Applying the Conjugate/Concurrent Method with the 2007 ABA Champion Vermont Frost Heaves

By Scott Caulfield

For www.EliteFTS.com

The Vermont Frost Heaves joined the American Basketball Association (ABA) in June 2006. In the 2006–2007 season, there were 50 teams competing in the ABA representing cities from all across the US, Canada, and even China (they play their games in California). My team is comprised of players who have played college basketball at schools at the division I level through the division III level. We have players who have played on very successful teams while in college, and nearly all of our players had access to a full time strength and conditioning coach during their collegiate careers. Many of our players have had tryouts with NBA teams, have played professionally overseas (since college), and/or have played in other professional leagues.

We began the pre-season with baseline testing at the University of Vermont (UVM) with the assistance of my good friend, Paul Goodman, the head strength and conditioning coach there. I chose to test at UVM because my team has a sponsorship deal with a commercial facility which is a typical “health club.” It’s very cluttered and not an ideal environment for training a team. Paul has designed a beautiful 11,000 square foot facility with everything that a coach could possibly want. I chose to test the WT, body fat percentage, sit and reach, vertical jump (one step and no step), broad jump, max bench press, 185 lb bench press reps, pull-ups, three-quarter court sprint, lane agility, and T-test. Once I know what athletes I’m working with, I’ll test both the squat and hang clean when they return for camp next season.

Beginning in October, we began “training camp” with three days per week of speed and agility sessions followed by lifting (two groups) and individual basketball workouts. The speed and agility workouts lasted approximately 60 minutes and were comprised of a long dynamic warm-up (Parisi style, some exercises done barefoot), basic speed development drills (A/B skips, fall runs, get-ups), agility ladder work, and agility drills, respectively.

Some of the agility drills that I used were given to me by Greg Brittenham (the strength coach for the New York Knicks), and some I came up with based on what I’ve learned over the years as a basketball player and coach. Some speed and agility sessions ended with “conditioning type” drills involving agility and a ball. This was recommended by Greg, and it really helped break up the monotony of simply sprinting, which the players get enough of in practice every day. It also made it more fun to add in some relay races and team challenges to our conditioning sessions.

Once a week (typically Friday), I threw in an on-court circuit comprised of seven stations. For example, the stations were medicine ball slams with a 20-lb ball, rim touches with an 8-lb medicine ball, mini hurdle hops forward and back, mini hurdle hops side to side, resisted sprinting (blue jump stretch band), kettlebell jumping jacks (16 kg), and resisted lateral slides with a green jump stretch band (not necessarily in this order). We did this circuit with partners 3–5 complete times for 30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, switch, and 30 seconds of work. After the speed and agility sessions, I took half the team (seven players) to the weight room to lift while the other half stayed with the coaching staff for individual skill development.

Every weight training workout began with a dynamic warm up (moving calisthenics) and/or some type of medicine ball warm up. We also began some workouts with an abdominal circuit but didn’t keep with this after finding out that the head basketball coach routinely has the team doing 200–300 reps of various abdominal exercises during the course of daily practice. I tried to change up the warm ups as much and as often as possible (as mentioned on previous EliteFTS articles) to keep things fresh and to prevent the athletes from simply going through the motions. 

During training camp (Oct 2–Oct 31), we lifted three days per week. Day one was our max effort upper body day, day two was our max effort or dynamic effort lower body day (alternated), and day three was our repeated effort day using a combination of upper and lower exercises. This template was basically Joe Defranco’s Westside for Skinny Bastards template (which I love, thanks Joe) using the exercises that I felt worked best for basketball players. I choose to alternate ME lower body and DE lower body days in three-week blocks in the beginning of the season. However, once we began playing games, it was alternated every two weeks. Our primary ME exercises for lower body were the high box squat (approximately two inches above parallel), front squat, hang clean, and leg press. The primary ME exercises for upper body were the push press, incline bench press, three-board press, and dumbbell floor press.

Other exercises for lower body that we used a great deal were kettlebell swings, single leg squats, single leg deadlifts, and single leg hip extensions on the floor and on the bench as well as step-ups, Romanian deadlifts, and lunge variations. Upper body assistance exercises included dumbbell overhead presses, one arm dumbbell bench press, one arm rows, incline dumbbell press, one arm overhead press, pull-ups, seated and standing rows, and inverted rows (fat man pull-ups) to name a few. I really changed it up a lot with my players, and I think this contributed to their being extremely interested in the workouts and motivated to push each other throughout the season.

Once we began playing games, we switched to total body workouts, training 1–2 times per week according to games and travel schedule. During training camp, the reps on the main exercises were in the 8–12 range to get accustomed to the lifts (except for hang clean) and to lay the foundation for the ME/DE work. By the end of our training camp, the players had a very good idea of what I expected and what our training was going to be like. Most of them were very motivated and enthusiastic to train even though we trained at 8:30 am and 9:30 am.

In the beginning of November, we began our first games, and we began on ME days working up to five repetition max on primary exercises. The players really responded well to this challenge. They knew that this was something they had to achieve individually and not simply lift “X” this many times. Also, it created a bit of competitiveness, and the players began to really push the weights hard. After three weeks of five repetition max days, we moved it to three repetition max ME days and even an occasional one repetition max day if our recovery allowed. Occasionally when our game schedule bogged us down or I could see that the ME work was high, we would do an all body weight workout with medicine ball throws, push-ups, and lunges to get the bar out of their hands and off their back. (This was recommended by Julia Ladewski and is almost a direct quote from her email. Thanks, Julia.)

Although our ME training was competitive, I had to “push the envelope” with this at times by participating myself. Initially, I began partnering with one of the players who is a very strong guy (point guard), but if I let him partner with our other point guards, he would lift whatever they would lift (far less than what he’s capable). Soon after I began partnering with him (on certain exercises), not only did he expect me to push him and do parts of the workouts with him, but I found that when I would get involved and actually do some of the training with my players, they were much more interested in trying to break their previous records and/or mine. I certainly didn’t do this with all 14 players, but toward the end of the season, they really expected me to be participating in certain lifts.  

We trained in a commercial fitness center, which is very cluttered with equipment and lacks much in terms of what equipment I’d like to use. There was no platform of any type and no bumper plates. Many times we were working out alongside the members who happened to be there at the same time of day that we were. We made the most of the situation, and it was obviously adequate but certainly not ideal. Many days I made a few extra trips bringing in the kettlebells with looks of wonder and shock from the gym staff and members.

I felt that because these athletes had all spent at least four years strength training in college and while playing professionally abroad, this type of training would not only let them achieve the best results, but they would really enjoy it. All 14 players who lifted with me under this template not only made significant strength gains all season long, but some also became “less afraid” of lifting heavy weights throughout the season. I think that all of the athletes now have a good understanding of the ME and DE concepts that were employed, and I feel that everyone really liked training this way. I certainly think that “peaking at the right time” is a bit of a cliché, but we not only became strongest (in the weight room) toward the final part of the season but also won by an average of 30 points in our four game playoff run to the championship.

I would like to specially thank Julia Ladewski for answering many (many) questions about training and giving me tips this season. Other people who have been helpful to me and influenced how I trained my team over this past year include Paul Goodman, Greg Brittenham, Mike Brungardt, Jimmy Price, Matt Herring, and virtually all of the EliteFTS staff (especially Joe D) and it’s contributors. Thank you.

Scott Caulfield is a former college basketball player and coach and has spent the last five years trying to learn as much as he can about strength training and conditioning. He’s currently the strength and conditioning coach and director of camps for the 2007 ABA Champion Vermont Frost Heaves (www.vermontfrostheaves.com). Scott trains a wide variety of athletes including ABA basketball players, middle school athletes, and retired professionals. Most of his training takes place at First in Fitness in Barre, Vermont, where he is the fitness director. Scott has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Castleton State College (Vermont) and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with distinction (NSCA). He spends his free time trying to get stronger and learning everything he can about training. He has recently become obsessed with eating Oreo cookies.

If you want to know what a “frost heave” is or want to discuss training, Scott can be contacted via email at scott@vermontfrostheaves.com.

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