Integrated training deconstructs human performance into its component parts. Every physical task—whether it's a vertical jump or a full soccer match—blends different abilities working together seamlessly. When one capacity lags behind or doesn't coordinate well with the others, it creates a cascade effect. Other systems compensate, performance drops, or something breaks down.
Effective programming balances the benefits of each training style and the specific exercises selected. The body's structures and functions must match the demands placed on them. This is why integrated training matters—when all capacities develop in balance, they share the workload appropriately and perform efficiently together.
NASM's approach to integrated training recognizes that the training styles we'll discuss aren't exclusive to their system—flexibility, core, balance, and resistance training are foundational across all quality programs. What makes NASM's framework particularly effective is how systematically these progressions integrate. Exercise selection and advancement follow clear principles that ensure all capacities develop in balance, whether you're working with general fitness clients or elite athletes.
Consider a race car navigating a demanding road course compared to an athlete competing in a field sport like soccer or lacrosse. The race car needs a powerful engine to accelerate down straightaways, but that engine is useless without high-performance brakes to manage deceleration into corners. The tires must provide grip during aggressive direction changes, while the suspension keeps the car stable and balanced through varying track conditions. The chassis ties everything together, transferring forces efficiently while maintaining structural integrity. If the engine produces 800 horsepower but the brakes can only handle 400, something fails catastrophically. If the suspension can't manage the forces during cornering, the tires lose contact and performance plummets.
The athlete faces similar integration demands. They need the cardiovascular capacity to maintain intensity for the entire match—that's the engine. But they also need the reactive strength to decelerate rapidly when an opponent cuts, the core stability to maintain body control during contact, the balance to recover from perturbations, and the flexibility to achieve optimal positions without compensation. Their resistance training builds the structural capacity to handle these demands repeatedly without breaking down. When one quality lags behind the others, something has to compensate. A soccer player with excellent cardiovascular fitness but poor deceleration mechanics will either slow down to protect their knees, or they'll keep pushing and eventually get injured. Either way, performance suffers.
This is integrated training—developing all qualities in balance so they work together rather than against each other. When properly integrated, each capacity enhances the others. When mismatched, the weakest link determines your ceiling.
The body's abilities can be distributed across a spectrum of capacities, each responsible for a major component of movement and performance. The names of training styles relate to the characteristics they intend to improve:
• Flexibility Training
• Core Training
• Balance Training
• Reactive Training
• Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ)
• Cardiovascular Training
• Resistance Training
Flexibility, core, balance, reactive, and SAQ progress through three levels of difficulty based on movement complexity and functional demands:
Progression 1: Foundational skills and basic movement patterns.
Progression 2: Dynamic integration and increased complexity.
Progression 3: Advanced, sport-specific, and high-intensity applications.
Cardiorespiratory training has a 2-zone model for general health and a 4-zone model for performance.
Resistance training utilizes the five phases of the OPT Model, discussed in greater detail in a separate section.
While these progressions generally align with the Stabilization, Strength, and Power levels of the OPT model, they're not rigid rules. Every person brings a unique combination of strengths and limitations. You might excel at Progression 2 core exercises while needing Progression 1 reactive training. This is completely normal.
Flexibility Training
Flexibility training addresses tissue quality and joint mobility through a systematic progression of techniques. Each type serves a different purpose in the overall program. It's common to integrate various techniques for a cumulative result.
Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) - Foam rolling and trigger point techniques that address tissue quality and prepare the body for movement. SMR helps release tension, improve blood flow, and enhance tissue extensibility before other flexibility work.
Static Stretching - Traditional hold-and-stretch techniques that improve muscle length and joint range of motion. Best used when tissues are warm and for addressing specific mobility limitations.
Active-Isolated Stretching - Short-duration stretches (1-2 seconds) that use reciprocal inhibition to improve flexibility while maintaining muscle activation. These stretches actively engage opposing muscle groups.
Dynamic Stretching - Movement-based stretches that take joints through their full range of motion while incorporating muscle activation patterns similar to the upcoming activity. These prepare the body for dynamic movement.
Core Training
Core training improves the ability and capacity to mobilize and stabilize the components of the lumbo-pelvic-hip-complex (LPHC) during functional patterns.
Progression 1: Little or no motion from the LPHC.
Progression 2: Full range of motion from the LPHC.
Progression 3: Fast motion from the LPHC.
Balance Training
Balance training develops the ability to regain and maintain homeostasis between our center of gravity and base(s) of support.
Progression 1: Little or no motion from the stance leg.
Progression 2: Full range of motion from the stance leg.
Progression 3: Hop and hold landing position for 3-5 seconds.
Reactive Training (Plyometrics)
Reactive training develops the stretch-shortening cycle and improves the body's ability to produce force rapidly through elastic energy storage and release.
Progression 1: Jump/hop and hold landing position for 3-5 seconds.
Progression 2: Repeat jumps or hops.
Progression 3: Jump or hop in an explosive manner.
Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ)
SAQ training develops the ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction efficiently while maintaining optimal body mechanics.
Progression 1: Basic movement mechanics, acceleration techniques, and simple direction changes with emphasis on proper form.
Progression 2: Multi-directional movement patterns, increased complexity in change-of-direction drills, and higher levels of horizontal inertia.
Progression 3: Sport-specific movement patterns, reactive drills, and high-intensity change-of-direction challenges with the highest levels of horizontal inertia.
Cardiorespiratory Training
Cardiorespiratory training improves the ability of the heart, lungs, and vascular system to move oxygen through the body and remove waste, while developing different blends of aerobic and anaerobic capacities. NASM's approach targets four specific metabolic capacities using ventilatory thresholds as key training markers.
Progression 1: Aerobic Base Development
• Steady state training below VT1 (first ventilatory threshold)
• Primary goal: Build fat oxidation efficiency and aerobic foundation
Progression 2: Aerobic Efficiency
• Intervals at or slightly above VT1
• Primary goal: Maximize fat burning at higher intensities
Progression 3: Anaerobic Efficiency (Optional - Sports Performance)
• Intervals between VT1 and VT2 (second ventilatory threshold)
• Primary goal: Improve lactate buffering and clearance capacity
Progression 4: Anaerobic Power (Optional - Sports Performance)
• Intervals at and above VT2
• Primary goal: Develop maximum power output and VO2 max
Integration with Other Components - Cardiorespiratory training can be integrated throughout the workout or performed as dedicated sessions, depending on goals and program design.
Resistance Training
Stabilization Level - Phase 1: Stabilization Endurance
This phase separates trainers who understand long-term development from those chasing quick fixes. Your clients might think it's "too easy" initially. That's intentional. We're building movement competency and exposing weaknesses before they become problems under heavier loads.
Mindset: Process over performance—movement quality is everything.
The Core Principles
Exercise Selection: Proprioceptively Challenging - Exercises that challenge postural control without allowing wholesale compensation. The instability is a tool to focus on proper body position and control. We want constant postural adjustments, not chaos.
Repetitions: High Volume for Postural Endurance - High rep ranges (12-20) challenge the postural stabilization system's endurance capacity. Most people can maintain decent form for 5-8 reps. We want to see what happens when fatigue sets in—that's where the real learning occurs.
Rest: Limited to Challenge Control Under Fatigue - Minimal rest between exercises forces the stabilization system to work when it's already challenged. This isn't about making workouts harder for the sake of it—it's about building work capacity while maintaining movement quality.
Load: Challenging but Form-Preserving - Enough weight to create a training stimulus, but not so much that form breaks down or duration is compromised. The load is secondary to movement quality and time under tension in this phase.
Tempo: Slow Eccentric with End-Range Hold - Extended lowering phases with strategic pauses expose and address movement compensations. The hold at end-range is where you make positional corrections and reinforce proper muscle activation patterns.
Progressions: Make exercises more proprioceptively challenging (add instability/sensory input) and/or increase repetitions. The temptation to just add weight misses the point of this phase entirely.
Strength Level - Phase 2: Strength Endurance
This is where we start integrating the stability you've built with meaningful force production. The superset structure here teaches the nervous system that strength and stability aren't separate qualities—they work together.
Mindset: Integration under fatigue—strength and stability working together.
The Core Principles
Superset Training - Stable > Unstable - The defining characteristic of this phase is the superset structure. Each superset pairs a traditional strength exercise with an unstable variation using similar biomechanical movement patterns.
Example:
• A1: Barbell Squat
• A2: Single-leg Squat to Bench
• B1: Barbell Bench Press
• B2: Push-Up with Rotation
Tempo Differentiated by Exercise Type - Medium tempo (2/0/2) for the first exercise allows for meaningful load while maintaining control. Slow tempo (4/2/1) for the second exercise challenges stability and end-range control under fatigue.
Strategic Loading - Medium loads for the first exercise to challenge strength production. Relatively lighter loads for the second exercise, even for the same rep count, to prioritize stability and control.
Minimal Rest Within Supersets, Adequate Rest Between Supersets - Quick transitions between exercises in each superset challenges muscle endurance. Adequate rest between supersets ensures you can maintain performance quality throughout the next pair.
One Variable at a Time - There's a lot going on in this phase. The variable you choose to progress should relate to the next planned phase. Increase load for exercise one, progress instability for exercise two, or add reps to exercise two. Progressing load, instability, and reps simultaneously usually leads to form breakdown and delayed results.
Strength Level - Phase 3: Muscular Development
Here's where the foundation pays dividends. You can now handle significant training volumes while maintaining movement quality because we've built the prerequisite stability and work capacity in the previous phases.
Mindset: Consistent volume accumulation—every set counts toward the weekly goal.
The Core Principles
Achieve Overall Weekly Volume with Sufficient Intensity - This phase is about systematic volume accumulation. Everything else—exercise selection, rest periods, loading strategies—serves this primary goal. We're not just moving weight; we're strategically accumulating the training dose that forces muscular adaptation.
Volume Targets:
• Low: 5-10 sets weekly sets per muscle group (performed in earlier phases)
• Medium: 10-15 sets weekly sets per muscle group
• High: 15-20+ sets weekly sets per muscle group
Intensity Management - Training with 1-2 reps in reserve provides adequate stimulus while preserving the ability to complete your planned volume. Going to failure might feel more intense, but it often compromises subsequent sets and reduces total volume.
Performance Consistency - Each set should contribute meaningfully to your weekly volume total. Dramatic performance drop-offs indicate inadequate recovery or excessive intensity. We're building muscle, not testing limits.
Progressive Overload - Volume progression serves as the primary driver of adaptation. When you can complete all planned sets with good form at your target intensity, add volume before adding load.
Strength Level - Phase 4: Maximal Strength
This phase is about building pure strength and enhancing the phosphagen energy pathway. By now, you have the movement competency, stability, and work capacity to handle heavy loads safely. This is where we focus on teaching the nervous system to recruit maximum force while optimizing the body's most powerful energy system for short-duration, high-intensity efforts.
Mindset: Maximal stability and control for maximal volition and force output.
The Core Principles
Compound Movements - Focus on exercises that allow for maximum loading: squats, deadlifts, presses, rows. These movements recruit the most muscle tissue and allow for the greatest absolute loads.
Sets and Reps: Low Volume, High Intensity - The high intensity of each lift results in very low reps. Therefore, a relatively high number of sets is required to accumulate meaningful training volume. As the load goes up, the reps go down, and the sets go up.
Complete Recovery Between Sets - Rest periods of 3-5 minutes, or longer, ensure full recovery of the phosphocreatine system. Incomplete recovery compromises the ability to generate maximum force in subsequent sets.
Maximum Tolerable Loads - Loads should be 85-100% of 1RM. This intensity is necessary to create the neural adaptations that drive strength gains. Form must remain perfect even at maximum loads.
Explosive Intent - While the bar may move slowly due to heavy loads, the intent should always be to move explosively. This maximizes motor unit recruitment and force production.
Progressions: Increase load when you can complete all prescribed reps with perfect form.
• Squat/Press/Bench: +5 lb each workout until plateau for the prescribed number of reps
• Deadlift: +10 lb each workout initially, then +5 lb as needed
• Microloading: For presses and bench, drop to +2.5 lb increments once 5 lb jumps become too challenging
Power Level - Phase 5: Power
Power is the ultimate expression of all previous phases. Here we take the movement quality from the stabilization level, strength and capacity from the strength level, and teach the body to express force rapidly while maintaining optimal technique.
Mindset: Prime the nervous system, then load and explode with perfect technique.
The Core Principles
Explosive and Ballistic Movements - Combine strength exercises with explosive movements.
Examples:
• Barbell Squats > Squat Jumps
• Bench Press > Medicine Ball Chest Pass
Low Volume, Maximum Intent - Rep ranges of 1-5 for strength exercises, 8-10 for power exercises. Every rep should be performed with maximum explosive intent, which requires full recovery between sets.
Complete Recovery for Quality - Rest periods of 1-2 minutes between exercise pairs, 3-5 minutes between complete circuits. Power training requires the nervous system to be fresh for each explosive effort.
Strength vs. Power Loading - Strength exercises use heavy loads, power exercises use lighter loads that allow for maximum velocity. The contrast teaches rate coding.
Explosive Intent with Variable Expression - Both exercises are performed with explosive intent. The high loads of the strength exercise will result in slow movement despite maximum effort, while the light loads of the power exercise allow for fast, visible speed. Power exercises follow an eccentric load then concentric explode pattern.
Progressions: Increase loads on strength exercises, increase complexity or velocity on power exercises. Matching the power level exercise to a sport-specific movement that's functional for the client is ideal. Don't compromise velocity for additional load on power movements.
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Integrated training gives you a practical framework for addressing movement limitations. It connects the compensations you observe during assessments to the training interventions that improve them. Once you understand that performance depends on multiple abilities coordinating effectively, compensatory patterns become informative rather than confusing. You learn to identify the system creating the compensation, then address it systematically with the right training approach at the appropriate progression level. Your ability to make these connections and adjust accordingly is what ultimately determines your effectiveness as a coach.