Strength Training Program Design Manual

Patrick Basil, MS, CSCS*D, Pn1

Twitter and Instagram: @pbasilstrength

Intro and Objectives

The goal of this manual is to provide you with a base of information and strategies to

apply when designing strength training programs tailored to your given situation and logistics.

Programming is very much an art as much as it is a science. Exercises, drills, barbells, and

dumbbells are all just tools to apply training stimuli. The best program for your trainees is the

one that uses the best tools for the job and sets them up for success. There is no magic

program or secret sauce, and there are no magic exercises. Only intelligently-applied and

well-coached concepts.

Who this information is intended for. Sports performance coaches and trainers looking to

make sure their current programs are on the right track, sport coaches looking to broaden their

skills to best serve their team in the weight room, or anyone else looking for a quality reference

guide to program design.

These program guidelines will work for 99% of athletes you’ll work with. School age

youth athletes through collegiate and professional athletes can benefit from these programs.

How do we define “Sports Performance Training” anyway?

This is a great question. The phrases “Strength & Conditioning” and “Sports

Performance Training” or “Athletic Performance Training” are often used interchangeably. I

prefer the term Sports Performance because it implies the goal of training athletes: to improve

the performance on the field. Ultimately, that is the goal. Getting bigger, stronger, faster, and

more powerful are a means to an end, and there are countless ways to accomplish this. Both

coaches and athletes too often get caught in solely getting bigger and stronger, and lose sight of

the actual goal of improved on-field performance. I believe Sports Performance or even Athletic

Performance better represent this.

 So how do we train to be better athletes on the field? To oversimplify the process, teach

and develop quality movement patterns, then continuously apply the progressive overload

principle to build strength and competency in the main movement patterns. We will prioritize and

train these movements weekly, changing exercise variations, sets, reps, and weight used as

needed to continue progress.

Main Movement Categories

What are our “main movements”? The six basic human movements are the squat, lunge,

hinge, push, pull, and carry. Understand that these are major movements, not exercises

specifically. We can prescribe exercises that fit each one. Front Squats, Dumbbell Lunges,

RDLs, Push Ups, Rows, and so on. When designing programming, I expand this concept of

main movements a little to the lower body, upper body, and core. Once we identify the main

movements for each segment of the body, all we need to do is select exercises to represent

each movement that best suit the group we’re training. The main movements for each area are

as follows:

Lower Body (examples):

- Squat or Main Lower Body Bilateral* (Squat, Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift)

- Hinge or Straight Leg Hip Flexion (Romanian Deadlift (RDL), Back Extensions, Kettlebell

Swings)

- Lunge or Single Leg* (Lunges, Split Squat, Single Leg Squats)

- Knee Flexion or Bent Knee (Leg Curls, Hip Bridges, two and one leg options)

*Lunges and Single Leg options can also be used as a main exercise. Some prefer these

entirely.

Upper Body (examples):

 - Horizontal Press (Bench Press, Dumbbell Benches, Push Ups, Incline Presses*)

- Vertical Presses (Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Push Press, Landmine Press, Incline

Press*)

- Horizontal Pulls or Rows (Dumbbell Row, Barbell Row, Inverted or Strap Rows)

- Vertical Pulls (Chin Ups, Pull Ups, Lat Pulldowns)

- Upper Back and Posterior Shoulder (Band Pull Aparts, Face Pulls, Shrugs, Reverse

Flyes)

Core:

- Flexion (Sit Ups, Hanging Knee Raises)

- Anti-Flexion (Body Saw, Ab Wheel Rollouts, Planks)

- Rotation (Medicine Ball Throws)

- Anti-Rotation (Pallof Presses, Push Up Plate Drags)

* Note: The main goal of core training is to teach the body to stabilize and maintain postural

integrity throughout movement, not endless sloppy ab twists on ground. The best way to

accomplish this is through anti-movements and resisting movements or heavy main exercises

themselves. Yes, this means that squats, lunges, and presses are also the best core strength

movements. The “core” also refers to the back half of the body. The lower back is often brutally

undertrained. Back Extensions and Reverse Hypers will fix this. Also, core work does not need

to be its own lengthy process. One exercise per session is plenty.

When designing programs, I break the program down into several movement categories:

the upper and lower body, pushes (anterior) and pulls (posterior). We also incorporate a

dynamic or explosive exercise like a jump or medicine ball throw, and a direct core exercise like

a side plank. A very simple total body workout can be as simple as choosing an exercise for

each of these movements. An example of this would be:

Front Squats (lower anterior)

Box Jumps (dynamic)

Bench Press (upper anterior/push)

Dumbbell Rows (upper posterior/pull)

Single Leg Hip Bridge (lower posterior)

Side Planks (core)

That’s it. We’ve covered our main movements, our priority “big rocks” of the program. In

doing so we’ve covered several muscle groups as well. You could add another upper and lower

body posterior exercise to expand this workout if you felt compelled do so.

Following this template for three separate workouts would give you a very solid and

basic 3 day program. We’ll discuss that more in-depth.

Checking the Boxes

The first step in quality assurance is to make sure all your main movements are

represented in the program. The easiest way to do this is to refer back to a checklist of key

movements and “check the boxes”. If a key movement was left out, you know what to add. If this

is the case, there’s probably one too many of a particular movement or exercise. Remember,

you can always add extra work after the session if there’s time. Check the main boxes first, the

rest is a bonus.

Warmups (very general)

A proper warmup is essential prior to a workout. Warmups do not have to be

complicated. A simple total body routine of calisthenics and dynamic stretches will suffice.

Squats, lunges, push ups, leg swings, hip bridges, and planks are all good examples. Some

prefer to use this time to practice movement patterns or strengthen lagging muscle groups with
corrective exercises. These are both great uses of this pre-training time. Get the heart rate up,

blood flowing, and generally prepare the body for activity. The warmup should take about 5-10

minutes to do. A sample warm up is included in the program template Excel file. Warm up sets

with the barbell for major movements like squats will also be done.

Training Splits

Training days are split into Lower Body, Upper Body, or Total Body design. You may

have seen bodybuilding programs split into body part days or specific muscle days like Arm Day,

Leg Day, Back Day, Chest Day, etc. These are outdated designs intended for bodybuilders

whose only goal is increase muscle mass specifically for aesthetic purposes. These training

splits are not ideal for developing total body movement capabilities or improving athletic

performance. Many bodybuilders have converted to Upper/Lower splits in recent times anyway.

It is important to view sports performance training from a movement perspective, not just

by body parts or muscles alone. We will prioritize compound, multi-joint exercises like squats,

rows, and presses over single-joint isolation exercises like bicep curls and leg extensions.

Single-joint exercises will be used to target specific muscle groups, but will be done later in the

workout once the main work is done. Isolation work can be done safely in a fatigued state, so

the end of the workout is a great time to do them. Major multi-joint movements will cover all of

the muscle groups anyway and will provide the largest training effect for the effort (most bang

for your buck).

Again, the easiest way to ensure that the most important movements are reflected in

your program is to refer to a movement checklist and “Check all the Boxes” to make sure the

major movements are covered.

Exercise Order
 This is pretty self-explanatory, it’s the order in which you actually perform the exercises.

Ideally explosive exercises like jumps, throws, and Olympic lifts are performed first simply

because it’s not possible to be maximally explosive when you’re tired at the end of the lift. These

are done with low volume and enough rest that they shouldn’t be tiring at all. Second, the

heavier taxing main exercises like squats, deadlift, and bench presses, should be done because

they will be the most taxing and tiring. The explosive work done first should not take away from

the main lift after it. If this does happen, you did too much to begin with. Assistance work is done

last because these exercises can still be performed well in a fatigued state. A lower body

workout template would like this:

1 Box Jump (explosive)

2 Front Squat (main lift)

3 Lunges (single leg assistance)

4 Leg Curls (assistance)

5 Side Plank (core)

Program Design and Flow

The workout must fit your logistical situation. This includes your available equipment,

space, time, and the size of the group relative to each. One common way to keep athletes

moving throughout the workouts is to perform sets of exercises and drills in succession. Doing

two exercises back to back is called a superset, three exercises would be a tri-set. Circuits are

another example of this. Circuit training is simply doing one set of several exercises before

returning to the starting one. Most programs are written exclusively in supersets or tri-sets. This

saves time and mitigates athletes standing around and waiting for one piece of equipment to

open up. An easy superset to perform is an agonist-antagonist superset. This means working

opposite movements and ultimately opposite muscle groups. Supersetting a Bench Press
(Press) with a One Arm Dumbbell Row (Pull) is a great example (Push-Pull superset). These

exercises predominantly work opposite muscle groups and won’t have an adverse effect on the

other. A lower body example of this would be supersetting a Leg Curl (Posterior) with a Lunge

(Anterior). Core and abdominal work can also be supersetted with other exercises. Adding a

core exercise to an existing superset would make for a good tri-set. An example would be a

tri-set of Leg Curls, Lunges, and Side Planks. Three athletes could be working simultaneously

and rotate through those exercises. Supersets and Tri-sets are excellent options for assistance

work later in the workout.

One point to remember though, consider how taxing two major exercises may be if they

were supersetted. Attempting a superset of Back Squats and Deadlifts would be a poor

example. Both are very taxing, especially on the lower back. I strongly recommend that coaches

do the workout themselves to see how it feels before having their athletes do it. Main exercises

like squats, deadlifts, and bench press are best supersetted with easy accessory movements

like band pull aparts, face pulls, or mobility drills, or explosive non-tiring exercises like low-rep

box jumps and medicine ball throws. A sample workout using supersets and tri-sets would look

like this:

1A Front Squat 3x5 (main lift)

1B Box Jump 4x3 (explosive)

2A Stability Ball Leg Curl 3x10 (posterior)

2B Dumbbell Split Squat 2x10 (anterior)

2C Side Plank 2x30 seconds (core)

OR

1A Bench Press 3x5 (main lift - anterior)

1B Band Face Pulls 3x15 (easy accessory - posterior)

2A One Arm Dumbbell Rows (pull - posterior)

2B Weighted Push Ups (press - anterior)

2C Ab Wheel Rollouts (core)

Exercise Selection

What exercises or drills should we include in the program?

1. Exercises you UNDERSTAND and can COACH AND TEACH WELL

2. Exercises the group can EXECUTE WELL

3. Exercises that flow well in your space with your equipment in the most efficient way

Rule #1 is do no harm. We cannot have athletes getting hurt in the weight room. This

often happens when athletes try to do far more advanced exercises than they are ready for, or

any exercise that is performed poorly. You must be able to teach the group how to do any

exercise you prescribe properly and understand what good and bad form looks like and how to

fix it. You must also be able to explain why you are doing any exercise or how it will benefit the

athlete. A quick quality assurance test is to go through your list and answer these two questions

to yourself. If you can, the exercise can stay. If not, you need to do some research or change

the exercise. “Because I said so” or “This college/team does it” are not acceptable answers.

These are surefire ways to lose the trust of your athletes. Conversely, being able to briefly

explain the benefits of each exercise will demonstrate your knowledge and earn trust. Your

athletes will ask these questions, you better be prepared to answer them. If the athletes

themselves don’t ask, the Head Coach, Athletic Trainers, Administrators, and parents will. Be

ready.
Progressing Exercises

You can only read a book so many times before you learn all the information. At a certain

point, you’ll need to progress an exercise to a slightly more advanced version to continue

adaptation. The common mistakes many coaches make with this concept are starting out with

an exercise variation that is too difficult to begin with, or progressing exercises too quickly. Most

athletes can stay with an exercise variation for at least 4-6 weeks and just continue to get better

at it. In fact, I do this in my own training. I don’t change assistance exercises until they stop

working for me. If it works for me as a 600lb+ squatter, it’ll work for your high school athletes. An

example of progressing a Split Squat exercise from a basic to an advanced version would look

like this:

1 Goblet Split Squat (one dumbbell)

2 Dumbbell Split Squat (two dumbbells)

3 Barbell Split Squat

The implements used get slightly heavier each time. Simply staying with each version for

4 weeks and adding 2 reps per set (2x6e, 2x8e 2x10e, etc) would provide sufficient overload

across a 12-week program.

Basic Periodization

Periodization is simply a progressed plan over time, that’s it. Periodization can be as

simple as adding one rep or five more pounds each week. This concept is called Progressive

Overload. Adding a little more training stimulus each time. Training for the large majority of

athletes you will work with can be simplified down to this formula: Progressive Overload +

Consistency + Time = Continued Progress and Results. Couple that concept with exercises that

the group can execute well and you have a great strength program. It really is that simple.
 Periodization is often made more complicated than it needs to be, especially for novice

and intermediate trainees. Linear periodization, block periodization, daily undulating

periodization, concurrent or conjugate, Triphasic, etc. The list of scientific sounding names goes

on. We like to impress ourselves and sound smart at parties. The truth is, most athletes you will

work with just need to add a little more each week and always leave room to add for next week.

The goal is not to beat them over the head with max loads each week, the goal is to make

consistent progress each week.

For this reason I prefer to use a linear block approach of alternating accumulation and

intensification blocks (See? Fancy words). This just means I do 3-4 weeks of slightly more

volume (reps) followed by 3-4 weeks of slightly higher weight. Accumulate volume, then

Intensify or add weight. Here’s what a six-week program would look like:

*After 2-3 warm up sets*

Week 1: 3x8 at 65, 70, 75% of 1 Rep Max

Week 2: 3x8, add 5lbs to each set

Week 3: 3x8, add 5lbs again

Week 4: 3x5 at 70, 75, 80% of 1 Rep Max

Week 5: 3x5, add 5lbs to each set

Week 6: 3x5, add 5lbs again

You could restart this plan and add 5-10lbs from the Week 1 weights. In fact, that would

be a perfect 12-week for an intermediate athlete with at least a year of supervised training

experience. Having done each block with minimal increases will build confidence each time and

help them overcome the fear of adding weight. The constant progress every week will really

help them understand and buy into the process. You could also continue to push into higher
percentages with an accumulation block of 3x6, then an intensification block of 3x4 for an

intermediate athlete.

There’s a 12-week program. Add a deload or week off for spring break, Thanksgiving,

Easter weekend, etc. and you have a full semester of training. Run it again in the summer and

it’s a whole off season. You’re welcome.

Linear periodization is another common approach that will work well with less advanced

populations. Here is another example of a more linear style semester-long program could look

like for your main movements like the squat, bench press, and trap bar deadlift:

Week 1: 3 sets of 6-8 reps at 70-75% (do 6 reps, try to get 8 if you can. 3 sets of this)
Week 2: Same as Week 1, add 5-10lbs
Week 3: Same as Week 2, add 5-10lbs
Week 4: 3 sets of 4-6 reps at 75-80% (do 4 reps, try to get 6 if you can. 3 sets of this)
Week 5: Same as Week 4, add 5-10lbs
Week 6: Same as Week 5, add 5-10lbs
Week 7: 3 sets of 2-3 reps at 82-85% (do 2 reps, try to get 3 if you can. 3 sets of this)
Week 8: Same as Week 7, add 5-10lbs
Week 9: Same as Week 8, add 5-10lbs
Week 10: Work to a heavy single at 90-92%
Week 11: Deload, work to a single at 80%
Week 12: Work up to a new 1RM

Progressing your assistance exercises like Dumbbell Rows, Shrugs, Hip Bridges, etc. on a
similar plan could look like this:

Week 1: 3 sets of 12 reps at a weight that’s challenging for the final few reps
Week 2: 3 sets of 10, up 5-10lbs from Week 1
Week 3: 3 sets of 8, up 5-10lbs from Week 2
Week 4: 3 sets of 6, up 5-10lbs from Week 3

Then switch out the exercise for a different variation of the same movements and repeat
the cycle. An example of this would be One Arm Dumbbell Rows for 4 weeks, then Incline Chest
Supported DB Rows for another 4 weeks, then Bent Over Barbell Rows for 4 weeks, etc.

**If you would like to see how I would program this in full, check out my full offseason

training programs on Gumroad.com. Copy and paste this URL: https://gum.co/PtISu

What’s your goal? What effect are you trying to achieve? Prescribe accordingly

Another important exercise science concept to understand is the SAID Principle (Specific

Adaptation to Imposed Demands). In layman’s terms, the body will only get better at what you

train it to do. That said (no pun intended), your prescription must fit the desired result you want

to bring about. For example, power and explosive work must be done at lower volume with high

rest. In order to be optimally explosive and train for power, you must be fully recovered between

sets, and sets cannot be done to an overly-fatigued state. As you get tired, you’re not optimally

powerful. Trying to do explosive work in a fatigued state, or unfortunately more common, to a

fatigued state is not training power from a physiological standpoint. It just becomes pointless

exercise making the athletes tired for no specific reason.

Sets, Reps, and Percentages

So how do I target specific training adaptations? The answer is prescribing proper sets,

reps (volume) and intensity (weight or percentage of max). There are three main training

adaptations we want to elicit when training athletes: Strength, Hypertrophy (building muscle),

and Power. This is a very generalized explanation, but this is all we need to know to get started.

You may have heard the adage “low reps, high weight for strength, and high reps, low weight for
size”. This is very, very watered down, but the idea is on the right track.

For novice or beginners in the weight room who do not have any extensive training

experience, simple progressive overload as previously discussed will provide both a strength

and hypertrophy stimulus. And by improving strength, explosive power will also increase,

although direct power exercises like jumps and medicine ball throws should still be done as well.

For intermediate trainees, or those with about one year of experience in a supervised training

program with an established level of base strength, training prescriptions can be more dialed in.

Training for strength would be characterized by using loads of greater than 75% of the

one rep max for reps of 8 or less. The majority of work sets when training for strength will fall

between 80-90% of the one rep max. Novices and intermediates respond best to these

moderate loads in the 75-85% range because it’s far easier to maintain high quality technique

throughout the lift. Maximal loads of 90% are used seldomly and should be reserved for late in

the training plan or by more advanced athletes. Worry more about the small increases each

week and continued great technique rather than the exact percentages. Form dictates the

weight. If form breaks down, the weight is most likely too heavy.

Advanced trainees, or those with several years of training experience and very high

strength levels and movement mastery will see their training shift more to a power emphasis. At

this point, the transfer of training from just getting stronger will be minimal if any at all. The goal

for these athletes is to maximize speed, power, and training transfer to the field, not improving

their already-stellar one rep maxes by another five pounds. You may only have one or two true

advanced athletes in your group, if any at all. Tailor your training to the rest of the group, the

advanced ones will be fine. This does not mean your advanced athletes will regress. If an

athlete can back squat 2x their body weight with good depth and bench press 1.5x their body

weight with great technique, they are likely an advanced trainee. If not, they’re an intermediate.
Here are some general rules of thumb to use when prescribing sets and reps for main lifts and

assistance exercises:

Power (jumps and throws): 3-6 sets of 2-5 reps

Main (strength): 3-6 sets of 3-6 reps at 70-85% of one rep max

Main (Hypertrophy): 3-6 sets of 6-10 reps at 50-80% of one rep max (or until it gets difficult)

Assistance work: 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps

Weight Prescriptions for Assistance Work or Beginners

“How much weight do I use?” Having an idea of typical starting weights would be a good

idea. After that, add or subtract weight “by feel”. This means you’ll determine if the weight used

is too light, just right, or too heavy. If you can complete the prescribed reps easily, it’s too light,

add weight for the next set. If you can complete the prescribed reps but it wasn’t easy, you’re on

target. You should be able to perform 1-2 more reps beyond what’s prescribed. We call this

“Reps in Reserve” or “In The Tank”. If you can’t complete the reps with great form, it’s too heavy.

Example 1:

DB Incline Bench 3x10

Set 1 - 30lbs (not hard, could have done 3-4 more)

Set 2- 35lbs (better, probably could have done 1-2 more)

Set 3 - 35lbs (probably only had 1 more rep in the tank, perfect weight)

This person made a great call to add 5lbs to the second set. It felt ok there so they did it again.

This is a good example of pushing the weight a little bit, but still within a range they can handle.
Example 2:

DB Incline Bench 3x10

Set 1 - 30lbs (not hard, could have done 3-4 more

Set 2 - 40lbs (hard, couldn’t do another rep)

Set 3 - 45lbs (too heavy, only got 5 reps)

This person probably went a little too heavy, but this wouldn’t be the end of the world. I would

have this person use 35lbs for their second set, then bump to 40lbs on the third if they felt good.

Example 3:

DB Incline Bench 3x10

Set 1 - 20lbs (too easy, could have done 5-10 more reps)

Set 2 - 20lbs (still too easy)

Set 3 - 25lbs (STILL too easy, could have done 4-6 more)

This is too light. This is probably the most common situation with beginners. Remember, we

must train hard enough to trigger strength and muscle gains. This person did the exercises, but

they didn’t accomplish anything. In this case, I don’t think this trainee stimulated any training

effect, essentially spinning the wheels in place with no progress. People often do this for years

on end without progress. Yes, they literally do the same routine, with the same weights, the

same sets and reps, for years on end with no progress or changes. You would be amazed to

see it in action over time.

In-Season Training

The competitive season is without question the most important training period in the

competitive year. Why? Because this is where the games that matter are actually played. The
whole point of a strength & conditioning program is to be optimally prepared for exactly this time

period. Testing weeks are great, but don’t forget what the ultimate goal is: developing high

performing and healthy players that help win games.

Won’t they be tired from strength training in-season? Short answer, no. Long answer, if

they’ve been training throughout the year, they’ll actually be doing significantly less in-season

than they were throughout the rest of the year. We’ll design the program to be minimally tiring,

but with enough of a training stimulus to retain the strength and power they’ve built the rest of

the year. If you don’t use it, you lose it.

So what should an in-season training program look like? Consider that last sentence.

The workouts need to prescribe enough intensity (weight by percentage) to continue a strength

training effect, but with total volume low enough that it is not fatiguing across multiple days. The

load for your main lifts (squat, bench, trap bar, etc) should be between 75-85% as it usually

would be for a developing population, just with less total volume. About 1-3 top work sets of 1-3

reps. A 3 week in season wave could look like this:

Week 1: 1-3 sets of 2-3 reps at 75%

Week 2: 1-3 sets of 1-3 reps at 80%

Week 3: 1-3 sets of 1-2 reps at 85%

Your assistance exercises would follow the same guideline outlined above, just with a

lower total volume. Usually about 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps. When in doubt, do less in-season. An

in-season lower body workout could look like this:

Front Squat: 2-3 warmup sets, then 3x3 at 75%

Box Jump 3x3

Dumbbell RDL 2x10

DB Reverse Lunge 2x6 each leg

Lying Hip Bridge 2x15

Side Planks 2x30 seconds each side

Total time should be about 30 minutes after the warmup, or less. 2 days per week is

typically optimal for most sports. Strive for at least once per week if nothing else. 48 hours of

rest prior to competition would be ideal, but a lower dose of volume could be recovered from

with less than 48 hours rest if the schedule absolutely required it.

Coaching the Lifts

Remember ABC: Always Be Coaching. You cannot just write a workout on the

whiteboard then go read the newspaper. You must teach, explain, and demonstrate the

exercises to the group before the start of the lift. I usually follow this routine:

1. State the name of the exercises

2. Briefly explain it and the target muscle group (where they should “feel” it)

3. Demonstrate the exercise they way you want it done

4. Explain common errors and mistakes to avoid

5. Ask “any questions?”

Once they start the lift, 99% of the job is coaching the individual exercise and helping

them determine how much weight to use. It’s easy, just watch the rep and ask yourself “is that

exactly what I want to see or close enough?” If so, say so: “nice job Jimmy”. This way they know

to keep doing it that way. It also builds their confidence. If the rep looks off, tell them why. “Keep

your back flat”, “slow down a little bit, don’t rush it”, “extended your arms all the way”, etc.

Reinforce good technique, correct bad technique, then let them work. I prefer to stay with the
same exercise selection for about 4 weeks. Sometimes they just need to practice the

movement. Let them get better at it. They’ll add weight and get stronger just learning how to

execute the lift better. If it’s going well, you could even push to 6 weeks of the same thing and

just add a rep or 5 pounds each time. It might get boring but too bad, continue to execute well.

Maximizing Flow

I post about this often on Twitter. It doesn’t matter how great the program is, if traffic

doesn’t flow well in your space the session won’t go well. Those who often work with large

groups understand this too well. There are a few keys tips I use often to keep groups of up to 40

athletes moving throughout the session:

1. Pick exercises that use different pieces of equipment or can be done around the room

2. Use Tri-sets and Quad-sets

3. Do fewer total sets

In our weight room, our racks are on one side, the dumbbells are on the other, and there is a

short gap of space between. With large groups I’ll pick non-competing exercises that can be

done in each space. For example, an upper body day we’ll Bench Press in the rack (with

another athlete spotting), One Arm Rows with the dumbbells, and a Med Ball Slam in between

for a tri-set. That keeps 4 athletes involved at one time, all in different places so they're not on

top of each other. For your assistance work, do the same volume of reps in fewer sets. Why do

4x6 for 24 reps where you can do 2x12? As long as you trigger muscle growth, why take more

time to do more sets? Here’s an example workout:

1A Bench Press 5x5

1B Med Ball Slam 5x3
1C DB Row 4x8

2A Chin Ups 2x12

2B DB Incline Bench 2x12
2C Band Pallof Press 2x12 each side

Quad-sets are just 4 exercises done together. This is a great way to also build conditioning and
work capacity into a training session without thinking about it, especially on a total body day.
Forcing the body to use muscle groups all over will send their heart rate up in a great way. It
also keeps large groups moving very well. The order won’t matter, just hop on whatever is open
and get all your sets done. Here’s an example of a quad-set after the main work:

1A Front Squat 5x5

1B Box Jump 5x3

2A DB Incline Bench 2x15

2B Band Pull Aparts 2x20
2C Hanging Knee Raises
2D Slider Hamstring Curls 2x12

We’ve used 4 different pieces of equipment (DBs, Bands, Chin Up Bar, Floor Sliders), two of
which can be done anywhere there’s open space (Sliders and Pull Aparts). Your equipment,
space, time, and logistics will dictate 90% of your programming.

Notes and Final Thoughts

Do no harm. The weight room is a place to develop young athletes physically and build

confidence. This is done through consistent progress each week and always leaving a little bit in

the tank to build on next week. The goal of training is NOT to push them as far as physically

possible in the name of “toughness”. They are not Marines or Navy SEALs and you are not a

drill sergeant. They won’t be going off to war. Imagine if one of these athletes was your son or

daughter, would you want your own child throwing up in a garbage can and constantly getting

yelled at? When in doubt, do less.

I strongly recommend that you perform the workout you’re going to ask your team to do if

you’re physically able and healthy enough to do it. It is important to understand how certain
things feel and how taxing the workout is as a whole. Plus you can now give them a hard time

about it (kidding). “Guys, if I can do this workout, you can do this workout”. Put some skin in the

game.

Affiliate Opportunity

If you found this manual to be helpful and think other coaches in your network could

benefit from it, you can become an affiliate partner for this and my other manuals. This

means you’ll take a commission on every sale made through your affiliate link. It’s easy, all

you have to do is create an account on Gumroad.com (the site you bought this manual

through) then post support for the manual on social media along with your affiliate link.

Anyone who sees it will tap your link and you’ll automatically get credit for the sale. You

could also pin a Tweet to your Twitter profile so anyone who clicks on your profile sees it.

Check out my Twitter page for an example @pbasilstrength. That’s it. 100% automatic,

100% passive. All you do is post, make money, and help out other coaches. If interested,

DM me on social media @pbasilstrength or email me at [email protected].

Looking forward to partnering with you!

Contact Info

I want to personally thank you for trusting me as a quality source of information. If you

have any further questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] or message

me on social media.

Continuing Mentorship
Looking for some regular guidance and a qualified eye to help guide you throughout your
program? I also offer a monthly consulting service for exactly this. This can be as simple as a
weekly email check in to bounce ideas and concerns, a weekly zoom chat to discuss the
program and how the workout went in detail, to a completely customized program designed by
me to fit your team’s exact needs and your logistics. That would also come with weekly
meetings to discuss the previous week and the upcoming week. Email me at
[email protected] or DM me on social media for more information!

Looking to learn even more? Check out my other available products, manuals, and
programs below!

Strength Program Design Manual

Your go-to guide for writing and designing strength programs. Learn what makes a sound
program, how to make it best fit your situation, and templates and samples to use as a plug
and play guide to get started immediately.
Link: https://gumroad.com/l/OhTVq

Home Workout Guide

Build your own home workouts! Includes pre-made templates to fill in as you see fit with
body weight exercises or common household equipment alternatives. Also includes
exercise examples for upper body, lower body, core, arms, etc. Explosive jumps and speed
work also included for athletes. The possibilities are endless. This is the only home workout
guide you'll ever need. Great for both general fitness and athletes alike.
Link: https://gumroad.com/l/VVMIV

Complete Off-Season Strength & Conditioning Program

This is your complete off season training guide. Lifts, Speed, Change of Direction, and
Conditioning are all included. This program will give your team everything they need to build
mass, get stronger, minimize injuries, outrun, and outlast their opponents in the 4th quarter.
Your entire off season is solved.
Link: https://gumroad.com/l/kDMcV

Conditioning-Only Program
This program will help your team outlast opponents in the second half and reduce their risk
of soft tissue injuries. Well-conditioned teams suffer fewer injuries
Link: https://gumroad.com/l/wZVFf
Strength-Only Program
This program includes all the information your team needs to dominate in the weight room
this off season. 32 weeks of lifts, mobility work, and max chart references.
Link: https://gumroad.com/l/PtISu