How to Boost Athletic Performance & Build Muscle At The Same Time
I trained to be fast, powerful, and unstoppable. That mindset never left me. And when I eventually stepped into strength and hypertrophy training, I refused to let go of my athlete edge.
This article breaks down exactly how to do that.
You Need to Learn About How to Boost Athletic Performance
It's the perfect way to get started with me if you want to get jacked, sort of a smaller version of my Alpha Body Blueprint program (that still kicks ***)
You may be wondering, why not learn how to gain muscle as a hard gainer? I have a new program addressing German Volume Training. That is essentially shock training.
It's done-for-you in a Fitness App that you can follow. However, there is a side to fitness that's more geared towards Conditioning Training that I will be addressing today.
Essentially I will be covering the best of both worlds. And this is how to boost athletic performance. You build a strong foundation. Then you use that foundation to boost athletic performance.
That means you can learn how to boost athletic performance and get the benefits of building muscle at the same time. What I am going to address today is advanced.
Alpha Body Bootcamp is literally a stepping stone to what's covered in this article. Everyone in that program knows that I have an athletic background.
The reason you need to learn about athletic training is because even if you're not an athlete, this is how stay agile, mobile, have better balance and even power. Yes, I mean that. So keep reading onward.
Master Compound Weight Lifting
This is your foundation, you need to know The Best Workouts for Hardgainers, not to mention, lifting weights is essential to even get remotely close to athletic training. Without mastering compound weight lifting, there is no way your body is ready to do for example, PAP workouts. I'll get to that later.
You cannot do athletic training on a shitty foundation. It's like starting a car with no oil. Don't overlook mastering compound lifts. I would encourage you to get in my program because I demonstrate each exercise with my client Gabriel David. Exercises demonstrated in my course:
- Incline Chest Press
- Barbell Bench Press
- Cheat Curls
- Smith Machine Squats
- Stiff Leg Deadlifts
- Lying Leg Curl
- Barbell Rows
This comes before GVT. Why? It's because, you need a strong body to master compound lifts.
Then your body will get used to the movement of all exercises and you won't be dead after leg day unable to walk.
The Alpha Athletic Hybrid
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Most men train for aesthetics. Others chase performance. But very few ever fuse the two—the body of a warrior with the nervous system of a predator.
That’s the Alpha-Athletic Hybrid:
- Strong like a bodybuilder.
- Fast like a sprinter.
- Explosive like a vaulter.
This isn’t about “functional fitness.” It’s not Cross Fit. It’s not about how many burpees you can do in a minute.
It’s about building a physique that can move like it was carved from the battlefield.
The problem?
Most programs force you to pick a side.
You either get slow and bulky chasing muscle…
Or you stay lean but weak chasing speed and agility.
I chose both.
Pole vaulting demanded full-body control. Sprinting demanded max output in seconds. That’s where I forged my base.
Years later, when I combined that foundation with German Volume Training and explosive strength work, the transformation was violent. Visible. Unstoppable.
You want that? Good.
Because the rest of this article will show you how to build it from the ground up.
How to Boost Athletic Performance is to Warm-Up Like An Athlete
Forget the lazy arm swings and five-second toe touches. If you want to move like an athlete—not just look like one—your warm-up needs to prime your nervous system, not lull it to sleep.
Elite sprinters and pole vaulters don’t waste time with static stretching before a session. Why? Because it blunts force production and kills reactivity. You’re not prepping for yoga—you’re getting ready to explode.
Instead, start with dynamic movements that fire up coordination, joint mobility, and rhythm:
- A-Skips to ingrain proper sprint mechanics.
- Hurdle mobility drills to open the hips and reinforce range of motion.
- Ankle hops and bounds to wake up the Achilles and build elastic power.
- Ladder drills to dial in footwork and CNS engagement.
Follow that with a targeted mobility flow—hip openers, thoracic rotation, and deep squat holds. Make your body earn its way under the bar.
This isn’t just about avoiding injury. This is about sending a signal:
“Today, we dominate.”
Your warm-up sets the tone. Treat it like a ritual.
Explosive Athletic Training is How to Boost Athletic Performance
Before you touch a dumbbell—move like lightning.
This is the piece most lifters skip. They chase size without speed, build strength without snap. But real athletes? They move with intention, strike with force, and recover like wolves.
Your mission here is simple: train the fast-twitch system first. That means:
- Sprint work — Start with 5x20m accelerations. Keep the rest long and the output savage. You’re teaching your body to recruit max force in minimal time.
- Olympic lifts — Power cleans, hang snatches, high pulls. You don’t have to be a weightlifter—you just need to absorb and project force with precision.
- Plyometrics — Depth jumps, tuck jumps, and bounding drills pulled straight from the vaulting runway. These hardwire explosiveness into your nervous system.
The key: this work goes first. Before hypertrophy. Before volume. Before the meat of your lift.
Why?
Because your nervous system is fresh. This is when you unlock the gear most lifters never reach.
You’re not here to be slow and bulky.
You’re here to be a walking weapon.
Train like it.
Build The Armor: GVT + Strength
Click here now to join the Mind & Muscle Challenge
If explosive work is the trigger, this is the bulletproof vest.
Every athlete needs armor—muscle that doesn’t just look good but holds up under pressure. When you’re sprinting, leaping, or crashing into resistance, it’s your structure that absorbs the damage.
Without size and strength, you’re just fast and fragile. That’s why German Volume Training (GVT) is your foundation. This comes after you get through my flagship course.
This isn’t bro science. It’s warrior engineering. Ten sets of ten reps. One movement. Maximum discipline.
Try 10x10 squats. Or 10x10 weighted pull-ups. Simple—but brutal.
GVT forces muscle fiber recruitment in a way traditional training doesn’t. You’ll build dense, durable muscle that supports your explosiveness and recovers under pressure.
“You need muscle to absorb the hits, not just throw them.”
After your GVT block, layer in targeted accessory work—rear delts, hamstrings, obliques. Not just to sculpt, but to reinforce. Think in terms of structure, not just aesthetics.
Bottom line: Speed is useless if your body can’t handle the load. This is how you build the engine and the chassis.
Strong, savage, and shock-resistant. This is how to take Alpha Body Blueprint workouts to the next level.
I'm telling you the truth... GVT is much more intense than how it sounds.
Recovery isn't Weak, its a Weapon of the Elite
You don’t out-train your competition by doing more. You outlast them by recovering better.
In pole vault, I learned this the hard way: when your nervous system’s fried, it doesn’t matter how strong or fast you are—your body won’t listen.
Elite performance isn’t just about what you do in the gym. It’s about how quickly you bounce back.
Here’s how you weaponize recovery, this is a deep dive in to flexibility:
SMFR (Self-Myofascial Release) – Foam rolling and trigger point therapy keep your tissues supple and oxygenated.
PNF Stretching – Train flexibility with resistance. This primes the nervous system for useful range of motion.
Contrast Showers – Alternate hot and cold to improve circulation, reduce soreness, and boost recovery hormones. This is a great form of state training too.
And for those who really want to go savage-mode:
CNS Reset Rituals – Breathing exercises. Visualization. Body scans. These restore your parasympathetic system, bringing you back into performance mode faster than stimulants ever will.
You can’t perform if you’re inflamed, under-recovered, and systemically stressed.
Train hard—but recover harder.
Because every elite athlete knows: the one who recovers fastest… wins next.
Eat Like An Athlete - Nutrition Matters
Homemade Banana Bread Recipe you can make EASILY!
Training like a savage without eating like one?
You’re setting fire to your own results.
This isn’t about “clean eating” or counting every calorie—it’s about fueling performance, growth, and recovery like a true athlete.
Let’s break it down:
Post-Workout Nutrition (Immediate Window)
Your body is primed to absorb nutrients post-training.
That’s when I go straight for IsoPure—clean, fast-digesting protein with minimal carbs and fats to spike recovery without slowing digestion.
“You just broke your body down. Now you feed it like it matters.”
Pair that with:
A banana or rice cakes (simple carbs)
Creatine + electrolytes if you’re training hard in heat or under volume
High-Carb Days = Sprint + Plyo Focused
Carbs fuel the central nervous system and refill muscle glycogen. On days with:
Sprint work
Plyos
Olympic lifts
...you need carbs to fire on all cylinders.
Go with:
Sweet potatoes
Quinoa
Oats
These aren’t “cheat foods”—they’re weapons.
High-Fat Days = Recovery or Strength Focus
On lower-intensity or rest days, flip the fuel.
Higher fats help optimize hormones and reduce inflammation. Think:
Whole eggs
Grass-fed beef
Avocados
Olive oil
Almond butter
In case you didn't know, protein does help with weight loss.
Protein stays high, but carbs drop.
“If you train like a savage and eat like a squirrel, you’ll stay small.”
This is war. Fuel like it. Win like it.
Savage Athlete Mindset
This is the part no spreadsheet can measure.
Your mindset determines whether you coast through reps… or unleash something primal.
When you train, it’s not about getting it done—it’s about making it count.
Every sprint is a qualifier. Every set is your last chance. Every lift is a chance to leave your mark.
You’re not in this to blend in.
You didn’t step into the gym to play it safe.
You train because there’s something in you that refuses to be average.
I learned this the hard way through pole vault and sprint work.
One slip of focus, and you either miss the bar—or eat the ground.
That pressure taught me something:
Complacency is a killer. Precision under pressure is a weapon.
Now, I channel that same edge into how I train and how I coach.
I don’t want “motivated” athletes. I want mentally unbreakable savages.
This isn’t about ego. This is about war.
The gym is your proving ground.
Life is your battlefield.
And every rep you take is preparing you for what’s coming.
You already have the body—they’ll see that.
But when they feel your energy, your presence, your intensity…
That’s when they realize:
You’re not just athletic.
You’re dangerous.
Time to lead others into war.
PAP Complex Training: Overview + Origins
Before I describe the origins of PAP and what it means, here's what you need to know from me...
This style of training is so damn intense that when I had my client Joshua do PAP, he told me this
"Adam, I need to rest, this is super hard."
From a man who loves training his legs and I showed him PAP lower body. With that story in mind; let's start.
- What is PAP (Post-Activation Potentiation)?
PAP is a training phenomenon where performing a heavy resistance exercise (like a 3-rep max squat) primes the nervous system, making your muscles temporarily more explosive.
- Core Mechanism:
After lifting heavy, your CNS is “awakened.” Motor units are more excitable, calcium sensitivity increases, and rate of force development (RFD) goes up.
The Classic PAP Complex Structure
1. Heavy Strength Lift (85–95% 1RM, 1–3 reps)
2. Short Rest (1.5–3 mins)
3. Explosive Movement (jumps, sprints, slams)
Repeat for 3–5 sets.
- Origin & Evolution:
Eastern Bloc coaches like Verkhoshansky and Zatsiorsky experimented with this in the 70s–80s. Modern coaches like Christian Thibaudeau and Eric Cressey popularized it.
- When To Use:
Ideal early in the workout (after warm-up). Best done 1–2x per week. Most effective when the athlete has a solid strength base.
This is why I said master compound lifts. And now you know how to boost athletic performance and how to build muscle at the same time.
Act Fast & Join the Program with My Community
If you’re ready to break PRs, move like an athlete, and build the kind of physique that feels dangerous… join my 8-Week GVT Program or my flagship course.
Tap into the full system:
Join my 8-Week GVT Program or Alpha Body Bootcamp.
My new 8-Week GVT Program combines both the best of hardgainer workouts and conditioning training.
Be more than just jacked—be athletic as hell. Let them feel your presence before you even move.
My flagship course Alpha Body Bootcamp is a tad pricier is because its LONGER than the 8-Week GVT Program.
Feel comfortable to leave your comments down below if you have any questions.
