BFS Magazine

Capacity: Physical and Neurological

Steve Kinslow July 08, 2019

Capacity: Physical and Neurological

The ability to compensate is known as an athlete’s capacity, or resistance to change. Capacity has a foundation in both the physical and neurological aspects of performance and should be analyzed in an environment that equals or exceeds game speed. This article will explain both the physical and neurological sides of capacity and how they can impact performance.

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District Wide Commitment

Steve Kinslow July 01, 2019

District Wide Commitment

In this video LT Erickson Ph.D., Twin Falls School District, Secondary Programs Director explains how incorporating the BFS Total Program and Weight Room Safety Certification give the students in his district the best opportunity to reach their full potential.

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3 Keys to Variety in the Bench Press

Steve Kinslow June 25, 2019

3 Keys to Variety in the Bench Press

Performing a Bench Variation once a week can alleviate shoulder stresses. When training larger groups and teams the Towel Bench has one disadvantage which is that the towel or block takes time to get in position in a consistent manner. BFS has the solution - The BFS Bench Block. This sturdy foam block secures to the bar - not the lifter - so moving from athlete to athlete in the rotation is smooth and efficient.

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Strong and Flexible

Laura Rowbotham June 21, 2019

Strong and Flexible

The core of the BFS Program is a tried & true formula for increasing athleticism. However, there is great flexibility within the Program in regards to auxiliary lifts, equipment, facility, recovering athletes, etc. Watch this video to learn about some of the ways the BFS Program can be adapted to fit any situation.

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Eyes on target

Steve Kinslow June 17, 2019

Eyes on Target! Absolute #6

In the weight room, Eyes on Target is a great teaching tool for coaches. In the squat, often an athlete is taught to look up at the ceiling at the start to help keep their back tight. While this posture may seem comfortable at the start, it’s at the bottom position where things go bad because it is virtually impossible to look at the same point on the ceiling when you’re in the bottom position. As a result, the eyes move to a different target, the head follows and the body moves out of position. Don’t look up and don’t look down; instead, stare intensely straight ahead and fix your eyes on a single point throughout the entire lift.

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Team Goals and the BFS Total Program

Steve Kinslow June 14, 2019

Team Goals and the BFS Total Program

The BFS Total Program is a time tested program for schools and students of all ages. With this program, incremental gains are set out in a self-driven system of keeping and breaking records. 

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Biomechanics of Injury Reduction!

Steve Kinslow June 11, 2019

Biomechanics of Injury Reduction!

Coaches often comment on an athlete as having “good feet.” They want athletes who are light on their feet, are quick on their feet and have a fast “first step.” But having good feet is not a mysterious quality that only a few fortunate individuals are blessed with. Every athlete can improve this important athletic quality, much more than you might suspect.

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BFS Absolute #3  - Lock in the Lower Back

Steve Kinslow June 05, 2019

BFS Absolute #3 - Lock in the Lower Back

One of the most serious errors in the weight room occurs when the lower back is rounded (posterior pelvic tilt) when a barbell is lifted off the floor or when squatting. When the back is rounded, the erector spinae muscles are relaxed, and as such the discs of the lower back and their ligaments are exposed to high levels of dangerous forces. Using the verbal cue “Spread the Chest” gives athletes a visual image of the posture they should be using.

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HEX BAR Revelations

Steve Kinslow May 30, 2019

HEX BAR Revelations

The relative safety of the hex bar is one reason why the US Army recently decided to include it in the new version of their combat readiness assessment. In October 2020, the hex bar deadlift, along with five other tests, will replace the previous three-event combat readiness assessment instituted in 1980. The Army’s initial research on the hex bar deadlift involved 500 military personnel -- there was not a single injury, despite the soldiers giving it their all. The initial plan is for up to 40,000 soldiers to be introduced to the hex bar before the launch date.

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BFS Absolute #2 - Be Tall

Steve Kinslow May 22, 2019

BFS Absolute #2 - Be Tall

A Closer Look at Absolute #2 - Be Tall - Why this absolute is the key to good posture and athletic performance

“Good posture is that state of muscular and skeletal balance which protects the supporting structures of the body against injury or progressive deformity irrespective of the attitude (erect, lying, squatting, stooping) in which these structures are working or resting. Under such conditions, the muscles will function most efficiently and the optimum positions are afforded for the thoracic and abdominal organs.”

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SPOTTING THE BENCH PRESS

Steve Kinslow May 17, 2019

SPOTTING THE BENCH PRESS

BFS at Home and Coach BFS returns to Bob's Basement to demonstrate how to properly spot the bench press. Safety is paramount with the bench press and a team of spotters should be used every time.

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Start Strong! BFS Absolute #1 - Stance

Steve Kinslow May 13, 2019

Start Strong! BFS Absolute #1 - Stance

All sports require the use of one or both of the same two basic foot stances, a jump stance, and an athletic stance. Collectively, we refer to this as the first absolute of the Six Absolutes of Perfect Technique, which is “Use an Athletic or Jump Stance.”

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Culture Shock!

Steve Kinslow May 09, 2019

Culture Shock!

When Coach Jessen at Piute High School was looking to change the culture of his school's athletics he did what many coaches and athletic directors do. He looked at upgrading his facility. But equipment is just a great FIRST step. Really changing the attitude of teams also takes a Total Program that gets all students and athletes involved and excited about physical development and physic

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Constant Improvemnt

Amy Kaufusi May 06, 2019

Constant Improvemnt

BFS has a decades-long history of working with schools, athletics, and PE departments. Our Total Program has successfully helped thousands of teams improve the physical development of athletes while building self-esteem and character. At BFS we could look back and point to our record of success but we choose to look out and forward and keep learning about new ideas and methods of improving students lives through strong bodies and minds. 

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Program vs Workout for Teams

Laura Rowbotham April 29, 2019

Program vs Workout for Teams

There is a huge difference between "working out" and following a PROGRAM. BFS is a balanced, progressive program that will lead to improved athletic performance. Check out the video to learn more...

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A Few Words with Dennis Moon

Steve Kinslow April 29, 2019

A Few Words with Dennis Moon

Jeff Kasuboski, who was the principal at the time of that first BFS clinic, said this about the influence of BFS: “BFS has made all the difference in the world – it turned everything around. Attitude, character, work ethic... everything has changed.” 

What Moon did was call Jeff Scurran, a BFS clinician who had developed a reputation for turning around football programs. The first step was a BFS clinic, which Moon made happen!

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Beginning Plyometric Progression

Laura Rowbotham April 19, 2019

Beginning Plyometric Progression

Learn about the basic Plyometric Progression for athletes. See the first four drills in motion. Be sure to complete Ground Based Jumping prior to introducing Plyo Box Jumping (see Ground Based Jumping video).

 


2019-08: Right now when you purchase a set of Varsity Plyo Boxes we will offer full Verti-Block Package at HALF OFF! Save $224 Now


Learn More About Starting a program here:

Getting Started In Plyos: Equipment

THE BASICS: Ground-Based Jumping

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Agility: Vital Development and Fun!

Steve Kinslow April 16, 2019

Agility: Vital Development and Fun!

Agility training is an activity that all students can begin and immediately build their physical development. With a wide variety of drills, activities and games to work from kids will stay engaged and have fun while training! Incorporate some cognitive decision making into agility drills and you really have a recipe for success!

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The BFS Lifting Rotation

Laura Rowbotham April 11, 2019

The BFS Lifting Rotation

One of the most common questions we get at BFS is “how can I train my students with the limited time we have in high school?”  BFS has the answer in our Total Program. In this week’s tip Coach Rowbotham covers the rotation that keeps students engaged, safe, and training. 

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Next Steps in Speed Training

Steve Kinslow April 08, 2019

Next Steps in Speed Training

Because the basis of speed is strength, athletes need to perform multi-joint core lifts such as squats and power cleans. That’s a given. Certainly, being stronger and more powerful will improve your ability to sprint for short distances, but if that’s all you do, then your program is incomplete. You need to use tools that will improve your ability to continue to accelerate and to maintain that speed over longer distances or through-out an entire game, especially in sports such as football and soccer.

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Program vs Workouts

Amy Kaufusi April 04, 2019

Program vs Workouts

Without a program, it is easy to lose motivation and intensity. With a program, the athlete is aware every time they enter the weight room of specific goals and achievements they want to mark. Creating and working on records in a structured, and varied program is the key to incremental progression that will improve athletic performance and quality of life. 

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Fine Tuning BFS Speed and Plyo Workouts

Steve Kinslow March 25, 2019

Fine Tuning BFS Speed and Plyo Workouts

BFS is called the “Total Program” because it has balance. Although a 400-pound bench press is impressive, the time it would take an athlete to develop the strength for such an accomplishment would take away from developing other athletic qualities – qualities such as speed, agility, flexibility, jumping ability, and muscular endurance. Let’s look at what the research says, for example, about jumping ability.

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Why We Test!

Laura Rowbotham March 22, 2019

Why We Test!

A key part of the BFS program is PERFORMANCE TESTING. Performance testing is the link between your training and your athletic performance in competition. Watch the video to learn "Why We Test".

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WIN AS ONE! Newcomb High School Skyhawks

Steve Kinslow March 19, 2019

WIN AS ONE! Newcomb High School Skyhawks

The Skyhawks are Soaring
Newcomb High School in New Mexico is part of the Central Consolidated School district in the four corners region of New Mexico. Through the district’s commitment to improving facilities for students and athletes, all three high schools and three middle schools were introduced to the BFS Total Program and equipped with new, highly functional weight rooms. Newcomb High School is the smallest high school in the district but the Skyhawks are proving to have unrivaled heart and character.

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