If it is worth anything to you or anyone, it is worth signing your name to it.
In a previous article I discussed preferential biases. As you mature as a trainer, you keep the best of what you know and it forms the basis for your philosophy of training. But a good coach does not allow his or her individual training preferences to adversely influence the training programs for those in performance sports.
The best example of a programming preferential bias that I have ever seen was when I attended a conference and listened to a speaker from a prestigious university where the basketball program was first class. The speaker outlined the program and I was amazed to see that it covered every angle of the chest as if it were for a world class bodybuilder. Even then, as a very young strength and conditioning coach, I was taken aback as to how this would translate into basketball performance. Then I saw the speaker by the pool a day or two later, and realized that the basketball players were simply doing what he was doing himself — massive defined pecs. So the players were playing good basketball in spite of what the program was focussing on in the weight room.
RECENT: Big Is a Byproduct of Strong
Programming signatures mature with training age, as your personal signature changes over time so does make up of your programs, but they are always recognizable by the content and style that you put into each program you write. For example, I would think you could sum my programming signature up as:
- No two exercises for the same movement category would use the same type of implement to train that movement.
- Each exercise in a movement category will be programmed using a different loading pattern, which is based on the priority of the exercise in the training sequence.
- Loaded core work will dominate over unloaded core movements.
Whilst my assistant at Edinburgh Rugby, Marc Keys, when asked the question of defining his programming signature gave this:
- Traditional exercises dominate over all others.
- Three-week loading patterns.
- Cyclical programming progression.
- Assistance work is always in hypertrophy loading zones.
Call it a philosophy or a programming signature but as the old saying goes, “If you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything”
As a rugby strength coach I employ a conjugate method of strength training specifically because the game of rugby is a hybrid sport where, speed/strength, strength/speed, maximal strength, position specific hypertrophy, isometric and yielding strength as well as strength endurance are all essential in the development of the player for the modern game. My previous programming signature was built around the Rule of 24, which was originally as set out in the table below. This was my go-to set-up for most programming I did, but I feel with time a more rounded approach that I now employ has been far more positive in regards performance improvement outcomes.
I would now still utilise the Rule of 24 is programming but would vary it depending on what I was trying to achieve, based around the work of Louie Simmons I would look at a speed/power day as being:
Whilst if I was training for strength as the primary goal the zones would be:
Finally if the purpose of the training was more hypertrophy focused I would use the following ranges:
But I would most probably look at increasing the overall volume in this type of training by increasing the number of exercises and frequently super setting antagonistic movements.
The program below is the way I would have used to program using the Rule24. It is an off-season plan for use on a five-session a week plan — of course any combinations could be used. The exercise selection is based on the integration of Olympic, powerlifting, strongman and traditional weight training movements. The workout time is approximately 45 minutes; get in, train hard, get out, recover, and gain the benefits.
Exercise One each day is either 12 x 2 or 8 x 3. Exercise Two each day is either 6 x 4 or 4 x 6. Exercise Three each day is either 4 x 6 or 3 x 8. Exercise Four each day is either 3 x 8 or 2 x 12.
It is often very enlightening to see how your programming changes over time and what influences you at various stages of your career, and more importantly what stands the test of time and becomes your individual programming signature.
1) Building a base level of strength through basic exercises
2) Including pre-hab work in all programmes - specific to the individual (rotator cuffs, AJ lower body prehab/rehab)
3) Address movement planes used in the particular sporting arena and programme accordingly
4) Adjust rep range of assistance work according to the training phase
1. Barbells rule
2. Always include something "fun" (whatever that means for the athlete)
3. Program for improvement (especially true for young athletes)
4. Keep hypertrophy for the assistance lifts
1. Movement quality beats movement quantity
2. Getting stronger improves almost everything else
3. Build a better athlete, better all-round athletes will be better at their chosen sport
4. Fit rehab / prehab type movements into rest periods between sets of compound lifts.
With this programming in off season what do you preconize for the field offseason?
In the morning weight room? and the afternoon the field?, bernard
Monday- speed then lower body weights in the morning, field work & conditioning in the afternoon
Tuesday - upper body weights, skill work in the morning, field work & conditioning and repeat on Thursday and Friday withy Wednesday as a re-charge day, cheers ashley
My signature would be :
1/ using king lifts and their variations
2/ keep it simple and smart periodization (sets & reps schemes)
3/ using all movement families/patterns in a micro-cycle
4/ working on each intensity zone of the strength-speed curve in a micro-cycle
Cheers, Fred
2: Quality over quantity.
3: Olympic lifts if only ABSOLUTELY necessary. (Med balls/ sandbags work just fine for increases in rate of force development)
4:Make regeneration/ deload days a priority not an option.