Cal Dietz trains the two phases most programs skip - the brake and the pause. Here's how to run Triphasic with athletes.
Every movement has three parts - absorbing force, stabilising, then producing it - but most training only trains the last one. Cal Dietz's Triphasic method dedicates blocks to each: an eccentric block to build deceleration, an isometric block to build the transition, then a dynamic block to express power. This breakdown covers his method in our own words, adds our take for a client roster, and turns it into a block sequence you can program - scaled to the athlete.
By Markus Evers · September 2026 · a Coachway video breakdown
the short version
Dietz's case is that every dynamic movement has three muscle actions - eccentric (absorb), isometric (stabilise), concentric (produce) - and most training only trains the last, so Triphasic dedicates a block to each in sequence to build an athlete who can decelerate, transition and re-accelerate. The one thing a coach should do about it: stop training only the lift up - program the lowering and the pause too, either as a full eccentric-isometric-concentric block sequence for athletes or as controlled tempos and pauses layered onto normal lifts for general clients.
Cal Dietz - Triphasic Training Cycle Duration Hack
Source: Calvin Dietz on YouTube - "Triphasic Training Cycle Duration Hack". Watch on YouTube. We embed the public video and summarise it in our own words; the video, title and channel belong to Cal Dietz, and nothing here implies his endorsement of Coachway.
Who is Cal Dietz, and why coaches watch
Cal Dietz is a long-time collegiate strength and conditioning coach best known as the developer of Triphasic Training, a framework that has influenced how a lot of coaches think about training the phases of a movement rather than just the lift. His work sits at the more technical, methods-heavy end of S&C - periodization, force qualities, and how to sequence them - and he's widely read among coaches who program for performance athletes. Coaches watch him for a structured, mechanism-based way to build the deceleration and transition qualities that ordinary strength work leaves on the table, which is the lens this page is written for.
What Dietz actually argues (our summary)
This is our summary of the ideas in the video, in our own words - not a transcript. Watch the original for his exact framing and examples.
- 1
Every movement has three phases. Eccentric (absorb), isometric (stabilise) and concentric (produce) - and most training only trains the last one.
- 2
Train each phase in its own block. Run an eccentric-emphasis block, then an isometric block, then a dynamic concentric block, in sequence.
- 3
The eccentric block builds the brake. Controlled, emphasised lowering trains deceleration - where a lot of athleticism and injury-resilience actually live.
- 4
The isometric block builds the transition. Pauses and holds at key positions train the stabilise-and-redirect moment between absorbing and producing force.
- 5
Block duration is a lever. Set how long each phase runs deliberately, sequenced so the qualities build and the dynamic output peaks when it counts.
Coachway's take
We think the core insight is excellent and under-used: most programs only train the concentric, and the eccentric and isometric qualities - braking and transitioning - are exactly what separate an athlete who looks strong in the gym from one who's fast and durable on the field. Even coaches who never run the full system should steal the principle that the lowering and the pause are trainable, not just the lift.
Where we'd add nuance for a coaching business: the full triphasic block structure is an advanced framework, and it's easy to over-apply. For most general clients you don't need formal eccentric and isometric blocks - layering controlled eccentric tempos and brief pauses onto normal lifts captures a large share of the benefit and is far easier to coach and recover from. Reserve the full sequence for performance athletes who need the specific force qualities and can execute the tempos with precision. Match the complexity to the athlete, not to how sophisticated the method sounds.
The practical risk online is precision. Triphasic lives on exact tempos and hold durations - a three-second eccentric, a pause at a specific joint angle - and those are exactly the prescriptions that get lost when a client is training alone from a vague note. If the tempo and the hold aren't written unambiguously into the program and checked, the method quietly becomes ordinary lifting. Getting the prescription across clearly is most of the coaching job here.
So our version of his approach is: for athletes, sequence eccentric, isometric and dynamic blocks with deliberately set durations; for general clients, layer controlled eccentrics and pauses onto normal lifts; and either way, write the tempo and hold precisely into the program and confirm the client is actually executing them.
Write the tempo and the pause so they survive
Triphasic depends on the client actually executing the tempos and holds, so the coaching job is making the prescription unambiguous. In Coachway you set the eccentric tempo, the isometric hold and the concentric intent per lift in the workout builder - a 4-second lower, a 2-second pause, drive up fast - so it reaches the client as an explicit instruction, not a note that gets ignored. Then how the block is landing comes back through check-ins, so you can see whether the athlete is holding the tempos before you move to the next phase. The method is Dietz's; the platform just keeps the exact prescription from getting lost.
For the periodization and power context around it, the companion breakdowns on Stew Smith on periodizing the athlete and Eric Cressey on rotational power cover sequencing and expressing the force you build.
The triphasic block sequence (scale to the athlete)
A short template for sequencing the three phases. The tempos are examples - set them to the athlete's level and the lift, and for general clients, layer the tempos and pauses onto normal training instead of running full blocks.
Triphasic block sequence
| Block | How (example) | Trains |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eccentric | Slow, controlled lowering (e.g. 4-6s down) | Force absorption / deceleration (the brake) |
| 2. Isometric | Pause/hold at a key position (e.g. 2-3s) | Stabilise and redirect (the transition) |
| 3. Concentric | Explosive, dynamic intent up | Force production / acceleration (the drive) |
| Duration | Set each block's length deliberately | Quality per phase; peak the dynamic last |
| General client | Layer tempos + pauses onto normal lifts | Most of the benefit, far simpler |
How to use it: for athletes, run the three blocks in sequence with deliberately set durations, writing the exact tempo and hold into each lift. For general clients, skip the formal blocks and just add controlled eccentrics and brief pauses to normal training. Either way, precision on the tempo is the whole point - check the client is executing it before progressing.
TRIPHASIC BLOCK SEQUENCE (via Coachway) - train the three muscle actions; write the exact tempo/hold so it survives - 1. ECCENTRIC -> slow, controlled lowering (e.g. 4-6s down) | force absorption / deceleration (the brake) - 2. ISOMETRIC -> pause/hold at a key position (e.g. 2-3s) | stabilise and redirect (the transition) - 3. CONCENTRIC -> explosive, dynamic intent up | force production / acceleration (the drive) - DURATION -> set each block's length deliberately | quality per phase; peak the dynamic LAST - GENERAL CLIENT -> layer tempos + pauses onto normal lifts | most of the benefit, far simpler HOW TO USE: For ATHLETES, run the three blocks in sequence (eccentric -> isometric -> concentric) with deliberately set durations, writing the EXACT tempo and hold into each lift. For GENERAL CLIENTS, skip formal blocks - just add controlled eccentrics and brief pauses to normal training. Precision on the tempo is the whole method; confirm the client is executing it before progressing. Train the brake and the pause, not just the drive.
Triphasic Training - FAQ
What is Triphasic Training?
Triphasic Training is a method built around the idea that every dynamic movement has three muscle actions: an eccentric phase (lowering and absorbing force), an isometric phase (the brief transition where you stabilise and redirect), and a concentric phase (producing force and accelerating). Most training only really trains the concentric - the lift up - so Triphasic dedicates blocks to emphasising each phase in turn: an eccentric block, an isometric block, then a dynamic concentric block. Cal Dietz developed it working with collegiate athletes, and the point is to build an athlete who can absorb, stabilise and re-produce force, which is exactly what multi-directional sport demands.
Why train the eccentric and isometric phases, not just the lift?
Because the parts most programs ignore are where a lot of athleticism and durability live. The eccentric phase is deceleration - stopping, landing, changing direction - and an athlete who can't absorb force well is both slower to redirect and more exposed to injury. The isometric phase is the stabilise-and-switch moment between absorbing and producing, which is where force gets redirected into the next action. Training only the concentric builds an athlete who can push but can't brake or transition efficiently. Triphasic deliberately develops all three, so the athlete is complete rather than one-dimensionally 'strong' in the lift.
How long should each Triphasic block last?
Long enough to drive the adaptation for that phase and short enough that the quality stays high before you move on - which is the tuning point the video focuses on. The exact block length depends on the athlete's training age, the calendar and how they respond, so it's a variable to set deliberately rather than a fixed number. The logic matters more than the specific weeks: run an eccentric-emphasis block, then an isometric-emphasis block, then a dynamic block, sequenced so the qualities build on each other and the athlete peaks the dynamic, sport-expressed output when it counts.
Is Triphasic only for elite athletes?
The full block structure is an advanced framework, but the core ideas scale down. For a general client you don't need formal eccentric and isometric blocks - you can capture most of the benefit by layering controlled eccentric tempos and brief pauses (isometrics) onto normal lifts, so they learn to lower under control and stabilise before driving up. Reserve the full triphasic block sequence for athletes who need the sport-specific force qualities and can execute the tempos precisely. Match the complexity to the client: the principle - train the lower and the pause, not just the lift - is useful for almost everyone.
More athletic-development breakdowns
- · Mike Boyle on single-leg training - the lower-body method for multi-directional athletes.
- · Eric Cressey on rotational power - expressing force through sequencing.
- · The full library: fitness creator coaching breakdowns.
Build force you can use
all guidesMike Boyle on Single-Leg Training for Athletes (Coach Breakdown)
Mike Boyle on unilateral training, broken down for coaches: make loaded single-leg strength the primary lower-body method for multi-directional athletes - better sport transfer, exposed asymmetries and lower spinal load than a bilateral back squat.
Read the guideEric Cressey on Rotational Power (Coach Breakdown)
Eric Cressey on why hip-to-shoulder separation - not raw strength alone - unlocks power for rotational-sport athletes, broken down for coaches with how to program the sequencing and ballistic work.
Read the guideStew Smith on Periodizing the Tactical Athlete (Coach Breakdown)
Stew Smith on periodizing the tactical or occupational athlete, broken down for coaches: phase from an aerobic-endurance base into a strength block, emphasising one quality at a time so a broad-capability client peaks for the demand.
Read the guideFree tools for this: One-Rep-Max Calculator · Warm-Up Set Calculator · Protein Calculator
Program the tempo, not just the lift
Triphasic only works if the exact eccentric tempo and isometric hold reach the client. In Coachway you write the tempo and pause into each lift in the workout builder and confirm execution in check-ins, so the method survives contact with a client training alone. Start your 14-day free trial and coach the brake and the pause, not just the drive.
