“The Patch” (registered trademark by Pete Egoscue and The Egoscue Method) is a very unique obstacle course with drills designed to enhance all areas of fitness. You name it, you can train it on the patch… cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy are all required during a workout on the patch. For those that are unfamiliar with the patch, it’s basically a combination of plyometrics, Parkour, gymnastics, military obstacle course, and, as Coach Mike Burgener calls them, body-hardening drills”. Later in this article you’ll see just a small sample of what you can do on the patch.

As a college strength & conditioning coach, the big plus of training on the patch for me is these exercises bridge the gap between strength gained in the weight room and the strength that athlete will need to use in their sport. On the patch, the athletes not only gain strength but they also learn to use that strength in a functional way and learn how to control their bodies. The patch helps teach them how to put to use the strength and power gained from Olympic lifts and squats done in the weight room.

I first discovered the patch while reading some of Pete Egoscue’s material while working on my master’s degree. Once I moved to California, I knew I had to check out the Egoscue clinic down in San Diego and get some hands on experience with the patch. My first visit I fell in love with the patch and the training done on it. I knew I had to find a way to get one on my own campus. Then when Coach Burgener beat me to the punch by having on installed at his high school I was even more determined to get the project done at UC Riverside. Finally, thanks to many people, but especially UCR Athletic Director Stan Morrison, we were able to have one built by patch expert Danny Wright and his Fast Aggressive Sports Technologies company in March 2007.

Along with what will be visibly obvious from the following video clips, the patch really works the abs, low back, and is unparalleled in the shoulder stability work it offers. For athletes in baseball, softball, tennis, swimming, volleyball, etc., the shoulder stability work alone is worth the workout.





There is some great psychological training going on here as well. There is a certain amount of fear (very justified and for my job security reasons, we have chosen to edit out that footage) associated with some of the drills. Overcoming that fear, gaining confidence, and just plain being tougher are some of the mental improvements I’ve seen our athletes make on the patch. Life is all about getting back up when you fall down, finding a way to overcome obstacles you never thought you could get past, and eventually having the ability to take those obstacles in stride. The patch teaches those very real life lessons in a tangible, physical way.

The Workout

Lateral Hurdle-unders
Basic hip mobility/flexibility drill

Lunge-unders
Hindu pushup + crawl-through
Getting the upper body & low back warmed up

Step-up & land
On our drills we place an emphasis on landing properly. The goal is to land with soft/quite feet in the athletic position with a lot of give by the hips, knees, & ankles. The ability to make this your natural landing pattern will reduce injuries to the knees, ankles, and back.

Jump up & land
Again quiet and soft and in proper position.

Over the stumps

Lateral bear crawl & dismount

Lateral crab crawl & dismount

Forward bear crawl & dismount

Side shuffle

Stork walk

Donkey kicks

Hip-ups

Over the vaults + decline pushups

Speed runs

There are literally hundreds of other drills you can do but this is our basic routine at UCR for now!

After watching the video clips you may be thinking to yourself, “I can do that in my own backyard.” Yes you can! That’s the point—take hat nature has given you or what the local park has to offer and find a way to train. Get back to your childhood where the line between play and functional training was blurred. Another great thing about the patch is everyone can do these exercise—everyone can find a way to get over a vault or onto a stump. Everyone from world-class athletes to unathletic fatties can do this stuff.

An added bonus for P.E. teachers & coaches is it is so simple to teach. It is much easier to teach than a deadlift, squat, or snatch. There should be a patch at every high school in America. The patch and CrossFit is what every PE program should look like, but that’s a whole other article.

The patch is simple, effective, functional, and fun! If you’re ever in the neighborhood, you’re invited to come watch one of our teams train on it, or, if you’re game, I’ll even put you through the paces!