Topic
Plyometrics & Jumping.
456 articles
Box jumps and reactive power for every sport. The BFS Magazine archive holds 456 articles on Plyometrics & Jumping, published from 1980 to 2019 — coaching how-tos, athlete profiles, and program stories drawn from five decades of the magazine.
Recurring themes include Plyometrics, Speed, Squat, and Football. Coaches and writers featured here include Dr. Greg Shepard, Kim Goss, and Greg Shepard. Every story is free — read it online or open the original magazine layout as a PDF.
BFS Plyo Boxes and Your Program
In recent years more and more coaches in a wide variety of sports are incorporating plyometric box jumping into their training programs. At BFS we have been advocating the use of of this explosive training method for all athletes since our inception over 40 years ago. Learn how to get your plyo program started BFS!
Read
Beginning Plyometric Progression
Learn about the basic Plyometric Progression for athletes. See the first four drills in motion. Be sure to complete Ground Based Jumping prior to introducing Plyo Box Jumping (see Ground Based Jumping video). 2019-08: Right now when you purchase a set of Varsity Plyo Boxes we will offer full Verti-Block Package at HALF OFF! Save $224 Now Learn More About Starting a program here: Getting Started In Plyos: Equipment THE BASICS: Ground-Based Jumping
Read
THE BASICS: Ground Based Jumping
Learn the basics of GROUND-BASED JUMPING in this video. See the basic drills to prepare young athletes as they start to learn about agilities and plyometrics. These drills lead to more advanced agility, box jumping, and plyometric drills.
Read
BFS Whats Happening
The BFS Total Program is a comprehensive system with one goal. To help young people be the best they can be in athletics, in academics, and in life. In this issue of BFS Magazine, we have assembled articles for the archives to help you get started!
Read
Jumping into Plyometrics
NO Fad or quick fix Plyometrics have been an essential part of the BFS Total Program since it's inception. Plyometrics have proved to be vital to championship programs across the country for 40 years! Plyometrics is a powerful tool for athletic training, in the middle school and high school environment, the most practical and effective form of plyometric training is box jumps.
Read
Advances in Testing and Training Athletes with the OptoJump
Conversations in developing balance in a growing athlete and student for lifelong wellness benefits. Advances in Testing and Training Athletes with the OptoJump Exciting updates on how new technology is helping athletes succeed First, we’re honored to announce the addition of Ali
Read
Balance of Power
In this remarkable sequence of photos taken by Pam Tabone, Myles McKinney demonstrates tremendous jumping power. McKinney is the starting tailback and leading receiver at Churchville-Chili, a high school near Rochester, New York, which was featured in our September/October 2007 i
Read
Strong Beginnings: Amber Moss
One of the distinguishing aspects of today’s best athletes is that they tend to get an early start with sport skills and also conditioning. This trend prevails in women’s sports as well as in men’s – and one young woman who is benefiting from early sports preparation is Amber Mos
Read
The BFS Online Learning Center, BFS at Home,
BFS at Home Safety and Strength Training BFS at Home is an initiative to help young athletes train train throughout the year. The BFS Total Program has built-in muscle confusion and recovery days that make it an ideal system for year-round development. The BFS Online Learning Cen
Read
Mr. Olympia Larry Scott: 1938-2014
The Iron Game lost a legend on March 8 when Larry Dee Scott passed away at the age of 75. In 1965 Scott won the inaugural competition of the most prestigious bodybuilding competition in the world, the Mr. Olympia. Scott competed at a bodyweight of 205 pounds, and his biceps were
Read
Justin Sacco Getting Back on Track
Justin Sacco performs an advanced balance exercise at the BFS Science Lab. Justin Sacco Getting Back on Track How this remarkable young man overcame a serious brain injury In the fall of 2013 Justin Sacco, an eighth grader at Mahopac Middle School, suffered a serious brain injury
Read
What's new with the BFS Online Learning Center
BFS Online Learning Center BFS’s ultimate social networking site for coaches BFS has a vast amount of information for coaches at all levels. In addition to presenting hands-on clinics and certifications, we supplement the learning process with books, study guides, posters, videos
Read
2014 BFS High School Female Athlete of the Year
Female Athlete of the Year Abby Lealaimatafao is the winner of our most prestigious award With athletic benchmarks being established every day in our high schools, it’s extremely difficult for students to excel at the state level in any single sport. It’s even more exceptional to
Read
The Turnaround Artist
Catalina Foothills finished the 2012 season with a 0-10 record, but in 2013 they won eight games and made the playoffs. Jeff Scurran leads the Catalina Foothills Falcons to greatness Jeff Scurran has coached football for over 40 years and has yet to accept a job with a team that h
Read
Running Faster: The Tools You Need
than if they eing able had tested to run fast their vertical is a key jump before athletic quality that squat that virtually all workout. athletes want to Here’s how it develop, especially works. those who play Let’s say field sports such as an athlete is football and soclifting
Read
The BFS Off-Season Workout
Regarding basketball, if you just went by the physiques of players from several decades ago, especially in the NBA, you would think that you were looking at a different sport. Gone are the days of teams comprised of a tall, lanky center supported by four smaller, quicker teammate
Read
11 Practical Ways to Increase You Athletes' Vertical Jump
The power clean is considered a vertical jump with weights, so it’s a great exercise for improving an athlete’s vertical jump. Shown here is University of Florida’s Devon Walker, a 6-foot-6-inch sophomore for the Gator Basketball Team. As a high school senior, he was the Winter H
Read
Box Jumping: Do It Right!
BFS PROGRAM Austin John Ryf is the 2010 BFS Male Athlete of the Year. He is a graduate of Winneconne High School in Winneconne, Wisconsin. In these photos Ryf shows how vertical jumping ability is an essential athletic quality in both basketball and football. Box Jumping: Do It R
Read
BFS Scholarship Athlete Presses On
Since winning the 2012 National High School Power Clean Championships, Brittanie Mastricola has been making great progress in the sport of Olympic-style weightlifting. A BFS-sponsored athlete, Mastricola has successfully made 50 out of 52 attempts in competition, and has exceeded
Read
Keeping up with the Carters
At Bloomfield High School, Mike Carter Jr. was a multisport athlete who excelled at football playing quarterback and at baseball playing centerfield. Keeping up with the Carters How BFS helped high school baseball player Mike Carter Jr. earn his college scholarship t takes great co
Read
Jacob Tompkins BFS Male Athlete of the Year
hen it comes to selecting a BFS Athlete of the Year, all the great qualities we look for can be summed up in one word: balance. There are many superb athletes who have excelled using the BFS program, and many athletes who have excelled in the classroom. What BFS is searching for
Read
BFS Goes to the Arnold
WHAT’S HAPPENING 3KRWRVE\6WHYH)DXHUZZZIDXHUSKRWRUHÁHFWFRP BFS Goes to the Arnold The Arnold Weightlifting Championships were held on March 1-3, and in attendance this year were BFS editor Kim Goss and BFS scholarship winner Brittanie Mastricola. Mastricola not only made
Read
Forgotten Secrets to Improving Lateral Speed
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT %HFN\0LOOHU3KRWR Lateral speed is a key ingredient in many sports, even those performed on ice by skaters. Shown are Michelle Hyselle of the MedCity Mafia roller derby team pulling ahead of the Moose Lake Mafia; and football player Eric Corona of Fruitand Hi
Read
Back to the Basics with Static Stretching
Model: Emilie Williams, Hunter High School, Salt Lake City Sound advice on developing a safe and effective stretching program t is our intention at Bigger Faster Stronger to provide coaches with a stretching program that not only benefits the athletes but also is useful in coachi
Read
Coach Andrea Hudy's Path to Basketball Greatness
Coach Andrea Hudy’s Path to… Andrea Hudy is a hands-on strength coach whose collegiate basketball teams have played in two Final Fours. How this D1 strength coach produces champions at the University of Kansas BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA desire to motivate and improve those around her
Read
Unity and Organization: Your Winning Secrets
All high school athletes, male and female, will benefit from a total athletic training program. This photo was taken in 2005 during a BFS clinic at Amherst High School in Amherst, Wisconsin. Unity and Organization: Your Winning Secrets A look back at how BFS can put an entire athl
Read
Fast Track to Success at Edgar High School
to Success at Edgar High School Hard work has paid off for these outstanding student athletes hey say you can’t go home again, but Greg Streit knows better. For the past seven years Streit has been a track coach at Edgar High School, the school he graduated from in 2000. As a stu
Read
Staying Strong: Frederica Academy
Coach Clint Morgan and Coach Travis Absher celebrate during the obligatory Gatorade shower after their 34-30 state championship victory. Staying Strong: Frederica Academy How a great prep school created a championship football program from scratch n November 30, 2012, Frederica A
Read
More Awards for Jared Abbrederis
WHAT’S HAPPENING 3KRWRE\'DYLG6WXND:LVFRQVLQ$WKOHWLF&RPPXQLFDWLRQV Jared Abbrederis, starting wide receiver for the University of Wisconsin, was selected first team to the 2012 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Abbrederis was the 2009 BFS High School Male Athlete of the
Read
Power Clean Problems and How to Fix Them
How to Fix Them Easy coaching tips to get the most out of this great exercise BY KIM GOSS, MS 3KRWRE\%UXFH.OHPHQV n a perfect world, middle school athletes would begin with the BFS Readiness Program. They would learn how to stretch, run, lift and spot properly. By the time the
Read
Balance Control: A Critical Component of Sport
7LPHOHVV,PDJHV3KRWRJUDSK\ZZZWLPHOHVVLPDJHVFRP Chloe Van Tussenbroek displays the degree of balance control needed to perform at the elite level in gymnastics. As we guide our athletes along the road to optimal performance, we coaches emphasize power, strength, speed, quic
Read
Getting Young Athletes Off to a Strong Start
BFS PROGRAM Through his clinics Coach Shepard has personally inspired countless young athletes to achieve their goals in all areas of their lives. A look back at how BFS helps young athletes catch the vision of athletic success (Editor’s note: Although this article on the origins
Read
Ryan Faehnle: Walking the Talk
Aformer strength coach at Miami University of Ohio, Ryan Faehnle was struggling with his power clean form and decided to try something different. So in October he switched from a conventional starting stance to a frog stance. With the frog stance, an athlete begins with the heels
Read
Monitoring Athletes for Physical Superiority
n weightlifting and powerlifting it’s natural to assume that the athletes who lift the most weight have the best training program. At the last two Olympics in weightlifting, the Chinese lifters dominated both men’s and women’s lifting, so obviously they know what they are doing.
Read
The Evolution of Athletic Training Programs
Editor’s note: Although this article on the origins of Coach Shepard’s training methods was written 16 years ago, the ideas are still relevant today.) op coaches who desire state-ofthe-art strength and conditioning programs must be acutely aware of the importance of a total progr
Read
The Lighter Side of Weightlifting
Geoff Fleming is a former weightlifter and publisher of the classic weightlifting newsletter parody, The International Weightlifting Newsletter and Gazette. Fleming is allowing us to share with BFS readers some of his cartoons, such as this one describing the history of barbell b
Read
A few Words with David Lawrence
David Lawrence A look at this young strength coach’s rapid rise to success Lawrence working with Nick Bellore, a linebacker for the New York Jets. At the Jets’ camp this year Bellore, who has deadlifted 605 pounds for 6 reps, received his team’s “Defensive Lifting Award” for his
Read
The Power Clean for Athletes
Editor’s note: Although this article on the origins of Coach Shepard’s training methods was written 18 years ago, the ideas are still relevant today.] t BFS we believe the power clean is essential for athletes who want to achieve their full athletic potential. Moreover, athletes
Read
What is BFS
BFS? Here’s why the BFS program is so effective for young athletes ne statement BFS clinicians keep hearing over the years is “We did parts of your program and had some success, but it wasn’t until we decided to do the entire BFS Program that our program stepped up to the next le
Read
The ABC's of Box Jumping
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT /XVLD$QJLODXSKRWRE\6WHYH.LQVORZ Box Jumping The safest and most effective ways to perform this great exercise FS has been saying it for nearly four decades, and finally the message is going mainstream: “Box jumps work!” Not just a way to make athletes m
Read
How Olympians Train: US Skiing and Snowboarding
FOR WOMEN ONLY 0DOFROP&DUPLFKDHO$OSLQH&DQDGDSKRWR Stacey Cook finished last season ranked 10th in the world in downhill skiing. How Olympians Train: US Skiing and Snowboarding An exclusive interview with strength coach Ernie Rimer BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA rnie Rimer is a stren
Read
A New Look at Posture
BY KIM GOSS, MS Posturologist Paul Gagné performing a postural assessment in Napa, California. To his right are BFS writer Laura Dayton (blue shirt) and BFS Editor Kim Goss. he basic theory of corrective exercise is that you stretch muscles that are tight and you strengthen muscl
Read
11 Practical Ways to Get Quick Feet
Quick Feet How to improve this vital athletic quality – fast! ne of the most coveted qualities an athlete can have is quick feet. Being able to move almost instantaneously in any direction can be what it takes for a fullback to break through a defensive line, or a tennis player t
Read
What's Your Goal?
During Be an 11 clinics, Coach Shepard has teams work to determine their goals and establish an action plan to achieve them. What’s Your Goal? Timeless insight into a proven mindset and training philosophy for success (Editor’s note: Although this article for coaches was written
Read
What's Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS Game, Interrupted I would say that if Rabinoff were to compile a top 10 list he scandal at Penn State has been the focus of every of what Paterno should have done when he first heard major sports network and the gene
Read
The Swedish Approach to BFS
BY KIM GOSS, MS In the United States, football is football – but in other parts of the world, football is soccer and what we play is called American football. But American football is not a sport played exclusively in the United States, and interestingly enough, one of those othe
Read
Hoop Strong: Gator Basketball
BY KIM GOSS, MS he winningest coach in University of Florida’s history is Billy Donovan. His legacy includes three appearances in NCAA championships games, two of which were victorious. This year Donovan has another strong team – ranked sixth in preseason by Sports Illustrated –
Read
What's Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS That’s Why They Play the Game! Every summer I head to the local bookstore and pick day this magazine reaches your mailbox, those predictions up several of the college football preview magazines might not hold up. One
Read
Hex Bar Squat Jumps for Ultimate Power
Jumping with a hex bar is biomechanically more specific than jumping with a barbell resting on the shoulders. Shown performing a squat jump is Lusia Angilau, a member of the women’s volleyball team at Southern Utah. Angilau appeared on our Sep/Oct 2009 cover, and had a 27.1 inch v
Read
What's Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS The Voice of Reason the standard by which you are measured professionally – it’s ne of the best things about being the editor of BFS your behavior in your profession. Let me put it another way: magazine is chatting w
Read
The Research Confirms It The Hex Bar Rules!
The Hex Bar Rules! A new peer-reviewed study of deadlifts compares the hex bar to the straight bar ell, it took a while for the sport scientists to catch up to what we at BFS already knew, but the data is in: The hex bar deadlift is superior in just about every Wway to the straig
Read
Building Champions at Brodhead High
BY KIM GOSS, MS irty Jobs is a reality show hosted by Mike Rowe on the Discovery Channel. Rowe profiles jobs that most people would consider undesirable, but these jobs are necessary for us to maintain our lifestyle. Although athletic directors don’t have to dig ditches in worm-i
Read
The Death of Food
Soylent Green is people! Soylent Green is people! his is the classic line from the 1973 science fiction classic Soylent Green. The story takes place in a future in which food is so scarce that society lives off processed foods, one being a high-energy wafer called Soylent Green.
Read
How to Develop Powerful Athletes
BY KIM GOSS, MS n comedian Eddie Izzard’s standup routine on martial arts, he notes that tai chi is not very effective for self-defense because it is “a little too slow.” Likewise, one of the reasons for Bruce Lee’s popularity was his incredible speed, and it was reported that fo
Read
The Evolution of Strength Coaching
BFS editor in chief Kim Goss began his education in strength coaching as a weightlifter, and is shown here competing in the 1977 Junior Olympics. Strength Coaching A personal look at the recent history of athletic and physical fitness BY KIM GOSS, MS ranted, there’s a lot of self
Read
Eight Tips to Make Weight Training Classes Run Smoothly
ailing to plan is planning to fail” is a quote from popular author and time management consultant Alan Lakein. This is especially true when trying to run a strength and conditioning program at the middle school or high school level. These programs face numerous challenges today,
Read
Boot Camp Basics
lthough fancy gyms with high-tech treadmills and expensive selectorized machines with lots of bells and whistles are here to stay, the fastest growing trend in athletic and physical fitness is the smaller, hardcore “boot camp” gym. This type of training is called “functional,” as
Read
Top 11 Ways to Build a Championship Program
or over three decades at BFS we’ve seen an amazing number of successful athletic programs, and among them we’ve noted underlying themes. Some of these ideas can be implemented immediately, and others may take a few seasons to fully establish. But if you’ve been reading all the hi
Read
WHATS HAPPENING
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss Road Trip! hockey players, as evidenced by a 319-pound power clean! ow that I live in Rhode Island, I’m aware that This issue of BFS is considered our college football the coming winter will turn the area into a giant is
Read
Top Ten Reasons to Use BFS
nformation overload is an expression that describes how having too much information makes it difficult to make decisions. Information overload can certainly apply to high school and middle school coaches who are trying to decide on the best type of workout program for their athle
Read
A Closer Look at the Crossfire Conquest
or many schools and military and service organizations such as police and fire departments, there are two major problems Fthat must be addressed when selecting fitness equipment. First is the issue of space, as often these facilities were originally built without a space designed
Read
The New Science of Training Female Athletes
Coach Paul Gagné working with Chloé Dufour-Lapointe. Chloé is only 18 and placed fifth at the Vancouver Olympics in freestyle mogul skiing. The important gender differences we must understand BY PAUL GAGNÉ STRENGTH COACH AND POSTUROLOGIST erhaps stemming from the belief that there
Read
A Closer Look at Absolute #3
Absolute #3 A key teaching cue to help protect the lower back he strength training community tends to jump on new trends, thus changing the way athletes are trained as well as how a particular Tcoach is perceived in terms of identity and reputation. In the ’70s, static stretching
Read
Winton Woods: A BFS Journey
Winton Woods: 2009 State Champions! inton Woods High School initiated its football program in 1991, under legendary coach Lou Cykar and trusted assistant Dan Bamonte, when Forest Park High School and Greenhills High School merged. Since 1991, this school in Cincinnati, Ohio, has
Read
Enter the Octagon!
n the ’70s some of the most popular types of equipment were called “jungle gyms,” multistation units that looked like…well, a jungle. A typical unit might combine a leg press with a military press with a bench press with a chin-up bar and dip handles. For its time, the jungle gym
Read
BFS Position Paper - Straight-Leg Dead Lift
Straight-Leg Deadlift The BFS perspective on a valuable stretching exercise long with the box squat, one of the most controversial exercises in the BFS program is the straightleg deadlift. And as with the box squat, the opposition to the straight-leg deadlift is not based upon fa
Read
A Tradition of Excellence at Cary-Grove High School
#8 Tyler Krebs #36 Steve Hapanovich #25 Eric Chandler #34 Alex Hembrey #53 Rich Kersten #43 Cole Connington #55 Matt Leinbforth #65 Hayden Baker #67 Ben Luedtke #7 Chad McCarron #24 Trent Sorenson #6 Alex Lyons This Illinois high school knows how to stay on top he athletes at Car
Read
Mortimer Jordan HS: Softball Powerhouse
3KRWRV 'HQQLV9LFWRU\.'36SRUWVSKRWRVFRP 100-6 t’s not often you see a win-loss record such as this, but that’s exactly what Mortimer Jordan High School accomplished in winning their past two state 5A championships in softball and being ranked in the top ten in the country by U
Read
How to Organize Plyometrics and Speed Workouts
Plyometrics and Speed Workouts Fine-tuning the Tuesday and Thursday off-season BFS workouts t’s been said that “All things being equal, the strongest athlete will always win.” True, and that’s why coaches place so much emphasis on the BFS Set-Rep weight training program, not just
Read
The Hunter High School Experiment
BY KIM GOSS, MS hen I moved to Salt Lake City in 2004 to work fulltime as the editor of BFS magazine, I eventually realized that in order to write competently about working with high school athletes, I would need to do some fieldwork. In 2007 I found the perfect learning environm
Read
The History of the BFS Total Program for Athletes
Breaking personal records with perfect technique is key to the BFS Set/Rep system, as shown here in this photo taken at a BFS clinic. Total Program for Athletes Why BFS is still on top after 33 years BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, FOUNDER/CEO BFS You can’t argue with success. More than 9,0
Read
Capital Results at Capital High School
A look at a great unified program Our signature success story in BFS involves a school that has been doing poorly in sports, and then quickly starts enjoying success after implementing the BFS total workout program. We call these stories our “Worst to First” articles. But there is
Read
The BFS Five-Day Workout for Basketball
How to fine-tune the BFS program for basketball ILogan Aronhalt started the BFS program in the sixth grade and became the all-time leading scorer at Zanesville High School in Zanesville, Ohio. He now attends the University of Albany, where he plays guard and forward. f you just we
Read
BFS Position Paper: Strength Training for Women
Team BFS member Maegan Snodgrass teaches the squat-style clean to Voinnie Pataialii from Hunter High School in Salt Lake City. Strength Training for Women Guidelines for helping women fulfill their athletic potential With all the information available about strength and conditioni
Read
The Space Saver Rack Solution
If there’s a best-kept secret in the exercise equipment industry, it would have to be BFS’s Space Saver Rack. Although many of our competitors have tried to copy our unique designs, no one has figured out how to come close to offering a heavyduty unit of this quality. The unique
Read
Develop Athletic Superiority with Contrast Training
The BFS Push/Pull Sled is ideal for performing contrast training, one of the most effective ways to improve running speed. How to use the science of motor learning to make athletes faster and more powerful BY KIM GOSS One of the first things I look at when I visit a coach is thei
Read
BFS Position Paper: Plyometrics
Plyometrics Practical guidelines on how to implement this valuable training method Plyometrics can have great value in improving speed, jumping ability and overall explosiveness. Athletes who work hard in the weightroom but neglect all other forms of training, especially plyometr
Read
Spreading Success Around: The Auburn Rockets
Photos: Mark Seliger 2008, SeligerPhoto@aol.com Spreading Success Around: The Auburn Rockets Every athlete is a winner at this Massachusetts high school At BFS we love stories about football teams that go from cellar-dwellers to champions, and you don’t get much better than the s
Read
Rising from the Ashes: Huntley Project High School
Early in the morning of September 18, 2008, a fire set by arsonists destroyed much of Huntley Project High School. The library, the gym, three offices and nine classrooms went up in flames. Jay Santy is the head football coach at Huntley Project High School in Worden, about 20 mi
Read
Beyond Aerobics: Another Look at Step-Ups and Lunges
A new perspective on exercises that can make a difference in athletic performance Ever since Gin Miller created step aerobics, step-ups and lunges have been associated with aerobic fitness and general lower-body toning exercises for women. Perhaps this connection reflected negativ
Read
The BFS Five-Day Workout
Organization is key to any successful athletic program. One way that BFS helps coaches plan their athletes training is with hands-on clinics. Five-Day Workout A closer look at the classic BFS off-season and in-season workouts Failing to plan is planning to fail,” an expression cre
Read
Small Town, Big Dreams
BY JEFF SCURRAN, BFS CLINICIAN As I drove into Wautoma on Highway 21 from Oshkosh, signs that read “Small Town, Big Dreams” were on every storefront and marquee. These were hefty sentiments from this tiny Wisconsin town, which had fallen on such hard times with their schools’ spo
Read
What's Happening
L-R: Coach Doug Ekmark, Lloyd Busch, Tom, Jean Busch, Dr. Greg Shepard Here is what BFS Founder/CEO Dr. Greg Shepard had to say about Tom Busch when he was selected as the 2003 BFS Athlete of the Year, “I have done a lot of interviews in my career of writing articles for BFS maga
Read
BFS Position Paper: Unification
Unification BFS guidelines on why and how to implement this important training concept Unification is the concept that all high school and middle school athletes, and even some college athletes, will follow the same basic training philosophy. This means that regardless of the spo
Read
Revolutionary Weight Training at South High
The Rebel weightroom is comparable to what you’d expect to find in a college facility. It’s over 6,000 square feet and includes eight squat stations, six lifting platforms, five glute-ham developers, three plyo ramps and 12 dot drill pads. Wow! Revolutionary Weight Training at Sout
Read
Alabama Goes BFS!
How this Southern state is leading the field in coaching certification Strength and conditioning certifications are a relatively new educational offering in the United States that grew out of the demand for more specialized training in this field. While the college educational syst
Read
The Knee Injury Solution
To prevent knee injuries, a sound strength and conditioning program is a must. Shown with one of the basic tools for success is Alise Larson, a sophomore at Hunter High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Solution Secrets to decreasing the risk of knee injury in athletes Acontinual c
Read
A Closer Look at the BFS Unilateral Power Press
BFS UNILATERAL POWER PRESS Taking your athletes to the next level with this valuable exercise machine Are you someone who thinks that machines have no value for an athlete? While BFS believes that most of an athlete’s training should be with free weights, there are many machines
Read
Restore the Roar: Selma High School
As with all levels of sport, in high school athletics everybody loves a winner. That includes the parents, the student body, the administration and the media. Justin Fowler is the head football coach at Selma High School, where, at the time he was hired, the program was on its wa
Read
The Forgotten Secret to Jumping Power
Jumping Power How shock training can jumpstart your athletes For more than 32 years BFS has promoted plyometrics for all levels of athletes. The reason is that plyometrics is a powerful training tool that can significantly improve speed, power and overall athleticism. Unfortunate
Read
What's Happening
Like Father Like Son Like Brother Thirty-five years ago while attending BYU, Anders Arrhenius put the shot over 65 feet and earned All-American honors for that event. At that time BFS founder/CEO Dr. Greg Shepard was the strength coach at BYU. Many years later, Anders’ son Nik se
Read
A Closer Look at the BFS Flexibility Program
BFS FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM Flexibility is as easy as 1-2-3-4 We’ve found, after giving thousands of BFS clinics over the past three decades, All athletes, not just gymnasts, need to stretch daily. Showing extreme flexibility is Mary Beth Lofgren, a Level 10 gymnast who represents the
Read
The Utah Utes' Power Tennis Program
The days of champion tennis players such as John McEnroe dominating the court with their touch and ball placement are gone. To win today – at the professional level and the college level as well – tennis players need more than just good endurance. Case in point: world number two,
Read
Go Speed Racers
How a premier skiing academy makes its athletes strong for the slopes To excel in a sport such as skiing, you need to have good coaching and follow a good conditioning program. To compete with the best skiers in the world, you need to have great coaching and a great conditioning
Read
Beyond Calf Raises: A Few Words with Dr. Michael Ripley
BY KIM GOSS In every profession there is always a group of experts, gurus if you will, who are a step ahead of everyone else. There are the computer hackers who see algorithms and matrixes that are invisible to others, musicians and artists who find unique ways to express the hum
Read
Developing Power, (and Much More!) with the Plyo Bar
BY KIM GOSS When I was serving in the Air Force in the ’80s, I was approached by one of the best tennis players in the military who wanted to know more about plyometrics. I happened to have a videotape on the subject that demonstrated many box jumping exercises, and I loaned it t
Read
A Closer Look at Advanced Box Jumping
ADVANCED BOX JUMPING The next level of plyometric training One of the most effective methods to improve explosiveness is plyometric box jumps, as applied in the third phase of the BFS Plyometric Program. And the most advanced form of box jumping is called depth jumps. The Russian
Read
28-0! Eden Prairie High School
The Eagles are proving that With 3,100 students, Eden Prairie High School is the largest high school in Minnesota. Last year the school was ranked by Newsweek in its list of the top 1,200 high schools, and 71 percent of the school’s teaching staff hold master’s degrees or higher.
Read
A Closer Look at Box Jumping
It’s a given that speed and jumping are key components of athletic training, and it’s also a given that plyometrics is an effective way to develop both of these qualities. But how to implement a plyometric program, especially in a high school setting, is a bit of a mystery to man
Read
Tradition of Excellence: Valdosta High School
Paul Leavy, The Valdosta Daily Times, valdostadailytimes.com Excellence: Valdosta High School The Wildcats are one of the nation’s premier football powerhouses Let’s talk numbers. The Wildcats of Valdosta High School have made 29 appearances in the Georgia State Championships, co
Read
Maxcast: The Fundraising Advantage
If you’re on a tight budget, a school network of television channels might just be the easiest way to ease the pain and pump up your funds Maxcast offers a great way to publicize school fundraisers such as car washes, but there are many other exciting – and potentially far more p
Read
The Case Against the Romanian Deadlift
Romanian weightlifter Nicu Vlad inspired many US coaches and weightlifters to perform a unique back exercise that has since been named the Romanian deadlift. Since Vlad was apparently the only lifter from his country performing it, perhaps it should have been called, a Romanian’s
Read
The Ultimate Guide to Fixing Flat Feet
If you think that a pricey pair of shoes is the secret to athletic success, think again According to legend, when Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to the US he realized that his skinny calves could prevent him from winning the Mr. Olympia, the most prestigious title in professional bo
Read
A Closer Look at the BFS Dot Drill
Back, Right Foot, Left Foot, Both Feet, ne of the most complex and controversial topics in strength and Turn Around. Detailed descriptions of each of these drills are included in and conditioning is how to Dr. Greg Shepard’s book Bigger Faster warm up properly. Dynamic exercise,
Read
Santa Rita High School: 0-10 to 11-2
Legendary coach Jeff Scurran had another Cinderella season 5 Joe Chuisano, 22 Troy Smith, 77 Paul Perez, 7 Chris Johnson previously he started a junior college football program from scratch, led them to a bowl championship, and then announced his retirement. But last year after ta
Read
Squaring Round Shoulders
About 10 years ago I attended a weeklong seminar on evaluating and correcting posture. One of the interesting “tools” we were shown for correcting round-shouldered posture was a harness that strapped across the torso and had an electronic device positioned between the shoulder bl
Read
Razorbacks Looking Sharp
Darren McFadden Heisman Trophy Candidate Razorbacks Looking Sharp A closer look at the University of Arkansas’s unique and successful approach to becoming strong by KIM GOSS The Arkansas Razorbacks’ football team just kind of sneaks up on you. Last season all the attention went t
Read
Secrets of the Bentonville High School Girls
For the past three years Newsweek magazine has ranked Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas, as one of the best 1,000 high schools in the country. The school offers 19 advanced placement classes, and the class of 2007 received more than $3 million in scholarships. Bent
Read
2007 BFS High School of the Year
Titusville High School: A Lifting Family High School of the Year Titusville High School’s BIG commitment to unification has earned this small Pennsylvania school our respect and admiration High school coaches today are faced with ever-increasing challenges, even more so than their
Read
Vertical-Jump Testing: Beyond 2007
Vertical-Jump Testing: A simple, super fast solution to sports fitness testing by Kim Goss WWhat better example of jumping power than this photo of 14-year-old Mary Beth Lofgren? Mary Beth, who represents the Olympus School of Gymnastics in Sandy, Utah, won the 2007 Utah State Cha
Read
The Lady Flames Heat Up the Court
Ask any number of high school coaches when was the last time they worked only 40 hours in a week, and they’ll usually respond with laughter. Better laughter than leaving: Ever-increasing responsibilities and relatively low pay at this level are difficult challenges, and high scho
Read
Ahead of Schedule: Olentangy Liberty High School
Ahead of Schedule: Olentangy Liberty Success came quickly for this football team by training not just harder but smarter Steve Hale doesn’t see obstacles; he sees opportunities. When Olentangy Liberty High School opened its doors in Powell, Ohio, four years ago, Hale good-natured
Read
The Dark Side of Sports: Liability in Supervision
Lawsuits against weight training instructors happen all the time. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that 80 percent of the litigations against weight training instructors involve injuries caused by inappropriate supervision. In other words, if you’re involved in a lawsuit, there is
Read
Nothing Motivates Like Success
BY RICK ANDERSON, BFS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Practical tips on how coaches can inspire greatness in all their athletes The most important principle that all coaches need to know about inspiring their athletes to achieve physical superiority and athletic success is that the greates
Read
Still Going Strong: Adam Edwards
52 STILL GOING STRONG: Adam became a starting center for the Air Force Academy, and played in the 1995 Copper Bowl. Most athlete profiles that appear in BFS magazine are snapshots of a few years of an athlete’s life: an outstanding football season in which an athlete rushed for 2
Read
Canada's Angus Reid Takes Off, Eh!
Angus Reid Takes Off, Eh! Angus Reid of the British Columbia Lions celebrates winning the Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League’s version of the Super Bowl. How one of Canada’s professional football players beat the odds to become one of the best The creators of South Park have
Read
Accountability Training at Central High
Accountability Training at Jon Michael Krol How an Arizona coach turned around a football team on the field and in the classroom ith eight years’ experience as an assistant coach in successful high school football programs, Kevin Belcher thought he was ready to take his career to
Read
New Directions in Sports Training and Rehabilitation
The amazing athletic fitness and rehabilitation discoveries of Guy Voyer, D.O. Every few years there emerges an individual whose work makes it imperative to reevaluate how we train and rehabilitate athletes. Among those who have contributed to such paradigm shifts are Dr. Yuri Ver
Read
Alaska State Champs: South Anchorage High
How a cool city built a hot football team in record time South Anchorage High School has been in existence for only three years, but it has already won a state football championship. That’s saying a lot, but you don’t know the half of it: the team went undefeated the entire year.
Read
Robin Jennings: An Insider's Look at Pro Baseball
Robin Jennings: A former pro ballplayer talks frankly about getting the edge in baseball hen you consider how many millions of kids play baseball in this country, the chances of being one of the 750 professional athletes in the major leagues are astronomically slim. Robin Jenning
Read
