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Q: Joe,

What Max effort movements do you us for upper and lower body days with your athletes?

What grip width do you have your guys use on the bench press and does it change from Max Effort days to Dynamic Effort days?

Could you go over how you teach the box squat? Do you use a very wide stance like a powerlifter and what size boxes do you use?

Thanks in advance,
Mark

A: Mark,
I use a variety of max effort movements in the training of my athletes (way too many to list here). I will give you a list of some of my favorites. These exercises have gotten many of my athletes very strong!

UPPER BODY MAX EFFORT LIFTS

1. 2-board bench press with mini bands
2. 14” grip rack lockouts (varying heights)
3. Thick bar chain bench press
4. Barbell floor press
5. Dumbell bench press on stability ball (repetition method)

* Remember that these are more “traditional” max effort lifts popularized by Westside Barbell Club. They can benefit most athletes and I especially like them for football players. Don’t be afraid to “think outside the box”, though. For example, I may use more barbell push jerks and incline barbell bench presses as max effort exercises with my basketball players. And remember that not all max effort lifts have to be “pushing” exercises. I like using weighted chins and bent-over dumbell rows as max effort lifts for wrestlers and baseball players.

LOWER BODY MAX EFFORT LIFTS

1. Trap bar deadlift off of a 4” box
2. Rack pulls (a.k.a. deadlift lockouts)
3. Barbell Olympic squats / Barbell front squats
   (full range of motion!)
4. “Lightening” box squats using green or blue jump stretch bands
5. Suspended chain cambered bar good mornings

As far as the grips that I use with my athletes on the bench press – I use many. Generally I favor closer grips (14” – 18” apart) during training on max effort and dynamic days. We usually only practice a wider grip with college football players training for the NFL Combine’s 225lb. bench press test. Basically, a wider grip shortens the distance the bar has to travel. Once the Combine training is over, we go back to benching with a narrower grip and “tucking” the upper arms in close to the upper body.

As far as box squat stances, I usually box squat with a wide stance with my athletes. (Although we don’t go as wide as competitive powerlifters.) The box height varies from 6” from the ground to 2” above parallel. This depends on the athlete that I’m training and the goal of the session. I teach the form exactly how a traditional box squat would be taught. I do stray from traditional box squat technique every now and then with my athletes, though. For example, with non-powerlifters I sometimes teach dynamic box squats without “sitting back”. The box is just used to set the depth of the squat, so it’s not really a box squat after all. I have a reason behind doing this but it’s a whole other topic.

Thanks for the question.
Joe D.

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Q: Hey Joe,

I have a bunch of questions to ask you, hope you don’t mind. I’ll start with the simple ones first!

1. When your video comes out will it be available in Europe, or in European format?
   
2. Where can I buy the vertical jump book you co-authored?
   
3. Do you do phone consultations or write programs for overseas athletes? How much are these and what is involved in setting one up?
   
   -------------------------------------------------
   Ok, now the training questions;
   
4. What is the most you have ever increased someone’s vertical? For example, I saw the 2 guys with 37" and 35" verticals, both awesome verts, what was their vert like before you trained them?
   
5. Can you say how much you think I could improve my vertical? I know this is a difficult question to answer (if not impossible). My 1RM squat is 260lbs. and my 1RM snatch is 143lbs. I have only started serious strength training in the last 6 weeks (I’m 22 years old). What sort of numbers can your top jumpers move? Are their maxes a lot bigger than this? My current vert is 29" so I’m hoping there is a lot of room for improvement. I also have the very high cut calves you were talking about so I’m hoping in a couple of years I could get to 35". Is this realistic?
   
6. Also, I am unsure how to incorporate stretching into my routine. I have read a lot about p.n.f stretching but I have never read how you would plan a whole stretching program. For example, how often would you p.n.f stretch a week, is there a place for static stretching, should it be done after a workout, should it be gentle, should I use dynamic stretching as well? Basically, I know a lot about all the different types of stretching, I’m just unsure when and how to use them.

I know you are really busy, so if you feel these are too many questions to answer and you feel I should be paying for this then I’m more than happy to. Unfortunately, where I come from (Scotland) coaches don’t even know about Olympic lifts, periodization, e.t.c. In order to go pro in Europe (volleyball) I’m pretty much trying to self-coach myself, so people like you are a godsend. I love your website keep up the good work!!

Thanx,
David 

A: David,
Wow! You’ve just blasted me with a lot of questions. I’ll give you some feedback on each, but I don’t have all day.

1. Yes, as long as you have a credit card, you will be able to purchase the video. You will obviously have to pay more money for the shipping and handling, though.
   
2. I no longer know where the proceeds of the vertical jump book are going, so I don’t recommend you buy it. The vertical jump book is basically “brought to life” in the video that’s coming out. I cover everything you’ll ever need to know about the vertical jump in the video. Stay tuned to find out how to order your copy of the video!
   
3. I am going to start doing phone consultations and program design very shortly. The “Products” section of this site should be up and running by December 1st and you will be able to purchase them on the site. The phone consultations will be $100(U.S.) for 30 minutes and program design will vary depending on the complexity of the program.
   
4. Increasing someone’s vertical jump varies from athlete to athlete. Genetics, past training experience and the amount of time that the athlete can spend with me are all key factors. Personally, the biggest improvement that I’ve ever seen was accomplished by University of Idaho football player Patrick Venzke. Patrick was one of the athletes that we trained for the 2001 NFL Combine. When he came in and tested with us he jumped 23”. 3 months later, at the Combine, he jumped 34”! He is still legendary for his accomplishment. Although his results were not typical, it shows that anything is possible. Generally speaking, the lower the vertical jump, the more room there is for improvement. For example, if someone came to me with a 38” vertical jump, it is very unlikely they would be able to improve 11” in 3 months!
   
5. It would be impossible for me to tell you exactly how much your vertical jump can improve. Remember that I’m a strength coach, not a magician! By looking at your numbers (squat & snatch), I would say that you have much room for improvement. I think 35” is very realistic. That is, if you are sure that your current vertical jump is 29”. For your information, the high school and college athletes that I train who can jump 35” can squat anywhere from 335lbs. – 455lbs. So keep hitting the weights!
   
6. General rules for stretching: If I were working one-on-one with an athlete, I would have him perform a general warm-up for 3-5 minutes (jogging, body squats, etc.). Then, I would P.N.F. stretch him for about 10 minutes. Next, the athlete would get up and perform a dynamic warm-up (skipping, jumping, build-up sprints, etc.) with ballistic stretches incorporated in the dynamic warm-up. After this, the actual workout would take place. I then recommend they static stretch 4-6 hours AFTER the workout. This gives the central nervous system enough time to “calm down” and the athlete can get a better stretch.

David, I hope my guidelines help. I respect the fact that you are dedicated enough to self-coach and educate yourself. With your determination, you will definitely be successful.

Good luck.
Joe D.

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Q: Joe,
Have you ever used L-Tyrosine? I know you’re a fan of Magnesium but I never heard you talk about supplementing with L-Tyrosine. Can this supplement be beneficial for athletes?

By the way, your website rocks! I look at the training pics for motivation before I go to the gym everyday!
Eddie

A: : Eddie,
You’ve never heard me talk about L-Tyrosine because no one ever asked! I’ve been a huge advocate of L-Tyrosine for years! It has remained a “staple” in my supplementation program for many years now. I swear by the stuff.

L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that became popular due to its “stimulating” effect. This is not the nervous/jittery stimulation you get from caffeine or ephedrine, though. You see, L-Tyrosine is a pre-curser to many of the “feel-good” neurotransmitters in your brain (epinephrine, norepinephrine, etc.). It also helps increase nerve transmission from the brain to the muscle, activating more motor units and creating more strength. (Remember that the nervous system is the most overlooked component of strength training. If the nerve doesn’t activate the muscle, the muscle can’t contract and you can’t lift heavy weights!)

So if you’re looking for a non-nerve-rattling pre-workout “stimulant” give a couple of grams of L-Tyrosine a try. I suggest 3-5 grams of free-form L-Tyrosine with a protein-only shake (not a carb drink!) about 30 minutes before you workout. You may be very pleased with the results!

Joe D.

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