There are certain periods throughout the year that athletes may not have frequent access to training facilities to get their strength workouts in. This may be due to athletes being away (e.g., on summer break) or due to frequent sport training that limits time for workouts. For example, college football players are currently starting up …
Early morning workouts have become a staple for collegiate and professional athletes. The main reason why workouts are held so early (i.e., between 5:00 – 8:00 am) is because class schedules make it difficult for the team to train later in the day. In addition, afternoons are typically reserved for practices. Some coaches may even …
Planning resistance training sessions during the competitive season must be done strategically so that players are not too sore or have compromised performance on game day. Resistance training sessions typically fall under one of three categories: strength-based, power-based and hypertrophy-based. Strength-based workouts typically include multiple sets of <5 repetitions with loads >85% of 1RM. Power-based …
Plyometric training is one of the most effective training methods for improving sprinting, jumping and change of direction performance in team-sport athletes. Each of these physical performance qualities utilize the stretch-shortening cycle to harness the elastic properties of muscle and tendon. The neuromuscular adaptation that take place in response to plyometric training enable athletes to …
In practical settings, coaches are interested in knowing what the minimal effective dose of training is to stimulate meaningful improvements in physical performance qualities. In terms of resistance training, doing more than necessary can add unnecessary fatigue, soreness and recovery requirements while taking away from valuable on-field training time. Knowing the minimum volume, intensity and …
Traditionally, most teams would avoid doing any type of resistance training on the day of or before a competition. This is likely because coaches did not want to create any additional muscle damage, soreness or fatigue so that athletes would be feeling fresh and recovered leading into to the game. More recently, research is suggesting that some low volume …
It’s easy for coaches without a background in strength and conditioning to overlook the importance of in-season strength training. Practice time with their athletes is limited and prioritizing technical and tactical work over strength training is quite tempting. However, it’s important for coaches to remember that physical qualities such as maximal strength, underpin performance of …
Elite athletes are a unique population. In many cases, performance-related research conducted with sub-elite athletes may not be applicable to coaches who work with higher level athletes. Some of the factors that separate sub-elite from elite athletes are that the latter can withstand greater training loads and often require them to stimulate adaptation. Additionally, the …
One of the more challenging aspects of programming for strength and power athlete’s is deciding when and how to implement conditioning work. Despite strength and power sports relying quite little on aerobic energy production, having a reasonable base of fitness can offer numerous indirect benefits. For example, more fit athletes will recover faster between sets …
A primary objective in the weight room is to increase maximal strength in our athletes. This is because of the strong link between force production and factors such as performance, resistance to injury and even in limiting recovery time between sessions. Relative strength (i.e., 1RM/body mass) appears to be particularly important for speed and jumping …