By Brett Boyer, supervised by Joe Fox and Dr. Geraci, with assistance from Dr. Mancuso, Matthew Mohan, and Tae Kim.
*DISCLAIMER: Joe Fox and the TrainSMART Personal Fitness team are not responsible in any matter whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following instructions contained in this material. Please ensure you have consulted with a physician to be cleared before engaging in exercise, especially if you may have a previous health concern.
*WARNING: Keep in mind that each subsequent video or technique shows a riskier exercise or technique compared to the previous. This does not mean not to do the exercise, but rather that there is a higher risk involved with it. MAKE SURE you are experienced with resistance training and lifting heavy weights, if not then continue to perform normal resistance training without specialized techniques. Strength is the foundation of power, if you are not in the higher strength standards of your age group then strength should be your primary training priority.
· Concentric: Muscle action in which the fibers are shortening while under tension. Typically done when lifting a load.
· Eccentric: Muscle action in which the fibers are lengthening while under tension. Typically done when controlling the descent of a load.
· Isotonic: The combined muscle actions of the concentric and eccentric portions. This includes the amortization phase which is the brief transition from shortening and lengthening.
· Overcoming Isometrics: Exercises in which you try to move an immovable object with no joint movement for short periods of time to increase power development with high intent.
· Yielding Isometrics: Exercises in which you hold a submaximal load with no movement for longer periods of time to increase muscular endurance and connective tissue health.
· Extensive Plyometrics: Low intensity, high volume jump rebounding movements that focus on rhythm, building tissue capacity, and fluidity of movement.
· Intensive Plyometrics: High intensity, low volume jump rebounding movements that maximize explosive speed strength and power.
· Dead Stop Training: Advanced training technique often utilized with cluster sets in which the individual between each rep will take a brief pause letting the weight ‘settle’ before lifting again.
Kettlebell Deadlift: Grip the bar forcefully, tripod foot, corkscrew and pull the ground apart, wedge yourself under the weight, anti-shrug, and bend the bar. Push the ground away and drive your hips forward.
Box Goblet Squat: Tripod foot, corkscrew and pull the ground apart, hinge at the hips. Tall chest with ribs locked down, anti shrug. Push the ground away.
Goblet Squat with Explosive Concentric: Tripod foot, corkscrew and pull the ground apart, hinge at the hips, tall chest with ribs locked down, anti shrug, and push the ground away explosively!
Dead Stop Training (Kettlebell Row): Allow the weight to fully settle between reps. Works well with hand release pushups, deadlifting, free weight rows, and quarter squats from safety pins.
Yielding Isometric (Wall Sit): Tripod foot, corkscrew and pull the ground apart. Push the ground away. Don’t hold your breath. These are done for connective tissue quality rather than power development. Use 10 second holds for healthy tendons for 4 reps, taking 2 minutes of rest between reps. Do this twice a day waiting 6-8 hours between. This is a version of Dr. Keith Baar’s protocol for healthy tendons (Ferris, 2025).
Overcoming Isometrics (Plank with belt): Overcoming isometrics for the purposes of this project are done with maximal intent and each rep should last about 5 seconds. In this exercise the cue to bust the belt is the overcoming isometric and this can be used with a variety of exercises. Other common exercises to do with this technique is rack pulls, and towel deadlifts. Use the same guidelines from "Progressing Power Exercises for 50+ Age Group: Theory" to perform these exercises as these are for power development.
Box Jump: Start with shorter boxes and work on jumping higher than you need to before increasing box height. Set up in an athletic stance, use an arm swing to allow for greater jumping capabilities, and forcefully bring the hips through as the arms come through on the jump. Focus on landing quietly and in an athletic position.
Two Step Side Shuffle and Lateral Bounds: Keep more of your weight towards the front of your foot. Keep your head level as you forcefully push the floor away with the outside leg while keeping your hips and torso square. Stick each step and eventually progress the speed. Stay on a single line as you move side to side and don’t drift forward or backward. SAFETY NOTE: Lateral Bounds shown later in the video are a progression and would fall under the next category “Move Quickly Isotonically”
Standing Rotational Throw: Do these exercises in an open outdoor space or in a facility that allows these exercises. Throw the ball with your hips rather than your arms. Forceful exhale through pursed lips on the throw.
Medicine Ball Overhead Slam: Start in an athletic stance. Raise the ball overhead with both arms as you come up on your toes. Drop your hips back as you forcefully swing your arms down. Try to break the ground with the ball.
Tall Kneeling Chest Pass: Tuck your toes underneath you in the tall kneeling position and come back slightly with your hips partway to your heels. Load the ball to the chest, then snap the hands through and drive the ball straight out as you extend your hips tall at the top.
Standing Chest Pass: Get in a tall posture and then push your hips back to load the throw. Load the ball to the chest, then snap the hands through and drive the ball straight out as you extend your hips tall at the top. Anti-shrug and squeeze the glutes at the instant you throw as you forcefully exhale through pursed lips.
American College of Sports Medicine (2009). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 41(3), 687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670
Araújo, C. G. S., Kunutsor, S. K., Eijsvogels, T. M. H., Myers, J., Laukkanen, J. A., Hamar, D., Niebauer, J., Bhattacharjee, A., de Souza E Silva, C. G., Franca, J. F., & Castro, C. L. B. (2025). Muscle Power Versus Strength as a Predictor of Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women.Mayo Clinic proceedings, 100(8), 1319–1331.
Barros-Poblete, M., Torres-Castro, R., Otto-Yáñez, M., Núñez-Cortés, R., Barros, M., Valencia, C., Campos, A., Jadue, L., Manríquez-Hizaut, M., & Solis-Navarro, L. (2025). 30 Seconds Sit-to-Stand Test: Reference Values for the Chilean Population. Revista medica de Chile, 153(5), 329–339. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0034-98872025000500329
CFSC Certified Functional Strength Coach Level 1 Manual. (n.d.). Certified Functional Strength Coach.
Ferriss, T. (2025, February 26). Simple exercises that can repair tendons — Dr. Keith Baar [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=undefined
Gabbett, T. (2025, November 27). How Does Tissue-Specific Load Adaptation Fit Within the General Adaptation Syndrome Framework? – Gabbett Performance. https://gabbettperformance.com.au/tissue-specific-load-adaptation/
Mathews, S. (2014, August 7). Simple & Sinister Training for Kettlebell Sport Athletes. StrongFirst. http://www.strongfirst.com/hardstyle-for-the-sport-guy-simple-sinister-for-kettlebell-sport athletes/
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Q4E Case Study 04 – Power. (n.d.). Quintic Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from https://www.quinticsports.com/case-study/q4e-case-study-04-power/
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