This article appears in the "Your Edge" section of July's Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Join US Lacrosse and its 300,000-plus members today to start your subscription.
Your Body: Flex Nimbo Program
by Rashad Devoe | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
As a strength coach, I look for every edge to give my players,
and a year ago we found a piece of equipment that has definitely
given our players the edge: the Flex Nimbo.
The Flex Nimbo is a rubber band suit that provides constant
resistance along all movement planes. This is better than a
weighted vest, and the neuromuscular demand that it puts on the
body is incredible.
If you are looking to increase your speed, strength, vertical
jump, footwork and all-around flexibility, then a Flex Nimbo
program is the way to go. It adds resistance and increases the
intensity of the workout, along with working on balance and
coordination.
Start with a dynamic warm-up. Then try these three drills while
wearing the Flex Nimbo.
Corey Star
The Corey Star is a drill that I took from Corey Crane, strength
coach at Manhattanville College. Take nine cones and set them up in
three rows of three about 2-3 yards apart from each other.
• Start in the middle row, first cone. This is your start
cone.
• Sprint to middle cone; sprint back to start cone.
• Sprint to middle cone, plant and cut to bottom left
cone.
• Back to start cone; sprint to middle cone, plant and cut
to left middle cone.
• Back to start cone; sprint to middle cone, plant and cut
to left top cone.
• Back to start cone; sprint to middle cone and explode
straight to top middle.
• Back to start cone. Do what you did on the left, but on
the right side.
L-Drill
Place three cones in an L shape, with each cone 5 yards apart.
Start at the first cone, sprint to the second cone, plant and cut
around the cone, and sprint to the third cone. Run around cone
three and head back to cone two, plant and cut around cone two, and
sprint to the first cone for the finish.
Sprint/Backpedal with Directional Change
This is one of our favorite drills. The coach goes about 30 yards
in front of the athlete. On the coach’s whistle, the athlete
sprints. On subsequent whistles, the athlete changes directions,
shuffling sideways right or left, sprinting forward or backpedaling
based on the direction in which the coach points.
Sample sequence: Forward sprint. “Whistle” —
shuffle left. “Whistle” — backpedal.
“Whistle” — sprint forward. “Whistle”
— shuffle right. “Whistle” — sprint to
finish line.
Work on a quick first step, smooth transition movements and quick
direction changes.
These drills increase explosive speed, power and footwork.
Rashad Devoe is a lacrosse-specific strength and conditioning coach who has worked with some of the best players in the country for over 13 years. For more info on Devoe Human Performance or Devoe’s training, go to www.devoehp.com.
