Library: STR — Strength & Core (Part 1)
STR — STRENGTH AND CORE LIBRARY
LAX Goalie Hub • Reference Library v2
HOW TO USE THIS LIBRARY
Your daily email tells you what to do today — the sets, the reps, the minutes. This library tells you how to do it correctly. Every strength or core exercise named in a daily session carries a code like STR-14. Find that code here, read it once, and you will know exactly what the movement looks like, what to feel, and what to avoid.
Read this before your first strength session:
- Start at STR-01, The Iron Rules. Every athlete in this program, third grade through twelfth, follows those five rules. They are not optional.
- Grade range is a guardrail, not a trophy. If an entry says "Grades 7–12" and you are in fifth grade, you are not behind — you are on schedule. Skipping ahead does not make you stronger faster. It makes you hurt sooner.
- No barbell before 9th grade. Ever. Grades 3–8 build with bodyweight, bands, and light dumbbells. That is not a lesser version of training; it is the version that builds a body capable of handling a barbell later.
- Barbell entries (STR-23 through STR-26) are principles and checkpoints only. They are written so you can walk into your school weight room and speak the language. Learn the actual lifts with your school's strength coach or another qualified adult. Form before load, always.
- Parents: you do not need any lifting background to help. Read the "Common mistakes" and "Coaching cues" sections of whatever your athlete is doing today. Those two lists are written so a non-athlete can spot a problem from across the room.
- Fuel and rest are part of the lift. Strength is built while you sleep and eat, not while you train. Eat enough. Sleep enough. If you are dragging for more than a few days, say so out loud to a parent or coach.
- Pain is a stop sign. Muscle burn during a set is normal. Sharp pain, joint pain, or pain that lingers the next day is not. Stop, and tell an adult.
Reading an entry. Every entry has the same nine sections: purpose, equipment, space, grade range, numbered steps, coaching cues, common mistakes, progressions and regressions, and how to measure it.
QUICK-REFERENCE INDEX
| Code | Name | Category | Grades | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STR-01 | The Iron Rules | Principles | 3–12 | None |
| STR-02 | Animal Walks | Bodyweight core and full body | 3–6 | None |
| STR-03 | Wheelbarrow Walk and Partner Carries | Partner core and upper body | 3–8 | Partner |
| STR-04 | Push-Up Progression: Levels 1–3 | Upper body push | 3–8 | Wall, bench or step |
| STR-05 | Push-Up Progression: Levels 4–6 | Upper body push | 5–12 | Floor, optional step |
| STR-06 | The Squat Pattern | Lower body | 3–12 | Chair or bench |
| STR-07 | Split Squat and Reverse Lunge | Single-leg strength | 4–12 | None, optional dumbbells |
| STR-08 | Walking Lunge and Lateral Lunge | Single-leg strength and lateral power | 5–12 | Open space |
| STR-09 | Glute Bridge Series | Posterior chain | 3–12 | Floor mat optional |
| STR-10 | Row Patterns: Table Row and Band Row | Upper body pull | 4–12 | Sturdy table, resistance band |
| STR-11 | Band Pull-Apart and Face Pull | Shoulder health | 5–12 | Light resistance band |
| STR-12 | Band Shoulder Prep Series | Shoulder prep and rotator cuff | 5–12 | Light resistance band |
| STR-13 | Band Hip Abduction and Monster Walk | Hip and knee stability | 4–12 | Loop band |
| STR-14 | Front Plank Series | Anti-extension core | 3–12 | Floor mat optional |
| STR-15 | Side Plank Series | Anti-lateral-flexion core | 4–12 | Floor mat optional |
| STR-16 | Dead Bug | Anti-extension core, coordination | 3–12 | Floor mat optional |
| STR-17 | Bird Dog | Core stability and balance | 3–12 | Floor mat optional |
| STR-18 | Hollow Hold and Hollow Rock | Deep core tension | 5–12 | Floor mat optional |
| STR-19 | Pallof Press | Anti-rotation core | 6–12 | Resistance band and anchor |
| STR-20 | Loaded Carries | Total-body and grip strength | 5–12 | Dumbbells, buckets, or grocery bags |
| STR-21 | Dumbbell Upper Body Basics | Middle-school strength | 6–12 | Light dumbbells |
| STR-22 | Dumbbell Lower Body Basics | Middle-school strength | 6–12 | Light dumbbells |
| STR-23 | Barbell Squat Fundamentals | High-school barbell | 9–12 | Barbell, rack, coach |
| STR-24 | Barbell Hinge and Deadlift Fundamentals | High-school barbell | 9–12 | Barbell, coach |
| STR-25 | Barbell Press Fundamentals | High-school barbell | 9–12 | Barbell, rack, coach |
| STR-26 | Barbell Row Fundamentals | High-school barbell | 9–12 | Barbell, coach |
| STR-27 | The Basics Block | Named circuit, grades 5–8 | 5–8 | Bands optional |
| STR-28 | Iron Foundations | Named circuit, high school | 9–12 | Full weight room, coach |
| STR-29 | The Core Four | Named core circuit | 3–12 | Floor space |
| STR-30 | The Hotel Ten | Ten-minute travel circuit | 4–12 | Floor space only |
STR-01 — THE IRON RULES
The five rules
- Form first. A perfect rep with nothing in your hands beats a sloppy rep with a hundred pounds in them. Every single time. If your form breaks on rep 8, the set ended at rep 7 — not rep 12. Stop there.
- Earn load slowly. Weight goes up when the movement looks the same at the end of the set as it did at the start, for two sessions in a row. That is the only reason weight ever goes up. Not because a teammate lifted more. Not because you feel good today.
- Never lift alone. Barbell work happens with a coach or a qualified adult present, always. Heavy dumbbell work happens where someone can hear you. Even bodyweight work at home is better with a parent nearby for the first few weeks so someone else's eyes are on your form.
- Full range of motion. Half reps build half strength and full injury risk. Go all the way down and all the way up, under control, every rep. If you cannot reach full range, the weight is too heavy or you need the regression listed in that entry.
- Log everything. Date, exercise, sets, reps, weight, and one word about how it felt. A training log is how you find out that you are stronger than you were in October. Without it, you are guessing. Guessing is how athletes over-train and under-progress at the same time.
Coaching cues - Say the rules out loud before your first set of a new block. They take fifteen seconds. - "Form before load" is the short version if you can only remember one. - The log can be a notebook, a phone note, or the back of this printout. It does not need to be fancy. It needs to exist.
Common mistakes - Treating the rules as beginner advice you graduate out of. Elite lifters follow them more strictly, not less. - Logging only the good days. The hard days are the useful data. - Confusing rule 2 with going slow forever. Earning load slowly still means load goes up — steadily, on evidence.
Progressions and regressions - Grades 3–6: focus on rules 1, 3, and 4. Load is barely a factor yet. - Grades 7–8: add rule 5, the training log, as light dumbbells enter. - Grades 9–12: all five rules, strictly, with the log reviewed monthly with a coach.
How to measure it - Do you have a training log with at least 80 percent of your strength sessions in it over the last month? Yes or no. - Can you recite all five rules from memory? Test yourself at each of the four testing weeks in the grade year.
STR-02 — ANIMAL WALKS
How to do it
- Bear Crawl. Start on hands and knees. Lift both knees so they hover one inch off the ground. Keep your back flat enough to balance a cup of water on it. Crawl forward by moving your right hand and left foot together, then left hand and right foot together. Travel 15 feet. Turn around and crawl back. Knees never touch down.
- Crab Walk. Sit on the floor. Put your hands on the ground behind you, fingers pointing toward your feet. Bend your knees, feet flat. Push your hips up so your body makes a table. Walk forward, backward, and sideways, 15 feet each direction. Hips stay high the whole time.
- Inchworm. Stand tall. Bend at the hips and put your hands on the floor, bending knees as much as you need. Walk your hands out until you are in a push-up position. Pause one second. Walk your feet up toward your hands in small steps. Stand up. That is one. Do 6.
- Frog Jump. Squat down and put your hands on the floor between your feet. Jump forward as far as you can and land back in that same low squat with hands down. Do 8 jumps.
- Gorilla Shuffle. Stay in a low squat with hands on the floor. Shuffle sideways by moving both hands, then both feet, staying low the entire time. Go 10 feet each direction.
Coaching cues - Bear crawl: "Flat back, low hips, quiet hands." If the hips wag side to side, slow down. - Crab walk: "Push your belt buckle at the ceiling." - Inchworm: "Walk your hands until your body is a straight board." - Say the animal name out loud before each one. For grades 3–4, that alone is most of the coaching.
Common mistakes - Bear crawling with hips high in the air. The hips should be roughly level with the shoulders, not stacked above them. - Racing. Speed makes every one of these worse. Control is the point. - Letting the head hang. Eyes look at a spot on the floor about a foot in front of the hands. - Crab walk with hips sagging to the floor. That turns a core exercise into a wrist exercise.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: shorten the distance to 8 feet. For bear crawl, allow the knees to lightly brush the ground. - Progression: bear crawl backward. Then bear crawl with a tennis ball balanced on the low back — if it falls off, hips are moving too much. - Progression: add a partner. One athlete mirrors the other's direction changes. - Advanced (grades 6+): lateral bear crawl, then bear crawl with a hand tap to the opposite shoulder every fourth step.
How to measure it - Bear crawl 20 feet forward and 20 feet back with no knee touch and no ball falling off the low back. Pass or fail, retested at each of the four testing weeks. - Count total inchworms completed with a straight-body top position in 60 seconds.
STR-03 — WHEELBARROW WALK AND PARTNER CARRIES
How to do it
- The athlete lies face down and places hands on the ground under the shoulders, then presses up into the top of a push-up position.
- The partner stands behind and picks up the athlete's ankles, holding them at about hip height. Not higher. Higher ankles push the athlete's weight onto the head and neck.
- The athlete squeezes the belly tight, tucks the ribs down, and holds the body in one straight line from head to heels.
- The athlete walks forward on the hands, moving one hand at a time, in small controlled steps. The partner walks at the athlete's pace and never pushes.
- Travel 15 to 20 feet. Stop. Partner lowers the legs gently to the ground. Rest 45 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 3 total trips.
- Partner carry variation (grades 6–8): the athlete holds a plank while the partner places a light object on the athlete's low back, then removes it. The athlete's body must not move at all.
Coaching cues - "Straight board from your ears to your heels." - "Squeeze your belly like you are about to get poked in the stomach." - "Small hand steps. Do not lunge." - Partner cue: "Hold the ankles at your hips, not your chest."
Common mistakes - Sagging hips, which puts stress on the low back. This means the set is over. - The partner lifting the legs too high, which is the single most common error. - Going too far. Twenty feet with a straight body beats forty feet of sagging. - Doing it on pavement, which shreds hands and makes a fall dangerous.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: the partner holds at the knees instead of the ankles. This dramatically reduces the load. - Regression: skip the walking. Hold the position for 10 seconds while the partner holds the ankles. - Progression: longer distance, then a slow turn at the halfway point. - Progression: wheelbarrow walk backward for 10 feet.
How to measure it - Distance covered with hips level and no sag. Log the feet. - Grade 5 target: 20 feet with clean position. Grade 8 target: 40 feet, or 20 feet forward and 20 feet back.
How to keep it safe - Stop immediately if the athlete's low back arches. That is the whole test. - Never do this with an unwilling partner or an unfocused one. The partner has a real job.
STR-04 — PUSH-UP PROGRESSION: LEVELS 1–3
How to do it
Level 1 — Wall Push-Up 1. Stand facing a wall, arm's length away. Place your hands on the wall a bit wider than your shoulders, at chest height. 2. Step your feet back until your body is a straight, leaning line. Squeeze your belly and your glutes. 3. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the wall until your nose nearly touches it. Elbows travel back at about a 45-degree angle from your body, not straight out to the sides. 4. Press back to the start. That is one rep. 5. Do 2 sets of 10 to 15 with perfect form before moving to Level 2.
Level 2 — Incline Push-Up 1. Place your hands on a sturdy waist-high surface — a countertop, a deck rail, or a picnic table. 2. Walk your feet back into a straight-line plank position. 3. Lower your chest to the surface under control, taking two seconds down. Elbows at 45 degrees. 4. Press back up. Do 2 sets of 8 to 12. 5. When 3 sets of 12 feel controlled, lower the surface — a bench, then a low step — and repeat the process.
Level 3 — Knee Push-Up 1. Kneel on the floor and place your hands under your shoulders, slightly wider. 2. Walk your knees back until your body is a straight line from your head to your knees. Cross your ankles. 3. Squeeze your belly and glutes. Do not let your hips sag or pike up. 4. Lower your chest to about a fist's height off the floor, two seconds down. 5. Press up. Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.
Coaching cues - "Body is a board, not a banana and not a tent." - "Elbows at the corner of a paper airplane, not straight out like a T." - "Chest touches first, not your chin." - "Two seconds down, one second up."
Common mistakes - Hips sagging toward the floor. Squeeze the glutes hard; that usually fixes it instantly. - Hips piking up in the air, which shortens the range and makes it easier without you noticing. - Head craning forward so the chin arrives before the chest. - Elbows flaring straight out to the sides at 90 degrees, which is hard on the shoulder joint. - Rushing to the next level. The whole point of a ladder is that you climb it one rung at a time.
Progressions and regressions - Regression from Level 1: move your feet closer to the wall, which makes the angle easier. - Between any two levels: raise or lower the surface a few inches. The ladder is continuous, not three fixed steps. - Progression from Level 3: go to STR-05, Levels 4–6. - Extra credit at any level: add a three-second pause at the bottom of the last rep of each set.
How to measure it - Maximum consecutive reps at your current level with unbroken form. Record it at each testing week. - Level-up standard: 3 sets of 12 clean reps, two sessions in a row, before advancing a level.
STR-05 — PUSH-UP PROGRESSION: LEVELS 4–6
How to do it
Level 4 — Eccentric (Lowering-Only) Push-Up 1. Start at the top of a full push-up: hands under the shoulders and slightly wider, body in one straight line from head to heels, belly and glutes squeezed. 2. Lower yourself as slowly as you can — count five full seconds — until your chest is a fist's height off the floor. 3. Drop your knees to the floor, press yourself back up on the knees, then lift the knees again to reset at the top. 4. Do 5 to 8 reps. This is the fastest known route to a first full push-up.
Level 5 — Full Push-Up 1. Set up exactly as in Level 4. Hands under shoulders, feet together or hip-width, body straight. 2. Lower under control for two seconds until the chest is a fist's height off the floor. Elbows track back at 45 degrees. 3. Press the floor away and return to the top without letting the hips lead or lag. 4. Do 3 sets to two reps short of failure. Never grind out ugly reps to hit a number.
Level 6 — Advanced Variations (choose one per block, do not stack them all) 1. Tempo push-up: three seconds down, one-second pause at the bottom, explode up. Do 3 sets of 5. 2. Feet-elevated push-up: feet on a low step or bench, hands on the floor. Do 3 sets of 6 to 10. 3. Close-grip push-up: hands directly under the shoulders, elbows brushing the ribs. Do 3 sets of 8. 4. Push-up with shoulder tap: at the top of each rep, tap the opposite shoulder with one hand while the hips stay completely still. Do 3 sets of 6 per side.
Coaching cues - "Push the floor away from you, do not pull yourself up." - "Ribs down, glutes tight, one straight line." - "Screw your hands into the floor" — this cues external rotation and protects the shoulder. - "Two reps in reserve." Stop while the reps still look good.
Common mistakes - Chin reaching the floor before the chest. That is a neck movement, not a push-up. - The hips shooting up first out of the bottom, which means the core gave out before the arms did. - Bouncing off the chest at the bottom. - Adding all four Level 6 variations at once and getting sore instead of strong. - Elbows flaring to 90 degrees under fatigue. When that shows up, the set is over.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: return to STR-04 Level 2 or 3 for the last set of any session where form breaks. - Progression path: Level 4, then Level 5, then add reps, then add tempo, then elevate the feet. - Grades 9–12: once 3 sets of 15 clean full push-ups are routine, the push pattern moves toward loaded pressing in STR-21 and STR-25 rather than endless push-up reps.
How to measure it - Maximum consecutive clean full push-ups. Test at each of the four testing weeks and log the number. - Benchmarks to aim at, not to be judged by: grade 6, five clean reps. Grade 8, twelve. Grade 10, twenty. Grade 12, twenty-five with a two-second lowering.
STR-06 — THE SQUAT PATTERN
How to do it
Stage 1 — The Box Squat (start here, every grade) 1. Stand in front of a chair or bench with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly — about the angle of the hands on a clock at ten and two. 2. Reach your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height. This is a counterweight and it helps you stay balanced. 3. Push your hips back first, as if you are closing a car door with your backside. Then bend your knees. 4. Lower until your backside lightly touches the chair. Do not sit down and relax — touch and go. 5. Drive through your whole foot — heel, outside edge, and big toe all pressing — and stand back up tall. Squeeze your glutes at the top. 6. Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.
Stage 2 — The Bodyweight Squat (no box) 1. Same setup, no chair behind you. 2. Push the hips back, bend the knees, and lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground — the crease of your hip level with or below your kneecap. 3. Keep your chest up and your spine long. Eyes on a spot straight ahead, not the ceiling and not your feet. 4. Stand up fully. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15.
Stage 3 — The Goblet Squat (grades 6+, light dumbbell) 1. Hold one light dumbbell vertically against your chest, both hands cupped under the top end, elbows tucked in. 2. Squat exactly as in Stage 2. The weight at your chest actually makes it easier to stay upright, which is why this is the best teaching squat there is. 3. Do 3 sets of 8 to 10. Start with 10 to 20 pounds and follow Iron Rule 2.
Coaching cues - "Hips back first, then knees bend." - "Spread the floor with your feet" — this cues the knees to track over the toes instead of caving in. - "Chest proud, spine long." - "Push the floor away." - For grades 3–5: "Sit down to say hello to the chair, then stand up to say goodbye."
Common mistakes - Knees caving inward on the way up. This is the most important one for a parent to watch for. Fix it with STR-13 band work and the "spread the floor" cue. - Heels lifting off the ground. Usually an ankle mobility issue; regress to the box squat and work MOB ankle entries. - Rounding the low back at the bottom, sometimes called a "butt wink." Squat to a slightly higher box until it disappears. - Squatting shallow and calling it a rep. See Iron Rule 4. - Looking at the ceiling, which cranks the neck.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: raise the box. Hold a doorframe or a pole lightly for balance while grooving the pattern. - Regression: squat to a box while holding a light counterweight at chest height, which improves depth immediately. - Progression path: box squat, then bodyweight squat, then paused squat with a three-second hold at the bottom, then goblet squat, and finally — grades 9+, with a coach — the barbell squat, STR-23. - Progression: tempo — five seconds down, one second up.
How to measure it - Depth test: can you hold the bottom of a bodyweight squat for 30 seconds with heels down, chest up, and a flat back? Retest each testing week. - Maximum clean bodyweight squats in 60 seconds, as a work-capacity marker for grades 7–12. - Goblet squat working weight and reps, logged every session for grades 6+.
STR-07 — SPLIT SQUAT AND REVERSE LUNGE
How to do it
The Split Squat (static — learn this first) 1. Step one foot forward about two to three feet, as if you are standing on two parallel train tracks rather than a tightrope. Feet stay hip-width apart side to side. 2. Stand tall with your torso upright. Hands on your hips or reaching in front of you. 3. Lower straight down — not forward — by bending both knees. The back knee travels toward the floor and stops about one inch above it. 4. Drive through the front foot and stand back up. The feet do not move between reps. 5. Do 8 reps on one side, then switch. 2 to 3 sets per leg.
The Reverse Lunge (dynamic) 1. Stand tall with your feet together. 2. Step one foot straight back about two to three feet and lower until the back knee is an inch off the ground and the front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor. 3. Drive through the front heel and step back to standing. 4. Alternate legs or complete all reps on one side first. Do 8 per leg, 2 to 3 sets.
Coaching cues - "Straight down, not forward. Like an elevator, not an escalator." - "Front shin stays close to vertical." - "Torso tall. Do not lean over your front leg." - "Feet on train tracks, not a tightrope." This is the fix for almost every balance problem.
Common mistakes - Feet in a straight line, one directly in front of the other. It makes balance nearly impossible and the athlete blames themselves rather than the setup. - The front knee sliding way past the toes as the athlete lunges forward instead of down. - The back knee slamming into the ground. - Torso pitching forward, which turns the exercise into a partial deadlift. - Doing more reps on the strong side. Always match the weaker side's number.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: hold a wall, chair, or doorframe with one hand for balance. This is not cheating; it lets the legs work while balance catches up. - Regression: shorten the range — lower only halfway — and build depth over two weeks. - Progression path: split squat, then reverse lunge, then reverse lunge holding a light dumbbell in each hand (grades 6+), then rear-foot-elevated split squat with the back foot on a low bench (grades 8+), then a paused three-second bottom position. - Goalie-specific progression (grades 8+): from the bottom of a reverse lunge, drive up explosively into a two-foot stance and immediately assume a goalie ready position.
How to measure it - Maximum clean split squats per leg. Compare left to right. A difference of more than two reps is worth reporting to a coach or trainer. - Grades 9–12: working dumbbell weight for 3 sets of 8 per leg, logged.
STR-08 — WALKING LUNGE AND LATERAL LUNGE
How to do it
The Walking Lunge 1. Stand tall, feet hip-width, hands on hips or holding light dumbbells at your sides. 2. Step forward about two to three feet with your right foot and lower straight down until your back knee is an inch off the ground. 3. Drive through your right heel and bring your left foot forward to meet it, or straight into the next lunge without stopping. 4. Alternate legs and travel forward. Do 10 to 16 total steps, 2 to 3 sets.
The Lateral Lunge 1. Stand tall with your feet together. 2. Take a big step directly out to the right side. Keep both feet flat and both toes pointing forward. 3. Push your hips back and bend your right knee, keeping your left leg completely straight. Your chest stays up and your right knee tracks over your right foot. 4. You should feel a strong stretch through the inside of your straight left leg. 5. Push off your right foot and return to standing. Do 8 per side, 2 to 3 sets.
Coaching cues - Walking lunge: "Down, not forward. Stand tall between steps." - Lateral lunge: "Sit back into the bent leg. Straight leg stays straight." - "Both toes point forward the whole time" — this is the cue that makes the lateral lunge work. - "Slow and tall beats fast and folded."
Common mistakes - Walking lunge steps that are too short, which forces the knee far over the toes. - Bouncing the back knee off the ground. - Lateral lunge with the trailing foot rolling onto its edge or the toes turning out. Keep it flat and forward. - Bending the straight leg in the lateral lunge, which removes the entire point of the exercise. - Losing torso posture as fatigue sets in. Cut the set when the chest drops.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: reduce to a half-depth lunge, or return to STR-07 static split squats for another two weeks. - Regression for lateral lunge: take a smaller side step and hold a chair for balance. - Progression: add light dumbbells at the sides (grades 7+), then a single dumbbell held at the chest. - Progression: walking lunge with a torso twist toward the front leg at the bottom (grades 8+). - Goalie-specific (grades 9+): lateral lunge to an immediate explosive push-off into a shuffle step — the exact mechanic of a pipe-to-pipe drive.
How to measure it - Walking lunge: total clean steps in 60 seconds, or distance covered in 20 unbroken steps. - Lateral lunge: depth test — can you reach a bent-knee thigh-parallel position with the opposite leg fully straight and both feet flat? Pass or fail, retested each testing week.
STR-09 — GLUTE BRIDGE SERIES
How to do it
Stage 1 — Two-Leg Glute Bridge 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, heels about a hand's length from your backside. 2. Arms rest at your sides, palms down. 3. Tuck your ribs down toward your hips and squeeze your belly gently. This stops your low back from arching. 4. Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes hard to lift your hips until your body makes a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Do not go higher. 5. Hold the top for two seconds, squeezing the glutes. 6. Lower under control. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15.
Stage 2 — Marching Glute Bridge 1. Get into the top of the bridge and hold it there. 2. Without letting your hips drop or tilt at all, lift one foot two inches off the ground. 3. Hold two seconds, replace it, and switch sides. 4. Do 6 to 8 per side while staying at the top the whole time.
Stage 3 — Single-Leg Glute Bridge 1. Lie on your back with one knee bent and that foot flat. Extend the other leg straight out, or hold that knee toward your chest. 2. Press through the planted heel and lift your hips until your body is a straight line. Your hips must stay perfectly level. 3. Hold one second at the top, lower under control. Do 8 to 10 per side, 2 to 3 sets.
Coaching cues - "Squeeze your glutes like you are cracking a walnut" — kids remember this one. - "Push through your heels, not your toes." - "Ribs down. Do not arch your back to go higher." - "Hips stay level, like a tabletop with a glass of water on it."
Common mistakes - Over-extending at the top and arching the low back to get more height. Higher is not better; the straight line is the target. - Pushing through the toes, which makes it a quad exercise. - Feet too far from the backside, which shifts the work to the hamstrings and often causes cramping. - Hips tilting to one side during single-leg work. Regress to marching until they stay level. - Racing through reps with no squeeze at the top. The squeeze is the exercise.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: shorten the range and hold the top for five seconds instead of chasing reps. - Progression path: two-leg bridge, then marching bridge, then single-leg bridge, then single-leg with a three-second hold. - Progression (grades 7+): place a light dumbbell across the hips, held with both hands, on the two-leg version. - Progression (grades 8+): elevate the shoulders on a low bench for a hip thrust, learned with a coach. - Add-on: place a loop band just above the knees and press outward against it throughout — combines beautifully with STR-13.
How to measure it - Single-leg glute bridge: maximum clean reps per side with level hips. Compare left to right; a gap of more than three reps is worth flagging. - Two-leg bridge hold: maximum time at the top with a straight line and ribs down. Grade 6 target 45 seconds, grade 10 target 90 seconds.
STR-10 — ROW PATTERNS: TABLE ROW AND BAND ROW
How to do it
The Table Row (inverted row) 1. Find a genuinely sturdy table. Test it with your full weight before you get under it. If it slides, shifts, or creaks, do not use it. 2. Lie on your back underneath it with your chest roughly under the table's edge. 3. Reach up and grab the edge with both hands, a bit wider than your shoulders, palms facing away from you. 4. Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor. Squeeze your belly and glutes so your body is a straight line from knees to shoulders. 5. Pull your chest up toward the edge of the table, driving your elbows down and back and squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top. 6. Lower under control for two seconds. Do 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12.
The Band Row 1. Anchor a resistance band at about chest height — around a fence post, a railing, or a closed door with a door anchor. 2. Hold one end in each hand and step back until the band has light tension with your arms straight. 3. Stand tall with a slight bend in your knees, feet hip-width. Ribs down, belly braced. 4. Pull both hands back toward your ribs. Drive the elbows straight back, brushing past your sides. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end. 5. Return under control for two seconds without letting the band yank your arms forward. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15.
Coaching cues - "Lead with your elbows, not your hands." - "Pinch a pencil between your shoulder blades at the end of the pull." - "Ribs stay down. Do not lean back to move the band." - "Chest to the table, not chin to the table."
Common mistakes - Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears instead of pulling the blades back and down. - Hips sagging during the table row, turning it into an arm exercise. - Leaning the torso back on the band row to generate the pull. - Letting the return happen fast. Half the strength gain lives in the lowering. - Using a table that is not sturdy. Check it every time.
Progressions and regressions - Regression for the table row: walk the feet in closer and bend the knees more, making the body angle steeper and the row easier. - Regression for the band row: step forward to reduce band tension, or use a lighter band. - Progression for the table row: straighten the legs fully so the body is one long line; then elevate the heels on a low step. - Progression for the band row: step further back, use a heavier band, or do it one arm at a time, which adds an anti-rotation core demand. - Progression (grades 7+): single-arm dumbbell row with one hand and one knee braced on a bench — see STR-21.
How to measure it - Table row: maximum clean reps with a straight body at your current foot position. Log the foot position along with the number, because the position is half the score. - Band row: reps at a stated band color and stated distance from the anchor. Both must be logged or the number is meaningless. - Balance check (grades 8+): total weekly pulling reps should equal or exceed total weekly pushing reps.
STR-11 — BAND PULL-APART AND FACE PULL
How to do it
Band Pull-Apart 1. Hold a light band with both hands, arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, palms facing down. Hands are about shoulder-width apart on the band. 2. Stand tall. Feet hip-width. Ribs down, belly lightly braced. Do not let your low back arch. 3. Keeping your arms completely straight, pull your hands apart and out to your sides until the band touches your chest. 4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together for one full second at the end position. 5. Return slowly, taking three seconds. Do not let the band snap your hands back together. 6. Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20. This should burn in the upper back, not the arms.
Band Face Pull 1. Anchor a band at about forehead height — a fence, a rail, or a door anchor. 2. Hold one end in each hand with your palms facing each other or slightly down. Step back until there is light tension. 3. Stand tall in an athletic position, knees slightly bent. 4. Pull the band toward your face, splitting your hands apart as you pull so your knuckles finish beside your ears and your elbows finish high, at or slightly above shoulder height. 5. At the end position, your upper arms should form a "goalpost" shape and you should feel a strong squeeze between your shoulder blades. 6. Return slowly over three seconds. Do 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15.
Coaching cues - "Straight arms the whole time" for the pull-apart. Any elbow bend is the arms cheating for the back. - "Pull the band apart as you pull it in" for the face pull. - "Elbows high, knuckles by your ears." - "Slow on the way back. Three full seconds." - "If your arms are burning, the band is too heavy or your form drifted."
Common mistakes - Using a band that is far too heavy, which is the single most common error. These are high-rep, low-tension movements. - Letting the low back arch and the ribs flare to move a heavy band. - Bending the elbows on the pull-apart. - Face pull that finishes at the chest instead of the face, with low elbows. - Letting the band snap back fast. The slow return is most of the benefit.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: widen your grip on the band, which reduces tension. Or use a lighter band. Or reduce reps to 10. - Progression: narrow the grip, then move to a slightly heavier band, then add a two-second hold at the end position. - Progression: pull-apart at three angles in one set — hands at hip height, chest height, and eye height, four reps each. - These pair naturally with STR-12 as a complete shoulder prep block.
How to measure it - Reps at a stated band color and stated grip width, with a clean end position. Both variables must be logged. - Standard, grades 9–12: 3 sets of 20 pull-aparts with a moderate band, ribs down, no low-back arch, three-second returns. - Weekly volume target for high school goalies: 200 to 300 total combined reps across the week, spread over several sessions.
STR-12 — BAND SHOULDER PREP SERIES
How to do it
Run the four movements in order as one continuous series.
1. The Y 1. Anchor a light band low, at about knee height, or step on the middle of a band and hold one end in each hand. 2. Stand tall, ribs down. Arms start down in front of your thighs, thumbs pointing up. 3. Raise your arms up and out on a diagonal until they form a Y overhead, thumbs still up. Keep the arms straight. 4. Lower slowly over three seconds. Do 10 reps.
2. The T 1. Same anchor, band at chest height, arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, thumbs up. 2. Pull your arms straight out to the sides until your body forms a T. 3. Squeeze the shoulder blades for one second, then return slowly. Do 10 reps.
3. The W 1. Band anchored at about chest height, held with both hands, elbows bent to 90 degrees and tucked near your ribs. 2. Keeping the elbows glued to your sides, rotate both forearms outward, away from your body, until your arms form a W shape. 3. Hold one second. Return slowly. Do 12 reps.
4. External Rotation (single arm) 1. Roll a small towel and tuck it between your upper arm and your ribs on one side. This keeps the elbow in the right place. 2. Anchor the band at elbow height and stand side-on to it, holding the end with the hand furthest from the anchor. 3. Elbow bent 90 degrees and pinned to your side by the towel. Start with your hand across your belly. 4. Rotate your forearm outward, away from your body, keeping the elbow pinned. Stop when your forearm points straight ahead. 5. Return slowly over three seconds. Do 12 per side.
Coaching cues - "Thumbs up" on the Y and the T. - "Elbows glued to your ribs" on the W and the external rotation. The towel does the reminding for you. - "Slow back. Always slow back." - "Small muscles, small band. This is not a strength contest."
Common mistakes - Band far too heavy, which recruits the big muscles and defeats the entire purpose. - Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears on the Y and T. - The elbow drifting away from the ribs on external rotation — the towel drops and the athlete does not notice. - Arching the low back to get the arms overhead on the Y. If you cannot get overhead with ribs down, reduce the range. - Skipping this because it feels too easy. It is supposed to feel easy. It is prep, not a workout.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: do the whole series with no band at all, using just the weight of the arms and a three-second tempo. - Progression: slightly heavier band, or add a two-second hold at the end position of each movement. - Progression (grades 9–12): add a fifth movement — a band-resisted overhead press with a light band, 10 reps, focused on control. - Pairs with STR-11. Together they form the standard pre-throwing shoulder block for grades 7 and up.
How to measure it - This is prep, not a testing item. Measure compliance instead: how many sessions this month included the shoulder series before throwing? Target above 90 percent for grades 9–12. - Secondary check: can you complete all four movements with ribs down and no shrugging? Pass or fail.
STR-13 — BAND HIP ABDUCTION AND MONSTER WALK
How to do it
1. Standing Hip Abduction 1. Place a loop band around both legs just above the ankles. 2. Stand tall next to a wall or chair, holding it lightly with one hand for balance. 3. Keeping both legs straight and your torso completely still, lift one leg directly out to the side about 12 inches. 4. Pause one second. Lower slowly. Do 12 to 15 per side.
2. Lateral Monster Walk 1. Move the band to just above your knees. 2. Drop into a quarter-squat: knees slightly bent, hips back, chest up, feet shoulder-width. 3. Press your knees outward against the band so there is constant tension. 4. Step sideways with your lead foot. Then bring the trailing foot to follow, but stop before the feet touch — always keep tension on the band. 5. Travel 10 steps in one direction, then 10 back. Stay low the entire time. Do 2 to 3 rounds.
3. Forward Monster Walk 1. Band just above the knees, same quarter-squat position. 2. Walk forward with wide, deliberate steps, driving each knee outward against the band as it swings through. 3. Ten steps forward, ten steps backward. 2 rounds.
4. Seated or Lying Clamshell 1. Band just above the knees. Lie on your side with your knees bent about 90 degrees and your feet stacked. 2. Keeping your feet touching, lift the top knee upward against the band. 3. Do not let your hips roll backward — this is the whole exercise. 4. Pause one second at the top, lower slowly. Do 12 to 15 per side.
Coaching cues - "Push your knees out against the band the whole time. Never let it go slack." - "Stay low. If you stand up, the exercise stops working." - "Toes point straight ahead on the monster walk. Do not duck-walk." - "This should burn on the outside of your hips, right below the belt line. If it burns in the front of your thighs, you are standing too tall."
Common mistakes - Standing up as fatigue sets in, which removes almost all the tension. - Letting the feet click together on the lateral walk, releasing the band. - Turning the toes outward, which lets the hips cheat. - Rolling the hips backward on the clamshell so the low back does the work. - Band too heavy, causing the athlete to twist the whole torso to move the leg.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: remove the band entirely and do the same movements against body weight and a slow tempo. - Regression: move the band from the ankles to just above the knees, which reduces the leverage and makes it easier. - Progression: move the band from above the knees down to the ankles, which increases the challenge. - Progression: heavier band, more steps, or a lower quarter-squat position. - Goalie-specific (grades 8+): monster walk directly into a goalie stance and a two-step lateral shuffle, keeping the band on. This is arc footwork with resistance.
How to measure it - Continuous lateral monster walk time at a stated band strength while holding the low position. Grade 8 target 45 seconds each direction; grade 11 target 90 seconds. - Knee-tracking check: film a set of 10 bodyweight squats from the front before starting a monster walk block and again four weeks later. Do the knees cave less? That is the real measure.
STR-14 — FRONT PLANK SERIES
How to do it
Stage 1 — The Plank (learn this exactly) 1. Lie face down. Place your elbows on the floor directly under your shoulders, forearms flat, hands either flat or in loose fists. 2. Tuck your toes under and lift your knees and hips off the ground. 3. Your body is now one straight line from your ears to your heels. Not a tent. Not a hammock. 4. Now do the three things that make it a real plank: squeeze your glutes hard, tuck your ribs down toward your hips, and pull your belly button gently in. 5. Breathe normally. You must be able to talk. If you cannot breathe, you are bracing wrong. 6. Hold for a set time, not a maximum time. Grades 3–5 start at 15 to 20 seconds. Grades 6–8, 30 to 45 seconds. Grades 9–12, 45 to 60 seconds. Do 3 sets.
Stage 2 — Plank with Shoulder Tap 1. Start in a plank on your hands instead of your elbows, hands under the shoulders, feet a little wider than usual. 2. Lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder, then replace it. 3. The rule: your hips must not rotate at all. If they wiggle, widen your feet or slow down. 4. Do 8 to 10 taps per side.
Stage 3 — Plank with Leg Lift 1. From a forearm plank, lift one foot two inches off the ground without letting your hips tilt or your low back arch. 2. Hold two seconds, replace, and switch. Do 6 to 8 per side.
Stage 4 — Long-Lever Plank (grades 8+) 1. From a forearm plank, walk your elbows forward two to four inches so they sit ahead of your shoulders. 2. Hold. This is dramatically harder. Start at 15 seconds.
Coaching cues - "Straight line from your ears to your heels." - "Squeeze your glutes. Tuck your ribs. Pull your belly in." - "Push the floor away with your forearms." - "If you can hold a plank for four minutes, you do not need a longer plank. You need a harder plank." This is the governing rule of the entry.
Common mistakes - Hips sagging toward the floor, which loads the low back. The set ends the moment this happens. - Hips piking up into an upside-down V, which is resting, not planking. - Holding the breath. Breathing is part of the exercise. - Head hanging or craning up. Eyes look at the floor just in front of the hands. - Chasing longer and longer holds instead of moving to a harder variation.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: plank from the knees, keeping the straight line from the ears to the knees. Or plank with hands on a bench or countertop at an incline. - Progression path: knee plank, then full plank, then shoulder tap, then leg lift, then long-lever plank, then plank with a partner tapping the athlete's hips lightly from different angles (grades 9+). - Progression: plank with a slow forward-and-back rock on the toes, keeping the body rigid.
How to measure it - Maximum hold with a perfect straight line, ribs down, and normal breathing. Stop the clock the instant form breaks — that is the score. - Benchmarks: grade 5, 45 seconds. Grade 8, 75 seconds. Grade 11, 120 seconds. Beyond two minutes, switch to harder variations rather than longer holds. - Shoulder taps: total taps in 45 seconds with zero hip rotation.
STR-15 — SIDE PLANK SERIES
How to do it
Stage 1 — Modified Side Plank (from the knees) 1. Lie on your side with your knees bent to about 90 degrees and stacked on top of each other. 2. Place your bottom elbow directly under your shoulder, forearm flat on the floor and pointing straight ahead. 3. Lift your hips off the ground so your body makes a straight line from your head through your hips to your knees. 4. Top hand goes on your top hip, or reaches straight up toward the ceiling. 5. Hold 15 to 30 seconds per side. 2 to 3 sets.
Stage 2 — Full Side Plank 1. Same setup, but legs are straight and feet are stacked one on top of the other, or staggered front-to-back for more stability. 2. Lift the hips so your body is a straight line from your head to your heels. 3. Do not let your top shoulder roll forward or your hips drift backward. 4. Hold 20 to 45 seconds per side. 2 to 3 sets.
Stage 3 — Side Plank with Hip Dips 1. Hold a full side plank. 2. Lower your bottom hip toward the floor about four inches under control, then drive it back up above the straight line. 3. Do 8 to 12 per side.
Stage 4 — Side Plank with Top-Leg Raise (grades 8+) 1. Hold a full side plank with the feet stacked. 2. Lift the top leg 10 to 12 inches, keeping it straight and the toes pointing forward. 3. Hold two seconds, lower. Do 6 to 10 per side.
Coaching cues - "Push the floor away from you with your bottom elbow." - "Stack everything: ankle over ankle, hip over hip, shoulder over shoulder." - "Hips high and forward, not sinking back." - "Do exactly the same on both sides. Match the weaker one."
Common mistakes - Hips sagging toward the floor, which is the whole exercise failing. - The elbow placed too far forward or too far back instead of directly under the shoulder. - The body rotating so the chest turns down toward the floor. - Doing longer holds on the strong side. Always match the weaker side, even if it means shorter holds on both. - Holding the breath.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: stage 1 from the knees. Or side plank with the bottom forearm on a bench or couch, which reduces the load significantly. - Progression path: knee side plank, then full side plank, then hip dips, then top-leg raise, then side plank with the top arm reaching under and through the body for a rotation (grades 9+). - Progression: add a loop band above the knees during stage 4.
How to measure it - Maximum hold per side with a stacked, straight position. Compare left and right — a gap over 20 percent is worth flagging to a coach. - Benchmarks: grade 6, 30 seconds per side. Grade 9, 45 seconds. Grade 12, 60 to 75 seconds. - Total hip dips per side in 45 seconds with clean range.
STR-16 — DEAD BUG
How to do it
- Lie flat on your back. Bring your arms straight up toward the ceiling, directly over your shoulders.
- Lift your legs so your knees are directly over your hips and bent to 90 degrees. Shins parallel to the floor. This is the "dead bug" starting position — like a bug on its back.
- Press your low back flat into the floor. Slide a hand under your low back to check: there should be no gap. This is the whole exercise. Keep it there.
- Take a breath in. As you breathe out slowly, lower your right arm behind your head and straighten your left leg toward the floor at the same time. Both stop a few inches short of touching the ground.
- Your low back must stay flat the entire time. The instant it arches, you have gone too far.
- Return to the start under control. Then do the other side — left arm, right leg.
- That is one full rep. Do 6 to 10 reps, 2 to 3 sets.
Coaching cues - "Glue your low back to the floor. If it lifts, come back." - "Move slow enough that you could stop at any moment." - "Breathe out as your arm and leg go away from you." - For grades 3–5: "You are a bug on its back moving very, very slowly so nobody sees you."
Common mistakes - The low back arching off the floor as the leg lowers, which is by far the most common error. Reduce the range immediately. - Moving fast. Speed hides everything this exercise is designed to expose. - Holding the breath. - Moving the same-side arm and leg together instead of opposite. Opposite is the point. - Letting the head lift off the floor and craning the neck.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: move only the legs, keeping the arms pointed at the ceiling. Then only the arms. - Regression: do not fully straighten the leg — lower it with the knee still bent. - Regression: press both hands into a light ball or a wall while the legs move, which helps the core switch on. - Progression: fully straighten the leg and lower it closer to the floor, and add a three-second hold at the far position. - Progression (grades 8+): hold a light dumbbell in each hand, or hold a resistance band anchored above your head with straight arms.
How to measure it - Maximum controlled reps with the low back flat, stopping the count the instant it arches. - The hand test: a parent or partner slides a flat hand under the athlete's low back. If the hand gets pinned, form is correct. If it comes loose, the set is over. This is the best parent-facing check in the entire STR library. - Benchmark: grade 6, 10 clean reps per side. Grade 10, 15 clean reps per side with a full leg extension.
STR-17 — BIRD DOG
How to do it
- Get on your hands and knees. Hands directly under your shoulders. Knees directly under your hips.
- Set your back flat — imagine a tabletop. Tuck your ribs down, pull your belly in gently, and look at a spot on the floor just in front of your hands so your neck stays long.
- Slowly extend your right arm straight forward and your left leg straight back at the same time, until both are level with your torso — no higher.
- Nothing else moves. Hips stay square to the floor. The back stays flat.
- Hold for two to three seconds, reaching long through the fingers and the heel.
- Return under control and switch sides. That is one rep. Do 6 to 10 per side, 2 to 3 sets.
Coaching cues - "Reach long, do not lift high." - "Push your heel at the wall behind you and your fingers at the wall in front of you." - "Keep your hips level, like a table you are not allowed to spill." - "Slow. This is not a race and it never will be."
Common mistakes - Lifting the leg too high, which arches the low back. Level with the torso is the ceiling. - The hips rotating open toward the lifted leg. - The back sagging into a hammock shape. - Rushing so the movement becomes a swing instead of a reach. - Looking forward and up, which cranks the neck.
Progressions and regressions - Regression: extend only the arm, or only the leg, keeping the other three points on the floor. - Regression: slide the extending foot along the floor rather than lifting it. - Progression: balance a water bottle or a tennis ball on the low back. If it rolls off, the hips moved. - Progression: add a five-second hold at the end position. - Progression (grades 8+): bird dog from a bear position with the knees hovering one inch off the ground. - Progression (grades 9+): bird dog row — hold the position and row a light dumbbell with the supporting-side arm off the floor. Learn this with a coach.
How to measure it - Total clean reps per side with a ball balanced on the low back that never falls. Pass or fail plus a rep count. - Benchmark: grade 5, 8 reps per side with a three-second hold. Grade 9, 10 reps per side with a five-second hold and a balanced ball.
STR-18 — HOLLOW HOLD AND HOLLOW ROCK
How to do it
Stage 1 — Tuck Hollow Hold 1. Lie flat on your back. Press your low back firmly into the floor and keep it there for the entire exercise. 2. Lift your head, shoulders, and shoulder blades slightly off the floor. Your chin stays a fist's width from your chest — do not tuck it hard. 3. Pull your knees toward your chest and hug your shins with your arms, or hold your arms alongside your body. 4. Hold 15 to 20 seconds. 3 sets.
Stage 2 — Hollow Hold, Arms Overhead 1. Same start. Low back pressed flat. 2. Extend your legs out straight and lower them until you feel the low back start to lift. Stop just before it does. That height is your correct leg height today, and it will get lower over months. 3. Reach your arms straight overhead beside your ears. 4. Your body should look like a shallow banana with the ends curling up. 5. Hold 15 to 30 seconds. 3 sets.
Stage 3 — Hollow Rock 1. Get into the hollow hold position from Stage 2. 2. Without changing your body shape at all, rock gently back and forth like a rocking chair, driving the motion from the upper back and hips. 3. The shape never changes. If you fold or open up, stop. 4. Do 10 to 20 rocks. 3 sets.
Coaching cues - "Low back glued to the floor. That is the only rule that matters." - "Squeeze everything — legs together, toes pointed, arms tight by your ears." - "If your back lifts, raise your legs higher. Higher legs is the easier version." - "You are a banana, not a boat."
Common mistakes - Legs lowered too far, so the low back arches. This is the universal error and it makes the exercise useless and uncomfortable. - Jamming the chin into the chest. - Legs apart and floppy. Squeeze them together. - Rocking by folding at the hips instead of holding the shape. - Holding the breath. Breathe shallow but breathe.
Progressions and regressions - Regression path, easiest to hardest: tuck hold; one leg extended and one tucked; both legs extended and high; both legs extended and low; arms overhead; hollow rock. - Regression: hold the hollow shape with hands lightly under the low back to feel the contact. - Progression: add a light medicine ball held between the hands overhead (grades 9+). - Progression: alternate 20 seconds hollow hold, 20 seconds hollow rock, without resting between.
How to measure it - Maximum hold with the low back flat and the arms overhead. Stop the clock when the back lifts. - Benchmarks: grade 7, 20 seconds. Grade 9, 30 seconds. Grade 12, 45 to 60 seconds. - Hollow rocks: maximum consecutive rocks with an unchanged body shape.