The Performance Training Pyramid

Our training methodology consists of three main sections, Joint Stability/Mobility, Strength, and Power. Each section has multiple phases and progressions. It is similar to a pyramid as you must first start with a solid foundation, Joint Stability/Mobility. The Strength section is then built upon this base and then finally Power can be developed.

One of the faults of traditional training programs was that they ignored the Joint Stability/Mobility aspect of training. Traditional or “Old School” strength coaches like to see heavy weights being lifted and take pride in developing massive muscles. One of the problems with this methodology is that it does not adequately prepare the body for athletic competition and thus, the incidence of injury rises. The failure to train joint stability and mobility leaves the athletes vulnerable to overuse injuries and other non-contact injuries. Think about what happens when an athlete gets injured. The athlete usually goes to physical therapy, where the therapist works on either increasing the strength of the muscles that stabilize the injured joint and/or increasing the mobility of the injured joint. We feel a better training approach would be to start with joint stability/mobility training first so that we can reduce the potential for those overuse and non-contact injuries. It is about being proactive so that our athletes can remain in the game rather than reacting to an injury that could have been prevented.

On the other hand, many “functional trainers” or trainers with rehab backgrounds tend to only live in the joint stability/mobility section with very little strength and power training. The problem with this methodology is that it does not develop explosiveness. The injury potential of the athlete is reduced, but at some point strength and power need to be addressed in order to increase explosiveness. Let’s use a car as an example. Think of joint stability/mobility training as a tune-up and oil change for your car. Immediately after the tune-up your car is running great and you can really tell a difference in its performance. However, there is a ceiling to how well your car performs. Every time you get a tune-up, your car will reach that ceiling of performance. But what if you want your car to perform above that ceiling? Well, you need to do something more than just a tune-up. You need to increase the horsepower in the engine so that your car can be faster. That’s where the strength and power training come in to play. Strength training adds horsepower to your engine and allows your car or athlete to move more explosively.

It really is a combination of Joint Stability/Mobility, Strength, and Power training that allow an athlete to perform at their best while also decreasing the risk of injury. Expertise is not in knowing there must be a combination of joint stability/mobility, strength, and power training; it is in knowing when to utilize each section and how long to emphasize each section. Our assessment and evaluation allow us to truly create custom training programs to cater to each athlete’s needs and goals. By manipulating variables in each training program to meet specific individual needs, we can achieve greater results in a shorter period of time.