According to NFL combine coach Ryan Flaherty, using one data-driven, proprietary formula—and one very specific power lift—can make anyone a better, stronger athlete. (Yes, even you.)Out of every lift in the gym, the trap-bar deadlift is the one on which your body can lift the most weight. (Yes, even more than a squat.) Because the movement is so efficient, every rep utilizes 90% of skeletal muscle.

What’s more, these are the same muscles you rely on to run, jump high, and explode upward, fighting gravity.

Source: How a Top-Flight Trainer Discovered the Most Important Exercise Every Athlete Should Do

Athletes in most sports are not concerned with raw strength or in hypertrophy (ie. “looks”).  Rather it is the production of power that is of utmost importance.  Few programs directly address this need. The science behind coach Flaherty’s ‘Force Number’ is very similar to my own ‘R.I.P. – Records in Power’ Training Program, which uses the formula: Power = [(Load)*(Load/Body Wt.)*(# Reps)] / (minutes).  Rather than pure strength or hypertrophy (ie. ‘looks’), the R.I.P. program is designed to be optimal for training of athletic power production.

Learn More: R.I.P. Records In Power Weightlifting Program.