3 Reasons Youtube Might Be The Curse Of Strength And Conditioning – Especially When It Comes To Speed And Power.

Is Youtube And Instagram A Bliss Or A Curse? – An Article About Precision And Simplicity.

Should you open any of these platforms and search for strength and conditioning, you’ll see a plethora of flashy stuff. Jumps, weird over-thought exercises with a bunch of resistance bands thrown in from different directions… yields the question:

Are they of any good?

And in most cases, the answer is – as you guessed it: no.

There is a better approach, a much more simple one. It probably won't get you famous on Youtube and Instagram, but it'll get you famous where it really matters: within the local athletes.

It won't get you famous on Youtube and Instagram, but it'll get you famous where it really matters: within the local athletes.

Why?

There are 3 reasons;

1. They Are Way Too Slow To Set Up
2. They Are Not Serving Your Speed.
3. They Blind You

Let me elaborate:

1: They Are Way Too Slow To Set Up

Anything that takes more that 20 seconds to set up is out of Force Training Adademy’s Exercise Library. It is just too much hassle. We hold classes – even if I work with the Rugby League, or the Wolleyball team, they – guess what – work as a team. It’s always a group of people working together.

So the place is already busy with multiple people waiting if an adaptation is necessary – so it needs to be really quick.

It’s next to impossible to impromptu throw in an exercise what requires 3 resistance bands tied to a power rack, a barbell with 2 different sets of plates and a balance board. Too much hunting for the equipment, too much setting up, too much waiting.

We’re here to train, not to play with lego.

2: They Are Not Serving Your Speed.

They tend NOT to be the best solution to a problem. In fact, whenever I witness these fancy moves being deployed – even by strength and conditioning coaches and pros, there is always a simpler and more effective solution available.

• Instead of trying to do flashy stuff with an agility ladder, focus on fixing your mechanics. Are your hip flexors working the way they should? Are they strong enough, are they firing correctly?
• Is your pelvis aligned – even the rugby league players struggle with this. Besides, it goes hand-in-hand with the other two.
• Is your core strong enough to deal with the forces of transferred to it by your rapid leg movements? No. Even if it is - everyone benefits from more core strength.

Answer any of these with a no and your brain WILL NOT LET YOU GET FASTER. No matter how hard you work with a ladder, your brain will protect your spine. Even - and especially – at the cost of your speed and power.

3: They Blind You.

The shine of these moves can easily overpower the effectiveness of them that strength and conditioning coaches quite often fail to notice that they are actually harmful. I see so many agility drills performed with a slouched back. The athlete would gain way more precision, speed and accuracy if s/he would focus on correcting the posture and the mechanics first.

The Reality Is So Simple, It’s Almost Boring.

The truth is that anything I perform in Force Training Academy gym, is based on simple principles. And it’s simple. It looks simple, sounds simple.

Developing speed and power is already difficult. No need to make it complicated as well.

Developing speed and power is already difficult. No need to make it complicated as well.

I am a strength and conditioning specialist: and as such, I do have an agility ladder. I have lacrosse balls, resistance bands and all the likes. They sit in the cupboard most of the time – we don’t need them. The human body is designed to achieve peak performance without the use of any of those. They help, but you should use them with caution, for the reasons above.

Here Is What To Do Instead:

Focus on the mechanics. Get the basics right. In most cases then not, the issue is with the foundations; either they are not laid right, or there is something missing.

1: Hip Flexors

It’s not difficult to run into a roadblock when it comes to hip flexors – the modern lifestyle, even for rugby league players is so sedentary, that these little muscles are either undertrained, or just enough to keep up. Here is one exercise you can start doing right now to get them stronger.

2: Posture

Check if you are slouching during any of the drills. This is a big one and it is very common. Strengthen your middle and upper back. Strengthen your shoulders. Yes – if your shoulders are slouching, they are probably too weak. Bent Over Rear Delt Raise is a good tool to get this dealt with. Move slowly, under control, with a light weight. 15-20 reps per set.

3: Core Strength

Is your core strong enough? Well, probably no. EVERYONE could do with a little more core strength. My favourite beginners' exercise is the Hollow Body Rock. Word of warning; this might be a beginners' move, but it's definitely not easy. Hold your torso stable and kick your legs down to get that rocking motion.

Summary

Keep it simple. Select exercises to which you have immediate access to and possess a simple approach. It'll encourage creativity and force you to focus on things what really make a difference:

1. Hip Strength
2. Posture and upper back
3. Core Strength and Stability.

Final Words

You see, there is a lot more to this than meets the eye about deadlifting and ab workout… strength and conditioning athletes is a lot more than I can fit into a post; and not just pro rugby players benefit from this stuff.

Rep ranges, techniques, and intensities that you need to follow in order to transform your physique, look good shirtless, and lift heavier weight.

To discover these parameters, and use them for yourself, even you cannot pop down to my gym in Malta,

Head down below:

JOIN FORCE TRAINING ACADEMY ONLINE