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Programming
25 April, 2023

Ramming box jumps into a powerlifting plan doesn’t make an athletic strength session.

When it comes to structuring an athletic training session, there’s a few rules you should adhere to:

1.Start fast finish slow (i.e., sprints before heavy squats)

To get fast or powerful, you need to move fast or powerfully. You can’t do that if your legs are destroyed from heavy squats.

2.Heavy before hypertrophy (i.e., heavy bench before triceps extensions)

In a similar vein, to get strong, you need to lift heavy. You can’t bench heavy if your triceps are cramping from high rep triceps work.

3.Complex before simple (i.e., speed drills before calf raises)

To learn a new skill, you need to be physically and psychologically sharp. It’s very easy to misgroove a power clean, it’s very hard to misgroove a calf raise.

4.Start with the most important. Finish with the least.

Always put the exercises that are most important to your athletic development at the start of the session, as you want to be doing these with the most intent when you’re fresh.

Here’s 4 practical examples of how to structure an athletic strength session:

Simple Structure for Athletic Lower-Body Day (Part 1)

  1. Dynamic Warm Up 10-min
  2. Springy Jumps 5-min
  3. Jump with Intent (or with weight) 5-min
  4. Pick-up or Squat Heavy 20-min
  5. Strength at Length 15-min
  6. Breathe 5-min

Simple Structure for Athletic Lower-Body Day (Part 2)

  1. Dynamic Warm Up 10-min
  2. Speed Drills & Skills 5-min
  3. Sprint with Intent 10-min
  4. Jump for Height w/Weight x 5min
  5. Pick-up or Squat Heavy 20-min
  6. Robustness x 10min

Simple Structure for Athletic Upper-Body Day

  1. Dynamic Warm Up 5-min
  2. Throw Things Aggressively 5-min
  3. Press and Pull Heavy x 15-min
  4. Build Upper-body Armour 15-min
  5. Carry Something and Train the Neck 5-min
  6. Stretch at Length w/Weights 5-min

Simple Structure for Athletic Full-Body Day

  1. Dynamic Warm Up 10-mins
  2. Springy Jumps w/ Throw 5-min
  3. Jump for Height & Distance w/Load 5-min
  4. Pick-up or Squat Heavy 15-min
  5. Push and Pull Heavy 15-min
  6. Strength at Length 10-min

That’s how you structure an athletic strength training session. If you want to know how to structure a week – click here.

Are you a contact athlete? Do you want a free in-season programme? Get your free in-season Game Ready Programme here – Game Ready: The Inseason Training Programme