Challenger Strength

‼️ Endless tap dancing drills is NOT what is going to turn you into the shifty athlete you want to be

Do I touch on this often? Absolutely! Why? Because it is something athletes, coaches & parents need to keep hearing

I’m not saying some ladder work or basic cone drills can’t be a warm-up. I’m not saying they can’t have the benefit of coordination and some rhythm

Quick contacts can ALSO have force output benefit much like skips, pogo jumps and the like. The issue is: I’m not out there saying pogo jumps are the key to being able to change direction & cut at a high level…

But many are still out there saying that throwing a ladder down on turf of dancing around cones for 15-20 seconds at a time with your head down are major needle movers for change of direction

Lastly (when it comes to ladders or cones). They CAN be done quite well for intent driven footwork, but they often are not

To me, these 6 things are the key to building & training change of direction or even agility

Save them, program them & level up your training!

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

If the first step feels heavy, the ankles aren’t ready.

Do these before you sprint. 2–3x this week.

Save it.

1. Bilateral extensive pogo: 2×30s
2. Unilateral extensive pogo: 1×30s
3. Bilateral intensive pogo: 2×8s
4. Unilateral intensive pogo: 1×8s
5. Drop jump to vertical: 2×4
6. Repeat hurdle hops: 4 hurdles × 2

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

What athletes THINK is going to keep them healthy is often far different from what ACTUALLY keeps them healthy

Quality strength + speed training is 15x more likely to keep you from suffering an injury than just stretching alone

More heavy lifting is far less likely to get you hurt than playing 300 games per season

& if you ONLY train in the off season or pre season… good luck!

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

It’s 2026 and you STILL train like a bodybuilder?

That’s why you’re slow as F*CK

These 10 power exercises actually build speed! Save them, use them…

Go get FAST

1. Bounds/hops
2. Loaded SL broad jump
3. Dynamic rack pulls
4. Heavy sled pushes
5. Drop jumps
6. Sprinter ISO pulls/pushes
7. Heavy trap bar dead
8. Dynamic partial ROM split squat
9. Sprint sled drivers
10. Depth to broad jump

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

⭐️ I love seeing STAR pro athletes who do quality training & emphasize what young athletes should focus on DOMINATE

Bijan Robinson put on an absolute show tonight & watching his speed, power & movement was a treat

Bijan shows young athletes that being bigger, stronger & faster & hammering basics like quality lifts & sprints is the way to go

I know he has elite genetics, but to me that just further drives home the point. Even HE gets better hammering fundamentals with intent

Also, (no jinx) he has not missed one single game in his young NFL career so far as he’s 3 games into his 4th season. That is quite impressive and a telltale sign of a strong, well prepared body

Kids: learn from the elite & trust that quality fundamentals & emphasis on the weight room, intent driven sprinting & jumping will pay off!!

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

💥 Why you need to be utilizing contrast training in your training program!

Have you ever heard of contrast training? The idea of doing a more resistance/maximal force output exercise BEFORE a speed, jump or ballistic movement?

It’s not a NEW concept (been done for decades) but it is one many athletes do not take advantage of

The idea is simple: the resistance exercise is done as a form of post activation potentiation… the concept that the resistance or maximal force output exercise gets you to recruit a lot of muscle fibers and then you parlay that into enhancing your speed movement!

The goal should be to make the two movement patterns similar (as you can see in these pairings)

Rest can vary, but we like to do 30 seconds between the two exercises and then a full 3-4 minute rest between sets!

Show a friend who wants to build big time speed or power!

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

If you still believe ANY of these things, you need a big rude awakening and education!!

Lifting in-season doesn’t get you hurt! Poor lifts with bad form or poorly executed lifts will get you hurt. Lifting (correctly) will keep you healthier!

Not training in-season just completely gives back all the gains you made the entire off season. It’s one of the WORST things you can do

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

Most athletes only train straight-line speed.

Then they get beat sideways.
Save this.

11 drills that build lateral quickness that actually transfers.

👇

1. Med ball skater release
2. Lateral jump (side) to sprint
3. Drop jump to lateral jump
4. Lateral hurdle jump to lateral jump
5. Lateral jump (back) to sprint
6. Single-leg vert to lateral jump
7. Pulsing sprint start
8. Lateral jump to 1/4-turn box jump
9. Skater jumps
10. Single-leg vert to 1/4-turn lateral
11. Lateral jump to pogo to sprint

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

Most “speed days” are just tired sprints.

This one is built.

Save this.

Pogos → jumps → sprints → stops → max jumps → finisher.

55 minutes.

👇

1. Extensive pogos
2. Intensive pogos
3. Skater jumps
4. Sled-push sprint
5. Sprint
6. Stops
7. Banded verticals
8. Banded broads
9. Max verticals
10. Max broads
11. Finisher station: KB swing, side lunge, Copenhagen plank, DB bench

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach

Soft ankles & slow speed

You need a routine to build you calves, feet & ankles

Save this one, use it weekly

1. Split stance calf iso x30 seconds
2. Lateral line hop (forward) x20 yards
3. Lateral line hop (side) x20 yards
4. Intensive forward pogo x10 yards
5. Intensive SL forward pogo x10 yards
6. Front foot elevated split squat x12, 3 iso

Julian Lo Casto | Basketball Strength Coach