Pull. Drop. Aggressive. Drive up. High-performance gym training is about creating as much force in a short amount of time as possible. The big thing is how quickly clean out of the box, how high over the hurdle, how fast off the ground.
Serious athletes in Colorado Springs are working on rate of force development, full hip extension, quick off the ground, and being able to relax as quickly as force is created. That is what transitions into being able to run fast and jump high.
In this blog post, we will look into some advanced training insights and helpful techniques that are popular in high-performance gyms in Colorado Springs.
The Foundation: Force, Power, and Full Extension
Getting Full Extension on Every Rep
High Performance Gym in Colorado Springs, CO
Right now, cutting it short means not getting the hips all the way through. The focus of athlete training is on that knee coming through and then getting that full extension with the back hip. On a lot of reps in the first set, the hips are not all the way through. The knee drives through to get it through as quickly as possible.
Head to the ceiling. Full extension all the way up. Quicker off the ground. A little bit more circular motion. The rhythm was not bad, but it was not quite as fluid. Good balance. Good spring.
Pairing Strength Drills with Explosive Jumps
The seated medicine ball hurl hop is paired with band squats. Similar concept. Getting up over the box as quickly as possible, creating as much force in a short amount of time as possible, to get over the hurdle as high as possible with a 10 lb object. No arms. A little bit of weight. Makes it a little bit more challenging. A little bit more force and power to do that.
The big thing is how quickly it cleans out of the box, how high it goes over the hurdle. Big explosion. Quick.
Rate of Force Development
Producing around 3,000 newtons of force, the goal is to get to that 3,000 as quickly as possible. Lots of reps of just one second. Peak force will not be hit on these. Working on getting to probably around 90% of peak force as quickly as possible. That is the rate of force development. Lots of reps at that quick rate of burst, relax, quick rate of burst, then relax.
The Isometric Pull and Drop Method
Breaking Force and Why It Transfers
Pulling with as much force as possible into the ground, into the pins, basically trying to break the pins with the barbell. More force is created, or the body is taught to create more force. That applies to sprinting and jumping.
As soon as the drop is called, relax as quickly as possible, letting the barbell basically fall, catching it as low to the ground or close to the rack as possible. Getting that quick snap, breaking force, just happens on the body instantly from that max contraction. Pulling in, creating as much force as possible, and getting that rapid breaking force on the drop.
Medicine Ball Drills Paired with Pulls at This High Performance Gym in Colorado Springs
Taking what was just worked on, the rate of force development from the pulls, and applying it to the medicine ball drill. As soon as the feet hit the ground, get that medicine ball up as high as possible. Get off the ground quickly.
Snapping down with the medicine ball as fast as possible. Starting tall, getting from here to here, letting gravity pull it down. Snapping down 2% faster. Quick pop. The speed down creates the rebound. As soon as it landed, it exploded. That is how the two exercises are paired together.
Overspeed and Sprint Work in Colorado Springs
Running 45 yards, over speed at 30. A little bit faster in that 30. With 3 kilos of resistance, starting back at 40. The goal is upper eights, maybe close to nine, top of nine.
Second or third sets are the best quality sets. If the mind can be put into that with everything and those sets get stacked up, that is where a lot of the improvements come from. Most people train, and they might have one good day.
Cycle Jumps and Knee Drive
Full extension all the way up. Driving the knee through to get it through as quickly as possible. The rhythm was not bad, but it was not quite as fluid. Quicker. Pop. Faster. That full extension with the back hip.
Good balance. Good spring. Head to the ceiling. That was the best one.
FAQs
What is the rate of force development, and why does it matter for athletes in Colorado Springs?
Say producing 3,000 newtons of force. The goal is to get to that 3,000 as quickly as possible. Working on getting to probably around 90% of peak force as quickly as possible. That is the rate of force development. That is the intent behind it. That applies to sprinting and jumping.
Why is relaxation trained alongside force production at a high performance gym in Colorado Springs?
The best athletes are the ones who can relax the quickest. Creating high levels of force and being able to relax super quickly. As soon as the pull happens, it is relaxing. That is the effect. As soon as the pull happens, it is trying to turn the brain and the body on to create that force faster than a snap of a finger.
How does the medicine ball drill connect to the pull drills?
Taking what was just worked on, the rate of force development of that exercise, the pulls, and applying it over here into this quick create as much force power as possible into this medicine ball drill. That is how those two exercises are paired together.
Conclusion
At a high performance gym in Colorado Springs, every drill, every pairing, every rep is pointed at the same outcome. Create force as fast as possible, relax as fast as possible, and get off the ground quickly.
Rate of force development. Full extension. Quick rate of burst, relax. That is what transitions into running fast and jumping high. The second and third sets are the best quality sets. Stack those up. That is where a lot of the improvements come from.
Remember, one of the most important factors is good nutrition. Never forget that!
