WATCH: Table Talk — The Current State of the Fitness Industry
What do you think of the fitness community today and all the shitty gurus on social media?
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.
Strength Training for Young Athletes — Safety, 1RM Testing, Growth Plate...
In this second part, we are going to look at more research regarding 1RM testing and break down multiple falsehoods about why young athletes should not strength train.
Strength Training for Young Athletes — Benefits, Appropriate Starting Ag...
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?
elitefts Classic: How to Set Up A Program — A New Look at Weak Points
I don’t know how many questions we’ve gotten about how to train certain weak points. Of course, almost every question is in regard to a weak muscle group or a certain portion of a lift.
In-Season Training for Football — Don't Lose Off-Season Gains
Your off-season was a huge success. Your athletes gained strength, size, and speed. Here's the challenge: maintain.
Impact — Do You Understand Yours?
I will always push the envelope on the implementation of science into strength training, but there's something even more important to remember about our jobs as coaches.
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.
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.
WATCH: Table Talk — Analyzing Training Methods
The people who really don’t know what the fuck they are doing are the ones that are taking the business from you because you are too wrapped up in the wrong things.
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.”
Logistics of Coaching — Working With What You Have
You can have an amazing battle plan but if you can’t support it with beans and bullets, it’s worthless.
My Weekend of Strength
With a clinic and meet scheduled on back to back days, I was surrounded by influential members of the strength community and made a few discoveries.
How To Get Your Athletes to Buy In
There’s a simple system to getting your athletes on board with your program’s principles and goals. It starts with an acronym — FORM.
How Do We Get to the Steak, Not the Sizzle?
There’s nothing wrong with trying the newest, flashy technique, but if you don’t know how it will help your team, stick to the basics.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in High School and College Weight Rooms
These six missteps of sports training could keep your athletes small and weak — or worse, injured on the sideline.
Culture of the Team: The Hardest Part of Coaching
This problem started to creep up on us several years ago and I only see it getting worse.
Finding Peak Performance in Powerlifting Through Personal Coaching
The key to breaking my long-term training plateau was turning to someone with more knowledge and training experience than me. He knew exactly what I needed.
From The Quote Guy
In an endless flow of meaningless words, latch onto the lessons that challenge your mind and dictate your actions.
Finding Strength: Blind Dog Gym
Located in Lorraine, Ohio, this facility is definitely top notch with more equipment than you can dream of! Past professional Highland Games athlete Mark Valenti is doing things right by providing an outlet for all strength disciplines.
The Dark Side of Coaching: How Secure Is Your Job?
In this profession, you are going to experience career limbo. Sometimes you don’t know where you’re going next — or if you’ll even have a job next season.
Five Rules for Developing Your Career As A Strength Coach
Through a recent trip, I had the privilege of seeking guidance from two coaches I admire and whose knowledge can benefit any young strength coach looking to make their mark in this industry.
The CVASP Podcast: Episode #15 with Dr. Bryan Mann
Honest and open sharing for strength and conditioning coaches brought to you by Central Virginia Sport Performance. Listen!
Meditation for the Coach: Starting the Recovery Process
If you spend all your time in high gear, you need to find a way to downshift. This technique is what works for me.
RMU Strength and Speed Conference Recap
Instead of telling you about the event, I’ll do you a favor: here is an eight-hour video of every presentation.
The Four Steps of Establishing Your Program
The success of your program depends on your ability to balance what your head coach wants to do, what you want to do, and what your team really needs.
The Pyramids of Giza: A Prowler Challenge
This three-part competitive conditioning challenge will leave you searching for a puke bucket. Can you handle it?
Certification Craze: Profession Flaws and Our Responsibility
If we want to get better, if we want to improve the future of our profession, we need to be honest with ourselves. We need to understand and address the real issues.
You Never Know How You'll Find Your First Job
Whatever your plans are for breaking into this industry, forget them. It’s never going to work out how you plan.
16 Methods to Optimize Your Glute Ham Raise
We have known for years that the Glute Ham Raise (GHR) was regarded as one the best movements for the posterior chain (lower back, glutes, hamstrings and calves).
Getting the Most Out of Online Coaching
There are obstacles to overcome for effective online coaching. If you’ve considered working with a coach from a distance, here are the things you’ll need to do for an optimal working relationship.
Dario vs The Deadlift: 100 Pounds in 10 Months
By designing his training program to address each of his technical, mental, and muscular weaknesses, I was able to help Dario claim the record he deserved.
Starting Your Career as a Collegiate Strength Coach
Breaking into this profession is difficult and requires determination and sacrifice but if you’re in it for the right reasons, that won’t be a problem.
Crazy Mistakes Strength Coaches Make
These 10 coaching mistakes can hurt you, your team, and your entire program. Are you making any of them?
Fast and Jacked: Todd Hamer and Casey Williams
Listen to podcast No. 18 as Todd and Casey share air time. Todd and Casey are fast and jacked too.
The Murkiness of High School Prep: Are Collegiate Athletes Prepared?
How prepared are freshmen athletes for the rigors of strength and conditioning at the collegiate level? A recent survey asked this question and the results are in contention.
Stay the Course
I have made the mistake of letting other programs distract me from my own. It is a waste of time and effort and I vow to never do it again.
The Most Important Thing You Can Do As A Strength Coach
It isn’t the squats. It isn’t the cleans, nor the reverse hypers or pull-ups.
Greasing the Groove by Training the Coach
The emphasis is always on the athletes, but keep in mind, in order to be a productive leader, you must go through what you’re asking others to do.
Newtonian Laws in Motion: Physics in the Weight Room
The three laws of motion are the roots of athlete programming. Find out how to apply these rules and improve your athletes.
GPS Tracking in the Real World: My Experiences with American Collegiate ...
GPS tracking for sport’s performance may seem overwhelming at first, but I have found with the right data and tracking methods, proper technology will yield improved performance.
Save a Newbie
Remember all those things you wish you would have known when you started? Maybe we should do more than laugh at the guy across the gym doing machine decline iso-lateral presses.
Fourteen and Broken: The Female Athlete
Discourage injuries through coaching basics that will appropriately prep your athletes for the field and weight room.
101 Ways to Use the OBB Power Handles
Get more out of your standard barbell and dumbbell set by the swivel of a bolt and the tightening of a wing nut. It’s that easy.
Did You Win or Lose the Day?
Build your winning culture the same way you build in the weight room: every session, every set, and every rep leading to game day.
Solving the Summer Challenges of Coaching Collegiate Athletes
With summer programming for athletes, control what you can control and don’t sweat the rest.
Single-Legged and Semi-Functional?
Can proper implementation of unilateral exercise produce healthier, higher-performing athletes?
Have We Lost Trust in Our Foundation?
In your search of what is new and exciting, do not forget the principles that are proven to produce success.
The Responsibilities of a Strength Coach: How Much is Too Much?
With all the new technology for improving athletic performance, strength coaches should remember why they are there in the first place.
Technology In College Football: Using Their Brains To Get More Brawn
From the Stone Age into the Information Age: How College football player's are using their brains to get more brawn.
Lessons from the 2015 CSCCa Conference
In constant strive to get better as a coach and staff, these six things will prove useful.
Are You Consuming, Producing or Engaging?
Proper communication and behavior requires a firm understanding of your surroundings and of those with whom you interact.
7 Tips to Ace Your Interview as an Exercise Science Student
Are you blowing your interview by blowing off your preparation?
What to Expect as a Strength and Conditioning Intern
In this industry, you start at the bottom and work your way up. Level your expectations, respect those who give you the opportunity, and be ready to sacrifice for the profession you love.
LISTEN: 30-Minutes with Dan John
Dan simplifies the complexities of coaching elite and novice lifters.