A performance training program is all about results. As a former athlete, I hated doing exercises/workouts that had nothing to do with making me a better player. So many times I feel like the coaches were just trying to make me puke, how else can you explain the benefits of log rolls over and over and over again. Honestly, if you're on the ground, rolling around the football field, you should probably roll straight over to the bench, stay there for the rest of the game, then watch as the coaches find someone who can stay on their feet. Even now, I hear athletes say things like "that was a great workout, I almost puked" or "man I'm so sore". While this may be an unintended result, puking and soreness is not the measurement of a great training program or workout. A training program should be purposeful and precise in achieving the desired results.
Below are the pre/post testing results of a local high school boys basketball team. This team trained with us for two months leading up to the beginning of their season. In addition to open gym practices, these kids would train with us twice a week for 90 minutes each session. We measured Vertical Jump, Lane Agility, Pullups and Squat Power, all things that we think are relevant to a basketball player. We followed a systematic approach, first addressing injury risks and correcting dysfunctional movements. For strength, we avoided the traditional squat because it was too much of an injury risk (as usual). We replaced the traditional barbell squat with a single leg version. At the end of the 8 weeks, vertical jump improved by an average of 1.78"!
Of course, the final evaluation of any performance program is how well this translates to the field/court. Training someone from cone to cone is not the same as preparing someone for the game. This team won the conference championship last night! Their record is currently 16-3, and the most important result is ZERO non-contact injuries!
