D. Cable external rotation 2 sets of 12 each arm

E. Abs (choice)

Getting a better 40 yard dash time

My advice to you would be to keep your sprinting distances shorter than 40 yards during this time

of year. The only time you have to exceed this distance is about 4-6 weeks before you go to camp.

At this point, anything over that distance isnt a speed session; its an endurance session. And

theres no need to build speed endurance before you have built any speed! Always start your speed

sessions with a dynamic warm-up and then work on your football stance and start, 10 & 20 yard

sprints and explosive lateral movements. You can split these things up over the 2 speed workouts.

And get strong in the weight room!

Also, spend at least 20 minutes working on flexibility 3X a week. Top priority should be given to

your hip flexors, gluteals, hamstrings, adductors and quads. After a couple of weeks, bump the

flexibility up to 5X a week. Remember that in order to become more flexible, you must TRAIN for

flexibility! So take it seriously.

Stronger Triceps=Stronger Bench Press

Below is a list of my 5 favorite triceps exercises for developing freaky tricep strength. Try

performing one of them as the first exercise on your chest day. Multiple sets of low reps is the

best way to get strong. Try performing 4-5 sets of 1-5 reps. Alternate these exercises every 2

weeks. DONT perform any regular barbell bench presses during this time. After 8-10 weeks, test

your bench press. Youre going to be amazed at how much stronger you will be without having

benched!

#1 Rack lockouts

#2 Weighted dips

#3 14 grip board presses

#4 Olympic bar skull crushers

#5 Decline dumbell tricep extensions

100 meter In-season lower body

It sounds like youre following my example leg program for the off-season. I wouldnt lift legs twice

a week during the season. I would lift upper body twice a week and lower body once a week. You

can maintain your leg strength during track season with one productive leg workout a week. Try to

perform the one leg workout as far away from your track meets as possible. For example, if your

track meets usually fall on Mondays and Thursdays, you should lift legs on Friday.

Make sure you cut down on the volume as well. I would perform only 2-3 exercises per workout.

Start with a squat or deadlift variation for multiple sets of low reps (For example, 5-7 sets of 2-5

reps). This is more neural training and it wont make you too sore. I would then move onto a single

leg movement with a more traditional set/rep scheme (For example, step-ups for 2-3 sets of 8-12

reps). I would finish your leg workout with a hip extension movement for 2-3 sets (For example,

reverse hypers, pull-throughs or sled dragging).

By the way, stay away from knee flexion exercises such as leg curls during the season. I like them

better for the initial stages of the off-season, not during the season. They have a tendency to

tighten the hamstrings and may increase your risk of pulling a hamstring during a race.

Safely doing Step-ups

Most of the step-up variations that we do with our athletes involve keeping the working leg on the

box the entire time. We coach our athletes to set up on the box with the knee placed in front of the

toe of the working leg. (Make sure that the foot of the working leg remains flat on the bench.) The

upper body is angled foreword with their chest placed over their thigh and low-back slightly arched.

The leg that is on the ground should be locked out and the athlete should think about pulling their

toes up in their shoe. This inhibits the calf and prevents that athlete from pushing off of the non-

working leg. Our athletes pause in the top position without touching the non-working leg to the box.

The eccentric portion of the lift is controlled. When the non-working leg touches the ground, our

athletes are coached to reset, pause and then explode back up. This step-up technique forces the

athlete to perform static overcome by dynamic work. This is a great way to improve 1st step

quickness and explosive power.

How to manipulate the Conjugate Method for "athletes"

Unfortunately, there is nothing out there written on how to apply the Conjugate System to athletes.

As you already know, most of the publications in this country are centered around the Western

(linear) periodization model. Its frustrating. Ive spent the last couple of years trying to un-learn

a lot of the concepts that I learned in college.

Since you have a solid educational background, I would recommend you read Science of Sports

Training by Tom Kurz and Supertraining by Mel Siff and Yuri Verkhoshansky. They both explain

some of the concepts behind the Conjugate System. But, you have to then formulate your own

opinions with regards to using this system with athletes after reading these texts.

Here are some of my thoughts about incorporating the Conjugate System with athletes:

Remember that Conjugated means that you train many aspects of strength at the same time. You

dont train them in different cycles as you would with the Western method of periodization. The

theory is that in order to get the best results, you need to raise all aspects of strength at the same

time (maximal strength, speed-strength, strength-endurance, etc.). If you do it in phases (western

periodization), you will lose what you have gained as you move into the next phase. (Example: If

you complete a 6-week hypertrophy phase and then lose most of the muscle that you gained when

you go into the next phase, what was the purpose of the hypertrophy phase?) Remember that if

you stop training it, you wont retain it!

If you were to use the Conjugate method of periodization with athletes, you would devote one day a

week to force development using the dynamic-effort method and one day a week to max strength

using the maximal-effort method. On max-effort day, you must train with weights using 90%-100+

% and constantly try to break records on special exercises. The more advanced your athletes are,

the more often they should rotate special exercises. The dynamic-effort day is devoted to moving

lighter weights with the greatest possible acceleration. This is the only periodization model that

allows you to peak continuously throughout the year.

Now, I think that the Westside Barbell method for training lower body is a great way for most

athletes to train their legs. The one major change that I make with my athletes is that I add more

lunge, step-up and split squat variations. Simply put, I think athletes need more unilateral work

compared to powerlifters.

As far as the upper body exercise selection is concerned, that varies depending on the athletes

training level and sport. For example, floor presses, rack lockouts and board presses are great core

exercises for football lineman, but they may not be the best choices for a baseball player. Dont be

afraid to think outside of the box and develop your own exercise choices for different athletes on

max-effort day and dynamic-effort day. For example, instead of always doing ballistic bench-

presses on dynamic upper body days, I sometimes do dynamic chin-ups with my wrestlers as their

core lift.

Hope this gives you some guidance on a very in-depth subject.

Never stop learning!

Pre-Deadlift routine

First, we get their core temperature up by performing a 5 minute active warm-up of basic

calisthenics (body squats, jumping jacks, etc.) Then, I perform a specific PNF stretch for their

hamstrings and glutes. Finally, they perform a static stretch for their hip flexors and calves. This

pre-deadlift warm-up will work wonders for your form. It will also enable you to lift heavier weights!

In-season football training

Q: Hi Joe,

Im a Division II football coach looking for the best possible way for my team to strength-

train in-season. Our team followed your Westside for skinny bastards program over the

off-season with great success. The problem is that were only 2 weeks into the season

and I notice that many of our kids have lost weight and strength. For the past two years

weve only lifted on Wednesdays (we play on Saturdays) but Id like to add another day

or two in there. Realistically we can always get two days of lifting in during the week.

Any guidelines that you can provide me with would be greatly appreciated.

Joseph

A: Joseph,

You are experiencing a common problem. Most athletes gain size and strength in the off-season,

only to see their gains disappear when it really counts. I always ask my football players, What

good is it to be big, strong and fast in May, if you are going to let yourself get small, weak and slow

in November? This question usually helps them realize the importance of a properly designed in-

season strength & conditioning program.

It is appropriate that you said that youre kids have lost weight AND strength. I say this because the

#1 limiting factor in maintaining your strength during the season is your ability to maintain your

bodyweight/muscle mass. If you lose weight during the season, chances are your strength will be

lost as well. Basically, the best way to maintain your strength during the season is to maintain your

muscle mass. The in-season programs I design for my football players keep this in mind.

You also mentioned that you could realistically lift 2 days a week. The good news is thats all you

need! I think that one of the reasons high school and college players give up on their in-season

strength training is because they set unrealistic training goals. They say that theyre going to lift

everyday and then when they dont have the time, they get frustrated and quit training all together.

Remember that your players now have to go to class, football practice and meetings. All three of

these are of utmost importance. So we must set realistic goals.

Its important to know that your players can maintain their size and strength by lifting only 2 days a

week (and eating enough, of course). I feel the best way to go about this is to lift the day after the

game and then again mid-week. The day after the game I would focus mostly on muscle mass

maintenance. Warm-up and then perform 2-3 work sets of 6-15 reps, using a controlled tempo, for

all of the major muscle groups of the upper body. Then, I would do some light running/jogging. This

workout will help you recover from your game as well as prevent muscle mass loss. A sample

workout is as follows:

-SUNDAY-

A. Incline Dumbell Bench Press, palms in 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps

B. Chin-ups or Lat Pulldowns 2-3 sets of 6-15 reps

C. Standing dumbbell shrugs 2 sets of 10-15 reps

D. Rope pushdowns 2 sets of 10-15 reps

E. Standing hammer curls 2 sets of 10-15 reps

F. Seated external rotation, elbow on knee 2 sets of 15 reps

G. Ground-based abdominal circuit

H. 6-8 40-yard striders (easy tempo)

*After you warm-up, this workout shouldnt take you longer than 55 min.

You would perform your explosive lift(s) during the second workout of the week. This is the day

you can also work on your weak links (usually upper back, lower back, external rotators). Heres a

sample workout for Wednesday:

-WEDNESDAY-

A. Box Squats (straight weight or weight + chains) 6 sets of 2 reps using 50% of 1RM

B. Reverse Hyperextensions 2 sets of 10-15 reps

C. Dynamic bench press (straight weight) 6 sets of 3 reps using 50% of 1RM (You can perform

2-3 heavy singles after your speed sets every 3 weeks.)

D. Cable or dumbbell external rotation, elbow at side 2 sets of 15 reps each arm

E. Abs (choice)

Hope these guidelines help.

Joe D.

100 meter training

How would you go about training a 100-meter sprinter? Can you list track work, event-

specific endurance and strength training? Im really interested in what you would do in

the weight room as Im assuming that muscle mass can hinder sprinting speed. Because

of this, Im sure that you would have to change your methods.

Thanks coach!

A: I answered a similar question to this one on the T-Mag guest forum last week, but Ill review

some key points again. Before I get started, I want to preface my statements by saying that my

recommendations are for an advanced sprinter not a high school kid or beginner. Theres a big

difference.

First of all, strength training is ESSENTIAL to all sprinters - especially 100m runners and below! The

shorter the distance of the race, the more important strength and explosive power becomes. Last I

checked, Ben Johnson and Maurice Greene were both carrying around some serious muscle on their

frames.

This is a very in-depth question with regards to all of the specific aspects of training a sprinter. I

don't have the time to map out an entire program for you; but I'll give you some key points on how

I train my sprinters. Hopefully this helps you to design a productive program for yourself.

1. The faster you are, the LESS often you sprint. Sprinting at 100% places great stress on the

CNS. The faster you are, the longer it takes to recover from workouts. Sprinting all-out in

your event should only be done once every 7-10 days for advanced athletes.

2. Build speed BEFORE speed endurance. In other words, if you have no speed, how are you

going to build speed endurance? Yet, I still see coaches having their 100m runners running

400's and 800s to "build endurance" for their 100. This is BULLSHIT! The 100 and 800, for

example, have completely different energy system requirements. I start my 100m athletes

with 10m sprints and work their way up. Remember that the shorter the race, the more

important the start and first 10 meters becomes!

3. Knowing that the start and first 10m is essential to these short sprints, we must know how

to train for them. Your 1st step and 1st 10m power is predominantly a function of your

TECHNIQUE and RELATIVE STRENGTH. Build the proper strength in the weight room and

then get coached properly in the start and first 10m. (You can practice this aspect of the

race much more often than other aspects. Because it's such a short distance, you recover

faster and you're much less likely to pull a muscle.)

4. Once you've built an explosive start, work your way up by running 30m, 60m, 100m.

Remember to build your speed first, then work on the "endurance" aspect of the race.

5. Work on exercises that have the best carryover to sprinting in the weight room. Squats,

deadlifts, barbell reverse lunges, single leg squats, reverse hypers, glute-ham raises, chin-

ups, step-ups, etc. Incorporate the dynamic-effort method as well as the max-effort

method into your programming. I do feel that high-rep training does have it's place in a

sprinter's training arsenal as well, but the timing is crucial. Also work on timed sets. For

example, if you're training a 100m runner whose goal is to run a 10.5, have him perform

10.5-second sets. For example, performing as many single leg squats as possible in 10.5

seconds. Do 2-3 week mini cycles with this type of exercise where the goal isn't to lift

heavier; it's to lift FASTER. The goal of this type of training is to increase the athletes rate

of force development. (It is NOT intended to match the limb speeds of sprinting.)

These are just some tips off of the top of my head. Hopefully they helped. Oh, one more thing,

don't overlook the nutrition aspect of your training. The people that think weightlifting makes them

"bulky and slow" usually think this because they eat like shit! Remember that weightlifting in

conjunction with a poor diet CAN make you slower! This is because although your absolute strength

may increase, your relative strength may decrease if you're making poor food choices.

Get stronger, eat clean, work on your flexibility and practice your technique!

Did too much muscle hinder Ben Johnsons speed?

I dont think so!

Joe D.

Adding a 2nd leg day to the "Westside for Skinny Bastards" program

Q: Joe,

I just got done reading your Westside for Skinny Bastards article on www.t-mag.com. I

must say that it was the best article Ive ever read on that site and Ive been following T-

Mag since issue #1! I literally couldnt sleep last night because I was so excited to get to

the gym this morning! Now I have 3 questions:

1. What kind of rest intervals do you prescribe for max effort lifts?

2. How many reps are you shooting for on your upper body repetition lift?3. I would like to incorporate a 2nd lower body day but I dont have a sled. Can you

give a sample repetition leg day for me? Although Im not huge (yet) I will be

able to recover from 2 leg days as I have recently begun my first cycle.

Thanks bro! Keep turning your boyz into animals!!!

Rock

A: Rock,

Its great to see how fired up everyone is about the Modified Westside Program. The responses that

I have received regarding my recent article have been overwhelming! I think theres going to be a

lot of big & strong individuals walking around this summer.

Anyway, lets move onto your questions:

1. There is no set rest interval for the max effort lift. Generally speaking, my lifting partners

and I just go back and forth through the warm-up sets. There is probably between 60 & 90

seconds between warm-up sets. When it comes time for the grand finale, we slow down the

pace a little. Personally, Im stronger if I wait between 3-4 minutes between maximal

attempts. Remember, the purpose of max effort day is to lift the most amount of weight

possible. If this means taking a longer rest, take your time! You can pick up the pace when

you move on to the supplemental lifts.

2. On your repetition upper body lift you will choose a weight that you can perform

approximately 20-35 reps with on your first set. Stick with the same weight for all 3 sets.

Record the total number of reps that you performed for all 3 sets. The goal is to perform

more reps with the same weight the following week.

3. Heres a sample Repetition Lower Body template:

NOTE: Choose exercises from the list that you DIDNT perform on your 1st lower body day.

A. Unilateral Movement - Perform 3 sets of 15 reps each leg

*Choose from the following list of exercises:

Single leg squats, back leg elevated

Barbell step-ups with knee lift

Barbell reverse lunges

Barbell reverse lunges, front foot elevated

Barbell reverse lunges, front foot elevated (with knee lift)

Low-pulley split squats, front foot elevated

Walking lunges

Speed-skater squats (1 and a half rep single leg squats)

Barbell step-ups

B. Posterior Chain / Hamstring movement Perform 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps for

TWO of the following exercises:

Glute-ham raises

Reverse hyperextensions

Seated or standing good mornings

Pull-throughs

Leg curls

Romanian deadlifts

Stability ball hamstring lifts

C. Weak Point Training Perform 1 exercise for 3-5 sets of a lagging body part

(Common areas include upper back, external rotators, abs, grip training, etc.)

Joe D.

Proper breathing while running the 40-yard dash

Q: Joe,

In running the forty how should the athlete breathe?

Thanks,

RP

A: RP,

Great question. Breathing may be the most overlooked component of running the 40-yard dash.

Proper breathing can have a profound effect on your forty time. One of my college athletes took .12

seconds off of his forty time this year just by correcting his breathing! (I was even a little bit

shocked how well it worked.)

Anyway, Ive experimented with many different breathing patterns and I think I have found the

answer. The breathing pattern I am currently recommending is relatively simple and it works. There

are speed experts out there who will disagree with my method. Once again, I dont care. Ive

experimented with this method for quite some time and I think its the best. Although it takes some

practice, it is very efficient and can be mastered within days. Once again, this adheres to the

training economy. Heres how to do it:

Once youve set up in your 3-point stance and youre bringing your off hand to your hip, take a

HUGE breath in.

As you fire out of your stance, perform the Valsalva maneuver. Basically, you will forcefully exhale

without letting any of your air out.

Hold your breath through the first 10 yards. At approximately the 10-yard mark, exhale a little of

your air. (Make the exhale short & quick.)

At about the 20-25-yard line, exhale a little of your air again. (Again, make it short & quick.)

At about the 30-35-yard line, perform a relaxed exhalation of the rest of your air. This final

exhalation should take you through the finish. You should be out of air at about the 41-42-yard

line.

You must practice this technique to get it down. The biggest mistake that athletes make is they

release all of their air too soon. For example, if you run out of air during your final exhalation at the

35-yard line, you will be slower (as well as light-headed). The 2 keys to this technique are:

1. Take a big enough breathe at the start so you have enough air to get you through the race.

2. Time your exhalations properly. (I suggest you practice this by performing tempo runs at

first. When you put it all together, its a great feeling!)

Joe D.

Pre-squat stretch

Q: Joe,

Whenever I do squats I have a tendency to get pulled forward and my heels come off of

the ground. (I know you like box squats, but Im talking about Olympic squats.) I warm-

up properly, but I just cant seem to correct the problem. Should I just put a block under

my heels or is there something else that I can do?

Sammy from Tennessee

A: Sammy,

This is a very common problem that can be caused by a number of different things. The best way

for me to help you would be for me to evaluate your squat form. Since I dont think it would be

practical for you to fly in from Tennessee and squat for me, Ill just give you some advice.

Many times this technique flaw is caused by a lack of flexibility. Again, its tough for me to give you

advice when Ive never seen you squat, but my recommendation cant hurt. Try this; after a light

warm-up, static stretch your calves and hip flexors before you squat. Yes, I said STATIC STRETCH

these muscles! This is one of the few exceptions to the rule of not static stretching before heavy

lifting. (Weakening these muscles with static stretching doesnt hurt your squat do to the fact that

neither of these muscles are prime movers when squatting.) Increasing the length of these muscles

will help prevent you from getting pulled forward when squatting. Try the 2 stretches pictured

below before you squat. Let me know if your form gets better.

#1) WEIGHTED CALF STRETCH Perform 2 sets of 20

seconds each leg

#2) STATIC HIP FLEXOR STRETCH Perform 2 sets of

20 seconds each leg