In this segment of OLP’s “Preparation for Performance” series, the instructor demonstrates how a basic straight‑bar lunge can be transformed into a coaching device for offensive‑line athletes. He first shows a typical lunge where the athlete pushes only downward, then introduces the cue “through and to” to add angular, directional force. This cue mirrors the force pattern used in a lineman’s pass‑set, where initial downward drive is combined with forward‑directed pressure. By teaching athletes to apply this combined force in the weight room, the coach argues that the movement translates directly to better on‑field pass‑blocking performance, turning weight‑room training into effective preparation.
Chapters
Welcome to OLP's Preparation for Performance. This series is to help young athletes take their training onto the field. Oftentimes we see with players at every level their training doesn't translate to better performance, and that's what training truly is intended to do— to make you a better athlete. So with that said, the first movement we're going to focus on is the lunge and how to take a basic straight bar lunge and turn it into a teaching apparatus for better performance. So we got our young athlete here. We're going to see what we typically have happen with the lunge, which is the athlete applying force downward. That's great, but in athletic development, the force is typically never applied just downward. There's going to be some angular force applied as well, but the first movement is going to be applied down. Here we go. Not a bad lunge overall, but it's not as clean as we want it. And what the athlete isn't learning— he isn't learning how to apply force that's going to equate to better performance. So now we're going to go down and through. So through and to. Here we go. Through and to. Smoother. One more time. Through and 2. Racket. So what does the through and 2 relate to better performance? Well, with offensive line athletes, the through and 2 is your pass set. When you're taking your pass set, yes, you're going to apply downward force on that initial drive, but there's going to be some directional force as well. And if you're an athlete using a lunge in your training or your preparation, understand how to take that training tool, which is the lunge and how that's going to affect your ability to become a better pass blocker is because you're learning how to apply directional force. It's not just movement. It's not just training. It's preparation. Preparation for better performance. And that's what the weight room is for. That's what training is for. If you use it the right way, your performance will skyrocket.
