Be an Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes

Things to develop your coaching and have a greater impact on your athletes. You define what your “elite” is!

By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

What if I told you that your warm-ups could be the secret weapon to unlocking speed, agility, and resilience in your athletes?

Most coaches don’t realise that the first 10 minutes of a session can either set athletes up for success—or keep them stuck in poor movement habits.

💡 The problem? Jogging, static stretching, and generic drills don’t prepare athletes for the real demands of their sport. But there’s a simple fix: The Big 5 Animal Movements.

These five powerful, play-based exercises improve coordination, strength, and mobility—without athletes even realizing they’re developing elite movement skills.

⚡ Ready to transform your warm-ups and see instant engagement from your players? Keep reading. ⬇️

🔥 The Big 5 Animal Movements – A Game-Changer for Athletic Development

Most coaches unknowingly set their sessions up for failure in the first 10 minutes.

Why? Because warm-ups are treated as a chore instead of an opportunity.

Too often, warm-ups are:
❌ Boring—athletes switch off before training even starts.
❌ Overcomplicated—too much technical instruction before they’re ready.
❌ Disconnected from sport—no real transfer to the demands of the game.

But here’s the truth: If an athlete can’t control their own body, how can they control the game?

That’s why I developed the Big 5 Animal Movements—a simple, effective way to build foundational movement skills in a way that athletes love.

🐻 The Big 5: What They Are & Why They Work

These five primal movements develop coordination, strength, mobility, and athleticism—without the need for fancy equipment.

1️⃣ 🐻 Bear Crawl – Builds core strength, shoulder stability & cross-body coordination. (Think rugby players driving low in contact. Great for shoulder stability needed in any striking or racket sports.)
2️⃣ 🦀 Crab Walk – Strengthens the posterior chain, improves shoulder mobility & enhances body awareness. (Perfect for football players needing strong hamstrings and glutes.)
3️⃣ 🪱 Inch Worm – Develops flexibility, hamstring mobility & full-body control. (Great for strengthening key areas of the body for sprinting, balance and stability.)
4️⃣ 🦍 Gorilla Walk – Improves squat mechanics, hip mobility & lower body strength. (Great for demoing a key movement without needing complex descriptions or demos)
5️⃣ 🐸 Frog Hop – Enhances power, reactive strength & movement efficiency. (Ideal for explosive movements like jumping or accelerating off the mark.)

These aren’t just “fun” movements—they train the fundamentals of athleticism: force absorption, stability, coordination, and mobility.

💡 Why Coaches Should Be Using Animal Movements

I’ve tested these with hundreds of athletes across multiple sports, and the results are game-changing:

✅ Increased engagement – Athletes actually enjoy warm-ups instead of just going through the motions.
✅ Faster learning of key movement skills – They develop better coordination and control without over-coaching.
✅ Better carryover to sport – Movements like deceleration, agility, and force absorption improve naturally.

🏆 Coach From a Cricket Background:

Athletes who master these basics become stronger, more resilient, and move better under pressure.

🚀 How to Implement The Big 5 in Your Sessions

🔹 Use them in warm-ups – Instead of jogging & static stretching, start with animal flow sequences.
🔹 Integrate them into movement prep – Pair them with sport-specific drills to reinforce movement patterns.
🔹 Turn them into challenges – Athletes love competition—race them through different animal movements.

The key? Make it fun, make it competitive, and watch their movement quality improve.

🔥 Want to Try The Big 5 in Your Sessions?

I’m sending out a limited batch of my Animal Movement “Big 5” Flashcards for FREE—to help coaches like you integrate these movements effortlessly into training.

💬 Reply “FLASHCARDS” to this email, and I’ll send them over!

🏆 Bonus: Want to learn how elite coaches apply movement training to real game scenarios? Join my private coaching community for a FREE 30-day pass—DM me “COMMUNITY” to get access.

🚀 Don’t just warm up—develop athletes from the first minute of every session.

Need more help? Reply to this email and let’s chat!

Speak soon,

Isaac 🙂 

💡 Want more coaching support but not ready to invest just yet?

Here are 3 FREE ways I can help you improve your coaching today:

1. Join the Athletic Skills Community – Free 30-Day Trial
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2. Coach S&C in Just 15 Minutes
   Discover my bulletproof 15-minute warm-up framework—a game-changer for developing movement in a time effective way while keeping your sessions fun. This proven method (worth £40) will transform how you approach athlete preparation. 👉 Watch it here!

3. Book a Free 20-Minute Call
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Take advantage of these free resources and start making a bigger impact on your athletes today!