How many of you train wide receivers, defensive backs, or tight ends?  If you do, you know how important the vertical jump is, especially if that player wants to play in college or NFL.  The vertical jump tests lower body explosion and the ability to make a play in the air.  And it just so happens its one of the measures the NFL uses at the combine to test players.  

As strength coaches we primarily train strength, speed, agility, flexibility, and power.  With the vertical jump, we are training for power.  That explosion is crucial for an athlete.  So what exercises will help our athletes improve their vertical?  Look no further than Joe DeFranco.  

In this article, Joe breaks down his favorite 15 exercises to help improve the vertical jump.  From the power clean to the box squat with bands, Joe explains why each of the 15 exercises are helpful in producing a powerful vertical.  Be sure to check out Joe's youtube page for videos and tips as well!!

Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I say that young athletes don't get very good instruction (or any at all) in weight lifting.  Yet if you look around at the majority of high schools, you will see hundreds of athletes who are benching, squatting, deadlifting, overhead pressing, or performing olympic lifts with absolutely no idea of proper form. Furthermore, I'd be willing to bet most of them haven't gone through any type of pre-participation weight lifting screening. 

Overhead pressing is one of those exercises that get abused with athletes and even the general population who are not appropriate for them.  Understand when I say appropriate, that means functionally able to perform that exercise safely and with correct/proper form.  

In this article, Tony Gentilcore of Cressey Performance, breaks down overhead pressing.  He explains what specific assessments can help aid your clients in determining if they are functionally able to overhead press. Additionally, he gives his input as to why each assessment is indicative of being physically ready to overhead press.  Can't overhead press? Tony gives you videos on what you can do to substitute for the overhead press.  

Don't put strength on top of dysfunction.  Assess your athletes before prescribing the overhead press.  It will make you look like a genius and help save that athlete a headache and rehabilitation later.  

Speed & agility are without a doubt two very important factors in athletic performance.  Training for speed, quickness, and agility can be done in many different ways and many different progressions.  Therefore the question is: What exercises are best to improve these components?  And how do I progress these exercises?  

In this post by Todd Durkin, CSCS, those questions is answered.  First, Todd breaks down the two most important factors to improve speed: stride length and stride frequency.  He goes on to give some examples of dynamic warmup exercises as well as flexibility exercises.  In the rest of the article, Todd explains speed by breaking it down into parts and phases for tips and exercises for each.  He also gives a nice progression of plyometric exercises.  

Its a lengthy article due to all the lists but at the end you can download the article as a PDF which is convenient.  Check it out to add to your toolbox!