By Greg Shepard, Bob Rowbotham, Utah Jazz Strength Coaches

BFS SUMMER PROGRAM By Coaches Shepard, Anderson and Rowbotham Utah Jazz Strength Coaches “Move it up a notch,” they said after being upset in the NBA playoffs last spring. The Utah Jazz had their best regular season ever by winning 52 games. Many individual honors came to Karl Malone, Mark Eaton and John Stockton. We told them they should lift, stretch, sprint and do plyometrics like other athletes. They agreed. We moved our commitment level up a notch. Pictured in this article are four of the players who trained hard this past summer. Mark Eaton, NBA AllStar, who has been on our lifting program for seven years, was the team captain.

Mark increased his annual salary to well over a million a year this summer and he could have sat back and done nothing. However, Mark just isn’t that kind of person. He worked as hard as anybody.

Eric Leckner our #1 1988 draft choice from Wyoming, Bobby Hansen a 6-5, 200 pound starting guard from Iowa and new #1 draft choice Blue Edwards from East Carolina were in Mark’s training group. Danny Vranes, former Seattle Supersonic and present Italian basketball star also gave our Jazz group some competition. In fact, Danny was so successful he shook up his Italian coaches by scoring 25 points in the first half of his first game. They asked, “What happened?” Danny a 6-7 238 pound power forward left our training facility Benching 320, Squatting 360 and Power Cleaning 260 pounds. He worked hard on improving his flexibility and increased his sit and reach test by 3 1/2 inches.

Coach Plyometric Box Jumping and Sprinting techniques. Danny Vranes was a different ball player. As a result, Coach Anderson has tentatively been invited to Italy to spread the BFS Program to them and other European countries. Blue Edwards, the new rookie, responded to this new determination. He wasn’t afraid of hard work. Blue Benched 300, Parallel Squatted 420 and Power Cleaned 275 pounds as smooth as silk. Besides his complete training program with us, he also did the BFS speedendurance program on his own. Blue may be the most Mark Eaton 1989 NBA Defensive Player-Of-The-Year doing a Push Press. Eaton did the BFS Total Program of weights, stretching, sprinting, plyometrics and practice.

This summer he improved his wallet and physical abilities considerably. Eaton was totally surprised when his bodyweight jumped to graceful power athlete of all NBA rookies. He should be exciting to watch.

The beauty of the BFS Program is that you organize it the same way for any sport at any level. If we had high school kids training with our Jazz players they'd do the 314 pounds for a gain of 20 pounds. Mark is being spotted by same workout. Everyday they would do the BFS Dot 7-0 Eric Leckner.

Drill to warm-up. It only takes 60 seconds. They would do the BFS 1-2-3-4 Flexibility Program daily for ten minutes. They would lift three times per week in the off-season and twice during the in-season.

Parallel Squatting and Power Cleaning. They would include Power Snatching, Jerk Presses, Glute-Ham Developer, Lifts as top priority auxiliary exercises. They would be taught how to sprint and jump with flawless technique.

Speed and Plyometric training would each be done in ten minute segments twice per week. Techniques of each sport would be done on a regular basis J all year long with consistent emphasis on a great diet and proper rest. They would keep an accurate record of their lifts and break at least 8 records per week on the BFS Set-Rep at any level. for it. Move it up a notch!

PLYOMETRIC BOOKS PLYOMETRIC TRAINING The Complete Book on Plyometrics and Coach Costello is the strength coach at the University of Maryland. He served as Head Track Coach at Maryland from 1974-79 and produced 27 All-Americas, including Renaldo Nehemiah. As a competitor in 1965, Frank Costello won the NCAA indoor and outdoor high jump championship. His book discusses the principles of Plyometrics which authorities. have been utilized by the Europeans and Russians illustrated and brought to vou in a concise, for years. Highly recommended! to-understand manner.

Highly recommended!

BFS, 805 West 2400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119

From BFS Magazine — November/December 1989. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).