Seventeen-year-old Gordon Whyte has been an advocate of the Athlete Activation System for three years. When Whyte first joined Laylor Performance Systems, he found Clance Laylor’s methods to be quite different than the usual offseason workout. Whyte sat down with Peter Ingleton to detail his growth as an athlete thanks to AAS and Clance Laylor.

Tell me a little about yourself?

My name is Gordon Whyte and I am a middle linebacker at St.Michael’s College School. This Fall I will be playing football for St. Francis Xavier in Nova Scotia.

How did you first learn of Laylor Performance Systems?

I heard about Laylor Performance Systems through one of Clance’s

[Owner; Head of Strength and Conditioning/Performance] clients whom works together with my father, and we came two years ago to meet with Clance himself. This will be my third summer.

What was your first impression of the Athlete Activation System that LPS uses?

It was different, at the start, I did not know what the snatch and clean were for example. Once I started to understand how it transfers to the field and how much better and explosive I became, it was great.

Do you enjoy the atmosphere at LPS?

The atmosphere is so great. You can come in one day and not feeling like working out, but once you’re in the gym warming up, you have the music, everyone in their is pumping you up and working around you!

What have you learned from your time at LPS?

I have learned alot! All about explosiveness, and how movements like the squat and clean  work to create strength and power on the field. It is really understanding how all of the little things contribute so much to your body and game.

Do you feel that you’re training a lot different than other guys your age?

For sure, when I came into school and we had fitness testing, there was a component where we had to perform cleans and 90% of the players could not perform the movement or did not have the right technique.

Did you feel like that made a difference for you?

That was a big difference maker for me. People were surprised, and did not understand what I was doing when they would walk by me in the gym, saying “what is he doing?” and want to learn more about how to perform the movements.

Would you believe that you’re at a higher level than others at your age as a result?

Yes, there are only 4 members of the team who are moving onto post-secondary football programs.

Do you believe your experience training here has helped you significantly?

Oh yes, most importantly, my explosiveness! Once I train here in the summer and come back to football, I feel much more powerful coming out of my stance and making tackles.

What are some other areas that have improved in your performance?

Speed has improved a lot. I came in fairly slow a year ago, as I ran a 5.0 flat 40-yd dash time, so we really worked on that throughout the past school year that I have been training here. Also, my flexibility has improved greatly.

What aspects of your training do you feel will transfer most to your sport?

Power and explosiveness, coming out of my stance, when I am blitzing to hit the line, and engaging blockers. From the time that the snap counts to me getting to the ball carrier is important.

Do you feel that your time training here has contributed to that?

Absolutely, I even feel that taking hits is a lot easier as well! I feel that I can take a lot more hits because my body and legs are a lot stronger. From working so hard here, it makes that difference when getting back up and making a play.

So you feel a lot more resilient?

Of course.

Personally, what is the most important exercise for you at this time?

I would say the clean. It works on getting under the bar faster, exploding from the ground up. The jerk also helps to develop my explosiveness and strength and getting the bar overhead.

What are some of your performance numbers in terms of max lifts?

My max snatch is 103 kg, my clean is 127 kg, and my jerk is 130 kg.

What are your typical heavy days in the gym for your back squat or front squat?

I have performed 155kg for 6 repetitions on my back squat.

How big a difference will your training at LPS will make to your performance this season?
Coming into my first year, it will be the difference between the offensive linemen in high school versus in University because they are a lot bigger and stronger. I feel that my strength coming out of this gym will help me a lot more in comparison to other first year players. I feel that I will make more of an impression with being aggressive and fighting hard to get out of the box and getting to the ball carrier. I feel that I will be a lot more prepared in my first year!