The Complete 2016 Off-Season Rugby Training Manual
I'm sharing with you the actual manual that I gave my professional athletes prior to departing for their one-month break. This covers all the athletes' needs for staying in shape for the rigors of pre-season training.
Programming 201: The Realistic Strength Program
You can have the holy grail of training programs, but if it doesn't fit your job, it isn't any good.
Identifying Why — 4 Steps to Perfecting Your Program Philosophy
Here are a few steps I have used over the years that have helped me, my staff, and our athletes be on the same page in understanding our purpose.
Programming for the Loose Forwards in Rugby
A loose forward must be one of the fittest players on the field. This requires a specialized approach to the strength and conditioning program.
Strength Training for Young Athletes — Benefits, Appropriate Starting Age, and Lifting Heavy Weight
Telling a kid not to lift but then turning around and having him sprint, cut, and jump in those terms really does sound stupid, doesn’t it?
Using Velocity-Based Training Dynamically
With dynamic effort work, we use the guidelines that Bryan Mann has written about extensively. I've tweaked his approach to fit our small budget and large team setting.
Three Coaching Cues You Need to Avoid
Most coaches rely on verbal internal cues, which may be the least effective. Here are several alternative options to help your athletes.
Unification of Training Stimuli (with Program)
You might call this The Grand Unified Training Theory: attempting to combine the training elements of Olympic lifting, powerlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding into one single training program.
WATCH: The CVASP Podcast — How to Use Vertical Jump Data
Jay DeMayo invites Dr. Mann to discuss power and how strength coaches everywhere can better use information collected through athlete testing.
Which Way Should S&C Go?
As I see it, there are three directions that this profession can go. I know I favor one and I'll explain why.
5 Old School Principles to Hold Onto
If you do not follow these principles in your programming, you are building a house out of sand.
Using The Body Composition Action Chart for Athlete Programming
A player's lean body mass has effect on the optimal mode of programming and dictates the methods you should use to improve athletic performance.
40 Years and 40 Lessons
On my 40th birthday I reflect on the things I learned for each year of my life.
The Dash — What's Your Legacy?
The passing of my father led me to look at myself and think about the kind of legacy I'm going to leave.
Doing What Works
This six-month training block for a young man (program included) explains everything you need for half a year of size and strength gains.
Resume Writing Rules for Strength Coaches
Your resume is your written presentation of you. If you have a bad presentation, it can be assumed that you will not be a good hire. Don't let this happen.
The Mythos of Training Female Athletes
When an argument comes up about training women and the differences, I have a perspective that many of my male colleagues do not: there is no difference.
Communicating Your Vision
How can you sell your vision when it's difficult to score your vision? Start with goals!
Summer Programming — Eliminate the Two Steps Back
You took a step forward and now it's summer. This time of year means nine weeks of strength and conditioning bliss and nine weeks of scheduling, programming and executing our own version of “the master plan.”
A Simple Flow Chart for Athlete Programming
The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how you can analyze the performance of your athlete's to appropriately place them in training groups. By assessing the strengths of each...
Communication in Strength and Conditioning — The Heartbeat of a Successful Program
With your athletes and with your staff, communication is all you have for keeping everyone on the same page. If you won't talk to them, you won't understand them, and your program will fail.
Armour Plating the Upper Body and Power Training the Lower Body
Since I first began lifting weights at the age of 15 at the American Health Spa in Brookvale, a northern beaches suburb of Sydney, Australia, I have tried programs by...
To Split or Not to Split: The Athlete-Training Question
Bodybuilders are known for splitting weekly training into specific body parts per day. Will the same approach work for athletes?