Athleticism Training Starts With Three Basics: Jump, Throw, Move Sideways
In short
Men's Health's starting point for athleticism training is three movement types: jumping, throwing with maximal force, and moving laterally. Beginners can do pogo hops for 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 2–3 sets, 2–3 times a week; medicine ball overhead throws for 3 sets of 2–3 while tracking distance; and a lateral movement at least twice a week. Performance coach DeVentri Jordan warns that a drill looking athletic does not make it athletic, and that the first step is deciding what you want to be able to do.
After the physique, the next status goal is athleticism: combining strength, speed, power, agility and coordination. Performance coach DeVentri Jordan, who trains NFL and NBA prospects, tells Men's Health that more people are now asking what they can actually do with the body they have built.
Competitions now test both. Apex Athlete, modeled on the NFL scouting combine, pairs a 40-yard dash and vertical jump with strength standards for men: a 225-pound bench press and a 405-pound trap-bar deadlift. The point is whether you can use that strength quickly, not just lift it.
Is an athletic-looking drill enough?
Jordan calls it the biggest misconception: if an exercise looks athletic, it must be. Behind every ladder drill or box-jump combo sits unglamorous groundwork such as assessing ankle dorsiflexion. He also asks for honest expectations: someone else jumps onto a 60-inch box, but your ceiling may be 25 inches, and you have to be okay with that.
What should you add to your routine first?
- Jumping: if you are new to the gym, start with jump rope or pogos. Bend the knees slightly and hop on both feet for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds. 2–3 sets, 2–3 times a week, at the start or end of a session.
- Throwing: hold a medicine ball in both hands and throw it overhead as far behind you or as high as possible. 3 sets of 2–3 throws, and track the distance.
- Lateral movement: the direction most weight-room programs skip. Add lateral lunges or 3 × 30-second lateral shuffles at least twice a week.
Tracking throw distance is a habit lifters already have: like your big three, it only counts as progress if there is a number. Note the ball weight and distance in your fairlift workout memo and compare them against your big-three total over a few weeks. For which lifts best build jump height, see our Olympic lifts versus plyometrics article.
Frequently asked questions
Where should athleticism training start?
Men's Health sets out three basics: jumping, throwing with maximal force, and moving laterally. A beginner can start with pogo hops, 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off, for 2–3 sets, 2–3 times a week.
How many sets and reps of medicine ball throws should you do?
Men's Health recommends 3 sets of 2–3 overhead medicine ball throws. Throw with maximal effort each time and record the distance to track progress.
Do weight-room routines need lateral movement?
Yes. Most weight-room routines only train forward and backward movement, so Men's Health recommends adding a lateral exercise, such as lateral lunges or 3 × 30-second lateral shuffles, at least twice a week.
What strength does the Apex Athlete competition require?
Apex Athlete combines combine-style tests such as the 40-yard dash and vertical jump with strength standards for men of a 225-pound (about 102 kg) bench press and a 405-pound (about 184 kg) trap-bar deadlift.
Source: Men's Health Fitness