I recently brought the freak of training DVD showing how Jay Schroeder helped Adam Archuleta acheive phenomenal results in the combine test. The DVD is interesting and shows lots of good exercises for strength and speed but doesnt go into enough depth on program design. Does anyone know where I can find any sample programs by Jay on the net or anywhere else? Thanks for any help anyone can give!!
Jamie Bain
His programs can be somewhat difficult to find. But I know I have done searches before and found some. Here is an article from charlie francis’ site. It doesn’t have an example routine but talks about some interesting exercises. I don’t know how old it is so you may have read it before.
If someone said he could increase your bench by 60-80 lbs. in three days, your vertical by 3 inches in four minutes, and cut valuable tenths off of your forty without any running, what would you say? Most skeptics would say, ?Yeah right,? but those intrigued few might ask, ?How?? and that’s just what StacK did when we talked with Coach Jay Schroeder, founder of Evo-Sport in Mesa, Arizona.
Coach Schroeder gained national notoriety prior to the 2001 NFL Draft for his work with Adam Archuleta, the St. Louis Rams’ first round draft pick that year. The attention Coach Schroeder received focused on Archuleta’s transformation from a walk-on at Arizona State, to a first round NFL draft choice. Under Coach Schroeder’s guidance, Archuleta had an amazing combine performance. Archuleta ran a 4.42 forty, had a 39-inch vertical, and bench pressed 225 lbs. 31 times ? a remarkable feat for even a 300 pound lineman, let alone a safety. Archuleta’s performance completed his transformation and solidified him as one of the best combine athletes in recent memory. Most impressive is the fact that when Archuleta first started working with Schroeder, he ran a 4.8 forty, had a 26-inch vertical, and could only bench press 265 lbs. While still working with Archuleta, Coach Schroeder now works with plenty of NFL stars such as Dwight Freeney of the Colts and Todd Heap of the Ravens, as well as, scores of other athletes in sports ranging from swimming to archery.
So, how does Coach Schroeder produce such amazing results?
Coach Schroeder creates individual specific training programs based on an in-depth evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete. No two athletes at Evo-Sport train exactly the same way. Coach Schroeder meticulously produces the perfect program for every athlete and expects the same dedication and effort from those that he trains. If you are not going to give 100% effort, you better get out of his gym.
Evo-Sport’s training programs differ greatly from those of other training facilities, as Coach Schroeder does not believe in the training concepts that most coaches implement now days. He does not believe in sport specific training programs. He does not believe in running to improve running form or speed. He certainly does not believe in athletic drills tailored for a group or team. Coach Schroeder believes in individual training programs based on absorbing and propelling force in the correct athletic position. Absorbing force in the correct athletic position can be compared to getting hit during a football play, and being able to respond to that hit (force) in the correct position so you can continue to run, block, or tackle during the play. Propelling force can be compared to delivering a hit to someone on the football field. Maintaining correct athletic position in this instance means positioning your body to deliver the most powerful hit possible. The common factor in both scenarios is the phrase “correct athletic position” because proper position allows an athlete to perform at his or her absolute peak physical potential.
Jay Schroeder: The Difference Maker
According to Coach Schroeder, nothing else really matters. “Most all these high school and college athletes I get have no clue what position is, they have no clue what their body should be looking like when they are running. They do running drills and they do all the things that Joe Expert strength coach says?but unless they are physiologically capable of getting in [the correct] positions, holding [the correct] positions, making the right muscles contract at the right time, and are capable of relaxing antagonistic muscle groups at the right time, it doesn?t matter how many drills they do, how much weight they lift, how strong they are, none of that matters.”
Basically, Coach Schroeder believes, ?What?s the point of doing anything if you?re not doing it right.? The emphasis on proper position, and correct muscle contractions forces the body to perform properly and to its greatest potential. Schroeder’s programs teach each muscle when and how to properly contract, as well as, the proper body position to get the most powerful muscle contraction. Eventually, the muscles will only know one way to work ? the right way. Once this is accomplished, an athlete can be put into any athletic situation, and still be able to get 100% out of his or her body. This is why Evo-Sport athletes don?t do running drills to work on running form. Their time spent in the weight room and performing other drills teaches their muscles the right way to work. Then, once it’s time to run, their muscles will just do the right thing. Since their muscles are contracting the right way, at the right time, and in the right position, Schroeder’s athletes run with proper form at their bodies’ peak speed.
When asked to provide an example of how he teaches athletes proper position, particularly for the lower body, Coach Schroeder stated that he puts all athletes that begin his program in a perfect single-leg squat position and has them hold the position for 5-7 minutes. Coach Schroeder also may have certain athletes hold a perfect double-leg squat position for 3 minutes.
So, what are the perfect squat positions?
Coach Schroeder was kind enough to describe both the perfect single-leg and double-leg squat position in detail. To get into the perfect single-leg squat position, start by standing only on your right foot on top of a bench or box. At this point, you should be standing only on the front of your right foot, meaning your heel should be off the bench. Before lowering yourself down into a squat, make sure that your right upper thigh is perpendicular to the ground. Now, squeeze the glutes and keep the upper body erect. Next, lower yourself down into a parallel squat. [StacK Note: A parallel squat is achieved when your thigh is parallel with the ground.] During the squat, concentrate on pushing through the bench with the ball of your right foot. Hold for as long as you can. Work up to holding the position for 5-7 minutes with each leg.
To perform the perfect double-leg squat position, start in a squat rack with your feet shoulder-width apart. Before you lower yourself into the parallel squat position, make sure that both your upper thighs are perpendicular to the ground. Now, squeeze the glutes and keep the upper body erect. Then, lower yourself into the parallel squat position. During the squat, again, concentrate on pushing through the floor with the balls of your feet. Hold for as long as possible. Work up to holding the position for 3 minutes.
Jay Schroeder: The Difference Maker
Until an athlete accomplishes one or both of these feats, he or she is not able to move to the next stages of Coach Schroeder’s training program. Holding these positions may sound easy to you, but just go ahead and try them; the burn in your legs and back from holding the ?proper? position will come on quickly. Once an athlete can hold the described positions, his or her muscles are strong enough to keep the body in the proper position when performing athletic movements based on the perfect squat position, such as running and jumping. This allows the athlete to get 100% out of his or her body since his or her body now ?knows? how to maintain the correct position for such movements.
Now that you have a beginning point to teaching yourself the “correct athletic position,” you are on your way to becoming a better athlete. Of course, though, you would also like to get stronger in the weight room to impress your coaches and teammates. No problem, Coach Schroeder also described a beginning point to improving your bench press. If done correctly, the following exercise could drastically increase your max. To start, you must get in an extreme push-up position, meaning elevate yourself on push-up handles, boxes, benches, or chairs and get into a push-up position. Then, lower yourself down as far as you can. To know if you?re low enough, you should feel a great deal of stretching in your chest, and it should feel like your muscles are tearing away from your sternum (breastbone). Your elbows must be at a 45-degree angle and your deltoids (shoulders) must be pulled down towards your hips. Only the balls of your feet should be touching the floor. Hold this position for as long as possible, maintaining the tearing feeling. “When you are able to do that for 5 minutes then you add a load and you work yourself back to up to five minutes,” stated Coach Schroeder. A load is nothing more than weight set on your back, and it’s determined by your body-weight. You should work to be able to hold a load equal to 33-40% percent of your body-weight for 5 minutes. Once this is accomplished, Coach Schroeder explained, “Now you are ready to bench press, and in the meantime you happen to become excessively stronger and bigger.” Need proof on the effectiveness of this exercise? Coach Schroeder had one of his athletes add 18 reps to his 225 lb. bench test by just doing extreme push-ups. The athlete never even touched a barbell.
Although, all of the above exercises are at the beginning level of Coach Schroeder’s programs, he could not stress enough their importance. He stated, “Don’t do what the people at the top are doing. Do what they did to get there.” Many of you have seen the video of Adam Archuleta completing advanced and sometimes bizarre training exercises. Coach Schroeder was quick to comment on the video, ?When we made the [training] video with Adam Archuleta for ESPN and Fox, they only showed what he does at the end, they didn’t want to show anything we did to get there. I mean that [the exercises that got him there] is what really made Adam, Adam?You have to do all the preparation work to get to the end.? In other words, you have to start with the basics and work up to performing more advanced and complex exercises. So, if you’re itching to try some of the advanced exercises performed at Evo-Sport, you?re going to have to be patient and work to get there, not to mention make a trip to Mesa, Arizona to train with Coach Schroeder. He wasn?t about to give away all his training secrets, just a few starters to get all athletes on their way to improved athleticism
Jay Schroeder: The Difference Maker
Coach Schroeder’s strong emphasis on proper form and position has rubbed off on his athletes. Adam Archuleta once said in an interview, “You could jump and you could exercise all day long, but that doesn?t mean you are going to get any better. Everyone squats and everybody runs and everybody jumps and everybody benches, but it’s the way you do it. There’s no secret exercise. It’s the way it’s applied. And that’s where Jay [Schroeder’s] expertise comes in.” It is because of this expertise and the precise training methods that much of what Coach Schroeder does cannot be thoroughly explained in an article. The benefits of Coach Schroeder?s training programs come from the advice of Coach Schroeder himself, as well as, the custom-made training programs that he creates for his athletes. If training with Coach Schroeder seems like something you?d like to do, you can contact him via his Web site at www.arpprogram.com.
However, if you don?t think you can make it to Mesa, Arizona to train at Evo-Sport, Coach Schroeder had one last piece of advice for all athletes when training with weights. ?Lift weights with a purpose. Anybody can get strong and big ? that’s easy. Not everybody that lifts weights is good on an athletic field. That’s what you want to do." So, take it from Coach Schroeder, it’s not ?How much you lift,? it’s ?How you lift,? ? that?s what makes a great athlete.
inno-sport/db hammer
not the same, but similar enough for many to think that they are.
Could someone help me understand the perfect 1 leg squat stance…
Is he saying to do a kind of step up thing with your left leg in the air? Only, by holding the bottom position for a few minutes.
So as to balance on your right leg in bottom step up position with left leg not touching the ground?
Also must the knee stay directly above the foot on the right leg?
his program is frickin insane, but works. i’ve gone through a year of his training, and complained the whole time, but am amazed at the outcome.
ok back on topic, you want one leg (i guess in this case ur left) up on something like a bench right. then your pretty much doing a lunge with your other leg infront of you. lower leg perpendicular to the ground and thigh parallel to the ground. you, like in any other exercise, want to have your body all squared up and in line with itself. hope that helped
can someone pm me some resources to some of this info? sounds very interesting and i might like to give a program like this a chance.
Did you work with Jay or follow an exact program from him? I have tried to study him for a while, but I am not sure on how he puts everything into place. I would appreciate any insight you can offer. Drew
i actually train with him 3 days a week. when i first met him i though he was some crazy old guy who found pleasure in the suffering of others, but he turned out to be a pretty cool dude. so…almost a year later i get bored and decide to google his name and woe and behold…he’s frickin famous. his gym is down the street from me also, but ive never been there.
Tom Shaw is a nationally recognized performance enhancement coach. Coach Shaw was the Speed & Conditioning Coach at Florida State for 10 years and is now entering his sixth year in the same capacity for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. In the last 7 years Tom has worked with over 100 first round NFL draft picks including Peyton Manning, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson and Charlie Ward. The list of stars is enormous.
His credentials speak for themselves.
http://www.wolverinesports.com/trackvid7.html
I will admit I am biased since he is a former coach of mine and close friend. Regardless of that, he still has the rings, and first round draft picks, to be considered one of the best for what you are trying to do. He is a super super guy too!
Good Luck.
I do have several programs from coach S. However his genius lies in adapting the program and methods to the needs of his athletes. So a specific program wouldn’t be of much help.
On a side note, he even wrote an arm specialization program similar to Poliquin’s one day arm cure, but focused mostly on neural instead of on metabolic methods.
i would really appriciate a program, i mean im just dying to try something of Jay Schroeders work, i know the programs are fitted to the athlets weaknesses and strengths but hey i just want to now what he does…then i will test myself and try doing a program he made but i will change it to fit my needs.
would appreciate myself too
Any thoughts on how to contact him? Please let me know where this gym is, I also live nearby and would love to check it out. Thanks.
Jason Kamens
arpprogram is the company and site…
he is under the ultrafit training portion…
J
Bump. Does anyone have any new insight on Schroeder’s program?
listen to jay speak here…
mostshockingsportstraining.com/
jay-shroeder-teleseminar-download.html
[quote]shadyniner wrote:
listen to jay speak here…
mostshockingsportstraining.com/
jay-shroeder-teleseminar-download.html
[/quote]
I bow to your greatness for posting that link.
Ya thanks, this stuff is interesting. I think with Schroeder you have to decide which parts are accurate, and when he’s just being crazy.
[quote]beau_zo_brehm wrote:
Ya thanks, this stuff is interesting. I think with Schroeder you have to decide which parts are accurate, and when he’s just being crazy.[/quote]
Yeah the interview totally blew my mind. They mention somewhere in there one of his athletes attempted a max bench press 40+ times in an hour. Well newsflash, if he can perform 30+ reps of it in an hour, it’s not a max load! But if by max load he meant max velocity, then he’s no better than the football strength coaches he criticizes.
I wish we could get more info on program design and less on alleged feats of strength.