For too many years strength training and skill learning have been considered as separate qualities that had to be performed apart from one another. In other words, you had to learn game skills (skill technique) by itself and gain strength in separate sessions.

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However, in a new program that I developed, it is now possible to learn or improve your skill execution simultaneously as you gain strength specific to the skill execution. In fact, the simultaneous acquisition of strength together with skill technique not only speeds up the learning, but it also helps prevent injury and improves game performance at a faster rate.

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To learn a skill simultaneously with strength, you must use the 1 x 20 strength training program. In this program, after determining the technique that must be learned, modified or enhanced, and the joint action that is at fault, you create a strength exercise that duplicates the same neuromuscular pathway.

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For example, to improve the action of driving the thigh forward in sprinting (hip flexion) you can do the knee drive exercise with Active Cords or a low pulley cable. By doing this exercise you can improve not only the ability to drive the thigh forward through the same range of motion, speed and pathway, but have the strength and muscular endurance to do this over the distance. Keep in mind that most sprinters cannot do this.

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Another example is learning the ability to kick with more power and accuracy. This requires hip rotation, followed by hip flexion, followed by knee extension in the kinetic chain. Most kickers rely on leg (knee) extension but the main power comes from the hip rotation and hip flexion.

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To learn and duplicate the hip rotation movement the nonslip Active Cord belt is placed around the hips and a cord is attached behind the buttocks to create resistance when the hip rotation takes place around the front leg. If the attachment is in front you can learn the feel of the movement as well as speed up the movement.

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In addition to doing this exercise you can also work on the hip flexion by doing the knee drive exercise as a separate exercise. If needed a third exercise can be done by doing a standing knee extension which more closely duplicates what occurs in the kick.

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Learning skills takes many repetitions. To get the repetitions in together with strength the athlete uses the 1 x 20 strength training program. As he does the exercise he visualizes himself doing the movement in his sport which enhances the learning. Keep in mind that learning is stronger and faster because of the strength being gained simultaneously with development of the neuromuscular pathway.

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For more information see The Revolutionary 1 x 20 RM Strength Training Program