The Bearpowered Online Training System is a simple, effective, efficient and laser focused maximum strength training system designed to increase your strength and speed. 

You won’t be performing mind numbing, exhausting and excessive repetitions based on a "one-size fits all" mentality. In fact, one of our goals is the avoidance of lactic acid during the workout. Because we do not promote the body building method of strength training, you get the gain without the pain. After finishing your workouts you'll feel exhilarated in both mind and body.

You won’t be wasting money and training time on stretch bands, parachutes, sleds or other gimmicks that fall short of what faster running requires—according to the best locomotion scientists in the world!

 

USA HEAD WOMENS COACH AND 3 TIME OLYMPIAN PAM SPENCER-MARQUEZ: "IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR MR. BARRY ROSS.. AS A COACH FOR THE USA TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS, I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF GETTING TO KNOW TWO OF HIS OUTSTANDING FEMALE ATHLETES. ONE IS CURRENTLY (2003) THE TOP SPRINTER IN THE NATION, MISS ALLYSON FELIX AND THE OTHER AN OUTSTANDING THROWER IN THE UCLA PROGRAM. BEING A THREE TIMES OLYMPIAN AND FORMER AMERICAN RECORD HOLDER (HIGH JUMP) I RECOGNIZE A QUALITY COACH, AND I CAN SAY WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT MR. ROSS IS ONE OF THE BEST COACHES I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. HIS CONTINUING RESEARCH AND WILLINGNESS TO ADAPT HIS PROGRAM TO CURRENT RESEARCH MAKES HIS PROGRAM ONE OF THE BEST IN THE NATION." --PAMELA SPENCER-MARQUEZ, COACH-WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP, 2003

 

How Does the Bearpowered system work?

We avoid any type of pyramid lifting routine that builds a base with lots of reps but takes months to show any significant gain in strength.

Instead, we focus on improving the strength of each athlete by attacking maximum lifts in every training session. We do this through a combination of real and “virtual” maximum (Vmax) lifts.

Unlike most strength training routines, our training protocol avoids onset of lactic acid by monitoring time under load. The result of timing and “max attacks” allows the athlete to leave training feeling exhilarated rather than tired—and a lot stronger in much less time.

But doesn’t maximum lifting all the time eventually harm the lifter or burn them out?

Yes, it does. However, Vmax testing reduces the number of actual maximums you'll lift. When we ask you to go for an new maximum, we know that they’ve been fully prepared to reach that higher goal.

Vmax work so well that we often get what we call a “freaky” lifting day where the result far exceeds the expected maximum.

Here are a few examples:

Elizabeth Olear:

This 148 lb, Gold Medal winning sprinter in the World Junior (under age 20) Championships held in Beijing, China in 2006, improved her maximum deadlift by more than 70 lbs over several months of lifting. Her maximum lift was just below below 300 lbs but several Vmax sessions made it clear that she could lift at least 300 lbs or more.  Instead, on her next maximum lift day Olear exploded to 3 reps at 350 lbs!  Even more impressive, her three reps at 350 lbs equated to a Vmax of 375 lbs! How much weight did Olear gain from the start of her strength training that year? Less than 5 pounds! 

 

LAWRENCE WEBSTER, SPRINT COACH FOR ELIZABETH OLEAR: "THE STRENGTH PROGRAM BY COACH BARRY ROSS HAS IMPROVED OUR OVERALL PERFORMANCES AT LOUISVILLE HS DRAMATICALLY... ELIZABETH OLEAR HAS BENEFITED FROM THE PROGRAM IN A HUGE WAY. IN HER FINAL YEAR OF HS COMPETITION IN 2006, HER PR DROPPED FROM 11.63 TO 11.33 IN THE 100 METERS AND 3.51 TO 23.36 IN THE 200 METERS, LARGELY DUE TO THIS "UNDERGROUND SECRETS" TRAINING SYSTEM...IN ELIZABETH'S CASE, A GREAT SPRINTER WENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF ELITE HIGH SCHOOL SPRINTER." --Lawrence Webster Sprint Coach - Louisville HS/ Valley United Track Club."

 

Delano Howell:

The 185 lb football running back and 400 meter sprinter was scheduled to increase his maximum deadlift from 440 lbs to 455 lbs.  Instead, Howell’s deadlift maximum jumped to 500 lbs in that session. His new found strength helped him to drop his 400 meter time in track from 50.1 seconds hand timed to 48.75 seconds fully automatic timing! Delano ’s weight gain was approximately 5 pounds.

Certainly all athletes aren’t going to improve their strength by that much in a single day, but the rate of strength gain is much faster then what is typical for other methods. 

 

Your system works with young people who are still growing and able to increase strength. What about the older athletes who compete in masters level competition?

 

Our strength training system works just as well for Master’s competitors.

Colleen Barney:

A masters competitor in track, Colleen improved her deadlift from 225 lbs to 280 lbs (and ultimately more than 300 lbs) in about 6 weeks while MAINTAINING her 110 lb weight. Her deadlift is more than 2.5 times her bodyweight—not bad for a World Champion sprinter!

 

MASTER'S ATHLETE COLLEEN BARNEY: "I HAVE BEEN A MASTER'S SPRINTER FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS. IN THAT TIME I HAVE HAD SEVERAL COACHES FROM FORMER OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS TO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL TRACK COACHES. I FOLLOWED ALL OF THE RULES REGARDING WEIGHT TRAINING AND MULTIPLE REPETITIONS FO OVER-DISTANCE RUNS (240'S - 300'S FOR THE 200M AND 150'S FOR THE 100M). ALTHOUGH I HAVE HAD A GREAT DEAL FO SUCCES THESE PAST FEW YEARS AND HAVE SEEN MY TIMES DROP, I HAVE NOT RUN TEH TIMES I THOUGHT I COULD OR SHOULD WHEN I STUMBLED UPON BARRY ROSS'S ARTICLE "THE HOLY GRAIL OF SPEED TRAINING," I KNEW IN MY HEART, THAT THIS WS THE KEY TO MY FUTURE SUCCESS. AFTER OCNTACTING BARRY, I WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS WAS THE PROGRAM FOR ME. I NEVER THOUGHT, THOUGH I WOULD EXPERIENCE SUCH IMMEDIATE AND AMAZING RESULTS. IN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS, MY TIMES WERE DROPPING NOT BY HUNDREDTHS, BUT BY FULL TENTHS! IN JUST OVER A MONTH I WAS DEADLIFTING MORE THAN TWICE MY BODYWEIGHT (NOT ONLY NOT GAINING WEIGHT, BUT LOSING A FEW POUNDS). OF COURSE, I WORRY THAT MY SECRET TRAINING WEAPON (BARRY ROSS0 WILL BE DISCOVERED BY MY COMPETITORS, BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT WHEN I SEE THEIR EYEBROWS RISE IN AMAZEMENT AT THE MASTER'S NATIONAL TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS"  --Collen Barney, World Champion and 2 time National Champion master's competitor.

 

 

What about elite athletes?

High school phenomenon Allyson Felix who deadlifted more than 2 times her bodyweight, and dropped her time in the 200m from 22.83 to 22.11 (fastest time in the world in 2003) in one season. Felix gained about 3 lbs using the Bearpowered system.

Is increased weight really an issue for athletes?

YES! Scientists discovered that, in conjunction with the Spring-Mass model, mass-specific force is the key to improve running times. Mass-specific force is NOT how strong you are compared to your bodyweight. Mass-specific force is the amount of force (in relation to your bodyweight) you apply to the ground in opposition to gravity!

The Bearpowered system minimizes weight gain because the focus is on high weight/low reps. Other training methods use a classic bodybuilding method of building a pyramid with low weight/high reps at the bottom and high weight/low reps at the top. Starting from the base, the workout increases muscle hypertrophy (size). Much of this increase in size is not from increasing muscle fiber density but from increasing the muscle material necessary for excessive reps. You’re gaining strength but you’re also increasing bodyweight—exactly what you don’t want to do when training to increase mass-specific force!

 

Does the system work for other sports beside track?

 

Yes, it works for athletes in almost every sport! We've used the system with baseball, American football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, rugby and others.  

 

BATTING COACH JEFF ALBERT:  "I MAINLY WORK WITH BASEBALL PLAYERS TO INCREASE THEIR BAT SPEED/QUICKNESS AND THROWING VELOCITY AND I FELT LAST YEAR WHILE I WAS TRAINING MYSELF THAT YOUR LIFTING PROGRAM HAD A CARRY OVER TO MY SWINGING AND THROWING. I HAD NEVER DONE DEADLIFTS BEFORE, AND THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE I NOTICED WAS IN MY POSTURE AND HOW I CARRIED MYSELF. I ENDED UP ADDING ABOUT 7 MPH TO MY PREVIOUS HIGH BAT SPEED AND 3-4 MPH TO MY THROWING. THIS IS WHY I SUGGESTED THE PROGRAM TO (PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER) JS. HE HAD GOT HIS BAT SPEED UP LAST WINTER, BUT I THOUGHT IF HE GOT STRONGER HE COULD PRODUCE THE SAME FORCE IN LESS TIME - SHOOTING FOR SAME BAT SPEED BUT MORE QUICKNESS. HE GOT A LOT STRONGER AND NOTICEABLY QUICKER. THROWING IMPROVED AS WELL. ALSO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT AS TO HOW YOUR PROGRAM CAN BE APPLIED IN BASEBALL AS WELL." --Jeff Albert

 

How long does the Bearpowered system take and how often do I need to workout?

The Bearpowered system takes approximately 65 minutes of which about 50 minutes is rest time. Three days per week is enough for the Bearpowered system to maximize strength—and speed!

 

How Do I receive my workouts and how do I post them?

Your new workouts will be posted on the internet. When you’ve completed your workout, you simply post it in the Report Workout section. We will provide you with the complete instructions when you sign-up.

 

Click here to see Bearpowered Online Training Information

 

HEAD TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY COACH WES SMITH:  "I'VE SEEN DRAMATIC GAINS FROM USING COACH ROSS'S STRENGTH PROGRAM, INCLUDING HIGHER KNEE EFFECT FROM GREATER GROUND FORCE. THE EFFECT HAS IMPROVED HILL CLIMBING, RUNNING ECONOMY AND OVERALL SPEED IN MY CROSSCOUNTRY RUNNERS. WE EVEN USE THE WEIGHT TRAINING SYSTEM AS A WARM-UP PRIOR TO OUR HARDER RUNNING WORKOUTS." --Wes Smith  SPRINT COACH JONATHAN PATTON (ALLYSON FELIX):  "THE ADVANTAGE GAINED BY THE TIME SPENT IN THE WEIGHTROOM USING COACH ROSS' SYSTEM IS THE EARLY ADAPTATION TO HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUTS ON THE TRACK. TRAINING FOR HIGH SPEED CAN OCCUR MUCH EARLIER AND CONINUE THROUGHOUT A LONG SEASON WITH LITTLE CONCERN FOR INJURY."  --Jonathan Patton  FOOTBALL COACH TIM VON BUSCH:  "THE WORKOUT IS VERY EFFICIENT AND EASY TO DO. THE PROOF IS IN THE NUMBERS, THE RESULTS ARE THERE. THE PLAYERS ARE FASTER AND STRONGER."  --TIM VON BUSCH