Drills With and For A Purpose

With the instant availability of thousands of drills on the Internet I wanted to give some of my ideas on using drills effectively. My first question always is: Does the drill lead to something? If it just something you learned at a clinic or saw on the internet that looks then think again before using it. No drill is an end unto itself. Can you design a progression involving the drill that will enhance what comes after? The following is an example from a relatively simple lower extremity exercise, the squat. The principle underlying this is body weight before external resistance. There is really no limit to where you could go with this progression. It is dictated to you by the demands of the sport, the position or event within the sport and the qualities of the individual athlete. This particular progression is leading the squat toward the direction of a total body exercise.

Body Weight Squat – Hands interlocked behind the head. Execute a full squat at one rep per second.

Weight Vest Squat (10 % of Bodyweight) – The body receives this as an internal load, otherwise the emphasis is the same as the previous squat.

Sand Bag Squat – A sandbag is draped over the shoulder. This added resistance will slow the movement down, but the sandbag will still be perceived by the body as an internal load.

Dumbbell Squat – Squat while holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.

Dumbbell Squat To Press – Squat down and press the dumbbells up on the ascent.

Dumbbell Shift Squat – Squat down on two legs while shifting the weight to one leg for the ascent. Alternate legs

Dumbbell Shift and Squat to Press – Squat down on two legs while shifting the weight to one leg for the ascent and press up with the opposite arm.

This particular progression would probably take three to four weeks depending on the level of athlete and their training background. It is sequence that is particularly appropriate in the off season, although once each variation of the squat is learned, that variation can be plugged in at other times of the year as needed

There is no shortage of drills. The key is using the drills for a specific purpose within the context of the whole training program. Each drill must fit synergistically within the context of all the other drills and exercises in the training program that are designed to work on the same athletic quality. In addition the drill must enhance the other qualities as well. Drills do not work in isolation. My challenge has always been to make drills fit within a progression so that there is a logical flow from one to the other. One drill comes out of one and almost morphs into the next. This demands a good clear understanding of the objectives of the entire training program as well the application of each drill.

Make the drill fit the individuals, rather than try to fit the individual to the drill. It is desirable to have a hierarchy in the drills to allow progress and well as structured variability and individualization.