Multi-Directional Strength/Power Program, By: Tony Reynolds, MS, CSCS, YCS II
Important Notice
Tony Reynolds, Progressive Sporting Systems Inc, and their associates
and affiliates are not affiliated with Anabolic Steroids in anyway and
do not promote or encourage the use of these drugs. His articles within this section of our site are published to offer a broad range of fitness and nutritional knowledge that will help you to achieve your health and fitness goals without the use of Anabolic Steroids.
The following 24 workouts are designed to increase your athletes absolute strength and power. This protocol can be utilized as a strength/power program for any sport that is multi-directional.
This program can be used as a 6-week 4-day a week program, or as an 8-week 3 day a week program. There should be a minimum of 3 days between upper body workouts and a minimum of 3 days between lower body workouts. This is a progressive overload protocol, so do not skip or add workouts.
This program assumes that the athletes have progressed through the acclimatization phase or the first 24 workouts of the program. If this is not the case, complete that program prior to undergoing this program.
The Exercises-Lower Body
1. Squatting
a. Box Squats-Sit back to a position that allows the lower limb to be perpendicular to the ground. Use a wide sumo stance, and push the knees wide. Bands and chains are added to the existing percentages when prescribed.
b. Multi Board Squat- 5 reps off a low box place a one board onto the box, 5 reps off the one board, replace the one board with the 2 board, etc. Use a 1, 2, 3, and 5 board. Have and extra spotter handle the boards, and replace them in a way that does not disrupt the squatters rhythm.
c. Speed squat-light weight for maximum velocity. If your athlete cannot comprehend what 100% effort against a light weight is, this lift will not accomplish its goal. Every rep needs to be maximally explosive.
d. Zercher Squat- Hold either an Olympic bar or a camber squat bar in the crooks of your arms. Using a sumo stance, squat down as low as you can, bend at the waist and back, and touch the barbell to the ground. Return to the top. If the athlete is using small plates, has an ankle, hip, knee, back injury, or suffers for tightness, squat in a rack with the pins in place. Adjust the pins for the functional ROM of the athlete. Have the athlete touch the pins and return.
e. 1-leg squat- Standing with one leg on a box and the other leg out in front of the body, push the hips back and drop down into a squat. Return to the top.
f. V-Handle Squat- Attach a give load to a V-Handle by running chain through the middle of the plates and attaching each end to the handle hole via a clip. Place two benches in a V. Stand with one foot on each bench with the open end of the V to the front. Keeping the arms against the thighs, squat down until the plates touch the ground (should be parallel or slightly below). Return to the top. Try to perform 1 rep per second or faster.
2. Good AM: Approach the bar like you are going to squat. Unrack the weight and establish a moderately wide stance with knees slightly bent and the back arched. Keeping the head up and eyes focused forward, push the hips back and let the shoulders drop down (not forward). The bar path should stay over the feet. Continue the decent until the upper back is parallel to the ground or until the lower back just starts to lose its arch. Return to the top. Add bands and chains as indicated.
3. 1 Arm Snatch: Holding a dumbbell in your right hand and standing on your left foot, perform the initial movement of a one leg RDL. As soon as the db passes the knee, explode into triple extension (trying to push the floor away) and perform the snatch. Remember that this is not a shoulder exercise. The weight should explode from the bottom and the momentum should carry it to the top. Perform on both sides.
4. Reverse Band Dead Lift: Attach a set of bands to the top of a squat rack and as wide as the rack will allow. Suspend a bar by the bands (the bar should be hanging from the squat rack by the bands). Using a partner, simultaneously load plates onto the bar until it is touching the ground. Continue to load the bar as indicated. Note: heavier bands will create a greater overload at the top of the lift.
5. Medball Throw: Start with a moderately heavy medball. Hold the ball at waist height. Quickly raise the ball up over head. Forcefully chop the ball down between your legs as you perform a squatting motion. Explode up into triple extension and toss the ball over your head and to the back at a 45 degree angle. Try to throw for distance.
6. Low Band Dead Lift: Attach a heavy band close to the ground (use an anchored object). Place a straight bar handle through the band. Facing the band, grasp the hand in each hand and walk back as far as you can. Squat down as low as you can and allow your shoulder to drop forward. Drive the shoulders back and up and the way up.
7. Lunges
a. Lin Lunge: Step forward into a lunge. Return back to the starting position.
b. Lunge and Twist: step forward into a lunge holding a weight in both hands with arms straight in front and at shoulder height. Twist fully over top the knee that is in front. Return to the center and stand back up.
c. Lateral Lunge-Step to the side keeping the trail leg straight and bending the lead leg at the hip knee and ankle. As you are descending, perform a front raise with the designated weight of dumbbells. Push the hips back until the thigh reaches parallel. Push through the heal to stand up and step back to the starting point.
d. Backwards lunge. Step back and drop into a lunge.
8. Split Jump: Establish the bottom position of lunge. Explode into the air maximally. Land and rebound (like a pogo stick) and jump again. Repeat for the designated number of reps. Note: Maintain a perfect lunge position at the bottom and do not let the knee touch the ground. Furthermore, you should be exploding through the front leg.
a. These are superset or performed directly after a set of another exercise. For instance, week 1 day 1, you perform linear lunges superset with split jumps (Lin Lunge/Split Jump). This means that you will perform 6 linear lunges on each leg immediately followed by 6 split jumps on each leg.
9. Weight Hypers-Hyper extensions with a weight held behind the head. Athletes with weaker lower backs may not need the added weight.
10. Banded Walks- Double in half and figure 8 a mini band and place it around your ankles. Step side to side in a skater step fashion.
11. Knee Push Outs- Double in half a mini band and bring it up around your knees while sitting. Place the feet a little wider than shoulder width, and press the knees out to the sides holding for 2-3 seconds. Return to the center.
12. Explosive Step Up: Perform a linear step up onto a box. Drive the foot through the box on up into an explosive triple extension of the drive leg.
13. Lateral Step Up-Step laterally onto a box from approx. Shoulders width distance away.
14. 1-Leg Rdl: Hold a db in your right hand and stand on your left foot. Bend the left knee slightly and drive the right foot backward as if trying to kick something (in slow motion). Bend at the waist and push the hips back. Take the db to the knot of the shoelaces on the left foot. Return to the top.
The Exercise-Upper Body
1. Bn Wrist Db Bench: Double and Figure 8 a mini band. Place a wrist through each end of the figure 8. Table top on a physioball with dumbbells in hand. Press like normal dumbbell bench but push out to the sides trying to stretch the band during the full range of motion.
2. Mb Hand Walk: Place 4-5 medballs in an arch (each ball about 16 inches from the other). Assume a push up position beside one of the end balls. Step with the lead hand (closest to the ball) onto the ball followed by the trail hand. Step with the lead hand off the ball followed by the trail hand. Continue down and back as many times as prescribed. Try to use balls of different characteristics to change the athlete.
3. Band Push Up: Place a light or medium band between to stationary object about 1-2 inches off the ground and tight. Have the athlete assume a push up position under either 1 or two sides of the band. Perform as many push ups as possible
4. Low Pull Row: Attach a straight bar to a low pulley. Assume a static squat in front of the low pull with the straight bar in hand, arms full extend, and plates not touching. Perform the prescribed number of rows holding the static squat position.
5. Fig. 8 Plate Raise: hold a plate in your hands like a steering wheel except hands should be parallel to the ground at 9 and 3. Draw a figure eight pattern with the plate that is about 2 feet tall. Make sure to reverse the direction of the figure during the set or every other set.
6. 1 Arm Low Pulley Row: Attach a D-Handle to a low pulley. Grasp the D-handle in your right hand and back away so the plates are not touching. Stand on your left foot (opposite foot opposite hand) bend your knee slightly and push your hips back. Perform the rows trying to maintain a good core rotation and balance.
7. Prone Db Hand walk: Assume a push up position while grasping dumbbells in your hands with palms facing in. Perform a hand walk forward while utilizing a stepping-over-the-elbow technique. Try to keep the shoulder parallel to the ground and utilize a perfect pillar posture. Use the ankles and toes to move the lower legs.
8. Strongman Back Low: Attach a long rope (40-60 ft) to a heavily loaded sled or tire. Sit on the ground facing the sled (sit at the end of the rope with it fully extend). Pull the sled/tire to you using a hand over hand motion. Complete as quickly as possible.
9. Willium Shrug: grasp a DB in each hand. Lean forward into a partial RDL with the palms facing your thighs. Elevate and retract your scapula concomitantly. Squeeze and release.
10. PNF Stability: Sit with one arm extended straight forward and the elbow fully straightened. Have a partner “knock” the arm around in random directions with moderate force and tempo. Try to maintain the arm in a central location, resisting and recovering from the knocking.
11. Mini Ext: Attach a mini band to the top of a squat rack. Perform the give number of extensions.
12. Beekers: This is a form of bench press using a close grip (shoulder width). Using a predetermined weight, perform a full rep from chest to lock out, have a partner place a three board on your chest and perform a rep from the 3 board to lockout. Repeat this pattern until 10 total reps have been performed. Try to use a natural rhythm with each press.
13. Hand Walks: Hold the athletes feet in the air and perform wheelbarrow hand walks for distance or time. Walk forward, side ways, hand over hand, backward, carioca hand, etc.
14. Lunge Press: Attach a D-Handle to a pulley that is located at about waist height. Face away from the pull and grasp the handle in your right hand. Lunge forward with your right foot. Keeping a perfect lunge posture with shoulder tall and D-handle located against the side of your chest, twist your shoulders back on the D-handle side. This is the start location. Rotate the shoulders forward and press the D-Handle to arms length keeping a good posture.
15. Incline Db Row: Lie Prone on an incline db bench. Holding dumbbells in each hand, perform the given number or repetitions.
16. Shoulder Prehab Circuit:
a. Scap Ele/Dep: Assume an arms slightly bent but static position on a dip rack. Performing a shrugging motion, try to touch your shoulders together slightly behind your neck. Reverse the motion and press your shoulders as far from your ears a possible
b. Scap Pro/Ret: Lye supine on a bench with your right shoulder blade freely off the side of the bench. With a moderately heavy db in your right hand try to squeeze your right shoulder blade to the center of your back. Reverse the motion, pressing the db up, and try to wing your shoulder blade as far from the center of your back as possible.
17. Squat Low Pull Row: See low pull row
18. Rear Dealt Raise: Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back lowering your shoulders down until your back is slightly above parallel. Raise the dumbbells to your sides creating a T with your body.
19. Band Pull Downs: Attach bands to the top of a squat rack at shoulder width apart. Grab the end of a band in each hand and sit onto the floor directly under their attachment to the squat rack. Perform a pull down.
20. 1 Arm Barbell Row: Place a Barbell perpendicular to the right side of your body. Lunge forward with your right foot keeping your back leg straight and creating a straight line from your heel to your head on your left side. Reach down with your right arm and grasp the end of the barbell. Drive your elbow back in a row.
21. Multi Band Ext: Attach 3-4 different size bands to the top of a squat rack. Perform triceps extensions to failure starting with the strongest band and finishing on the easiest.
22. PB Db Bench: Lye supine in a tabletop position on a physioball. Perform db bench presses as if on a db bench.
23. Hand Ladder: Set up an agility ladder on a soft floor. Assume a push up position beside the ladder. Perform the same agility drills you perform with your feet, with your hands through the ladder.
24. Mb Push Up: Place a medball under one hand and perform a push up. At the top, quickly roll the ball to the other hand and perform another push up.
25. Face Pull: Attach a triceps rope to a high pulley. Keeping the elbows high pull the rope to the forehead.
26. 3 Way Shoulder: Front raise, lateral raise, and rear dealt raise. Perform all of one raise before immediately moving into the next.
27. Incline Db Bench: Db benching on a slightly inclined bench with the elbows tucked to the side and the palms facing the centerline of the body.
28. Db Bench Floor Press: Typo, should say just Floor Press. Lye supine on the floor performing dumbbell bench as if you were on a bench. Lower the elbows until the lightly touch the ground and return to the top.
29. Lateral Dealt Raise: Assume a standing position with the knees bent slightly holding dumbbells in each hand. Raise directly up to the side until the arms are parallel to the ground.
30. Db 5 Cubed: Perform the bottom half of a dumbbell press for 5 reps immediately followed by the top half for 5 reps immediately followed by a full range of motion for 5 reps.
31. Chain Push Up: Perform pushups loading a chain across the shoulders each rep until no more reps can be performed. Once failure is achieved, hold static position or continue to attempt to perform push ups until all the chain is unloaded (about one chain per second or per rep on the unload)
32. Multi Board Press: A form of close grip (shoulder width) bench press. Perform five full range of motion press. Have your partner place a 1 board on your chest, perform 5 reps. Replace the 1 board with a 2 board perform five reps. Perform this all the way through full range of motion, 1, 2, 3, and 5 board performing 5 reps on each.
33. 4 Way Shoulder: Typo-should be 3 way shoulders.
