From an 8-Second Plank to Starting D1 Defensive End as a True Freshman

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December 08, 2025•2 min read
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(The exact 4-year late-bloomer plan that took Deacon Sterna from 165 → 240 lbs and a starting spot before most kids even see the field)

Deacon Sterna at 16, pre-Jungle Athletes training with Coach Greg Almon, Calgary.

Deacon at 16. Just got cut from AAA hockey. Couldn’t do one push-up. Plank collapsed at 8 seconds. Cried in the car the whole way home.

Deacon Sterna 2024 UBC rookie, post-4-year Jungle Athletes transformation.

Same kid at 19. 240 lbs of grown-man muscle. Started every game as a true freshman defensive end. Pro scouts now in the stands.

Same exact kid. Same 3-phase plan. Completely different human.

If your son has ever been told he’s “too small” “too slow” “started too late” or got cut and you watched him cry in the car… …this is the proven late-bloomer blueprint we used with Deacon.

Enter your email right now and I’ll send you the entire 4-year plan —, progressions, exact workouts — 100 % free.

Send Me the Late-Bloomer Plan So My Son Starts (Takes 9 seconds. Zero cost. You’ll have it in your inbox before you finish your coffee.)

Still here? Here’s the full story…

Phase 1 – Fix the Leaks (First 6–9 months) 165 lbs → 180–185 lbs(but now he actually moved like an athlete)

  • Thousands of dead-bugs, bird-dogs, bear crawls, hollow holds

  • Push-up & chin-up ladders until 20-rep sets got boring

  • Single-leg strength so he could finally plant and explode. Core went from wet spaghetti to rebar.

  • This foundation—dead bugs to steel-core—is what we drill into every athlete at Jungle Athletes under Coach Greg Almon's system.

Phase 2 – Turn Him Into a Pass-Rush Nightmare (Senior Year)

One random practice we slid him to defensive end for a single rep. He threw the 300 lb tackle into the QB on rep #1. We never moved him back. Training flipped to violent speed:

  • Trap-bar jumps & KB swings at 60–80 % moved as fast as possible

  • Heavy sled pushes + single-leg work

  • Sprint/decel/change-of-direction volume


Finished high school at 210 lbs and absolutely mean.

Phase 3 – University (True Freshman & Sophomore Year)

We finally took the handbrake off.

Weighted pull-ups, heavy belt squats, thick neck & yoke work — all built on the speed + unbreakable core we gave him. Walked on campus ~220 lbs → started every game as a true freshman → now 240 lbs heading into sophomore year with pro scouts circling.

The Lesson


You do NOT have to be a freak at 14, 15, or even 16.

You DO have to fix the foundation, own your bodyweight, then add violent, velocity-based muscle — in the right order.


Deacon is living proof.


Want the exact 4-year plan that turned a kid who got cut from hockey into a USPORTS starting defensive end as a true freshman at UBC?

It’s yours for free. Just tell me where to send it.


Send Me the Late-Bloomer Plan So My Son Starts For every skinny, shy, or late-bloomer kid who’s been told “you’re too small.” This one’s for you.

– Coach Greg Almon Jungle Athletics Youth Sport Performance

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