• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

Michael Yessis and the Delayed Squat

You are here: Home / Coaching / Michael Yessis and the Delayed Squat
33
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

November 20, 2013 by Jimson Lee 2 Comments

Last Updated on January 13, 2017 by Jimson Lee

I was watching a great YouTube video with Coach Ron McKeefery interviewing Dr. Michael Yessis.  You can fast forward to 3:45 and get to the meat of the interview.

Michael Yessis and the Delayed Squat

Dr. Michael Yessis received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and his B.S. and M.S. from City University of New York. He is president of Sports Training, Inc., a diverse sports and fitness company. Dr. Yessis is also Professor Emeritus at California State University, Fullerton, where he was a multi-sports specialist in biomechanics (technique analysis) and sports conditioning and training.

I was interested in this video because it was Dr. Yessis’ research that introduced me to the delayed squat way back in 1987.

The Delayed Squat

You can thank Michael Yessis and the Secrets of Soviet Sports Fitness and Training for making Dynamic Isometrics popular.   Back then, he described the “delayed squat” where you do several “stops” before the explosive concentric phase.

For weight numbers, they recommend 60-70% of the one RM squat with only 2 or 3 reps.  (see my chart on calculating 1RM and Weight Percentages as well as Weight Training, Reps, Intensity and Benefits)

For a Primer, read my October post on Weight Training: Strength, Muscle Mass, and Endurance

To perform the delayed squat:

  1. slowly descend by bending hips and knees until there is a 160° angle in the knee joints, and hold this position for 3-4 seconds.
  2. Lower with the same controlled speed until there is a 145° angle in the knee joint, and hold again for 3-4 seconds.
  3. Again lower to 115°, hold 3-4 seconds,
  4. and then finally to 90° and hold again.
  5. Rise in an explosive push, if you can!
See also  An Open Letter to Lord Sebastian Coe, a World Athletics Potential Proposal

As you can see, the whole movement takes 12-16 seconds.  This method develops explosive power out of a static position.

Another study came from Weineck 2004 and they suggests 6 sets 6 repetitions using 60-70% of the one repetition maximum, but I think that is overkill.  If you are going to do 6×6, I recommend 5×5.

Delayed Squat and Sprinting Applications

I like bench press for 2 reasons:  bragging rights, and holding my arms steady in the SET position.

For sprinters and developing leg power and strength, you can use angles of 129 and 95 degrees, since those are the numbers coming out of the blocks “SET” position.  Even back in 2007, Ralph Mann suggested you train at those angles with the force-velocity considerations.

Optimal theoretical starting “set” position. Illustration by Derek Hansen of Running Mechanics.

 

So Dynamic Isometrics for sprinters would look like this (adjust your weights and reps accordingly):

  1. Using a squat rack, lift the bar off the rack.
  2. Lower to 129°, hold 3-4 seconds,
  3. Lower to 95° and hold again 3-4 seconds,
  4. Rise in an explosive push

Today, we squat to parallel AND squat PAST parallel (i.e. what I call full squats) to ensure adequate hamstring involvement.  (see the series on hamstring pulls)

Category iconCoaching,  Track & Field,  Training,  Weight Training

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jack Skelton says

    November 21, 2013 at 1:15 pm

    Here is another isometric lift I found useful. It is good for building strength at very specific knee angles. I Try to keep my athletes front knee angle at either 90-95 degrees if we are focusing on block starts, or at slightly greater knee angles if we are focusing on pushing through the first 10m.

    http://www.stack.com/2011/03/02/exercise-of-the-week-isometric-deadlift/

    Reply
  2. Patrick O'Flaherty says

    January 15, 2014 at 9:18 am

    Jimson,

    A modification to that is one could stagger their squat stance to more closer replicate the foot spacing in the blocks. However, that makes it difficult if not impossible to descend to 1/2 squat depth (parallel) without lifting the heel of the back foot off the ground, causing a less stable base of support and uneven load distribution.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • Oregon22 Coaches Club now Online
  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}