“TOOLS” OF THE TRADE

BUILDING YOUR TOOL BOX FOR GREATER ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

DARRYN FISKE, MS, MSCC

DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior
teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

~ William Arthur Ward

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM CONFERENCES AND CLINICS?
• Remember, you are never going to
get the presenter’s full program in
the hour in which they are speaking.
• Highlights
• Basics
• Ideas and concepts are “tools” that
the presenter believes will help
enhance not just their program but
possibly yours.
• Before you incorporate new “tools”
into your program, make sure you
and your staff are properly versed in
the “what, how, and when” to
incorporate said “tools”.
• I’ve seen too many coaches
incorporate new “tools” at the wrong
time with severe consequences.
WHAT ARE “TOOLS”?
• Tools are any Dynamic Warm-up Routines, Exercises/Movements, SAQ Drills,
Conditioning Routines, Post-Session Stretching Routines, and Recovery
Practices that the strength and conditioning coach would incorporate in their
programming for their SA’s.

• Tools are only as good as the situation in which the strength and conditioning
coach finds him/herself.

• Not all tools are good for every situation.

WHAT IS THE PROVERBIAL “TOOLBOX”?
• The proverbial toolbox is called Experience.

• Throughout our careers we gather more and more experience and more and more tools to put
in our toolboxes.
• More often than not, a lot of the things we implement may not work in our current situation and
therefore we need to put those tools back in our toolbox.
• Why?
• Because as we gain more experience, our past experiences should tell us if that specific tool we are looking
to utilize is ideal or not for the current situation and if the use of it may lead to problems or at the very least a
lack in results.

• “Never underestimate the power of a simple tool. You don’t need a power tool when
a simple screwdriver can do the trick.” – Flip This House
CAN YOU COACH IT?
IF YOU CAN’T COACH IT, WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?
• Many tools require some really technical aspects to them.
• Olympic Lifts
• Plyometrics
• Power Lifts

• Can you coach/teach/demonstrate them?

• If you cannot do it, how do you expect your SA’s to pick up on the nuisances of the
exercise/movement?
• If you cannot do it, how do you breakdown the movement in order to teach the SA
proper technique and the “feeling” of the movement?
IF YOU CAN’T COACH IT, WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?
• Substituting similar movements that produce the same desired effect.
• Some SA’s are not ready for certain movements due to previous injury, inexperience in certain
movements or training, and have just plain body dysfunction due to years of improper
movement patterns or repetitive dysfunctional movement patterns.
• Without a variety of tools, the strength coach could possibly be putting their SA’s in precarious
positions they may not be ready for as well as investing more time than available in trying to
get the SA’s proficient in the movement where another “simpler” movement/exercise can
accomplish the same benefit the strength coach is looking to achieve.

• Doing What is Right is Better Than Just Doing What is Popular.

• Simple and Basic Movements have produced more gains in a strength program than any
exercise of the month.
• I’ve seen too many movements on the internet with some questionable technique.
BUILDING YOUR TOOLBOX
K.I.S.S. Method
• Determine what exercises/movements you feel are necessary that your SA’s
need to be proficient in for athletic performance success.

• Build your toolbox backwards from those movements.

• Doing so will give you a natural progression into what exercises/movements

you want your SA’s to accomplish.
Basic Athletic Movement
• Most athletic movement involves one or
more of the following movement patterns:
• Pulling Movement
• Squatting Movement
• Pressing Movement
• Thus we should incorporate
exercises/movements that will strengthen
our SA’s in these movements.
• To make our programs look unique,
many strength coaches utilize “too
many tools from their toolbox” and end
up confusing their SA’s and not getting
the results they probably could have
gotten had they just simplified the
exercises/movements used.
• Again, why use a power drill when a
simple screwdriver can do the job just
as well?
SOME EXAMPLES FROM OUR STRENGTH PROGRAM
Deadlift
• We prefer the use of a conventional
style of deadlift, but we also utilize
the sumo deadlift as well.
• We have found that some SA’s have
poor hip mobility and ankle flexibility
and end up doing more of an RDL
than a traditional deadlift, so we may
have them do more sumo deadlifting
that conventional.
• Variations:
• Trap Bar Deadlifts/Blocks
• Deadlifts from Blocks
• Pit Shark ® /Beltless Squats
• DB/KB Sumo Squats
• Key Coaching Points:
• If our SA’s demonstrate poor form on a
barbell deadlift, usually we can solve it with
the use of DC Blocks and/or a trap bar
deadlift which places the SA in the proper
form. Also we control the weight.
Power Clean
• The Power Clean is one of the best
demonstrations of strength/power in
the triple extension.
• It is also one of the more technical
lifts that a SA can perform.
• Obviously bad form + rapid speed =
injury to the SA
• Variations:
• Box Jumps
• Ground Based Jammer
• Med Ball Tosses
• DB/KB Cleans
• Key Coaching Points:
• If our SA’s cannot grasp the technique of the power
clean, we will continue to teach it to them on “off days”,
but on our work days we will substitute an appropriate
alternative.
• Being such a technical lift and with the training age of
some of our SA’s, they may never even touch a bar to
clean until their sophomore year.
• There are more ways to develop the triple extension than
just a clean. It is just the power clean is such a “one stop
shop” type of exercise.
Back Squat
• If we had one exercise to do in an • Variations:
• Front Squat
allotted amount of time in the weight • DB/KB/BB Spilt Squat
room, it would be the back squat • Pit Shark ®
• DB/KB/BB Lunge
exercise. • SSB Squats

• Key Coaching Points:

• Perhaps other than the power clean
there is no exercise that
incorporates the amount of muscle
working together as the squat.
• Weight on heels
• Press the buttock backwards first then proceed bending at
the knees.
• Knees should come forward a little but never past the toes
and the heel should remain in contact with the floor.
• Chest up, eyes on the horizon, squeeze the traps, elbows
pressed forward
Push Press/Power Jerk
• These exercises actually link the total body from
the feet through the core and out through the
arms/hands.
• Requires total body coordination and relates
better to actual athletic movement as opposed
to laying on a bench and pressing.
• Was popular in the “hey day” of strongman.
Nobody laid down on a bench and pressed.
You cleaned the weight from the floor and
pressed it overhead. Again total body strength
which correlates better to athleticism.
• Variations:
• DB/KB Shoulder Press
• Hammer Ground Based Jammer Press
• DB Push Press
• Single Arm DB/KB Clean to Press
• Key Coaching Points:
• Balance along the entire foot. Do not land on the toes.
• Press through the heels and extend through the toes.
• Once bar clears the head, get the head and body under
the bar in a straight line from foot to hand. Alignment is
key.
• Lock the arms out forcefully.
• If split jerking, firm foot foundation and the step back leg
up to a two footed base in the overhead position.
HYBRID MOVEMENTS
Examples of Hybrid Movements To Enhance
Athleticism – Advanced
• These movements are more
advanced and we only incorporate
them with our SA’s who have a very
sound strength base and/or have
been in our strength program for a
number of years.
• Not for the novice or beginner.
• Total Body Movements
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Push Press
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Push Jerk
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Split Jerk
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Front Squat
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Front Squat to
Push Press
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Front Squat to
Push Jerk
• BB/DB Power/Hang Clean to Front Squat to
Split Jerk
Examples of Hybrid Movements To Enhance
Athleticism – Advanced
• These movements are more
advanced and we only incorporate
them with our SA’s who have a very
sound strength base and/or have
been in our strength program for a
number of years.
• Not for the novice or beginner.
• Lower Body Movements
• Back/Front Squat to Standing Press
• Back/Front Squat to Push Press
• Back/Front Squat to Push Jerk/Split Jerk
• Good Morning to Back Squat
• DB Squat to Standing Press/Push Press/Push Jerk/Split
Jerk
• DB Squat to Front Raise/Side Raise
• DB Reverse Lunge and Front Raise
• DB Reverse Lunge and Side Raise
• DB Lunge to Press
• DB Walking Lunge to Press
• DB Lunge to Curl to Press
• DB Lateral Lunge to Press
Conclusion
• In my 23 years as a strength and conditioning coach, I have found the simple
basic movements are the best when it comes to training athletes.
• A push, pull, and squat movement should be involved in every training
session.
• We all want a unique approach. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Remember, you
are here to help the athletes, not to promote you! If you help the athletes
reach their genetic potential for athletic performance you will get noticed as a
strength and conditioning coach.
• Gradual progression is always the underlying principle. Every situation is
different. Adjust accordingly and use the appropriate tools for the job.