Q: Hi Mike, I was wondering what the best way to progress jumps and plyos is with youth athletes? Would you recommend athletes be at a certain level of strength or training age prior to performing weighted jumps, depth drops etc?

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A: Slowly. There are limited reasons to rush any progression with youth athletes.  They lack the hormones to have the maximal adaptations & on top of that, have the rest of their lives to progress and play.  Make sure fundamentals are consistently done to perfection before increasing degree of difficulty. It’ll pay off in the long run. 

Stick with:

1. box jumps – bilateral and unilateral
2. Squat Jumps – bilateral and unilateral
3. Rudiment series
4. Skill acquisition of basic landing/deceleration mechanics
5. Fun jumps – for coordination not intensity
   • 90/90
   • 180’s
   • 360’s
   • Star Jumps
   • Tuck Jumps
   • Multidirectional Jumps

Q: Please elaborate on your personal opinion between Cal Dietz’s perspective on emphasizing a floating heel during training means vs Dan Pfaff’s emphasis on utilizing heel contact in drills, rudimentary series, dribbles, jumps, etc. Thank you.

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A: I want to preface this by saying, I cannot speak for Cal nor Dan.  This is MY interpretation and application of certain methods/exercises, so I will only speak on what I do and why.

Why/when I use/implement:

Floating heel –

For me, this is used after we’ve already strengthened the soleus via isometrics for a period of time.  Most of our athletes are very weak in this area, so it takes 4-8 weeks to improve this before flatlining on bodyweight isometrics alone.  Just by utilizing soleus isos, we’ve seen insane improvements in verts.  We’ve added weight to the isos, but haven’t noticed much of an improvement past bodyweight, so we just progress to bodyweight competence and move on.

Once we stop seeing improved competency for a couple of weeks, then we go to more floating heel dynamic work.  This isn’t typically loaded.  Just different jump variations: reactive 90s, 180s, 360s, & jumping from/on unlevel/unstable surfaces.

We do this to allow the athlete to learn how to apply realized strength from isometrics in a way that would be applicable to sport.  Our way to increase force with this exercise is through sprints.  Faster speeds = higher force/power.  Why that? It’s more task specific vs just adding weight.

Rudiment series –

I use this as a way to teach athletes how to jump, land, decelerate and change direction in a submaximal fashion as well as improve rhythm, low intensity reactiveness and connective tissues associated with movements.  It’s very simple.  We start off with one jump, then two, then three then rebounds, then add weight with rebounds.  Once we show competency with that, then we’re typically at a higher DOD plyometric, reduce the volume/load of rudiment series and just expose for maintenance purposes.  It’s a great starting point of which we can/will build our more intensive plyos. 

Q:  What age-related changes have you made to your diet/workouts/sups? Think 28 vs 38

A: This is a big topic, I will write a newsletter on this one to expand on it, but for now here’s the abbreviated version:

Diet – Like most people that get older, My life is way more hectic & complicated than it has ever been.  My need for simplifying has gone up exponentially.  I don’t make the time to weigh & prep my food anymore – I’d rather spend that time working/learning/being present with my family.  So as a result, I’ve drifted towards the carnivore diet. 

People are going to probably think it’s not sustainable, or that I’m a weirdo zealot for saying that but hear me out first…

I really like eating steak, and when I eat it I feel good.  I also really like pastries, but when I eat it I don’t feel good. I really like walnuts, hazelnuts peanuts, & some fruits & veggies, but when I eat them, I have an allergic reaction (I don’t die, I just get itchy and/or stomach aches).  So, I just simplify.  I just cut them out most of the time and I feel and perform better.  And by doing carnivore, I can literally eat as much as I want and I don’t gain weight – so it’s very easy for me to do. 

I have tried every single diet.  Keto, vegan, zone, paleo, blah blah blah.  The best I’ve performed and looked is by doing a zone diet of 40% carbs 30% fat 30% protein.  But that involved weighing every single meal and food prepping.  I did that for 4 years of college.  It was necessary for peak athletic performance for me.  That was my main goal at that time. 

Now? My goals have changed.  I want my health to be good which is primarily impacted by my bodyfat %.  Easiest way for me to do that is through fasting and carnivore. 

I do not recommend this lifestyle to everyone.  But it works for me. 

Workouts – when I was 28 I cared about the weight on the bar. I really don’t care anymore.  I just want to feel good, still have enough strength to choke someone that threatens me or my family and look good naked – so my wife still wants to look at me and so I don’t feel awful about myself.

I do a ton of bodyweight exercises now.  Decent volume, but mostly for a pump.  I’m not chasing weight.  I’m chasing consistency and a pump.  That’s it.  And that’s been more than enough to satisfy my energy & physique demands.

Supplements – I wrote a newsletter on this one.  But to simplify – instead of taking everything I can under the sun to improve physical performance – now I care about cognition, longevity & health.  To boil it down, multivitamins & fish oils EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you want more info on this sign up for my newsletter.

Q: Hi Mike,

Some youth athletes come up and can perform exercises no problem. Recently I have had a couple of kids who are less naturally athletic and they struggle to perform bodyweight exercises with good technique.
Such as squats without the hips shifting to one side. Lunges or split squats without the upper body collapsing.
How can I solve these issues please? Are isometrics and eccentrics a good way to build strength and technique with these exercises?
I wasn’t sure if possibly mobility issues were playing a part here.
Would be very grateful for the help

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A: Depending on the age of the kids, I’ll assume they’re prepubescent – mobility is not really a causal issue just yet.  What I mean by this is, fixing mobility alone, won’t likely address the issue. I just think they’re weak.  If you fix strength, it will address perceived issues with mobility, but not the other way around.

So, what needs to be done?  Get them stronger.  Break down every movement into parts.  I call this the part-whole approach.  I do this all the time with less competent movers. 

Typically, we can handle ~20% more eccentrically than we can concentrically, right? So, that’s what we focus on first.  Just the eccentric portion with good form, and get assistance on the way up. 

Have clients that can’t do the entire ROM? Not a big deal, just do PART of the eccentric movement, and help them up.  Start with as little as 10% of the eccentric ROM, then add volume until it’s simply performed. Volume can be added via increasing reps or time under tension (isometric or slower eccentric movement).  Then, increase the ROM (responsibly).  I let form dictate progressions, but I’ve been doing this a long time now.  So my eye is pretty decent.  If you’re new, or don’t trust your eye, keep it safe and increase ROM by set %’s.

How frequently should you progress?  It depends on their adaptation.  If they never get better, maybe you should regress and progress the regression with intensity or volume.  Form will guide you. Unless there is a specific timeline where $ is on the line – in which case, if you’re not competent, you should probably refer out (ethically), I genuinely don’t believe you can get hurt slow cooking. 

Question: Book Recommendations for young coaches?

Answer: This is a good one.  I have a handful of books that I’d recommend for guys in different situations.  This list of books/materials is absolutely incomplete, but I advise you to go through all of them thoroughly and 5-10x each:

1. Charlie Francis
   • Consume every piece of his content multiple times. He was way ahead of his time and is still insanely ahead of the curve.  His concepts and rationale are amazing.  He will teach you HOW to think
2. Bondarchuk’s Transfer of training
   • I think this is important because you will grasp the concept of general vs specific exercises.  It will help teach you how to organize/categorize work a little better
3. Applied Sprint Training by James Smith
   • James typically speaks over people’s heads, but this is a great resource to constantly refer back to.  Essentially, this reinforces Charlie’s theories and teaches you how & why to apply some of his work
4. Learn muscle origin, insertion & action
   • don’t worry about applying it to everything yet, just know everything cold.  It will help you down the road. 
5. Learn all the orthopedic inefficiencies & potential injuries they can cause

Example:

• Flat feet
• Leg length/hip height discrepancy
• Kyphosis/scoliosis/lordosis
• Stenosis/Bulging/herniate/degenerative discs
• Tendinits/tendinosis
• Etc

DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH THE INFORMATION. Just observe it and constantly refer out if you think it’s an issue.  Take note as to how many people have what and how they perform.

The more I learned about all these things, the more I saw it, and the less I was actually able to help majority of it…and on top of it, the more I realized it kinda sorta almost might not really matter… which is blasphemous to some people and music to other peoples ears.

6. Just about any book on Massage

Learn about massage and tissue manipulation. Watch videos and learn about it and practice it on your loved ones, not your clients.  Learn what it’s supposed to look like and how it’s supposed to feel.  Not so you can do it, but so you know how to identify a good or a bad massage therapist.  This way you can refer your athletes/clients to a good one.  Your network is just as valuable as your abilities.  You’re one person, you can’t do EVERYTHING. 

7. Chop Wood Carry Water

It’s a quick read, and has nothing to do with S&C but has everything to do with S&C. This business whether you’re in team sports or private is a grind. There are some years where you feel like you’re standing still going nowhere fast.  This book is a constant reminder of what achieving greatness looks like.

8. The Body Keeps the Score

• You are going to be dealing with people that have a lot of trauma, whether you know it or not.  This book will give you a very small idea of who/what you are dealing with

Here’s a stat that I repost on facebook/IG just about every year to give perspective:

1 in 5 sexual molested as a child
1 in 4 were beaten by their parent to the point of a mark left on their body
1 in 3 couples engage in physical violence
1 in 4 grew up with an alcoholic relative
1 in 8 witness their mother being beaten or hit

That means that 1 in 20 will have been molested, beaten as a child.

In every single class I was in growing up, odds are there was someone molested and beaten and no one knew.

Next time you see a “bad kid” maybe think twice before judging them.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” – Wendy Mass

9. The 5 love languages

• This will give you more information on how you can positively & better communicate with your clients/athletes… and significant other