Garage Strength Program Design First Chapter

Sport Needs Identification
GARAGE STRENGTH
PROGRAM DESIGN
PARABOLIC PERIODIZATION FOR SPORTS
1
DANE MILLER and EARL KUNKEL
Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel
GARAGE STRENGTH
PROGRAM DESIGN
Program Design Course

• 5 hours of strength training content
• Multiple examples of Dane writing
entire programs
• Q&A section answering common
questions in strength coaching
• Be able to easily write a YEAR’s
worth of strength programs
• Understand how to adapt strength
training for ANY sport
• All tested by over a decade of
producing world-class athletes
Book Companion
• 180 Page companion to the
courseMultiple examples of Dane
writing entire programs
• Over 75 charts and templates
of exercises, rep schemes, and
workout days
• Definitions and in-depth
explanation of terms and ideas
discussed in the course
PURCHASE HERE
2 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

CONTENTS
SPORT NEEDS IDENTIFICATION 3
PERIODIZATION 30
TRAINING DAYS 49
EXERCISE TYPES 79
REP SCHEMES 109
SPORT TYPES 119
BUILDING CHAMPIONS 177

SPORT NEEDS
IDENTIFICATION
CHAPTER 1
4 Dane
Garage Strength Miller and
Program Earl Kunkel
Design
The Williams brothers walked into Garage Strength for the first time in the
middle of January. They had recently wrapped up their football season and
hoped to build strength as fast as possible for the upcoming track and field
season. We had five months to peak them for the state championships and only
another three until the start of the football season. It was a short window to take
advantage of, but it didn’t matter because we knew our periodization system
was built to adapt to situations like this.
The reality is strength coaches don’t

live in a vacuum. Our athletes aren’t
subjects in a research study. Life
happens, and we will always have
unforeseen circumstances impacting
our planning. The structure of high
school sports and the NCAA with
multi-sport athletes demands
athletes to be able to peak at
multiple points throughout the year.
That’s where Parabolic Periodization
shines. It worked for the Williams
brothers. Before their high school
careers were over, they both became
state champions in track and helped
their team to the state championship
in football.
The Williams brothers had a lot of raw talent, but before J’ven made significant
strength gains, he didn’t even know if he wanted to play football in college.
Now he is a 5-star offensive lineman committed to Penn State. If it had taken
an entire year to set up his strength periodization, J’ven wouldn’t have seen fast
enough success to help him excel in track. Instead, he broke the Pennsylvania
state record in the shot put, significantly boosting his confidence and work ethic
leading into his breakthrough football season the following year, putting him on
the national watch list.
As a coach or athlete implementing Parabolic Periodization, the goal is to

realize and achieve success. Success comes in many forms. However, in
the world of sports performance, the primary goal revolves around athletic
achievement. Athletic achievement is scaled, being unique to every individual
pursuit. Some athletes will have the work ethic and talent to reach the highest
levels of competitive play. Other athletes will have the work ethic and drive to
achieve well above their athletic disposition. Regardless of whether the goal is
to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns or the goal is to make the varsity team,
a streamlined plan is necessary to keep the athlete on the road to success.

The coach provides the roadmap for reaching those goals on the sports
performance journey.
Think of the coach as a “true-north,” a GPS, a navigation system. When

coaching an athlete on their journey, fulfillment will come through athlete
successes. As a coach, the losses will be felt, the wins will be enjoyed, and every
loop, conversation, tear, and celebration will play a role on the theatrical stage
that is the competitive arena of sports performance. Soak it all in. A big part of
Parabolic Periodization revolves around an intimate knowledge of the athletes.
The coach-athlete relationship is dynamic. The dynamism plays a huge role
in assessing, developing, and configuring what goes into programming for
adaptations, leading to more success in the competitive gameday arena.
So what is Parabolic Periodization?
The mathematical image of a parabola bends in one direction and slingshots

back in the opposing direction. A person glides a shot put into the air, and
gravity propels the implement to the ground. There is a push against gravity, and
an opposite and opposing action takes place, much like a parabola. In Parabolic
Periodization, the bend and push stem from volume and intensity. Throughout
a 20-month cycle, the intensity will start low, focusing on higher volume with
high sets and reps. The intensity will summit toward the peak with the cycle’s
heaviest lifts before dropping down again for a taper before a competition.
Parabolic Periodization is a methodology that has been tested, experimented

with, and chiseled to an algorithmic proficiency. As a non-linear training
methodology, Parabolic Periodization leans into autoregulation to ramp up
the weights and hold static when necessary. There is a lot put on the athlete
regarding intensity and volume. There is just as much placed on the sports
performance coach when implementing Parabolic Periodization for athletic
enhancements.
We will cover the ins and outs of developing a strength program from the
overarching macro view of periodization the entire way down to the specific
exercises, sets, and reps to perform. Essentially, we will give you the nuts and
bolts to build the best strength program for any sport and athlete.

SPORT TYPE
Parabolic Periodization applies to all and every sport. However, the

methodology is flexible in its application and begins with identifying the sport
type.
Sport types vary greatly. Take a moment and think about all the competitive
environments, from professional sports, to grade school physical education
classes, to the Olympics. The sporting competition and skill-sets required are
great and varied. The variation of competitive environments is the glowing neon
light that broadcasts the need for identifying the sport type.
Let’s first talk about open-skill sports and closed-skill sports. Open-skill
sports operate in a realm of organized chaos. Open-skill sports have an
omnidirectional movement variety. In open-skill sports, there is a randomness
that requires a level of reaction. The body perceives what is going on and
responds in accordance. In open-skill sports, athletes utilize a concept known
as chaos coordination. Think of chaos coordination as the body’s ability to
recognize perceptual input and respond with athleticism in a powerful, fast
manner.

Open-skill sports require
agility, speed, and power. Chaos Coordination
Football, basketball, soccer, The ability to rapidly coordinate
and wrestling, to name a few, various muscles and joints to stabilize
are all open-skilled sports. and develop force during situations
Often, open-skill sports have where unexpected, unstable, or highly
an opponent that influences complicated movement is prevalent.
athlete movement. All sporting
events have opponents. The
marquee of open-skill sports is
that the opponent directly impacts athletic play. For instance, the pitcher in a
baseball game directly impacts the batter. The defensive lineman trying to sack
the quarterback directly impacts the actions of the offensive guard. The center
who misses a block forces the decision of the quarterback decision to drive
to the basket or step back and take a lower percentage field goal attempt. In
open-skill sports, managing the opponent in direct opposition to the athlete is
tantamount to athletic capability.
Although closed-skill sports have opponents, they are different from open-
skilled sports in that the opponent has no direct impact on the athlete’s
performance. Yes, the opponent competes against the athlete. That is the
whole point of an opponent. However, the actions of the opponent challenging
for victory have no direct physical impact on the event’s outcome in a closed-
skill sport.
Keep it straight; closed skill sports require athleticism. Closed-skill sports

require a significant degree of physical capability. The technical mastery that is
constantly on display makes closed-skill sports so exciting. Elite-level athletes
perform in a manner that makes an incredibly technical movement look routine.
Elite-level athletes make something mundane look artistic. Closed-skill sports
often create a realm for virtuosity to transpire.
Closed-skill sports aren’t without external factors, like heat, precipitation,

or wind, but those same external factors also influence open-skilled sports.
Where open-skill sports demand technique and technical capability in athletic
movement, closed-skill sports put technical prowess front and center. Think
of a sprinter running 200 meters. Think of a 49-kilo female weightlifter clean
and jerking 110 kilos. Think of a golfer teeing up their driver on a par 5 and
then bringing out the putter once near the hole to shoot for birdie. Each of the
examples above is a closed-skill sport in action. Anyone who has swung a golf
club knows how technically demanding the movement is. Clean and jerking are
the theoretical equivalent of a 300 lb golf swing from a technical perspective.
Where sprinting is commonplace, sprinting with maximal mechanics in a
lane on a track at the fastest of human capabilities is a technical, athletic

accomplishment in itself. But without exception, the technical demand athletic
requirement is of a closed skill nature.
There is a lot more to sport typing than open and closed skill. Consider the skills
needed in broad brush strokes. Does the athlete need to be fast? Agile? Strong?
Explosive? What type of endurance does the athlete need to possess? Interval
based? Long-sustained efforts? Moments of extreme output? Constant, intense
engagement? What surface is the sport played upon? Hardcourt? Matted
surface? Grass? Turf? Pool? Track? What equipment is used to play the sport?
Ball? Racket? Glove? Pads?
The considerations for sport typing become pretty exhaustive. The key is to
simplify the exhaustion into a slow, deep breath of consideration.
Open Skilled Closed Skilled

Sporting environments where Sporting environments where
movements are loose and chaotic; movements are repetitive,
movements are non-repetitive, predictable, and can be performed
vary from moment to moment in in an identical manner instant to
degrees, and require a high level of instant.
chaos coordination.
- Badminton - Cheer/Dance
- Baseball - Figure Skating
- Basketball - Golf
- BJJ - Gymnastics
- Boxing - Throwing
- MMA - Sprints
- Field Hockey - Jumps
- Football - Rowing
- Ice Hockey - Swimming
- Lacrosse
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Cycling
- Skii/Snowboarding
- Distance Running

Look at the sport of freestyle wrestling as an example. Freestyle wrestling is an
open-skill sport. Competition occurs on a mat, a unique surface. The equipment
used is minimal (a form-fitting singlet and specific footwear). As a sporting
event, freestyle wrestling occurs over six minutes and is operated almost
exclusively against an opponent. Sport typing requires the identification of both
upper and lower body strength. The lower body strength needs to be applicable
in many unique positions; thus, mobility through full ranges of motion is a desired
requisite for athletic training. With upper body strength, freestyle wrestling
relies heavily on grip and the ability to pull. These attributes will impact the
exercises used in training, such as pull-ups, curls, plate flips, and bicep curls with
idiosyncratic grips.
Freestyle wrestling also demands high levels of technique to execute both

offensive and defensive maneuvers; the sport also asks for explosively fast
movements. Freestyle wrestling does not require someone to be fast in the sense
of running a 40 yard dash like a football player, but requires athletes to have
transient speed.
Transient speed is the concept of being fast in every form that isn’t tied to
running speed, such as bat speed in baseball, the speed to pull under a snatch,
or the ability to change levels in a wrestling match.
Freestyle wrestling also has power endurance demands. The sport occurs over
two 3-minute intervals of intense and consistent effort. Bursts of energy occur
in scrambles that last from seconds to nearly a minute. The intensive, dynamic
effort on display is exhausting. Along with the on-the-clock time periods for
endurance, recovery time is also allowed between the periods.
Let’s also add in the need for bilateral, unilateral, and contralateral movement
patterns and the sport typing identification for wrestling continues to build. The
complexity comes from one simple part being added to another simple part,
added again and again. The key is remembering the simple parts, breaking them
down, being analytical, hypothesizing the why, and evaluating the results.
After sludging through the word vomit and conceptual theorization behind sport
typing identification, some broad brush strokes can be slapped upon athletic
needs by sport. Each sport and position bridges two or three categories,
and that is why we are discussing how to identify those qualities needed for
individual sports. However, to provide examples that you can tie to a sport, the
following categories can be of use:
All provide a bucket of need. Depending on the sport, a larger bucket may be
necessary for athletic development. Take a discus thrower, for example. A discus
thrower needs a ton of strength and power while requiring minimal endurance.

General Sport Categories
Field Strength Court and Handheld

- Running Back - Baseball
- Linebacker - Tennis
- Defensive Backs - Badminton
- Receivers - Cricket
- Rugby - Golf
- Ice Hockey - Swimming
- Lacrosse - Quarterback
- Field Hockey - Javelin
- Handball
Combat - Water Polo
- Softball
- Wrestling
- BJJ
- Boxing Speed
- Gymnastics - Sprinting
- Climbing - Horizontal Jumps
- Judo - Multi
- MMA - Kicker
- Karate - Hurdles
- Crew - Sprint Cycling
Strength and Power
Endurance
- Lineman
- Shot Put - Soccer
- Discus - Cross Country
- Hammer - Skiing
- Goalies - Snowboarding
- Distance Cycling
Jumps - Marathon
- Distance
- Basketball
- Volleyball
Functional Fitness
- High Jump
- Figure Skating
Olympic Weightlifting
- Dancing
- Cheer
- Pole Vault

On the other hand, a football player who plays linebacker needs a sprinkling
of nearly everything on that list to articulate best their kinesthetic vocabulary,
which makes the Field Strength category a perfect home. Although a swimmer
doesn’t use a bat or a racket, the heavy use of their shoulders, explosiveness
off the blocks, and speed of movement mimic other sports in the category to
a degree. However, building a strength program for swimmers should also be
determined based on the length of their event (possibly falling into the Classical
Endurance category) and the type of stroke used.
View these general categories as sports that share similar qualities. However,
many sports will bridge multiple groups or have qualities specifically unique to
their specific application. Each sport ultimately needs to be viewed through
its own lens, dissecting the specific sport characteristics to pinpoint tangible
qualities in that sport to be targeted in strength training.
Sport type identification takes on a distinct mosaic that has bylines weaving
within sports performance training. The artistry in programming for specific
adaptations is latent within designs where style, grace, and success interact
with a dedicated coach and an unrelenting athlete. Parabolic Periodization
provides a launchpad for design, binding templates of recommendation that
force creativity, and it all comes from a long, extensive history of success.
In summation, sport type identification is the ember from which the light at the
end of the tunnel resonates.

STRENGTH
CHARACTERISTICS
The traditional thought around strength conjures an image of world-class

bodybuilders injecting HGH doses daily who appear to be swole beyond their
enormous traps, teardrop quads that could make a surly curmudgeon cry, and
abs that pop out as if the lie of eating raw liver actually works. Granted, world-
class bodybuilders are strong and possess many strength characteristics,
but the definition of what strength is and what strength can be has widened
dramatically. Not all strength and expressions of strength are applicable
through muscle size. There are plenty of strong, talented athletes in the sports
performance world that strength train and don’t become hulking figures of
lunked around muscle.
Strong, strong is a thing, just like athletic strength is a thing. And it comes
in many sizes, builds, and abilities. Parabolic Periodization ensures that
being strong, strong carries over to the competitive endeavor being trained.
Developing strength characteristics is paramount to athletic performance
success. All world-class athletes are strong, strong in the capacities their sport
demands. Each sport has its own strength characteristics that define being
strong, strong specifically to that sport, largely expressed as motor patterns
and energy systems.

Durational [Time-based/energy characteristics]
Blast Impulse Instantaneous Movements that require maximum

power output in as short a time
span as possible
Sustained Impulse 5 - 15 seconds Movements that require maximum

power output over a sustained
period of time
Power 15+ 15 - 60 seconds Power output that is sustained

over a long bout of continuous or
intermittent exercise
Power Endurance 1 - 3 minutes Power must be controlled and

managed to be applied either
consistently or at the right moments
at as high a level as possible
Classical Endurance Over 3 minutes Power must be controlled and

managed to be applied either
consistently or at the right moments
at as high a level as possible over a
long period of time
Situational [General characteristics]
Transient Speed Movements that require maximum power output in as

short a time span as possible
Max Velocity Movements that require maximum power output over a

sustained period of time, as well as the acceleration to
that point
Absolute Strength The upper limit of power output for an athlete or the
maximum amount of force able to be produced

Motor patterns are as simple as walking and as complicated as a full twisting

back flip. Each motor pattern is a demonstration of an athlete’s kinesthetic
vocabulary. The ability and manner in which the motor pattern is executed is
an expression of strength. For example, nearly every able-bodied person is
capable of running. Running is
a motor pattern latent within
a majority of able-bodied Kinesthetic Vocabulary
people’s kinesthetic vocabulary
The ability for an athlete to store certain
and is a manner in which they
movements and motor patterns in
express strength. The same can
their unconscious that they can apply
be said for jumping, skipping,
in specific sport situations without
or swimming. However, elite-
consciously thinking about moving that
level athletes can demonstrate
certain way.
a greater expression of strength
through whichever motor
pattern is being executed within
their kinesthetic vocabulary.
Energy systems dictate the ability of the body to produce force over a certain
period of time. Although we won’t dive into the specifics of each system, all you
need to know for most applications is that different energy systems become the
body’s primary source of energy (which produces force) over different periods
of time. Energy systems can be trained to be more efficient, allowing athletes to
produce energy and force more efficiently during those periods of time.
With the conceptual idea of motor patterns and energy systems in mind and
understanding that strength is not just some hulking, muscle-bound individual,
the next step involves the details of strength characteristics.
Impulse is how much force can be produced in an extremely limited amount of

time. Think of jumping, every foot strike sprinting, or the first step off the line
in football. Impulse is the force generated in time frames that occur in under
a second (blast impulse) or up to two to fifteen seconds (Sustained Impulse).
Impulse is the domain of explosiveness, transient speed, and bursts of energy
that, if you blink, you will have missed it.
Because impulse has a large capacity within a minuscule time period, impulse
is separated into two categories: Blast Impulse and Sustained Impulse. Both are
impulse in spirit, but each has a specific application.
Blast impulse is repetitive, drum-like, and may happen so quickly it is taken for
granted the impact it has on force expenditure. Blast impulse is aptly named
after blast beats from death metal music and black metal music. For those

unfamiliar with the sound, imagine the lighting fast striking of the bass drum
as both of the drummer’s feet rapidly alternate, triggering the mallet to hit the
drumhead. A blast beat is fast, rhythmic, and often repetitive. Blast impulse
is similar. Blast impulse is flashbulb fast. It is a moment in time that happens
at a breakneck pace that is an electric jolt of kinesthetic expenditure. A clear
example of blast impulse is the foot striking the ground running. The foot
strikes thud, thud, thud, thud, in a machine-like rotation from the hip, through
the knees, into the ankles, and out through the feet into the ground for elastic
force to transfer and spring, much like an engine’s pistons churning out the
horsepower. The foot strikes happen one after the other rhythmically. In short,
blast impulse occurs in any sport where running, sprinting, and maneuvering on
the feet occur. Blast impulse is the greatest power expenditure in the shortest,
quickest time frame.
Blast impulse includes non-rhythmic impulses like a lineman coming off the
line or a boxer throwing a jab. The movement is instantaneous and powerful,
exploding from 0 to 60 in a matter of a couple of seconds.
Sustained Impulse, like Blast Impulse, is a tsunami swell of power expenditure.

The difference is that Sustained Impulse holds on and continually asserts force.
While the time frame is brief with Sustained Impulse, often between 1.5 to 2
seconds and as high as 15 seconds, its need can extend for greater time periods.
Because of that greater length of holding force output, Sustained Impulse can
be thought of as a sustained musical note in a doom metal riff, a bowed violin, or
a drone hovering upon the airwaves. Where a blast impulse is best understood
through the instant of the foot striking the ground sprinting, a great way to think
of Sustained Impulse kinesthetically is when a sumo wrestler collides with an
opponent. The force expenditure becomes sustained. The time of contact is
short compared to a classical endurance standard, but the holding of the force
and energy output far exceeds the foot strike sprinting. The same idea can be
visualized with a defensive lineman engaging with the arms for a pass rush and
then shedding the blocker to sack a quarterback. In the weightroom, Sustained
Impulse occurs when catching a snatch, holding the isometric position
overhead, and standing up with the bar. Maintaining a dynamic trunk squatting
is another version of Sustained Impulse. Add multiple reps to a squat set, and it
is quickly revealed how Sustained Impulse’s time frame can become drastically
different from a blast impulse.
That sustained effort leads to the strength characteristic of Power 15+. In the
Power 15+ strength characteristic, athletes operate in a range that asks for a
continual effort exceeding 15 seconds. Maintaining strength output over any
extended time fatigues the kinesthetic output (the ability to be in motion, no
matter how subtle. It can be as precise as gripping a baseball to pitch a slider
or as robust as a tumbling pass in gymnastics). One example of a sport that

utilizes Power 15+ is Greco-Roman wrestling when grappling for hand and hip
position to execute a throw, do ask for extended moments of kinesthetic output.
In a situation like this, it becomes evident that extended moments of kinesthetic
output are paramount for developing expressions of strength in the power 15+
strength characteristic.
All strength characteristics lead to certain levels of fatigue, with each energy
system reaching its maximum output. However, the Power 15+ category jumps
from a system of stored energy to one that produces energy, making the
perceived tax on the body much higher when the body struggles to get fuel
into the engine fast enough. Revisit the thought of running a 200-meter sprint.
World-class sprinters complete the race in under 20 seconds. That is extremely
fast. Within that time, though short, fatigue sets in on the body. Now extend the
idea of having distinct moments within competitive expenditure in sport that
ask for the strength characteristic of the Power 15+ to be visited. There is where
power endurance emerges.
Power Endurance is the ability to execute impulse maneuvers repeatedly under

all levels of fatigue. Think of a football game and coaching on the sidelines.
The largest, geographically closest metropolitan city’s professional football
team is playing. On first down, the team runs the ball. On second down, the
offense does a play-action pass for a gain of 20 yards. The next play is a run
for a loss, and the next play is an incomplete throw. It is now third and twelve,
and the quarterback throws a dart that leaves the offense just short of the first
down marker. Quickly the team gets to the line of scrimmage and executes a
quarterback sneak to an inch in front of the chains for another first down. For
anyone who has coached football, this scenario is familiar and illustrates Power
Endurance at play. Within the scenario, there are moments of both Blast and
Sustained Impulse, Power 15+ energy expenditure, and the need to repeat the
power output play after play. THAT is Power Endurance. After each play, more
and more fatigue compiles up and sets in.
The goal of Power Endurance is to make the body’s use of fuel so efficient that
it doesn’t have to tap into the next higher (and less fast-moving) energy system
as quickly. In essence, power endurance provides the ability to maintain impulse
output and power 15+ output at as close to maximal capabilities for as long as
possible. It is one thing to come out swinging when the bell chimes in an MMA
bout. It is a whole other scenario to throw haymakers three minutes into the
third round. Power Endurance is maintaining high levels of force production late
in competitive endeavors.
Developing the strength characteristic of Classical Endurance helps. Familiarity

with Classical Endurance is embedded as rote memorization for anyone in the
fitness, sports performance, or physical education worlds. It is the idea behind

cyclical endurance training and long slow distances. It is the idea of going for a
run, riding a bike, or sitting on a rower. It is the method of exercise every couch
potato views as the biggest, baddest boogie man to getting into shape.
As sports performance coaches and athletes, classical endurance is that time

frame that demands a 4th quarter comeback, a goal in the 89th minute, or
a putt for birdie on the 18th hole on the fourth day of competition. Classical
endurance is running a 5k or doing the biking section of a triathlon. Low-key,
classical endurance is the ability to show up and train day in and day out under
a barbell to develop strength, power, and speed.
Speed is a desired trait across all athletics. The manner in which speed is
demonstrated or executed varies amongst sports. In many field sports, speed
is closely associated with running. Running and sprinting are where speed is
most upfront and evident. However, being fast comes in many, many other
forms. A wrestler isn’t fast in the traditional sense of their ability to sprint. On
the contrary, a wrestler’s ability to change levels, fire in on a shot, and finish
the takedown requires dexterous movement, impulsive strength, and rapidity
that distinguishes itself as fast, athletic movement. The same can be said for
the speed at which a baseball player swings the bat, the way a catcher throws
out a base stealer heading for 2nd, or the quick release of flicking a ground ball
from glove to first base. None of these movements are immediately thought of
as speed. Every single one of these movements are indicators of sport-specific
speed. This type of speed is known as Transient Speed.
Transient Speed is every manner of being fast and speedy that isn’t on a linear
course like running or sprinting. Transient Speed is the rotation in the throwing
circle. Transient Speed is the right hook to the lower back. Transient Speed is
pulling under the barbell in a clean. Developing transient Speed in athletes is a
necessary strength characteristic to improve sports performance. Being able
to run fast is one thing (a very important thing). Being able to get in position to
form-fit a tackle or to explode the hands during a running play is often just as
important.
The compadre or sister from the same Mr. of Transient Speed is Max Velocity.
Max velocity is the top-end speed that is rarely achieved during sport
performance. Athletes live in a realm of acceleration, deceleration, and the
drive phase of sprinting. Max velocity is still important, and top-end speed is the
ceiling. The higher that ceiling, the more latent capability the athlete possesses
for sporting endeavors.
Then there is absolute strength. Much like max velocity, absolute strength
development is that ever-expanding ceiling. Absolute strength is the idea that
the sky’s the limit, except in a rocket, there is still space to ascend. Absolute

strength is the rocket. It’s hard to think of a situation where being strong doesn’t
help. Developing absolute strength increases tendon strength, creates larger,
denser muscle fibers, and trains the body to handle extreme stresses.
The importance of absolute strength can not be overstated. Strong athletes find
that executing movements becomes less taxing. Being able to squat 600 lbs
means repeatedly driving into a 200 lbs athlete is less taxing at 33% effort than
being able to squat 400 lbs results in 50% effort.
Strength characteristics are integral to athlete development for sports

performance. For every sport type identification, a hierarchy of strength
characteristic needs emerge. At the same time, every sport needs every
strength characteristic. The sculpting comes in the application of the strength
characteristic chiseling tools. Choose the tool (exercises and rep schemes)
with the most impact on the sport being trained, and athlete development
accelerates. Be mindful and deliberate in which strength characteristics are
prioritized in conjunction with sport type identification.

TESTING
Keep it simple. Here’s how:
• Don’t let the assessment paralyze getting work done

• Locate where successes can be had in the assessment
• Allow training to get started right away
• Provide minimal amounts of coaching/cueing
• Complete within the first workout
Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it sounds, but aiming for precision

and a protocol that leads to an athlete being trained, developing strength
characteristics, and improving their ability to perform in athletic competition
goes a long way in starting a journey from there and back again.
Begin with the mindset that the key performance indicators are similar across
all sports. Athletes who are prone to injury, healing like Wolverine, or nearly
indestructible like the T-1000 matter across sports. The twitch type of an
athlete matters across all sports, namely if the athlete is more impulsive (think
explosively quick) or slow twitch (think endurance). In addition, an athlete’s
personality, work ethic, ability to receive and execute cues, communication

First Day of Training Testing Workout
Exercise Reps and Sets Primary Cue
Overhead Squat 3 x 10 Squat as low as possible

WARM UP
ATG Split Squat 3 x 30 sec Push your knee over your toe as far
each side as possible
Box Back Squat 5 x 5 Keep your torso upright

1A
Box Jumps 5 x 4 Jump off and jump right back on

1B
again
Dumbbell Bench 4 x 12 Touch the DBs to your chest

2A
Press
Reclining Row 4 x 12 Touch your chest to the bar

2B
Single Leg RDL 3 x 6 Don’t set your other foot down

3A
Rotations each side
Stair Jumps 3 x 4 Jump as many steps as possible

3B
Stationary Bike 1 x 2 min Push as hard as possible

4A
style, and handling of personal life situations all matter. Where an athlete’s
personality may be tough to glean on a first impression of testing for athleticism,
it is still important to log the information through the interaction of giving the
assessment.
The screws and washers of the test are straightforward, with essentially five
keys to look for during the athletic assessment upon first meeting the athlete.
• Mobility
• Twitch type
• Imbalances
• Endurance
• Mental Capacity

Beginning with mobility, the first movement athletes need to perform is an

overhead squat using a Technique Stick or PVC pipe. Give minimal instruction, if
any at all. At times, demoing the movement can suffice. As the athlete performs
the overhead squat, analyze their feet, ankles, upper back, lower back, and
overall movement pattern. Do the feet pop? Do the knees track over the toes?
Does the chest stay upright? Does
the chest go forward? Do they hold
an overhead position? Can they get
into the overhead position? Does
their butt wink at the bottom of the
squat? What is their end range of
motion at the bottom of the squat?
It is also necessary to keep cueing

athletes at a minimum. Yes, part
of the assessment is around the
response to cues, how the athlete
socializes, and the first impression
Overhead Squat with Stick
the athlete makes from a personality
standpoint. However, a large part of
the testing is to see how the athlete physically performs. Physical performance
plays a role in programming for specific strength characteristics related to the
desired sport typing. The initial test is the first interaction on the coach/athlete
journey. Lay the foundation and proceed forward.
Continuing with mobility, the second movement to be tested is an ass-to-grass

split squat. The movement is unilateral. By nature, unilateral movements allow
for asymmetries to be revealed. As the athlete performs the ATG split squat
on each leg for multiple reps, make sure to notice as the knee tracks over the
toes that the athlete holds an upright torso, and pay particular attention to the
information that is revealed around
the hips.
At some point, if not already, this

is going to sound redundant but
worth repeating: minimize the
cues as the athlete performs the
testing movements. Again, don’t
eliminate the cues because part of
the assessment protocol is gaining
insight into an athlete’s social make-
up, personality, and ability to handle
stress to feed observational data into
ATG Split Squat

the athlete reactive analysis curve (to be discussed in greater detail later).
The third movement continues with the unilateral mobility evaluation by having
athletes perform a single leg RDL with a rotational twist to touch their grounded
foot. Say it as a chorus now, “Minimal coaching.” As the athlete performs the
movement, notice which side of the body is more stable and which side of the
body is less stable. Take note of how the athlete corrects moments of being
off balance. It is also important to notice how the athlete adjusts to the test.
Pay particular attention to how the athlete adjusts from rep one to rep three to
the last rep. The quicker the movement improves, the more a hypothesis can
be made on how quickly the athlete can develop a larger repertoire in their
kinesthetic vocabulary.
With unilateral movements, keep in mind that the less stable side invites athletes
to perform unilateral exercises on the less stable side first. The less stable side
invites a need for reinforcement. Often the more unstable side is a natural bias
the body has developed through being left or right-handed. Imbalances and
asymmetries are unavoidable. Don’t get caught up in it. Plan for it, address it,
and carry on.
Having performed primarily lower body movements with mobility and a

sprinkling of athlete reactive analysis transpiring, the testing shifts to a greater
look towards twitch type with an upper body exercise: the dumbbell bench
press. The dumbbell bench press asks for bilateral execution with a unilateral
implementation. The essential information to be gleaned revolves around how
the athlete presses and how the athlete’s upper body behaves when fatigue
Rotating Single Leg RDL
sets in. With the pressing, watch for a stretch-shortening cycle to occur or not
occur. The athlete will either “bounce” the dumbbells off the chest, catching
the stretch-shortening cycle, or “press” the dumbbells off the chest in a
more methodical, strict manner. The athlete will perform multiple reps of the

movement in the set. As the number of reps performed adds up, watch if the
elbows start to come in towards the chest or flare out away from the chest.
Athletes whose elbows flair in most likely have stronger triceps, while athletes
whose arms flare out most likely have stronger shoulders. Use this information
when programming accessory movements.
The test continues with twitch type identification. Using a 20” box, have the
athlete jump on the box, jump down from the box and immediately jump back
up again. When watching the athlete leap, land, and leap again, log how they
respond to the directions of what is to be performed. Do they need it repeated?
Do they look confused? Do they ask clarifying questions? Do they execute
the desired movement without delay? Do they do something typical like step
down from the box or jump down from the box? The way the athlete takes
the directions will indicate a few things. For instance, it may mean that more
precise, clear directions need to be given or the athlete needs things spelled
out.
Regarding the physical performance of the box jump, notice the arms and how
they are used, but pay particular attention to the time the athlete spends on
Too Narrow 45 Degrees Too Wide
the ground to jump again after landing. How long is the ground contact? Does
the athlete take a step backward upon landing? Does the athlete hop before
rebounding back on top of the box? Does the athlete land like a ninja and
effortlessly catapult back on top of the box? The speed at which the athlete
makes ground contact and elastically jumps back onto the box is the key
performance indicator around the athlete’s twitchy muscle fibers.
From there, more jumps are performed in a different capacity. At this point in
the test, the twitchiness of the athlete is still being tested through the exercise
of stair jumps. The athlete is asked to jump with two legs and get to the top of

the stairs in as few jumps as possible.
Count how many jumps it takes for
the athlete to get from the bottom
of the stairs to the top of the stairs.
The fewer jumps, the better. It is
also important to notice how the
arms cycle as the athlete jumps in
either a rhythmic or an arrhythmic
manner. Listen as the athlete bounds
up the steps. Does the landing sound
soft like a ninja or loud like a herd of
trampling buffalo? Box Jumps
Don’t be scared to give a cue during

the stair jumps to see how the athlete reacts. Notice if the athlete talks back by
giving reasons, explanations, or excuses. Or does the athlete execute and say
nothing? The athlete may repeat the cue back and share information about how
they learn and the manner in which they pay attention.
More advanced athletes can be asked to build to a 5 rep max in the back squat
at this point in the testing. The weight executed should be about 80% of the
athlete’s best 1 rep max. After the athlete hits a solid set of 5, have the athlete
build to a 1 rep max. The ratio between the 1 RM and 5 RM performed will give
great information. If it so happens that the athlete hits a 1 RM that puts the 5
RM below 80%, there is reliable information that the athlete is twitchy. On the
Explosiveness Assessment by Number

of Stairs Jumped
Experienced and Fast Twitch
Elite Athlete and Fast Twitch

Slow Twitch
Fast Twitch
Average
10”
8”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Explosiveness Assessment Comparing
5 Rep to 1 Rep Max
420
Athlete A
330 Athlete B
Slow Twitch 315 Fast Twitch 315
95% 75%
5 Rep 1 Rep 5 Rep 1 Rep
flip side, if the athlete’s 5 RM is over 80% in relation to the 1 RM, the athlete
isn’t quite as twitchy. This part of the test should only be conducted for more
advanced athletes who are used to lifting heavy, not with novice athletes.
The final part of the test involves endurance. The endurance test is
straightforward by asking athletes to hold a pre-planned RPM on a stationary
bike for 2 minutes. For instance, athletes can be asked to hold over 50 RPMs or
60 RPMs, depending on the sport they are training for an endurance measure.
Sometimes the endurance part of the test will have minimal bearing on the
athlete’s sporting needs, making a poor performance nothing detrimental; still,
the test can indicate how quickly the athlete may break down with technique or
form. Alternatively, the athlete may also demonstrate potential for excelling in
endurance sports. Other endurance testing methods can revolve around super-
setting or tri-setting movements until the athlete says, “I’m dying,” says nothing
but looks like they are dying, or just gasses and fails performing the movement.
After performing these tests, a good chunk of information should now be

acquired about the athlete. Information on mobility, endurance, imbalances,
twitchiness, and the beginning of the athlete reactive analysis is all
commenced. Refrain from languishing on the test, but perform it quickly and
with necessary haste. Now you can begin training the athlete for the strength
characteristics the sport typing identification demands.

ATHLETE REACTIVE
ANALYSIS
Athlete personalities are numerous. An athlete’s ability to manage stress,

personal life, work, school, and social interactions varies from person to person.
These personality traits are all considered when programming for adaptations
to occur. It is given that physical adaptations need to take place. It is also
a given that a mental and personal adaptation needs to transpire upon the
athletic journey to persevere and heighten capabilities. The demands of athletic
performance don’t go away as the competition increases, the stages become
grander, or the stakes for monetary compensation increase. Instead, everything
heightens, elevates, and can become overwhelming. Athletes’ responses to
internal and external stressors must be considered, particularly when training to
develop their sports performance capabilities.
Enter the Athlete Reactive Analysis. The athlete reactive analysis lumps athletes
under three umbrella categories. Each umbrella can produce champions, world-
class athletes, and elite-level performers. But each umbrella also presents
unique challenges and unique rewards. The three are labeled Zen, Social, and
Exuberant.
Zen athletes are quiet. They are do-gooders. Under pressure, their exterior is as

calm as a nap. They are also relentless. Their relentlessness is quiet and part of
their daily practice. They are the athletes who show up, do what they are asked
to do, and give minimal, if any, pushback to instruction. Zen athletes are easy
to train. They create minimal bumps in the road and accept coaching feedback
almost without question.
The positives with Zen athletes are many. The negatives do exist. It can be
difficult to receive feedback from Zen athletes at times. Zen athletes can have a
quiet reserve about them that guards informational input. Part of the laser-like
focus on the task at hand makes them slightly aloof to other important factors
going on around training and drifting off into space. Zen athletes also demand
more observation from the coach to elicit the best feedback. They prefer to be
governed in their training and told exactly what to do.
The second umbrella is Social

athletes. Social athletes can Zen Athlete
be hit or miss. Think of Social Athletes who excel at focusing on the
athletes like a bottle of top- task at hand, are calm tempered, and
shelf whiskey. Some people accept instruction easily.
love whiskey, but too much
of any whiskey will make the
body, head, and mind regret the
previous day’s choices. In the same breath, some people despise whiskey and
won’t touch it. Social athletes can and sometimes do have the whiskey vibe.
Social athletes can believe that the “world is stacked against them.” They will
occasionally blow up in training. They will also often put in earbuds and vibe to
their music playlist of choice. It is also important to know that Social athletes
need positive verbiage with cues. The messaging and wording of the cues are
paramount to making the point.
Social athletes are hyper-

information-seeking. They read,
watch videos, and will question Social Athlete
often. They want to learn
Athletes who desire their voices to be
and be voracious in learning
heard and require frequent affirmation
about training, their sport, and
to reach their full potential.
improving their athleticism.
Social athletes are dynamic
within a team. They can be the
hype people or who the team rallies around. Social athletes also tend to go off
during a performance or training session. What feels like out of nowhere, Social
athletes can crush PRs or execute at such a high degree people will be left
wondering how any other athlete even competes with them.

Sport
SportNeeds
NeedsIdentification
Identification
Pay attention to Social athletes’ social media accounts and get a good sense
of what is going on in the background. Also, be ready for Social athletes to
challenge cues, programming, and decisions around sports performance. They
are hungry for information and confident in what they know and are learning.
As a coach, make sure the listening of the message is not misconstrued into a
negative but heard as a want to improve both body and mind.
Exuberant athletes are fun. In previous iterations, Exuberant athletes were

referred to as Meatheads. In the fitness community, meathead can often take on
a playful connotation; throughout most of the non-fitness community, the word
is used as a pejorative. Being that meatheads are a fun lot, Exuberant as a label
works well.
Exuberant athletes bring energy into the training environment, talk shit, and
slam bars. Exuberant athletes turn the volume up to 11 to blast music during
training. The idea of smashing weights is a daily mantra for execution. Even
when an exuberant athlete feels like death, they will ball out in training or at
least make an attempt. And when things don’t go so well, everyone will know.
The Exuberant athlete will throw things, rage, and can come across as an out-
of-control, tantrum-throwing toddler.
Exuberant athletes can also be

charismatic. People are often Exuberant Athlete
drawn to exuberant athletes
because of their outward Athletes who are the life of the party,
confidence and fearlessness. who lift like they have a personal
From that confidence and vendetta against the bar, and put off
fearlessness, Exuberant athletes complete confidence in their ability.
can also be thrill seekers
inside and outside the training
environment. Exuberant athletes are the type to take PR attempts over 10 kilos
of their previous best. A 1 kilo PR just won’t suffice in training.
The athlete reactive analysis is important. The non-physical factors play a

role in programming and creating adaptability. Zen athletes tend to adapt in a
manner that looks like a steady climb in gradient ascent. Social athletes tend to
adapt in a manner that looks like a zig-zag wave of ups and downs--this can
be day to day, month to month, and even season to season at times. Exuberant
athletes tend to adapt in a manner in which they mosey up a hill, tumble down
the descent, land on their feet, and then catapult into the stratosphere that
takes on an exponential lift off.

Coaches must also take stock of where they fall on the athlete reactive analysis
curve. A coach who knows which umbrella they fall under will be able to coach
their athletes better. Knowledge of all the scientific mumbo jumbo around
training, pedagogical terms around physiological adaptations, and a will to
keep investigating the latest, greatest training techniques and lab coat research
are of great importance. Still, a coach unable to take stock of how they interact
and function both interpersonally and intrapersonally to assess their emotional
intelligence will find themselves not measuring up.
Know that all Zen, Social, and Exuberant athletes can achieve athletic
greatness. Not one type on the athlete reactive analysis curve is incapable of
winning gold, being an MVP, or leading as a team captain. Quite the contrary.
Each athlete type is championship material. It is a question of how to make
them a champion by dealing with and understanding what makes them tick.

DANE MILLER
@ghostfacedmillah
World medalists, Six Olympians, 18 Olympic trial qualifiers, 35 National

champions, and countless All-American and All-State athletes covering a
multitude sports. The numbers don’t lie, and the numbers don’t stop. As the
owner and master coach behind Garage Strength, Dane Miller is one of the
United States’ most well-known and recognizable names in sports performance
and strength coaching expertise. In addition to the undeniable heights his
athletes have reached, Dane is the recipient of the USA Weightlifting (USAW)
Larry Barnholth Award for Coaching Excellence, has been appointed to assist at
USAW training camps at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO,
and was named team leader and team coach to 6 Team USA squads. He has
had the honor of training under and with athletic luminaries including Anatoly
Bondarchuk, Zygmunt Smalcerz, and Charles Poliquin.
Dane’s own success is grounded in the same value + focus + work methodology
he employs with his athletes. From humble beginnings in his parent’s garage,
Garage Strength is now Pennsylvania’s premiere training center for elite athletes
and healthy humans alike, filling not only strength and sport-specific training
needs but also mobility, lifestyle, and nutrition. Dane’s unique, intensive training
programs are the heart of Garage Strength, and are based not only on tested
and proven methods of optimal athletic development but each athlete’s specific
skill and need.
EARL KUNKEL
@earnest_knuckle
Besides being the strongest non-meat eater at Garage Strength, Earl makes
it a point to pick his banjo, draw cartoon characters, and read media studies,
comics, and philosophy books. When not working, he is Latin ballroom dancing
with his wife, playing Huntdown with his son, bragging about his eldest
daughter’s academic accomplishments, or listening to his middle daughter sing
and play piano. He has two masters degrees. During the rest of his spare time,
he co-hosts the Masters Of Sport Podcast with Dane. Once upon a time he
could snatch over 125 kilos as a masters athlete.

GARAGE STRENGTH
PROGRAM DESIGN
Program Design Course

• 5 hours of strength training content
• Multiple examples of Dane writing
entire programs
• Q&A section answering common
questions in strength coaching
• Be able to easily write a YEAR’s
worth of strength programs
• Understand how to adapt strength
training for ANY sport
• All tested by over a decade of
producing world-class athletes
Book Companion
• 180 Page companion to the
courseMultiple examples of Dane
writing entire programs
• Over 75 charts and templates
of exercises, rep schemes, and
workout days
• Definitions and in-depth
explanation of terms and ideas
discussed in the course
PURCHASE HERE

Equip yourself with the tools necessary to increase your athletes'
strength, power output, speed, and quickness simply by
prioritizing the correct movements and program structure in the
weightroom.
Garage Strength Program Design is a complete breakdown of the

methodology strength coach Dane Miller uses to write training
programs for his world-class athletes.
Every aspect of planning is explained with speciic examples,

including periodization, training splits for workout days,
exercises, and even speciic rep schemes.
“I gained practical tools for

my athletes and a deeper
understanding of how to organize
training for all sports. I would
recommend regardless of what
your experience level is.”
“A unique perspective on
training that is still easy to
follow. I feel much more conndent
in my ability to write programs for
my team for next year.”
33
CULTIVATE YOUR POWER
Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

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Sport Needs Identification

Program Design Course

2 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

3 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

The reality is strength coaches don’t

As a coach or athlete implementing Parabolic Periodization, the goal is to

5 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Think of the coach as a “true-north,” a GPS, a navigation system. When

So what is Parabolic Periodization?

The mathematical image of a parabola bends in one direction and slingshots

Parabolic Periodization is a methodology that has been tested, experimented

6 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Parabolic Periodization applies to all and every sport. However, the

7 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Keep it straight; closed skill sports require athleticism. Closed-skill sports

Closed-skill sports aren’t without external factors, like heat, precipitation,

8 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Open Skilled Closed Skilled

9 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Freestyle wrestling also demands high levels of technique to execute both

10 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Field Strength Court and Handheld

11 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

12 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

The traditional thought around strength conjures an image of world-class

13 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Durational [Time-based/energy characteristics]

Blast Impulse Instantaneous Movements that require maximum

Sustained Impulse 5 - 15 seconds Movements that require maximum

Power 15+ 15 - 60 seconds Power output that is sustained

Power Endurance 1 - 3 minutes Power must be controlled and

Classical Endurance Over 3 minutes Power must be controlled and

Situational [General characteristics]

Transient Speed Movements that require maximum power output in as

Max Velocity Movements that require maximum power output over a

14 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Motor patterns are as simple as walking and as complicated as a full twisting

Impulse is how much force can be produced in an extremely limited amount of

15 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Sustained Impulse, like Blast Impulse, is a tsunami swell of power expenditure.

16 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Power Endurance is the ability to execute impulse maneuvers repeatedly under

Developing the strength characteristic of Classical Endurance helps. Familiarity

17 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

As sports performance coaches and athletes, classical endurance is that time

18 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Strength characteristics are integral to athlete development for sports

19 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Keep it simple. Here’s how:

• Don’t let the assessment paralyze getting work done

Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it sounds, but aiming for precision

20 Dane Miller and Earl Kunkel

Exercise Reps and Sets Primary Cue

Overhead Squat 3 x 10 Squat as low as possible

Box Back Squat 5 x 5 Keep your torso upright

Box Jumps 5 x 4 Jump off and jump right back on

Dumbbell Bench 4 x 12 Touch the DBs to your chest

Reclining Row 4 x 12 Touch your chest to the bar

Single Leg RDL 3 x 6 Don’t set your other foot down

Rotations each side