We’ve all seen the endless “agility” videos on Instagram and Youtube. They go something like this… An athlete performs the “Icky Shuffle” through a “speed ladder”, then quickly transitions into a few figure 8’s around some strategically-placed cones…next comes the salsa-dance-looking moves around a few more cones…and finally there’s a hop, skip or a jump over a handful…

Many coaches will tell you that they don’t allow their athletes to perform any kind of plyometric training unless they can squat 2.5X their bodyweight. Other coaches have different prerequisites for plyometrics.  So what’s the deal?  Do athletes need a base level of strength in order to safely perform plyometrics, or is it a bunch of…

I am extremely excited to announce that our SPEED DVD & Manual has finally arrived!!! I feel the strength & conditioning industry (or whatever we’re calling it these days) is in desperate need of quality information regarding speed training and this product delivers, BIGTIME! The SPEED DVD reveals our favorite drills and best coaching cues for…

Check out this SPEED interview I did with Erik Rokeach: For those interested in the specific content of our SPEED manual, here’s a page-by-page review: I am extremely excited to announce that SPEED is finally available and can be purchased here… SPEED: Practical & Proven Methods for Team Sport Athletes -Joe D. 

Q: Joe I loved your recent blog post about the heavy sled sprints. You answered the question in a way that really made sense to me and taught me a lot. After reading that blog post I wanted to ask you if you ever incorporate form running drills into your programs for your non track athletes?…

Q: Joe D –  Huge fan of your work. I’m currently saving up enough $ to come train at your gym next summer and hopefully learn from you firsthand. I had a question about sprinting with a weight sled and pushing a heavy prowler. I’ve done some research and it seems many sprint coaches have…

Q: G’day Joe,  If you’re not familiar with AFL (Australian rules football) HERE is a highlight reel.  As you can see it is physically similar to rugby, requires the speed and endurance of a soccer player, and similar ball handling skills of a bballer.  The game last roughly 120 minutes and is broken up into quarters.…

In my previous blog post, I revealed my Top 9 Drills to Improve Acceleration Technique. That blog post was well-received from my readers due to it’s “timely” nature. You see, it’s Combine training season and 75% of the “Ask Joe” questions I receive during this time of year pertain to improving the 40 yard dash. …

Utah State running back, Michael Smith, performs the “Prowler march”   In honor of “Combine Training season”, I’ve decided to provide a fool-proof list of drills that have helped us produce some of the fastest football players in the country. All of these acceleration drills are “economical” exercises that are simple to teach and provide…

  Q: Coach Defranco- I recently graduated from university with a degree in exercise science. I have a desire to keep learning. Of specific interest to me is improving vertical leaping ability. To further my knowledge i recently purchased Special Strength Training Manual for coaches from elitefts. I also just purchased your power dvd –…