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Hamstring injuries are a common occurrence in athletics, representing the most common cause of lost training and playing time in running-based sports.¹ Hamstring injuries also have a fairly high recurrence rate, with 1 in 5 athletes re-injuring their hamstring after the initial injury.¹ These injuries typically occur during high speed running and sprinting, as commonly seen in field sports such as soccer and American football.

Return to sport times vary by individual, with some athletes returning within a matter of days and some athletes taking multiple months to get back. The time it takes to return to sport is influenced by a multitude of factors beyond just physical characteristics, but this article will focus on loading and strengthening the hamstrings.

From Compliance to Resilience

Part of the rehab process with any muscle injury is, at some point, to apply load directly to the muscle to stress the specific tissue and create adaptations to facilitate healing and better prepare the system to encounter the stresses of sport. One exercise that has gained a lot of popularity in the realm of hamstring injuries is the Nordic hamstring exercise. One meta-analysis found that utilizing the Nordic hamstring exercise alone or in combination with injury prevention programs could reduce hamstring injury rates in soccer players by up to 51% compared to teams that did not include it.²

Utilizing the Nordic hamstring exercise alone or in combination with injury prevention programs could reduce hamstring injury rates in soccer players by up to 51%. Share on X

A key component of these interventions, however, is compliance; meaning, we actually have to do the interventions to get the effect. One study found compliance of above 50.1% of performing exercises targeting the hamstrings had a positive effect on future hamstring injury, and when compliance was above 75.1%, this resulted in a further risk reduction of future hamstring injury.³ This is another reason why the Nordic hamstring exercise can be so beneficial: because it is easy to implement and has been shown to be effective.

With any rehab, we aim to get back to the individual’s goal activity—which in the context of a hamstring injury is often a sport that involves sprinting such as soccer or American football. Is the Nordic hamstring exercise enough to finish up rehab and send the athlete back to their sport? Or is there more that can be done?

Where Sprinting Comes In

One study assessed hamstring muscle activity and force production in various exercises compared with sprinting. Exercises including the Nordic hamstring exercise and isometric upright hip extension were similar in force production to sprinting, but they were not able to reach similar EMG activity of the hamstrings as the ones induced by sprinting.⁴ None of the exercises tested, including the Nordic hamstring exercise, induced >60% of the maximal hamstring EMG activity compared to maximal sprinting.⁴

Another study compared a Nordic hamstring group, a sprint group, and a control group that just participated in regular soccer activities. Both the Nordic and the sprint group showed improvements in hamstring (biceps femoris specifically) fascicle length with better adaptations noted in the sprint group; the sprint group also improved in both sprint mechanics and performance, whereas the Nordic group did not.⁵ Maximal sprinting activities appear to be the best way to achieve high muscle activity in the hamstrings and allows neuromuscular adaptations to occur during sprinting.

Maximal sprinting activities appear to be the best way to achieve high muscle activity in the hamstrings. Share on X

When we start to search online, it is hard to know if we should “just do Nordics” or sprint to reduce the risk of sustaining a hamstring injury, but we do not have to dichotomize this. Both can be incorporated along a progression to ultimately return athletes back to high speed sprinting and sport. The Nordic hamstring exercise is a key component of hamstring injury rehab and injury risk reduction, but it appears that sprinting may provide other benefits as well:

1. Hamstring muscle activity; sprinting appears to be the exercise that loads the hamstrings the most and therefore is essential to incorporate into the return to sport process after a hamstring injury.
2. Due to the nature of hamstring injuries, which are typically locomotive in nature (or performed while the athlete is running), sprinting is a task-specific, locomotive intervention to strengthen the hamstrings and also work on neuromuscular control during high-speed running.
3. Sprinting is specific to the athlete’s goal to return to their sport and is an integral component of performing in their sport.
4. Performing sprints in the return to sport process can address potential psychosocial barriers such as fear of re-injury during sprinting, as this is likely the action that led to their injury, and it helps them maintain their identity as an athlete by performing high speed running during the rehab process.

The Nordic hamstring exercise is a key component of hamstring injury rehab and injury risk reduction. Share on X

Beyond the Sprints

While this article is very pro sprinting, what it is not is anti-Nordics or any other hamstring strengthening exercises. Exercises like bridge variations, hip extensions, RDLs, and Nordics are key components of hamstring injury rehab. It is beneficial to utilize the Nordic hamstring exercise as a bridge for hamstring strengthening/loading, but it is essential to incorporate sprint work which integrates hamstring strength into locomotion to adequately prepare the athlete for return to sprinting and return to field/court sports that require sprinting.

As a loading progression for the hamstrings during the rehab process, we want to start with lower threshold exercises within an athlete’s capacity during the process of their hamstring injury. The extent of the hamstring injury will determine the athlete’s starting point during rehab. Thus, a thorough assessment should be performed to individualize the program to the athlete and the context of their unique injury.

The extent of the hamstring injury will determine the athlete’s starting point during rehab. Share on X

A simple, general progression for loading the hamstrings would initiate with upright hip extensions and double leg bridge exercises with the knees bent and progress to double leg bridges with less knee flexion to bias the hamstrings. From there we can progress into single leg bridges to increase loading on one side. Then we can progress into Nordics and RDLs to increase the intensity and magnitude of loading on the hamstrings. And finally, we can then initiate a return to sprinting program with shorter distance accelerations first and increase the intensity, volume, and distance of the sprints to reach higher velocities and load the hamstrings further. There are other appropriate interventions and components to incorporate into a full, holistic program, but that is beyond the scope of this article.

Final Thoughts

Physical therapists, athletic trainers, strength coaches, sport coaches, and anyone who is working with athletes after a hamstring injury must not end the rehab without exposure to sprinting or we will likely continue to see high re-injury rates with hamstring muscle injuries.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

References

1. Bourne MN et al. An Evidence-Based Framework for Strengthening Exercises to Prevent Hamstring Injury. Sports Med (2018); 48: 251-267.

2. Al Attar WSA et al. Effect of Injury Prevention Programs that Include the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Injury Rates in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med (2017); 47: 907-916.

3. Ripley JN et al. The Effect of Exercise Compliance on Risk Reduction for Hamstring Strain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses. International Journal of Environmental and Public Health (2021); 18, 11260.

4. Prince C. et al. Sprint Specificity of Isolated Hamstring-Strengthening Exercises in Terms of Muscle Activity and Force Production. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living (2021); 2:609636.

5. Mendiguchia J. et al. Sprint versus isolated eccentric training: Comparative effects on hamstring architecture and performance in soccer players. PLoS ONE (2020); 15(2): e0228283.

With the passing years, I’ve realized that percentage-based training continues to play less of a role in my programs; yet my athletes still get stronger and build muscle. Not that there is anything wrong with percentage-based training, but I feel it’s a waste of time to spend a whole training session on determining 1–2 numbers when we could spend that time instead focused on training.

However, I find having athletes pick their own weights to be a real hit-or-miss scenario, and it takes them too long to really understand what a light to heavy load at a certain rep scheme feels like. I still want athletes to have numbers to reference and be able to collect data over time rather than a couple times a year. This is where APRE hit my radar—I consider it an effective tool that solves problems and allows athletes to constantly push themselves with either more weight or more reps.

In addition, this program incorporates an autoregulatory component, which helps drive individualization for large groups.

I consider APRE an effective tool that solves problems and allows athletes to constantly push themselves with either more weight or more reps, says @Mccharles187. Share on X

What Is APRE?

If you are not familiar with APRE, it is an acronym created by Bryan Mann that stands for autoregulatory progressive resistance exercise. With APRE, you incorporate the barbell back squat, bench press, and deadlift and perform two warm-up sets and two working sets for each exercise performed on separate days (e.g., Back Squat Monday, Bench Press Wednesday, and Deadlift Friday).

There are three phases of APRE that coordinate with a certain rep range depending on your goals for the athletes: APRE 10 (10-rep range between 65% and 75% of 1RM), APRE 6 (6-rep range between 75% and 85% of 1RM), and APRE 3 (3-rep range between 85% and 95% of 1RM). APRE 10 is used for work capacity and hypertrophy, APRE 6 is used for hypertrophy and strength, and APRE 3 is used for heavy strength focus. (You can find the APRE book here.)

How to Perform APRE Training

You can incorporate these phases for 3–8 weeks before moving on to the next phase or using a different program. First, the athletes perform two warm-up sets. Second, on the first working set, athletes perform as many reps as possible at the designated rep max (10RM, 6RM, or 3RM) based on whether you are using APRE 10, 6, or 3 (75%, 85%, 93%, respectively). Depending on how many reps you perform, the reps completed will determine whether you decrease, increase, or keep the same weight for your second working set using the APRE chart.

On the last working set (this should be your fourth set at this point), you perform as many reps as possible again with your adjusted weight and record both the weight and the reps. How many reps you performed on set 4 will help you determine how to adjust your first working set the next time you perform that exercise using the same APRE chart. Here is the APRE chart as a reference:

Using APRE this way allows you to adjust the weight each training day and the following session to ensure you are hitting the desired rep ranges at optimal volume and intensity. Once you teach it to your athletes the first week, you can have them record their own data, allow them to keep pushing for new goals, and watch their weight or reps climb. From there, they can see immediate results from the program, which then builds buy-in much faster.

This becomes important in large group settings because you’d most likely be able to record smaller groups yourself, but a large group may prove inefficient to get through everybody in a timely fashion. If you can teach your athletes to record their own data and have leaders hold the team accountable, you can focus on watching the reps and making sure proper technique is always utilized.

How I Use APRE

While I was the strength coach at Western Technical College and training the baseball team, I decided to try APRE with my athletes and was amazed at how successful this program was. After a four-week technical and work capacity block to ensure the team could move effectively and perform the main movements with good technique, I started with APRE 10 for three weeks:

• Mondays we back squatted.
• Wednesdays we deadlifted and dumbbell bench pressed.
• Fridays we did barbell split squats (though I didn’t use APRE for this, as it is not designed for unilateral movements).

After warm-ups and plyometrics, we would go right to the first main movement of the day and perform three warm-up sets. (I didn’t want my athletes making huge jumps in weight between the two warm-ups and the first working set, so I added an extra one.) Then, we did our two working sets using APRE as the guide to adjust the weight.

The first step was teaching the athletes what the system was and how to execute it correctly. I explained that you perform three warm-ups sets and two working sets, increasing the weight to work up to a 10-rep max (we are in APRE 10) on the first working set. Based on the reps performed on that first working set, refer to the chart (I put the APRE chart on their workout card) to adjust the last working set and perform as many reps as possible with good technique, leaving 1-2 reps left in the tank—I didn’t want them going to failure and potentially hurting themselves. Then, they needed to write down the weight and reps performed on that last set to reference the following week.

I was able to successfully implement APRE without an estimated training max for any of the athletes to reference and used the first week to set the baseline and adjust the weight from there. Share on X

After the first week, my athletes understood how the system worked and had no problems obtaining good data, which they wrote on their workout card every session we used APRE. I was able to successfully implement APRE without an estimated training max for any of the athletes to reference and used the first week to set the baseline and adjust the weight from there.

Every week, I would see 5- to 10-pound increases from the prior week, or the athletes were able to perform 2–6 more reps of the same weight. Technically, you’re not supposed to use APRE on dumbbell movements, but I tried it with the dumbbell bench press after deadlifts because we lacked the space and equipment to do the barbell bench press. From what I saw, it works just fine, and I didn’t run into any issues when using APRE 10 in this instance; however, always be cautious when adjusting a program in ways it wasn’t designed for.

I did not get the chance to try it with APRE 6 or APRE 3, as I moved on to another job before I was able to do so. You are also not supposed to do APRE with more than one movement per training day, but based on how I set up my program, I ended up doing APRE deadlift and APRE dumbbell bench press on the same day because I wanted Wednesday to be a high-intensity day—this left Friday as a lower-intensity day, as I was following a daily undulated pattern. Because I used dumbbell bench press instead of the barbell version, it was less strenuous and more manageable to perform after doing APRE on deadlifts. In short:

• Monday (moderate intensity): APRE back squat.
• Wednesday (high Intensity): APRE deadlift and APRE dumbbell bench press.
• Friday (lower intensity): no APRE, using a standard set and rep scheme (4x10e) on the barbell split squat and letting the players decide the appropriate weight.

After doing APRE on the main movements, we would move on to accessory movements using regular set and rep schemes. Each day was still a total body lift three times per week. Every workout had a squat, hinge, upper press, and upper pull, and mobility work. All I essentially did was add APRE to the main movements of the day and keep the accessory work simple.

This was another factor that helps with large groups, because I didn’t want to completely change my program and wanted to merge APRE into what we were already doing. This made it easier to teach large groups what to do since they had the workout structure down. I just needed to teach the set and rep schemes and structure of APRE to our main movements.

A tip with large groups is to pair your exercises. I paired my APRE movements with our accessory work to have built-in recovery and get through the training sessions faster, says @Mccharles187. Share on X

Another tip with large groups is to pair your exercises. I paired my APRE movements with our accessory work to have built-in recovery and get through the training sessions faster. We always focused on getting out of the gym within an hour. Workout structure example:

Day 1:

Warm-ups: Dynamic Warm-up

Plyometrics:

A1. Upper Body Plyo with Medball

A2. Lower body Plyo

Strength:

B1. APRE 10 Back Squat

B2. Upper Body Pull (Chin-ups/Pull-ups, Lat-Pull downs, etc.)

B3. Lower Body Mobility

C1. Upper Body Press (either as double or single arm)

C2. Upper Body Shoulder Prehab/Rehab exercise (Being baseball players, I wanted to add shoulder work here to prevent injuries and keep them loose and fresh.)

C3. Upper Body Mobility (focused on thoracic mobility here)

D1. Hinge

D2. Core

D3. Lower Body Mobility

Finish with Grip/Wrist Work.

6 Reasons Why It Works

1. Volume: This program is very volume focused; therefore, it provides a strong training stimulus to achieve adaptions.

2. Athletes push themselves harder: Since the athletes know what they did the week before, they now have a weight to “beat” or can use that same weight and try to do more reps than the previous week.

3. Daily and weekly data: Instead of having a 1-rep max that they may have done weeks or months ago, I always have data from the latest weight and reps to know where my athletes are at for each training session.

4. Autoregulation: Because this program constantly adjusts for each athlete, every athlete will always hit the optimal volume and intensity every session. If they are having a bad day, we take off weight; if the iron is hot and their CNS is fresh, we add on weight and push the athlete.

Once you teach APRE to the athletes, the program essentially runs itself, and you can focus on making sure technique is optimal for the movements. This is huge for doing this in large groups. Share on X

5. Athletes can do it themselves: Once you teach APRE to the athletes, the program essentially runs itself, and you can focus on making sure technique is optimal for the movements. This is huge for doing this in large groups because it would be extremely difficult to write down and keep tabs on 20+ athletes by yourself and get out of the gym within an hour. College kids are smart enough to learn APRE and utilize it themselves, which is awesome to let them have more say in their training.

6. The program adds another invisible coach in the room: Because the program helps athletes adjust weight, you essentially have another coach in the room to ensure the right weight is being used.

When to Use APRE

I use this program when I’m working with people who are looking to add size as their main goal. This is essentially a great hypertrophy program with a bit of strength added in, so if you need your athletes or clients to get bigger and stronger, this is the program to use. I would recommend doing this program early in the off-season because the training volume is extremely high for both APRE 10 and APRE 6, and it therefore creates high fatigue.

You could use APRE 3 in the preseason or even in-season if you play your cards right, but I’d be hesitant because this program does fry the athlete’s CNS quite a bit. So, if they have a big game or competition, I’d recommend doing APRE 3 at least two days before competition to allow time to recover. For example, if they have a game or competition Friday, you can run APRE 3 on Monday or Tuesday, at the latest. If that is not possible, I would lean toward using other methods to keep your athletes fresh, as competition should always take priority.

APRE is essentially a great hypertrophy program with a bit of strength added in, so if you need your athletes or clients to get bigger and stronger, this is the program to use, says @Mccharles187. Share on X

Also, keep in mind that this program is for athletes who know how to properly perform the back squat, deadlift, and bench press with good technique. If your athletes are still learning how to perform these lifts, I’d wait to use APRE until they become proficient in those exercises to get the full benefit. APRE is a tool in the toolbox—only use it when it’s the right tool for you and your athletes.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

When I started this article, it wasn’t specific to the high school setting. But then I realized most of my career has been specialized in high school—a fact I take great pride in—and there are unique insights only those of us in this field can share. What I have to say may help prepare or deter you from pursuing the high school avenue. Either way, my hope is to help.

Coaching high school isn’t for everybody, and strength and conditioning isn’t for everybody. Before you fill yourself with unrealistic dreams or saturate your transcript with kinesiology credits, please read on.

Coaching high school isn’t for everybody, and S&C isn’t for everybody. Before you fill yourself with unrealistic dreams or saturate your transcript with kinesiology credits, please read on. Share on X

For some background and context on my coaching path, I completed two collegiate internships, one while in graduate school and the other post. Between and during the two, I worked as a personal trainer, physical therapy technician, and lifeguard. I moved across the country from Alabama to California and in a span of five years only had one full-time job. It took five years post graduate school to get the position I have today.

This may resonate with you, or it may not, but I hope these insights provide some realistic guidance to help you navigate this turbulent sea we call strength and conditioning.

1. Know YOUR why.
2. Get certified to teach.
3. Bet on yourself.
4. Train anyone you can.
5. Know how to freestyle.
6. Be prepared to be a staff of one.
7. Make the most of less than ideal.
8. Teach and do other duties as assigned.
9. Prepare for parents and principals.
10. Reap the rewards.

1. Know YOUR Why

On a surface level, strength and conditioning sounds fun. And it is. Wearing athleisure every day, working in a weight room, experiencing success on multiple levels, building relationships—there are numerous reasons it’s a fun and fulfilling career. However, if you don’t approach this field with honest intentions and a servant attitude, the journey will be fraught with more than just the standard challenges.

There’s no part or room for selfishness in coaching. Coaching is a service, and coaching is not about the coach. If you’re reading this and your reasons for wanting to be a strength coach stem from anything other than wanting to help people, you need to reconsider your path right now.

If your reasons for wanting to be a strength coach stem from anything other than wanting to help people, you need to reconsider your path right now, says @rachelkh2. Share on X

Nobody can decide your why for you. This is something you must know, and it’s the something that will drive you to get up every morning. And yes, it will be early. Your why is your intention, which is everything.

The field of strength and conditioning is saturated with applicants, and before you spend thousands on a degree that may not benefit you—or before you quit your day job—please scrutinize your why.

2. Get Certified to Teach

At the very least, find out if certification is required in your state. In Texas, where I’m located, certification is required. I don’t teach any classes, but I’m thankful I became certified before applying because I met all the minimum requirements from the start.

Don’t let something like this be the reason another candidate is hired over you. You could be the best candidate on paper, but if someone else is already certified, admin doesn’t have to wait on a contingency. 

3. Bet on Yourself

You must rely on yourself for everything. As I’ve worked and reflected on my career, I’ve realized the most valuable lessons were the ones I learned on my own. They weren’t taught in a lecture or discussed during an internship. Nobody sat me down and gave me a lesson on any single one of them.

This not to say my internships and learning experiences weren’t crucial in my development— they were. But at some point, I decided to trust that I could be my own teacher, and I had to chart my own course. Nobody will do that for you. You can put the entire alphabet after your name and do some internships at championship schools, but in the end, you have to take responsibility for the outcomes you strive to achieve.

You can put the entire alphabet after your name and do some internships at championship schools, but in the end, you must take responsibility for the outcomes you strive to achieve. Share on X

Betting on yourself requires confidence, and there are a lot of ways to build it. For me, confidence was developed by having an open mind and being open to learning. I love textbooks and learning about science. But my real education came from hours and hours of reading articles and books written by actual strength coaches.

My advice to you is to read about all the training methods you can and go down rabbit holes on topics that interest you. Take notes, record your thoughts, and have discussions to build practical knowledge. Form your own thoughts and reasons about what you think and why. This is where true confidence comes from, and confidence (not arrogance) is critical if you’re going to bet on yourself.

4. Train Anyone You Can

This absolutely means populations who aren’t athletes. I trained one athlete the entire time I worked as a personal trainer. The rest were a diverse pool ranging from a middle-aged male looking to gain muscle to a nurse who worked nights and wanted to explore strength training as a potential sleep aid. I trained people who needed to lose weight, people who just wanted to feel better, and people who had specific goals, like benching 225.

Was it exactly what I wanted to be doing? No. But it was practice, and it was a step in the direction I wanted to go. If you want to be a strength coach and are not currently training people, this is probably the point I’d emphasize the most.

Working with a diverse population provides a diverse set of problems and an opportunity to create a diverse set of solutions. If you want to specialize in training athletic populations, it’s imperative you develop your latitude as a coach by building your abilities. In other words, fill your toolbox with options.

The strength and conditioning community preaches ad nauseum the importance of the multisport athlete, but the same concept gets little attention when it comes to our career field. Find a way to train regular people and broaden your ability to coach, communicate, and problem-solve.

5. Know How to Freestyle

Freestyling is my less-boring term for critical thinking. By this, I mean be prepared to write workouts that may seem unorthodox or don’t follow a popular periodization scheme. Be able to take what you know (see point 4) and piece it together to make it work for your specific situation. Trying to implement someone else’s program or scheme in your house is like trying to use a roadmap of Texas in Virginia.

A qualified strength coach is one who is secure enough to implement what’s best for the given situation. Freestyling calls for an understanding of different methods and exercises or sometimes no method at all. It’s simply the ability to get the job done in a way that won’t hurt or hinder the athlete.

There are a lot of reasons you need to be comfortable with this concept. Resources, equipment, and space are three, which I’ll touch on later. But the impact of club sports is probably the biggest reason. It does depend on where you’re located, but in certain states, like Texas, club sports will (or should) strongly influence how you train your kids. As an example, from January to May, a handful of my volleyball players do not squat with me because they check that box at their club workouts.

When an athlete tells me Tuesday morning that she did back squats 5×8 the previous night, it would be harmful to subject her to more of the same. It doesn’t matter what I want to do or what would be ideal. Ideal only exists in textbooks, so don’t expect to find it in athletics at any level.

Be secure enough to stray from the conventional, and freestyle to meet the needs of your specific situation. The talking heads of strength and conditioning aren’t the ones making a daily impact on your athletes. Do right by your athletes; that’s all that matters. 

6. Be Prepared to Be a Staff of One

You’re going to wear multiple hats as a high school strength coach. I don’t know of an area more concentrated with high school strength coaches than the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, and we’re all a staff of one. What I’m about to say may seem insulting or silly, but there are a few things to consider when it’s just you:

1. Equipment maintenance will be your responsibility, and you should understand how to use basic tools like screwdrivers and Allen wrenches. You should also be knowledgeable and familiar with different equipment brands. Understanding equipment and how to assemble or disassemble it is part of the job. The flow and function of your room will depend on it.
2. Cleaning the weight room will fall directly on your shoulders. There isn’t a staff to divvy up chores. Sweeping, vacuuming, wiping down, and organizing will be part of your weekly tasks. Of course, you can employ the kids, but if you’ve only got 30 minutes twice a week to train, cleaning probably isn’t the best use of anyone’s time.
3. Continuing education will only happen on your initiative. This one is hard because you don’t have a staff of other coaches sitting next to you, pushing you to get better. There are no staff development meetings, and you will most pay for continuing education out of your own pocket.

Being your own boss and doing things exactly how you want to do them is great but holding yourself accountable and answering “why?” to yourself are critical components for success, says @rachelkh2. Share on X

Owning this role can be challenging, especially if you’re coming from the collegiate setting. Being your own boss and doing things exactly how you want to do them is great but holding yourself accountable and answering “why?” to yourself are critical components for success.

7. Make the Most out of Less Than Ideal

There are numerous ways to make my point with this, but suffice it to say, nothing will be ideal. As I said previously, ideal only exists in textbooks. You’ll have sport coaches who doubt you and club sports to contend with, you may have no budget, you may have a class with regular kids and athletes, and the list goes on.

I’ve been nothing but fortunate in the seven years I’ve held this role. I started with a room that was barely 1,000 square feet with eight Power Lift racks. For some that sounds like a dream, but there were still limitations and less-than-ideal scenarios. Training an entire program—from freshmen who could barely hold a barbell to seniors who had advanced abilities—was challenging. Freshmen often did the entirety of their lift in the adjacent hallway. Scheduling was tight, as there was only room for one team or program at a time, and equipment quantities didn’t meet our needs.

But I more than got the job done utilizing plates and body weight or structuring lifts in unique ways. I cut my teeth as a coach and further deepened my confidence and abilities through challenges and less-than-ideal situations. I rose to the challenges and succeeded, just as we hope for our athletes.

Solving problems and challenges as a high school strength coach will require a humble attitude, open mind, and extensive communication skills. Be prepared for that, and through the chaos, you’ll emerge a competent, highly skilled coach. 

Solving problems and challenges as a high school strength coach will require a humble attitude, open mind, and extensive communication skills. Be prepared for that, says @rachelkh2. Share on X

8. Teach and Do Other Duties as Assigned

As I discussed in point 2, some high school positions require a teaching certification…because you may be required to teach. There are some positions that do not, but these are often the exception to the rule. If you don’t teach, you can expect to have other duties assigned:

• Lunch duty
• Hallway monitoring
• Proctoring an exam for state-mandated standardized testing

The role of strength and conditioning coach is a new position in high schools, and many on staff may not even know you exist, much less know what you do. In their minds, you just show up in sweats and write workouts on a board. If you’re assigned other tasks and do a poor job of them, you taint the entire profession. School districts can remove positions just as quickly as they create them. So don’t be that person. Strive to do the best job at every job you have within the school.

High schools are small communities within themselves, and it’s important for others in the school to know you and be able to speak of your character. Even if you don’t have “other duties as assigned,” it would behoove you to volunteer to help in other ways.

9. Prepare for Parents and Principals

You want a good rapport with your principal(s), for numerous reasons. Among other things, the principals are responsible for the master schedule, the teaching responsibilities, and the general budget of the school. It’s extremely important you have a relationship with them, especially if you rely on them for resources or need something changed. Build a relationship and get them vested in what you do; invite them to watch the kids train and help them learn the value you bring to their school.

You also want a good rapport with parents because parents are powerful. Whether you’re a jerk of a coach or an amazing coach, word travels home every day. Parents will learn who you are through their children’s experiences. They want what’s best for their kids, and they want to understand what it is you do with their kids. They’ll approach you at the grocery store or after games or reach out via email, and you’ll need to be able to communicate with them effectively. 

10. Reap the Rewards

Each sector and level of strength and conditioning is unique and rewarding in its own way. For me, currently, there’s nothing better than where I am: the pride I feel hearing, “Hey, Coach Hayes” in the hallway or looking around the room and witnessing a once awkward group of ninth graders work though a session with precision and efficiency.

Although volatile, the adolescent years are the most formative, and being able to be part of their journey is powerful, says @rachelkh2. Share on X

Although volatile, the adolescent years are the most formative, and being able to be part of their journey is powerful. This is a time to impact them for life, whether it be through character development or teaching them a lifelong skill. They’re also still kids, and with that comes an endless supply of laughs and learning. I can promise you there are things that happen in a high school weight room that you’ll never see or experience anywhere else (see image below).

Some Closing Thoughts

The fact that you can aspire and decide to be a high school strength coach is a positive sign the field is growing. However, I’m sure that could be debated along with today’s “hot take” you scroll past on your timeline. When I began 13 years ago, opportunities were much more limited, and full-time high school positions were virtually unheard of. As a collective field we still have work to do, but the realist in me can acknowledge progress and a flicker of light ahead.

If these reflections created more questions or uncertainty, please reach out. The high school strength community is tightknit across the country and if someone can’t help you sufficiently, they’ll connect you with a coach who can.

If you’re given the opportunity to hold the title of high school strength coach, please respect and earn that title every day. By doing so, you help pave the way for these roles to become standard in every high school. We’re still pioneering this faction of strength and conditioning, and it’s important our intentions and actions reflect our long-term goals.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

When I first walked into the weight room at the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK), I was greeted by an exciting, newly renovated space. The school had just purchased 18 Samson racks, complete with new Olympic bars and bumpers at each. I was, however, surprised by the complete lack of technology being utilized in the weight room. I’d been hoping to see at least a few pieces of technology: perhaps a jump mat to monitor readiness or a few old Tendo units to use on occasion. We had nothing—not even a TV.

Clearly, I was in a different world than the more privileged one I had been in before. I knew then, with limited resources to go around, that it would be a challenge to convince our administration to help usher in a new age of strength and conditioning at UNK.

I knew then, with limited resources to go around, that it would be a challenge to convince our administration to help usher in a new age of strength & conditioning, says @dgleaszn. Share on X

Leading up to my graduate position at UNK, I’d been fortunate to learn how both Husker Power and Prentiss Hockey Performance (PHP) use technology to enhance athletic ability. Technology in our field has absolutely exploded, and I did not want to be stuck in an analog world after seeing how high tech was successfully leveraged at my previous stops along the way.

Upon arriving at UNK in 2020, I pushed hard to get a velocity-based training system installed in the weight room, and last year we were finally able to get it done. Luckily, that was just the beginning. Even at the D2 level, we have found a way to integrate more technology into the weight room without overstretching our limited budget. We utilize a combination of VBT, GPS, jump mats, body composition testing, and recovery wellness questionnaires to shape our programming and philosophy.

Technology can add so much value to any program, at any level. With a well-thought-out, strategic approach to integrating technology into the weight room, coaches at schools with any type of budget can leverage technology to make more informed decisions and accelerate athlete development.

The purpose of using technology with our athletes is to make informed decisions, but the implications are deeper and more expansive. Our goal is to create an integrated approach to sports science and strength and conditioning. At the surface, we can use many data points to see how athletes trend from day to day or week to week, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle.

By assembling more puzzle pieces from other data sources and technology, we can unveil a bigger picture of where our athletes stand and what they need. For example, at one point last season, our sports science team alerted the football staff of some alarming trends in our players’ recovery and wellness surveys during the week. The football staff then adjusted their practice plans to allow for more recovery leading up to game day that week, and we were able to come away with a key win on the road.

Forge Athletic and Academic Partnerships

In addition to the football team, we use technology with many of the Olympic sports on campus. Managing countless data points while also coaching on the floor for hours each day can be quite a challenge. We have been lucky enough to get the additional help and support we need by partnering with the Kinesiology department on the academic side of campus.

Our greatest resource is the people we work with, and we were able to work with some superstars last year who provided the strength staff with much-needed support. Dr. Joe Eisenmann helped us integrate and leverage new technology before leaving for his current position as Head of Strength and Conditioning at IMG Academy. Our strategy for data management was many hands make light work. We were able to utilize undergraduate students who needed hours for internships and data for research projects to collect and manage our data. This ability to use undergraduate students allowed us to focus on coaching while still gathering valuable information during workouts and practices.

If you’re looking to establish a sports science program on a budget, make sure you take full advantage of all resources on campus. Develop a working relationship with academia, says @dgleaszn. Share on X

I can’t stress enough how important it is to develop a working relationship with academia on campus—they are typically a free resource that will jump at the opportunity to help athletics. Plus, most of the time you’ll come away smarter after getting to know those involved. So, if you’re looking to establish a sports science program on a budget, make sure you take full advantage of all the resources on campus first. They might even be willing to share their equipment if you’re lucky.

Velocity-Based Training System

Out of all the technology we’ve utilized in the last year, my favorite is our velocity-based training system from PUSH. At UNK, we decided that an accelerometer-based VBT system was more practical and budget-friendly than a system that used cameras or linear encoders.

Initially, when approaching our administration with the idea, we were a bit nervous to ask for an expensive system that they might not see as necessary. Before going directly to our AD with what we wanted, we made a detailed presentation explaining all the potential benefits of a VBT system and how it could be leveraged. We then presented our ideas to the sport coaches and the administration.

We provided them with three options: a cheap option; the one we wanted; and then, of course, the most expensive, top-tier option. That way, asking for a $20K system would seem more practical than asking for a $40K system. After a couple more conversations and further explanations of the possibilities, we ended up with the one we wanted.

Thus far, we’ve primarily used our sensors with football and track & field. We let every athlete on our football team use the VBT sensors immediately; with our track team, however, we held off until our athletes demonstrated strong technical ability in each of our main lifts.

I recommend this approach: start by implementing your VBT system with a smaller portion of athletes, and then let the rest of the athletes use it when they’re ready. This makes it easier to manage the few systems being used while also coaching. Then, eventually, the athletes who have learned how to use the technology will be able to help teach others how to navigate it.

We use VBT to improve our athletes’ power production abilities, and so far, we have tracked strength and power exercises ranging from squats and trap bar deadlifts to hang power cleans and snatches, and every exercise in between. In the last semester, we collected data for more than 5,000 reps of hang power cleans from our track & field athletes alone.

We also developed load-velocity profiles for every athlete on the track team and used that information to set up more individualized peaking blocks leading up to the end of the fall semester. We used the graphs to determine what weight and velocity each athlete should target to reach their peak power output in the hang power clean exercise. Our findings indicated that peak power output usually ranges from 70–80% of their 1RM, which is consistent with the already established research.¹

In addition to preventing unnecessary injuries, we were able to track return to play programming and metrics. With our PUSH system, we can see where an athlete was prior to an injury and then track their progress on their way back to competition.

Overall, this velocity-based system adds an incredible amount of value to our strength and conditioning program. The athletes were quick to grasp the ins and outs, and it’s a great driver of intent and performance.

We try to foster a competitive environment by posting a live leaderboard that ranks the athletes based on who has the fastest peak velocities for Olympic lifts during each workout. Taking it a step further, we hand out a thick gold chain to the person with the fastest peak velocity on their Olympic lifts each day. This gives the athletes a sense of pride, fuels their competitive edge, and lets everyone know who the top performer is that day. Athletes have gotten into this new tradition and want to win. Sometimes, in the middle of a busy session, athletes will ask where the chain is or who’s won it—the system really takes things to another level.

By showing them the value our work with this technology brings to the program, it becomes easier the next time we ask administration for extra funding or new equipment, says @dgleaszn. Share on X

Perhaps the most important result of the VBT system was that we were able to take our data to our head coaches and athletic director. By showing them the value that our work with this technology brings to the program, it becomes easier the next time we ask the administration for extra funding or new equipment. That’s where technology has a huge impact—it shows just how much value your performance team brings to the table.

Jump Testing

Last year, the staff at the Nebraska Athletic Performance Lab (NAPL) turned us on to the idea of integrating our KPI testing into weekly training sessions. In this way, testing is training, and training is testing. In addition to the data gathered from our VBT system, we also regularly conduct jump testing to track athletic performance. We utilize the Just Jump System twice a week, measuring both the countermovement jump (CMJ) and 4-hop test during the week.

• The CMJ test is a reliable measure of lower body power.²
• The 4-hop test measures an athlete’s ability to use stored energy.³

We also use both as proxy tests to monitor readiness throughout the season.

We learned that the most efficient way to conduct jump testing was to bake it into our warm-up before lifts and used undergrad research students to record and monitor the data on Google Sheets. Having undergrad students conduct the jump testing frees us to coach on the floor, which is essential with teams coming through every 30 minutes for several consecutive hours.

We learned that the most efficient way to conduct jump testing was to bake it into our warm-up before lifts and used undergrad research students to record and monitor the data on Google Sheets. Share on X

It only takes about an additional five minutes to conduct jump testing during a training session, so in the grand scheme of things, it is a small time commitment. We test the CMJ at the beginning of the week when we train a longer or slower stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). Then, in the latter part of the week, closer to competition, we conduct the 4-hop test in conjunction with the training of faster or shorter SSCs. I like this schedule of jump testing because it potentiates the athletes for their training that day and perhaps for competition as well.

Similar to the VBT data, we were able to monitor trends in jump testing through Google Sheets. The data that our undergraduate students collect is graphed and combined with the data from the VBT system to give us a clear picture of how an athlete is progressing throughout the semester.

Jump testing is a good indicator for athletes who may be struggling and opens the door for conversations about what athletes are dealing with and how they’re feeling. From that point, it’s easier to adjust. At one point last semester, we noticed one of our best track athlete’s CMJ numbers going down from week to week. Having the objective data to spot a negative trend allowed us to have a conversation with the athlete and their coach before things got progressively worse. After talking with their event coach and making some programming changes, we were able to get them back on the right track.

Having the objective data to spot a negative trend allowed us to have a conversation with the athlete and their coach before things got progressively worse, says @dgleaszn. Share on X

Recovery-Wellness Survey

In addition to the insights provided by weekly jump testing, we also utilize a recovery-wellness dashboard to monitor our athletes’ health and habits. With this dashboard, we can monitor trends from day to day or week to week. We track a multitude of metrics across the semester, ranging from body weight to residual soreness. Like the jump testing data, we can visualize trends for both the team and the individual. Our dashboard collects data through Google Forms that is then automatically filtered into Google Sheets and graphed.

We found the best way to use the dashboard is to have our athletes take the recovery-wellness survey right as they come into the weight room. We have iPads stationed at every rack so they can take the survey, which only takes about two minutes to fill out. This allows us to see their survey results before the beginning of each training session.

Usually, there are a few athletes with undesirable results that need to be addressed. Sometimes we have a hunch that something is off with an athlete, and the survey gives us the objective data to support our coaching sense. As with our jump testing trends, these results are a good conversation starter that allows us to check in on athletes’ well-being and address issues before they become a bigger problem.

For example, the thing I have been stressing the most is the importance of getting a full eight hours of sleep. They need this constant reminder, because college kids aren’t great when it comes to their sleep habits. Simply put, the survey takes the guesswork out of the important questions around sleep habits, nutrition, soreness, mental and physical well-being, etc. The dashboard really helps us stay on top of the smaller details that have a big impact outside of the weight room.

GPS

Aside from these “big three” technology tools that we use daily, we also use a GPS system from SPT. This type of technology can be extremely expensive, which is another reason creating a relationship with academic departments on campus is incredibly important. They are a resource that can provide so many benefits if you’re willing to do a little in return. Fortunately, the Kinesiology department on our campus was willing to invest some of their own funds into sports science equipment for teaching and research purposes, including this GPS system.

The GPS system is a massive resource when used for conditioning. For our football team’s summer conditioning program, we were able to prepare for the exact demands the players would see in games and practice. The big advantage with a GPS system is sharing the data with the coaching staff. It was a great tool to help them get a sense for what a weekly practice schedule should consist of and how to taper volume throughout the week.

The GPS system is a great tool to help coaching staff get a sense for what a weekly practice schedule should consist of and how to taper volume throughout the week, says @dgleaszn. Share on X

Our main message to the coaching staff was to ensure players weren’t playing “multiple games” in one week; meaning, they shouldn’t be running the equivalent of a full game’s distance during practices. Were we perfect on that? No. However, we made some much-needed changes after what we saw in the spring season.

As a strength coach, I’m not trying to dictate what they do at practice. My goal is only to inform the coaches so they can make the best decisions for their teams. If I’ve done that, then I have done my job.

What the players really liked about the GPS system is that it helped settle some longstanding disputes. We were more than happy to help with that problem. They don’t really care all that much about how much hard running they do in practice or conditioning, but they do care about who is the fastest person on the team. The top speed data is fun to look at and provides us with a much-needed KPI.

The athletes like to stop by our office after a speed session or a practice to see who the fastest player was for the day. Similar to the VBT system, the players get into the data, and the competition helps drive improvement. Our Director of Sports Performance, well known as “Sarge,” always says “the greatest equalizer in all of sports is speed.” While that may be disputed, it is cool when your starting D-lineman learns that he can hit a top speed of 18.6 mph.

An Integrated Approach

Another piece of tech we have used this year is a Dashr laser timing system, which we leverage to create force-velocity curves with the calculations published by JB Morin⁴. This provides valuable information on an athlete’s ability to accelerate and maintain their top end speed. Couple that with data from a BIA scale and the other technologies we use, and now we have a fairly complete athlete performance profile.

With a profile, we can start to establish normative data that should allow us to program more effectively for certain individuals. There’s no reason a 300-pound lineman should be doing the exact same training program as a 180-pound wide receiver. In this way, technology helps us see the importance of individualized training despite having a small D2 staff where it may be more challenging.

Although I have only been doing this for a few years, I think there is immense value in having an integrated approach to strength and conditioning, technology, and sports science. Technology can add so much value to your program and help prove your credibility and worth to an administration that may not understand what you’re doing or the value of your department. It can also be an incredible driver of performance and intent in the weight room and on the field.

Technology can be an incredible driver of performance and intent in the weight room and on the field, says @dgleaszn. Share on X

The right tools can eliminate the need to schedule testing days or weeks, allowing you to keep moving forward with training; those tools can also help keep athletes out of the training room if leveraged properly with autoregulation. Technology also provides valuable data in both the long and short term that can help remove guesswork from programming. Not to mention, it’s quite the recruiting tool.

Let’s face it, most of the time at the D2 level of college athletics, we aren’t able to recruit the same talent as the Alabamas and Georgias of the world. So, it’s vital that we develop athletes for our program’s success. When incorporating technology, I have two recommendations:

1. Start with a single piece of technology, whether a Just Jump System or a full-on VBT system. Then leverage it to the best of your ability. If you do it right, more doors will open.
2. Reach out to those around you for help. Especially those in the academic side of campus. The worst they can say is no.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

References

1. Takei, Seiichiro, et al. “Is the Optimal Load for Maximal Power Output during Hang Power Cleans Submaximal?” International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2020:15(1);18–24.

2. Nuzzo, James L, et al. “The Reliability of Three Devices Used for Measuring Vertical Jump Height.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2011:25(9);2580–2590.

3. Davenport, Shane. “How Coaches Can Maximize Their Just Jump System.” SimpliFaster, 17 Apr. 2020.

4. Morin, J. B. (2018, June 6). A spreadsheet for Sprint Acceleration Force-velocity-power profiling. JB Morin, PhD – Sport Science. Retrieved December 9, 2021.

High school football strength and conditioning has come a long way over the last 5+ years, making great strides to become better, safer, and more effective. We are moving past the “death by squat”/mindless conditioning grinding that dominated the scene for so long. In fact, as the landscape at the NCAA level has shifted toward optimal, evidence-based training methods, this leaves high school football as the last arena (probably worldwide) where so much work is done that at best does not transfer and at worst greatly hinders performance.

There is one thought process that must be crushed for the transition to be complete for high school coaches: If “X” team has “Y” number of players that can lift “Z” amount of weight for a single rep on any or all exercises, then we will have a winning season. This idea does not play with most sports performance professionals, but it is slow to die among the football coaching community.

The team that has players who have developed a level of “strong enough” that they can execute at game speed will maximize the time they spend in the weight room more optimally than those who focus on 1RM load alone, with no concern for maximal velocity. What can we do to ensure that is how we approach our programming?

Leveling

The goal of every performance program should be maximum transfer to sport. Sometimes max strength is what is needed in that moment; other times it may be hypertrophy or power, mobility, and many other factors. What we aim to do in our program is chase adaptations, not exercises or numbers. Give the athlete what they need, when they need it, to chase optimal performance in a process of long-term athletic development.

We call this leveling—the process of developing a deep system of progression and regression that is intentional and driven by reverse engineering the specific adaptations that will maximize our key performance indicators (KPIs). Obviously, transfer is the key to any athletic development program. It’s a waste to spend time doing anything that doesn’t transfer or build a base for something that will transfer.

The biggest failure of any performance program is the gap between what athletes do in the weight room and what actually transfers to the field, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

The general problem I still see at the high school level? That missing link. The biggest failure of any performance program is the gap between what athletes do in the weight room and what actually transfers to the field. We need to recognize that, as Yosef Johnson has said, “There is a point where getting stronger in the squat, the bench press or whatever; this isn’t going to help us anymore.”

Some will argue that high school level athletes can’t be strong enough. I would disagree and ask strong enough for what? If a 180-pound athlete can back squat 400 pounds, how much more will their field skills improve by getting to 420? Consider the resources spent to add that 20 pounds. I could give example after example, but my point is there.

Football players don’t need to be powerlifters, so why train them like that? Are the officials going to set a squat rack in the end zone and give the team with the best total a seven-point lead to open the game? That’s when I will concern myself with those 20 pounds. Until then? My concern is transfer of training and driving adaptations that will lead to optimal performance on the field.

Is strength a major factor? Obviously there needs to be a level of strength development that prepares the athlete for the rigors of a violent sport. But that return on investment will dwindle at some point. We need to really take a close look at our programming from a 4+ year view and prepare the athlete for strong enough and know what’s next.

Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands

How and when we apply stress to our athletes is what impacts the adaptations their bodies create. That is where the SAID principle comes in. Our athletes will adapt to every stress we put on them, good or bad. A big part of what we do is understanding the demands of the sport and using that needs analysis to drive the optimal adaptations. Where do we want our athletes to be to be ready to compete at the varsity level, and how do we get them there?

For us, the idea that dominates our end goal is the fact that all sports are rate limited. Sports skills happen within a certain time range. For example, David Ballou at Alabama has said they found the time between snap and contact for their lineman was 0.5 seconds or less. Coach Joey Guarascio at FAU has developed a chart that outlines his research of the rate limits for various football skills. These are examples of the time limits in which our athletes must express the strength they develop.

If your athletes can’t summon that strength and power in the time those skills happen on the field, then does it matter how strong they are in the weight room?

If your athletes can’t summon that strength and power in the time those skills happen on the field, then does it matter how strong they are in the weight room? asks @YorkStrength17. Share on X

The faster an athlete can perform the needed skills at the max power and velocity, the better chance they have of being successful. Power is the king of sport. Strength is without a doubt important, but it only transfers at game speed.

Will the team that can reach these thresholds always win the game? I don’t see any way to tie wins directly to any performance program. That’s unpopular to say, but truthful. There are simply too many factors in wins and losses that have nothing to do with what we do as a performance coach—most games are won by the team with the better players or lost by the team that made the most mistakes. It’s pretty simple, really.

It’s our job to help the athletes we work with reach their highest individual performance levels regardless of genetic ability. Our focus needs to be on passing the athletes along to the sport coaches in an optimal condition to physically perform their on-field duties and stay as healthy as possible.

Getting from A to Z

So, we know that the end goal is expressing strength and power within the limits of time presented by the sport skill. How do we go from a freshman athlete who has a serious strength disadvantage to a junior athlete who is not only strong enough to survive and thrive, but able to be explosive enough to win the individual battles that impact winning? The goals of our leveling program are:

1. Build optimal movement skills.
2. Add general strength to those skills.
3. Teach optimal ground contact relationship in jumping to increase impulse.
4. Slowly add depth to our strength/power/speed abilities.
5. As the athlete advances up the levels, begin to transition toward more specific adaptations that will increase the ability to express our general strength and power development within the rate limits of the sport.

Beware of This Pitfall

The single greatest mistake I made early in my career was not knowing or understanding the pitfalls that surround moving athletes too quickly into heavy barbell training. This excerpt from Joel Smith’s book “Speed Strength” says it all:

“Excessive heavy barbell training, or even plyometric work, done early in an athlete’s career can decrease the sensitivity of the nervous system to the point where there is no coming back from that intense work for sustained improvements.”

I believe this is an epidemic at the high school level, and it interferes with the transfer of training for optimal development later in the athlete’s life. A mentor of mine has said countless times “Do you want the strongest 15-year-old football player or the healthiest, most skilled 17-year-old?” For me, that’s a no-brainer—I want a healthy and skilled older athlete with plenty of room for growth. If your athletes hit peak strength as sophomores, it may be a good idea to think about this concept.

Don’t overpay for strength adaptations. There will be a time when it will cost more for the athlete to adapt. There’s no good reason to spend that capital before that bill comes due. Share on X

Don’t overpay for strength adaptations. Use the least complicated, lowest intensity protocols that will stress the athlete and drive the adaptation process. Why jump to 85% intensity when an athlete can still get stronger using 65%? Not to mention how much better their movement is likely to be at the lower intensity. There will be a time when it will cost more for the athlete to adapt. There is no good reason to spend that capital before that bill comes due.

Too Strong?

As I said before, I’ve heard the argument that a high school athlete can never be too strong. I generally agree with that, though I would counter but they can get to the point of strong enough where taking resources from strength development and placing them into other areas will increase transfer.

Strong enough for what? Optimal performance on the field.

They absolutely can get to that point, and there we need to begin shifting those resources toward more specific means of development. If the process of developing that level of strength interferes with motor skill development or makes the athlete less capable on the field, then we have failed that athlete. The tough part is that situation is individualized, and we often don’t recognize it until it passes, when it may be too late.

If the process of developing that level of strength interferes with motor skill development or makes the athlete less capable on the field, then we have failed that athlete, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

My solution? Prepare for that moment as early as possible. Learn to recognize it not just by watching the KPIs but by watching them practice and play. This is the art of the coach’s eye. The place to start—which I learned by trial and error—is to not make “max strength” the primary focus of the program. Emphasize from early on that the program is athletic development in nature. Being better at the sport is the goal, not being better at lifting weights. Teach the coaches and athletes to chase the adaptations that will transfer the most to sport.

Transfer of Training

So how do we make sure we are doing everything we need to do?

Verkhoshansky explains that two factors lead to improvement in sports skill:

1. An increase in the athlete’s functional capabilities (motor unit/skill threshold).
2. An increase in the athlete’s ability to use these capabilities in training and competition.

“The training loads must have specific aims from a physiological, energy system, or functional standpoint.” – Verkhoshansky

The mistake being made is that instead of following these guidelines, many coaches (including myself early in my career) overfed the “max strength” monster and neglected all the other aspects of development. Instead, we need to figure out what “monster” needs feeding, when, how much, and at what cost, but neglecting none. Return on investment analysis from a time and needs based perspective is vital:

1. What adaptations does my athletes need to increase transfer?
2. In what step of the development process do I need to push each specific adaptation?
3. What are the optimal amounts of these methods to sufficiently develop the athlete without undercooking or overcooking?

We have taken all these factors into consideration over the last few years at York Comprehensive High School. Here is our process for laying out the bones of the program.

1. Develop KPIs that we believe will show us if our strength/speed/power programming is transferring to skill.
2. Reverse engineer those KPIs to the most basic regressions.
3. Develop a year-to-year plan of driving adaptations the athlete needs at each stage of development to successfully move to the next level.
4. Set general goals we would like to see our athletes achieve based on normalized data collected over the years (as a soft target, not a standard).
5. Begin with general and move to as specific as possible.
6. Try to squeeze as much as possible out of each level of adaptation before we move on.
7. Work toward the end goal of transfer to sport within rate limits in everything we do.
8. Start athletes at 60% intensity for the majority of their volume in very basic movements and progress to 70–85% range for most volume using more advanced exercises with proficient technique.

Level Development

In previous articles, I laid out each of our levels in more depth. While we adjust constantly (e.g.: We use the 1×20 program with our freshman now, which is an adjustment made in the two years since this article was written), the basic philosophies of LTAD remain—these are the most basic aspects of each step. For a deeper look at each, please investigate the individual articles or reach out to me with questions:

• When to Add More Weight to the Bar
• Introducing Youth Athletes to Strength Training
• Transitioning Freshman Athletes to Your Strength Training Program
• Transforming a High School Novice into a Beginning Lifter
• How to Train Advanced to Intermediate Athletes

Each level is, in general, about a year. This timeline is very fluid and athlete dependent.

Level 0 – Based on Coach Joe Kenn’s “Block 0” philosophy, we generally begin this in the eighth grade. However, we are in the process of expanding this down to the sixth grade, which is an exciting prospect. Our focus here is the development of movement patterns and skills. Small-sided games, jumping and landing, basic skills. We will introduce them to our 1×20 program as well.

Level 1 – We begin our freshmen here, ideally in mid-summer. Our main movement goal is to have each athlete develop an optimal relationship with the ground. This revolves around teaching the delivering of maximal force into the ground both horizontally (early acceleration) and vertically (jumping). Strength development is the main adaptation focus. We will continue with the 1×20 program and eventually transition to 1×14 and 2×8 aspects of it.

Level 2 – This continues our progressions with a strength adaptation focus starting in the spring of ninth grade. We begin to use the more traditional barbell movements and introduce the 5×5 program with those. This is also where we begin to teach them APRE and eventually VBT within the 5×5 program.

Level 3 – This represents the highest level most of our athletes achieve. They start to use volume periodization and begin the process of transitioning to a more needs-based program that places athletes into buckets based on strength/power/volume needs. This level is where we begin to see our athletes hit the “strong enough” realm and we begin to shift to a strength-speed/speed-strength focus.

Level 4 – Our “super-advanced” level, which our dependable, high-level athletes can earn their way into. This group is traditionally very small, and we program a more highly individualized training session. For example, we will progress certain movements based on power outputs.

Level 3 and 4 is where our training sessions emphasize increasing the rate of force development and decreasing ground contact times. We also use VBT to increase intent and maximize power output and bar speed, regardless of load. The overall goal of the program is to build a vertical progression that will take our athletes from a basic strength development emphasis to a place where everything we do has the end goal of increasing the speed limits on the neuromuscular highways.

Patience and Progress

Overall, the thought process behind our program is based on the slow-cooking concept. We want to move our athletes as slowly as possible through each adaptation yet have them play within the rate limits of their sport. To do this, we must force ourselves to be patient. Too many times I have lost patience and pushed ahead too fast, giving us immediate improvements at the cost of net gain over time.

While this is a mistake, it is also an all-too-common occurrence in the field of high school strength and conditioning. Go for the next adaptation level only after the previous one is done. This is the most difficult aspect, and it is impossible if your sport coach is not on the same page.

Go for the next adaptation level only after the previous one is done. This is the most difficult aspect, and it is impossible if your sport coach is not on the same page, says @YorkStrength17. Share on X

Add depth to each progression with the use of tempo, isometrics, and ranges before moving on. Fight the urge to train heavy too soon and instead use tempo and time under tension to add intensity.

We use technology in many of our KPIs (what we use from a KPI standpoint would be an entire article, which I will write at another time). I purposely didn’t list our KPIs because it is important for each coach to develop their own process based on their individual situation. The point is to develop these indicators and then reverse engineer them to the most basic aspects of your program goals. Then, develop your progressions and go.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

References

1. Guarascio J. What is the true expression of movement? in sports, time will always be the ultimate factor #knowthegame #movement pic.twitter.com/feihqdwvl5. Twitter. Published August 4, 2021. Accessed January 29, 2022.

In today’s athletic performance/strength and conditioning realm, everyone recognizes that performance is no longer just dependent on sets, reps, weight, and intensity—it also includes the ability to recover and prepare the body for the next session. For years, we have done recovery work with our athletes in the form of stretching, dynamic movements, foam rolling, etc. We have even discussed or referred them out for chiropractic work, deep tissue massage, needling, etc. Another recovery technique that has been around for nearly a decade is body tempering.

Body tempering is a method created by Donnie Thompson, a world-record-holding powerlifter, designer of fitness and recovery gear, and just all-around smart guy when it comes to programming, recovery, and fitness. Body tempering is a type of myofascial treatment/release that involves having a weighted pole or roller move across muscles and fascia.

Body tempering is great for strength preparation and possibly exciting and prepping the central nervous system, says @caton_keith. Share on X

This method is great for strength preparation and possibly exciting and prepping the central nervous system—it’s different than foam rolling because you have the pole lying on you, you are not laying on the pole. You can adjust the amount of pressure depending on tightness, pain, etc., in the body, and you are able to maintain a more relaxed state since you are not laying on the object. There have not been many studies done yet on body tempering, but by experimenting with the treatment, I have found decreased soreness, increased movement, and increased performance.

Learning Firsthand

I was fortunate to be able to bring Donnie Thompson down to Baylor soon after he started developing body tempering. He spent a week with our staff and showed us a range of tools and protocols that kept him healthy as he was training for that elusive 3,000-pound total in powerlifting. He showed our staff flossing (or voodoo) bands, makeshift BowTies made from bands, programming, KB training, and of course, body tempering. As I moved from college to college, the first thing I did in each place was to try to get Donnie to come visit and teach our staff his tips and tricks. We even involved our athletic trainers, sports medicine staff, and chiropractors in the fun.

At every place I have worked, our setup and the way we incorporated body tempering have been different. As you know, your room, your equipment, and the time you have dictates everything you do.

At Baylor, we incorporated body tempering during recovery circuits at the end of training. We would split the room into four areas and rotate athletes from station to station. At that point, we had just learned about the method, so we were using KBs, DBs, maces, etc. as our body tempering tools. At Indiana, we did more tempering at the end of workouts upon the request of our athletes

The best setup that I have been a part of was at Syracuse—we had 2-3 stations always set up for tempering. At each station, we had a stretch mat and one or two tempering poles. Athletes came in before and after lifts to get tempered. Some athletes also came in on off days or even before practice. At certain times of the year, we split the room into warm-up stations, with body tempering and foam rolling being one of the stations. At Syracuse, we also had a moving cart designed to carry two tempering poles to all our away games.

Video 1. Body tempering techniques that target the quads, hips, chest, calves, hamstrings, low back, and more.

Now that I am at Byrnes High School, our approach to tempering looks a little different. At the high school level, we don’t have a lot of time at the beginning of the lift, so most of our tempering gets done at the end of the session.

At the high school level, we don’t have a lot of time at the beginning of the lift, so most of our tempering gets done at the end of the session, says @caton_keith. Share on X

Our group size is very large, 50-80 athletes per session, and we currently only have three tempering poles. We have discussed what body tempering is with our athletes, and they actually talk each other into trying it out the first time. The athletes ask us at the end of our training sessions if we can body temper them to help them recover or help them with a tight area. We have not yet gotten to the point where we have allowed athletes to temper each other.

Body Tempering Routines

Here is the normal routine a coach performs with each athlete:

• Hamstrings – work back and forth over the muscle belly; hold on tight areas; add pushing back and forth if needed.
• Back – work lower to upper; twist on low back by glutes; allow the pole to sit on tight areas of the back.

Along with the hamstrings and back, we also have athletes temper their own quads if needed. The quads can be tempered one at a time or together. We allow them to temper their own quads to apply the amount of pressure they need.

Another area that we temper is the calves and Achilles. This is great for those athletes with tight calves or issues with sprained ankles. A coach tempers the calves and works over the Achilles, leaving the tempering pole on the Achilles for up to three minutes. (We use a lighter pole for the calves, usually around 60-80 pounds.)

Here is a full body tempering routine that an athlete can perform on themselves if no one else is around. (I have done this routine on myself with good success.)

• Quads – roll back and forth over both, allowing it to sit above the knee for 1-2 minutes.
• Hips up to Chest – allow the pole to rest on the hips; 2-3 rolls up and down torso; allow to sit on upper rib cage with hands above head.
• Low Back – lay on the side and roll on low back; keep on low back and get some slight movement, but don’t let it fall off!!
• Hamstrings – roll the pole from the low back over the glutes to the hamstrings; move around on hamstrings and hold on tight area.

This is an effective routine if you are alone. It’s not as good as letting someone else help, but it can get the job done.

What do you do if you only have two to three tempering poles but there are many athletes waiting? If we have multiple athletes waiting and only one coach, we leave the smaller pole on calves/Achilles and another pole on the low back or hamstrings and then temper the third athlete. We have other athletes make sure the poles do not move on their calves/Achilles or back/hamstrings. That way, we can get three athletes taken care of at the same time.

The best setup would be to have as many stations as already have a yoga mat, tempering poles, small foam rollers, and even a few heavy dumbbells or kettlebells ready to use. The small foam rollers can be used to go under the ankles for comfort, and the dumbbells and kettlebells can be used to keep the poles in an area for a time.

The Results with Our Athletes

Besides the athletes feeling better once they have been tempered, I have also heard of and seen:

• Positive differences on TMG and EMG readings.
• Increased range of motion.
• Increases in explosiveness.

I would also say that I have seen increases in strength, but that may be due to the athletes simply feeling better before their next heavy set!!

By tempering the calves and Achilles and then allowing the pole to sit on the Achilles for about three minutes, we have seen positive effects in ankle mobility, says @caton_keith. Share on X

By tempering the calves and Achilles and then allowing the pole to sit on the Achilles for about three minutes, we have seen positive effects in ankle mobility. I have also seen increases in vertical jumps by tempering both the hamstrings and the quads.

There could be a difference between athletes as to what needs to be tempered to promote the desired effect. Could there be a difference between quad- and hamstring-dominant athletes and a difference between those with different jumping styles: quick dip straight down versus a longer range of motion dip? For example, a quad-dominant athlete could temper their quads before they jump.

There has been just one study done so far, with college football players. (Even though this research focused on college football players, we have tempered athletes from every sport, from cross country to softball to basketball to cheerleading. I have also tempered my own kids since they were 8 years old—just remember to use lighter poles that coincide with how much each athlete weighs!)

With any new training style or tool, research is slower to come than actual anecdotal results in the weight room or field. If your athletes like body tempering and how it makes them feel, then keep doing it. Do some research on yourself for how it makes you feel and the results that you get from the method. All our athletes love how they feel after they have been tempered.

If you are interested in purchasing tempering poles, you can find them at Rogue Fitness or Big Hes Strength. An 80-pound tempering pole at the high school level would be a great place to start, and you can work the weight up to 100-120 pounds. If cost is a concern, you can investigate making them on your own with concrete, finding a steel company around you, etc. I suggest getting poles that are hollow or at least have the ends cut out. This allows the coach or athlete to move and adjust the poles more easily.

Also, look into Donnie Thompson’s tempering classes and certifications to get a deeper insight into body tempering.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Periodizing to better reign—this motto is irresistibly pleasant, and far be it from me to throw the concept of periodization as a whole into oblivion. Some aspects of the classic model are clearly unsuitable for team sports, but the need for logic and organizational work and the concern for progress are absolutely fundamental in creating a physical preparation plan. Trying your luck with a chaotic and capricious approach to training won’t bode well for your athletes. It is entirely possible to schedule team sport training—and even to choose from a number of quality models—and many minds much sharper than mine have revisited this question.

It is clear, however, that few completely extricate themselves from the framework of the dominant thought that associates human performance with an industrial process. We always find an obsession with productivity; with performance being the equivalent of the “plus”— easily measurable using various quantitative tools (weight on the bar, 40m time, final score, etc.).

Increasing this productivity requires, as in the industrial world, a division of labor. To lift a load, each muscle-bone-tendon-ligament unit performs its task—like a worker—and transfers energy to the next unit, like the product flowing down the assembly line. According to this vision, performance results from a simple assembly of elements and can be deconstructed and reconstructed at will. Each component of performance, each physical quality, has its place in this immutable chain. Reversing two steps in the process, such as developing anaerobic capacity before aerobic capacity, inevitably leads to a result that is at best not optimal and at worst failing.

Whoever is wise enough to respect instructions and rigorous enough to reproduce the procedure in their environment has in their hands the recipe for the physically prepared player. Share on X

Periodization acts as a guarantor of the final rendering, exposing the stages and defining their order in the production chain of human performance. Whoever is wise enough to respect instructions and rigorous enough to reproduce the procedure in their environment has in their hands the recipe for the physically prepared player.

The Productivity Question (Quality vs. Quantity)

Reducing human performance to a question of productivity makes it necessary to consider the problem of capacity as central. Capacity in this sense indicates quantity:

• How much energy is available?
• How many reps performed?
• How many laps at what speeds?
• And so on…

Any increase in capacity must result in an increase in performance potential. Being able to produce more than your competitors is the key to success. But this logic, which puts capacity on a pedestal, greatly underestimates the problem of quality.

Strength and conditioning staffs are equipped with tools that measure all kinds of abilities, but hardly any are able to provide information on the quality of the effort being measured. Players are rewarded when capacity improves far more than they are when quality improves. The expected standards are quantified; the statistics displayed often praise the quantity. Yet the human body is cunning, and when one is determined to reach a certain mark—number of repetitions or time—it is possible to employ a multitude of movement strategies to achieve this, making capacity only a partial gauge of actual performance.

Players are rewarded when capacity improves far more than they are when quality improves…putting capacity on a pedestal greatly underestimates the problem of quality. Share on X

Perhaps it is the scoreboard illusion that has led us to view capacity and performance as interchangeable. In most team sports, winning is equivalent to scoring more points than your opponent—but the acquisition of points rewards the quality of execution, not the quantity of execution. It is always possible to win with less ball possession than the opposing team and despite fewer scoring chances than the opposition. On the contrary, from a physical production point of view, I have experienced defeat many times while having proof, in terms of GPS data, of the superiority of my team.

If we question the industrial and mechanical vision of performance to promote an ecological and dialectical vision, then the concept of periodization gives way to that of maturation. To adopt this premise is to be convinced that the whole is different from the sum of the parts. The combination of physical qualities does not deliver the perfect player.

Performance cannot be dissected into multiple, self-contained components. Every physical quality, every aspect of performance, develops by interacting with all the others, caught in a complex web and inseparable from the whole. Performance should be seen as a factorization and not as an addition. Performance reflects maturity and not productivity: the obsession with ability gives way to that of mastery. The “philosophical” distinction may seem superfluous, but the essential lies in the practical adjustments that result from it.

First of all, if we place mastery—and not capacity—at the center of the process, the principles that govern the concept of progressivity in the classic periodization model:

• Development
• Intensification
• Achievement/Retention

are instead replaced by:

• Practice
• Training
• Competition

The Risks of Starting from “Development”

The development phase, in classical theory, is always the one that is introduced first. For each physical quality, but also in the organization of a season as a whole, the volume precedes the intensity, and the specificity of the training increases. It goes without saying that if capacity is the fundamental issue, then it should be targeted as a priority. The volume before the intensity thus finds a double justification.

This prioritization is supposed to protect the athlete by preparing their body by means of a progressive overload, and it respects a structural hierarchy: a developed aerobic capacity contributes to recovery between intense efforts, and a significant muscle mass increases the capacity for strength, for example. If it is obvious that within the same session the intensity must be progressive (a warm-up is always necessary), it is not clear that a training block dedicated to aerobic capacity affects the athlete’s ability to tolerate high-intensity speed or effort sessions later on.

The protective effect of a high volume of running at near max speed doesn’t lie in the increase of a sprint capacity but in the acquisition of a motor pattern that is both efficient & stable. Share on X

On the other hand, we have been able to study and demonstrate that sprinting regularly is the best way to reduce the risk of injury during a sprint. This example shows concretely that the benefits should be attributed to mastery, not ability. In this case, the protective effect of a high volume of running at near maximum speed does not lie in the increase of a sprint capacity but in the acquisition (as the exposure to the exercise increases) of a motor pattern that is both efficient and stable.

This quality of movement is largely responsible for the resilience displayed by the athlete. The change in motor strategy is a known and sought-after symptom of fatigue, a recognized factor in injury, and a reliable means of separating novice and expert in a task. When a motor pattern is deeply rooted, it is achievable at a lower energy and cognitive cost.

Mastery beats ability at every opportunity. The player able to frame their shot during the last action of the match is the one who masters this gesture to perfection. Consider players A and B, both last scorers in a penalty shootout. Both players have been through the entire game and are on the verge of exhaustion.

Player A stands in front of the goalkeeper. Player A is in great physical shape, only experiences a 15% decrease in their movement accuracy, and their level of mastery of the movement in question is equivalent to 7/10. Player B is more of the “Maradonian” style. An exceptional technician, Player B mastered their shooting perfectly, a 10/10. On the other hand, their little epicurean aspect means that they are less tolerant of sustained effort than Player A, and when they do appear in the small circle, their gesture experiences a large disturbance: 40%. Player A therefore shoots with a mastery score of 7-(7×15/100) = 5.95. In front of them, Player B achieves a strike with a mastery of 10-(10×40/100) = 6. Despite a lower capacity, the latter has more chance of succeeding in their crucial penalty attempt.

Beginning the process of training for a physical quality with an extensive stage focused on the development of the capacity, puts the athletes at risk of acquiring suboptimal movement strategies and adopting a great variability in their motor pattern. Whenever you must perform a large number of repetitions without a keen grasp of the task at hand, the body’s natural response is to change the way it performs the movement as the fatigue builds up. Moreover, high volume is usually accompanied by very moderate intensity and low exercise complexity. This combination allows you to get the job done without having to be precise.

In the sequence of repetitions of bench press during a protocol of hypertrophy, changing the spacing of the feet, lifting the lower back, or varying the trajectory of the bar does not create failure of the movement, and it even allows a gain of capacity by recruiting muscles differently. On the other hand, during a heavy clean, the timing of the triple extension, the starting position under the bar, and the trajectory of the latter are all fundamental criteria in the success of the exercise. The same is true if you compare jogging and sprinting. An endurance effort leaves the possibility of changing the inclination of the pelvis, the length of the stride, or the degree of movement of the hips, while sprinting efficiently requires maintaining a posture and a cycle of very precise strides.

Once a high volume of well-executed movements has been achieved, it is unrealistic to think that this will have a positive effect on the performance of motor tasks that are more complex and performed at higher intensity. The transfer does not occur from the ability to perform a movement many times with little precision and intensity. It occurs from the ability to perform that movement fewer times but with much more precision and intensity. So, it is done in the reverse direction: once an athlete acquires the ability to perform a movement with great control and intensity, they can develop the ability to repeat that movement.

When we consider this change in the direction of the transference, we accept that mastery must precede capacity. Share on X

When we consider this change in the direction of the transference, we accept that mastery must precede capacity.

The Alternative: A Maturation-Based Model

Practice, therefore, is the first phase of training in the maturation model. The objective of this phase is the acquisition by each athlete of an optimal motor pattern in each movement considered critical for performance in the sport.

The intensity and volume are moderate, which allows the search for precision with each repetition. The individualization of training is at its maximum, and each athlete evolves at their own pace, focusing on perfecting the motor pattern already acquired. Unlike the development phase—which in the classical model encourages competition between players and surpassing oneself—the practice phase of the maturation model avoids the comparison between different individuals at all costs. The concept of practice replaces that of development both in a micro-cycle and at the level of the global plan.

For example, in a micro-cycle dedicated to power, where the power clean and the countermovement jump are designated as the main exercises, the first step is the acquisition of an optimal and stable motor pattern for these two movements. The intensity, volume, and variation of exercise used are individually determined depending on the athlete’s level of mastery.

From the perspective of an overall plan, the preseason begins with a practice phase, where the most sport-specific physical qualities are trained through the stabilization of optimal motor patterns in the fundamental movements associated with these qualities. Take the example of rugby: considering acceleration as a determining quality, the practical phase targets the individual appropriation of the posture and the technical components necessary for performance for that physical quality.

As for repeating high-intensity efforts, it is during this period that an athlete can master them before repeating them. So, going to the ground and getting up, accelerating and decelerating, changing direction, wrestling, etc.: all these aspects require a posture, a technical component, and an attitude—a motor pattern—that should be fine-tuned. The passage from this practical stage to the next stage is not subject to a time constraint or dictated by a theoretical a priori. For each of the fundamental movements, the player can move from the practical stage to the training stage once they demonstrate that they have acquired an optimal and stabilized motor pattern.

The appeal of a practice phase to start a preseason also lies in its perfect fit with the technical, strategic, psychological, and emotional needs that exist at that point in a season. At the start of the preseason, it is absolutely necessary for the coaches to develop in the players a mastery of the technical fundamentals specific to the positions, as well as strategical principles defining the adopted style of play.

In this period of transition, where it is impossible to measure yourself against opponents and therefore difficult to build up confidence, it is important that athletes feel recognized and that they can objectify their progress. In long and exhausting seasons, creating an enjoyable and positive environment in the opening weeks promotes group cohesion and reserves the difficult moments (which require great psychological and emotional resilience) for the end of the season, when this will be decisive.

Increasing mastery in different areas gives the player a feeling of control and progression, which in turn causes an increase in self-confidence and belief in the training program. Share on X

Increasing mastery in different areas gives the player a feeling of control and progression, which in turn causes an increase in self-confidence and belief in the training program. The absence of significant fatigue, intolerable muscle pain, and negative experiences allows maximum assimilation of the technical and strategic components absolutely crucial in team sport performance.

This approach contrasts with the unfolding of an early preseason according to the classic model. On most teams, the start of the preseason is characterized by physical harassment, heavy aerobic workouts, and hypertrophy where sweat and intestinal discomfort become bargaining chips for a bit of respite as fatigue builds up at high speed. Players, switched to survival mode, struggle in vain to memorize what coaches expect of them.

Second Phases: Intensification vs. Training

In the classical vision, the intensification phase follows development. After spending some time doing high volume, the needle is pushed toward intensity. At the micro-cycle level, the problem posed by this method is simple: In the absence of prior mastery of the main movements used, the addition of load or the increase in velocity can either compromise the initial nature of the prescribed stimulus or even create a maladaptation in the player (too much fatigue, muscle problems, etc.).

At the overall level, the transition to the intensification stage is accompanied by a change in targeted physical qualities, which undermines the motor patterns acquired during the development phase. For example, endurance work often gives way to repetitive high-intensity efforts. The increase in velocity demanded requires the use of a different running technique than is sufficient to keep up with the development phase. Likewise, the transition from a protocol of hypertrophy, or maximal strength, to that of power requires the introduction of movements absent from the previous phase.

Going through a phase of technique-oriented learning and the acquisition of these new motor patterns would require giving up the increase in intensity for a while, which at this point in the overall plan would be compromising. Logically, the choice then falls on the acceptance of suboptimal and variable motor strategies, despite the increase in the energy cost (and therefore of the associated fatigue), the increased risk of bad adaptations, and the lack of efficiency, to ensure that athletes maintain the expected intensity.

Finally, this stage of the training plan is intended to be more “specific” to the sport practiced. The exercises chosen are supposed to replicate the demand of the field more faithfully. In the gym, the mode and speed of contraction, range of motion, and orientation of the body are chosen to faithfully reflect the reality of athletic actions. On the pitch, the way of moving, the attitude with and without the ball, the speed of execution, and the intensity of the contacts mimic those encountered in matches.

The ability to perform these specific exercises with maximum intensity is critical for adequate preparation for competition. Before they can be performed multiple times with great intensity, these “specific” movements must be mastered perfectly; otherwise, because the loss of precision is inevitable with the accumulation of fatigue, the result may take a comedic turn. This problem of intensity without mastery is responsible for most of the criticism leveled at the CrossFit method. So, why go through a phase of development where we practice at moderate intensity movements that are not considered representative of the sport, before attempting to introduce both high intensity and specificity despite the great difficulty of simultaneously improving these two aspects?

If the logic is purely bioenergetics (aerobic capacity before anaerobic capacity) or structural (more muscle mass before learning how to use it to produce power), nothing prevents starting with what is specific to the activity practiced in the field. Technical running skills, exposure to speed development, and acceleration have a metabolic component, and they also improve aerobic capacity. The technical work of weightlifting or plyometric movements generates a gain in muscle mass.

The second phase of the maturation method is “training”—after practicing, to acquire a mastery of the motor patterns necessary for sports performance, this know-how is applied in a context approaching the reality of competition. At this stage, just like in the intensification stage of the classical approach, the intensity is increased, whether through the load used, the speed of execution, or the pressure exerted on the player while they realize the movement.

The goal of the training phase is to progress toward the ability to maintain an efficient motor pattern despite an accumulation of fatigue or stress. Share on X

However, the quality of movement is not sacrificed to ensure this intensification of the practice. The goal of the training phase is to progress toward the ability to maintain an efficient motor pattern despite an accumulation of fatigue or stress. At the micro-cycle level, compliance with the prescribed intensity while maintaining the quality is made possible by the individualization of the movement used.

At the level of the overall plan, the training phase situates what was practiced in the program’s first stage. In terms of technique and strategy, work in opposition makes its appearance, the situations are more complex, and the time allocated to perform a gesture or make a decision is similar to that found in competition. The loss of quality is not accepted at this point in the plan, and the intensity only increases as performance stabilizes.

The given bioenergetic, structural, or mechanical goal is achieved with the choice of the most suitable individual movement variant. As the evolution from the practical stage to the training stage is individual—fruit of the maturation of the movement’s mastery— when the objective is to complete a high-intensity training, it is normal that certain motor skills an athlete is unable to totally control are replaced by a less-specific variant they can master better.

Achieving this balance between specificity and intensity makes it possible to obtain an optimal adaptation of the athlete to the training load by ensuring that the energetic, structural, or neural sessions are limited by energetic, structural, or neural factors (and not technical). Likewise, specific movements fundamental to performance in sport are protected against the reinforcement of compromised and ineffective motor strategies, which is inevitable when the level of intensity exceeds that of mastery.

The fear of not being ready to face the reality of competition too often haunts preseasons. In a frenetic race against time, coaches rush to tick all of capacity’s boxes without worrying too much about whether athletes have achieved mastery, as if to clear the air at the start of the competition. All team sports coaches and physical trainers know that a championship is not won in the first month, and yet it remains difficult to accept taking the time to do things right. Ability wins the first games of a season, that’s true. Excellence wins the finals and creates cycles of domination.

In a frenetic race against time in the preseason, coaches rush to tick all of capacity’s boxes without worrying too much whether athletes have achieved mastery. Share on X

Implications of Realization and Competition

The classic periodization method concludes its progression with the realization phase. Players are expected to reach their state of maximal performance during this phase. A simple temporary decrease in the training load while maintaining a high degree of specificity leads straight to the phenomenon of overcompensation. As competitiveness and self-achievement have been brought to the fore during the first two stages of the program and reach their peak as the preseason draws to a close, their preeminence fades as soon as the season begins. A brutal surrender appears.

• The euphoria of the realization phase—those last moments of preseason when the measured physical performance is flattering.
• The joy of finally being able to leave behind the days of hard work that never end, with their procession of pain.
• This fear of constantly breaking under the ever-increasing demand imposed on organisms.

All this gives way to the anxiety of the unknown represented by the plunge into the sporting season.

Suddenly, execution quality in the technical movements as well as in the fundamental movements is crucial. Being physically heroic is not a sustainable performance strategy. Teams at the top of the table very rarely need to be physically heroic. The technical mastery, the quality of movement execution, allows them to save energy and dominate.

Teams at the top of the table very rarely need to be physically heroic. The technical mastery, the quality of movement execution, allows them to save energy and dominate. Share on X

While the classic periodization cycle results in temporarily maximized physical performance, it nevertheless makes technical and strategic performance vulnerable. Going from development to intensification then realization, the players are always exposed to technical and strategic problems in a condition of prior fatigue. Throughout the preseason, muscles and brains, stormed by relentless demand, struggle to access energy resources. In the absence of matches to win, physical performance emerges as the main goal to achieve and feeds the ego and the athlete’s need for feedback much more satisfactorily than video analysis of technical and strategic training.

Weakened by this race for intensity and physical exhaustion, the player’s cognitive state has difficulty keeping up. This relative neglect of strategic and technical aspects, this acceptance of constantly compromised learning, is finally felt when the competition begins. Often, during the preparatory meetings, the very average performances are explained by means of vague justifications such as the “lack of automatism” or the “lack of rhythm.”

The lack of automatism is unforgivable after several weeks devoted to collective training, and rather reflects a flagrant lack of control, which is a fundamental principle typically omitted in the training process. The lack of rhythm is unjustifiable after a period of working on physical qualities. The pace is none other than the technical and strategic demand for a match that, not sufficiently controlled, gives rise to additional energy expenditure that physical preparation cannot replicate. When the concept of periodization is applied to the letter in team sports and physical preparation takes center stage, then we often must wait to switch to the competitive season and refocus on the practice of sport to see teams eventually progress.

The maturation concept meets the problems posed by the implementation phase by proposing the idea of ​​the competition phase. The result now occupies a preponderant place. This stage of the competition is the only one that allows the use of non-optimal motor schemes and variability in movement strategies to obtain a temporary benefit and demonstrate an inflated isolated performance. To best prepare players to face the reality of the games, the competition phase occupies the last weeks of the preseason. The stake for players is clear—find solutions regardless of the problem posed.

This phase tests the ability to adapt when control is lacking or insufficient. The sessions are created to push athletes to their limits, sometimes through physical overload, sometimes with the accumulation of environmental constraints. This phase focused on targeting capacity is also the shortest. Once the mastery of basic motor schemes is ensured and the necessary energy, structural, and neural qualities are stimulated, mental and physical resilience is considered the cherry on the sundae.

Where the classic periodization philosophy considers physical capacity as the base on which to build technical ability, the maturation method proposes an inverted pyramid where the technical mastery is necessary for the development of capacity. The advantage is that when you educate players on the importance of mastery during the preseason, doing things well becomes a habit. Having integrated that the performance is synonymous with saving energy, players won’t alter their optimal motor strategies unless it is necessary to get the job done. When the technical gesture or movement is compromised, the athlete full of mastery does not panic and instead selects an appropriate alternative.

When you educate players on the importance of mastery during the preseason, doing things well becomes a habit. Share on X

At the end of a season, the team that dominates is not the one that has succeeded in minimizing the effects of fierce competition weeks on the physical ability of its players, but the one that experiences the least decrease in execution quality despite the decline of the former. The best teams advance on all tables—national, international championships, cups, etc.—and they also have more national team players. Their staff faces a quantity of additional matches compared to the weaker teams.

The best teams are therefore those with the lowest training-to-competition ratio, which certainly deprives them of the opportunity to accumulate the necessary training volume to maintain capacities of various physical qualities other than by match participation. If neither the unspoiled preservation of the physical capacities acquired during the preseason nor the implementation of multiple comprehensive “reload” cycles during the season to arouse several temporary overcompensations is really possible, and if, moreover, the best teams also are those most exposed to “detraining” certain physical qualities, then maybe the question of capacity is not a good lighthouse.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

The sports science team is important for athletic performance because it can take all the different streams of data and put them together to tell a story. At Pitt, we split our data into four separate categories: workload (Catapult), screening (Nordbord, GroinBar, force plates), readiness (questionnaires, contact grid, sleep tracking), and performance (force plates, GymAware). When sitting in performance team meetings, members of the Sports Science Department are able to make sense of what we think we know in light of what is actually happening on the field of play.

Ultimately, the sports science team integrates technology in an effort to improve training and impact decision-making. Data drives conversations; conversations drive decisions.

Ultimately, the sport science team integrates technology to improve training and impact decision-making. Data drives conversations, and conversations drive decisions, says @CoachStephMock. Share on X

Why collect all this data?

• To answer questions.
• To ask better questions.
• To discover new questions.

“The more you know, the more you know what you don’t know.” – Richard Feynman

Answering, Asking, and Discovering Questions

When the sports scientist/strength and conditioning coach is collecting all this data, it is easy for coaches to be overwhelmed. We try to simplify it for them by inserting the data into a feedback loop as seen below:

From this point forward, it is very important to define what the sports scientist’s key role is within the sports performance team.

What it is—Important unit of the interdisciplinary team, with a separate area of responsibilities that arose out of necessity to manage the data and its platforms. Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Data collection, management, and analysis.
• Athlete assessment/profiling.
• Developing new practices of monitoring and adjusting training.

This position ultimately needs someone with time, competence, and interest.

What it isn’t—An avenue to tell coaches/staffs what to do, a desk jockey, or a fad.

A great sports scientist understands the physiology of training at a high level and makes their systems repeatable, not reliant on the same person to operate (so anyone can take over). Share on X

A great sports scientist understands the physiology of training at a high level and makes their systems repeatable, not reliant on the same person to operate (so anyone can take over).

My Road to Now

I am now at my third university and utilize my past experiences when it comes to creating a successful Sports Science Department. Each environment has had its unique challenges and opportunities that have allowed me to tease out what is and is not important.

Stop #1—Clemson University (2013–2018)

• Advantages: Large operating budget and sizeable technology inventory.
• Challenges: Vast amount of data collected with varying degrees of importance.
• Successes: One of the first adopters of building an applied Sports Science Department.

Stop #2—Mississippi State University (2018–2021)

• Advantages: Organizational freedom to implement sports science practices.
• Challenges: Limited operating budget, no existing department upon arrival.
• Successes: Created partnerships with engineering and academia and instituted athlete engineering interns.

Stop #3—University of Pittsburgh (2021–present)

• Advantages: Effective operating budget and multiple partnerships.
  • Neuromuscular Research Lab
  • Sports Science Master’s Program
  • Innovation Institute
  • Pitt IT
• Challenges: No centralization of a true Sports Science Department upon arrival.
• Successes: Creation of Director of Sports Science position and investment from administration to see the department grow:
  • Athlete Management System (AMS)
  • New Performance Facility and Sports Science Lab (Fall 2024)
  • Creation of the Sports Science ScD program (2023)

Based on these three different stops, I have had exposure to all levels of technology and the implementation of these tools. The goal at this point is to live in the high value quadrants, most notably the high value/low burden. This is where you will get optimal investment for maximal return.

Figure 3. Burden/Value quadrants, adapted from Jo Clubb, Global Performance Insights.

When looking at a road map, I like to break it down into a three-year process with specific goals and objectives to be accomplished in each year.

Year One: Break Ground and Lay the Foundation

We are currently in year one. When stepping into this role, it was important for me to assess and analyze many things: what had already been put in place, what was working, what wasn’t working, and what I can do in the first 90 days to begin to create a blueprint of what I want to implement.

Goals/Objectives:

• Educate sport coaches and administration.
• Develop Sports Science Master’s students’ curriculum.
• Track athlete engagement (starting point).
• Introduce the Sports Science Playbook.
• Sports Science Open House.

Let’s first talk about staffing. Currently, we are lucky to have a partnership with our Sports Science Master’s program through our School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences as well as our Neuromuscular Research Laboratory. This partnership was forged through open communication and mutual benefits to both parties involved.

Our Sports Science Master’s students take on two different curricula during the year.

Our other main goal of year one is gaining a greater understanding of what the sport coaches know and don’t know about this department and then educating them. What is sports science? Why is it important to them? How will it help them win more games or matches and keep their student-athletes available to complete?

Our other main goal of year one is gaining a greater understanding of what the sport coaches know and don’t know about the sport science department and then educating them, says @CoachStephMock. Share on X

Two major activities we like to put on for sport coaches in year one are the “Sports Science Playbook” and our “Sports Science Open House.” For our Sports Science Playbook, we like to meet with each coach individually to allow for the most open dialogue possible and invite as many specific questions as they can ask. As for our Sports Science Open House, we like to open our facility to all staffs to give them a hands-on introduction and presentation on the different pieces of technology that their teams will have access to. You can find both materials and presentations here to give you better insight.

During this first year, it is important to establish a why behind your department. What is sports science? Why is it important for their team? How will it help them win more games or matches? 

Year Two: Build the Frame and Installation

In year two, we want to continue to build the framework of our Sports Science Department by adding a new Director of Sports Science role.

Goals/Objectives:

• Hire a Director of Sports Science.
• Evaluate the current setup.
• Establish systems.
• Improve the utilization of AMS.
• Create partnerships to fund master’s students.

We envision that during the first 90 days, the sports scientist initiatives can be assessed for:

• What is working?
• What can be improved?
• What is not working?

Answering these questions should allow us to prioritize where to start with the list of year one goals for the Director of Sports Science.

Establish Systems

First, when establishing systems, it will be important to meet with each sport. The three main questions the Director of Sports Science needs to ask are: what technology is being used, what data is being collected, and what reporting is being done? Doing so allows them to begin immediately addressing the highest priority needs of each sport. By creating solutions to these problems, we can begin to educate coaches or staff on why and how these needs should be addressed.

We establish systems to help paint a clearer picture of athlete availability, athlete status, and training effectiveness. The most efficient way to make an immediate impact is to identify the “lowest-hanging fruit” for each team. By identifying these major gaps or limiters in performance, we can create easy wins and victories within teams.

Operate AMS and Optimize Sports Science Student Experience

As the prime operator for the AMS of all teams, ensuring that data is organized and clean is crucial. Building out dashboards and visualizations will be key for disseminating information and making it actionable. It is imperative to eliminate unnecessary data collection to reduce the noise and maximize efficiency.

Developing sports science students into sound practitioners is an extremely important goal of the department. We can progress these students by developing and cultivating a practicum/curriculum. A key piece to this in year two is identifying what the curriculum is missing and determining solutions to fix that.

We understand that achieving all these goals can be a large feat for one individual and a group of master’s students, but we truly believe that education will be key along the way. When creating a new leadership role, be clear and concise about its goals, not only for the first three months but the entire first year, to allow the framework to hold strong for years to come.

Year Three: Move-In

At Pitt, in year three of our road map, we will move into our new performance facility (Victory Heights), where our new sports science lab and our new weight room will be located.

Goals/Objectives:

• Hire an Assistant Sport Scientist.
• ScD Program for Sports Science created.
• Build a library of one- to three-minute education tutorials.
• Put together a proposal for administration.

When hiring directors and assistants, it is important that the Sports Science Department be well-rounded when it comes to skill sets. We divide our Sports Science Department into these three categories:

1. Assessment – force plate, Dari, reporting.
2. Monitoring – heart rate, Catapult, data skill set turn around.
3. Education.

It is also important that the sport scientists we hire can also be athlete- and coach-facing and not just nerds with high levels of education who can’t speak the language.

With departments growing at a fast rate, it is important to keep the sport coaches and performance staff in the know. With that said, during this particular phase at Pitt, we will begin our one- to three-minute tutorial series “PS3” (Pitt Sports Science Series) and create content to educate on the following areas:

• How do GPS units work?
• Applied practice situations.
  • Force plates – RTP
• What is motion capture?
• Feedback loop utilized when collecting data.
• How to run reports.
• Dashboards 101.
• Catapult report – what does this mean?

The year three phase will be when the department truly hits its stride, not only with a bigger staff, but a new lab and facility. Thinking further into the future remains important—this means putting together future job proposals to continue to keep the department moving in a positive direction. At this point and time, the department should be in a place where we have accumulated enough data and projects that we will need a data analyst to come in and organize it all for us.

In year three, the department should be in a place where we’ve accumulated enough data and projects that we’ll need a data analyst to come in and organize it all for us, says @CoachStephMock. Share on X

Bring It All Home

Hopefully, the example of this road map provides you all with at least one key takeaway. I can in no way take all the credit for all these amazing ideas. I must give thanks to my Associate Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Aaron Duvall; Travis Vlantes, John Wagle, Josh Nelson, Ryan Grubbs, and Rick Franzblau for being mentors and having a large influence on me along with the way; and the University of Pittsburgh for supporting my vision for building out this department. Thank you SimpliFaster for this opportunity and Hail to Pitt!

(Lead photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire).

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

It’s often repeated that speed kills and speed is king. But what effect does the speed to win a 100-meter track race have on the speed used in football and other field sports? More specifically, what phases of acceleration and max velocity from track should speed training for field sports focus on?

While I agree that fast is fast, we need to examine the drastic differences in the way speed is attained and used on the track versus on the field of play. I want to break this discussion into two parts:

1. 40-yard dash performance.
2. On-field game speed performance.

For field sports like football, the golden norm for testing speed is the 40-yard dash and not the 100-meter race. I won’t get too bogged down here, but most of us know that to run a fast 40-yard dash, an athlete must be accelerating the entire 40 yards. There is also limited time spent in the max velocity zone as compared with a 100-meter race. This has led me to ask whether athletes could focus only on the acceleration phase during training and drastically improve their 40-yard dash times?

I say yes (and others do as well).

Combine Success with XPE

In 2010, I had the opportunity to train WR Jacoby Ford and then, seven years later, speedster DB Jalen Myrick. At the NFL Combine for their respective years, Ford and Myrick ran official 4.28 laser 40 times, the fastest ever for their positions at that time.

When they arrived to work with me for an eight-week NFL Combine training program, Ford was pre-timed at 4.46 seconds and Myrick at 4.47 seconds (using the same method as the NFL Combine, a hand start and laser finish). Both experienced almost a two-tenth of a second improvement, and both focused primarily on acceleration—we spent maybe 10-15% of our speed training time on Max V and only enough time to work on Max V basic mechanic drills. We never ran a sprint farther than 40 yards in training, and most of the time they only worked on sprinting 10 and 20 yards in an overload/deload fashion.

I’ve had this same success—by focusing primarily on acceleration—not only with skill position guys like Ford and Myrick, but also in 2015 when Vic Beasley was the fastest DE/OLB, Stephone Anthony was the fastest ILB, and Jeremy Langford was the fastest RB.

• Vic Beasley’s pre-test was 4.68 (at 228 pounds) and post-test at Combine was 4.53 (at 246 pounds), a .15-second improvement.
• Stephone Anthony’s pre-test was 4.78 and post-test at Combine was 4.56, for an improvement of .22 seconds.
• Jeremy Langford’s pre-test was 4.63 and post-test at Combine was 4.41, for an improvement of .22 seconds.

These gains were attained with 6-7 weeks of training, and again, running 40 yards in a sprint fashion only in pre-testing and at the Combine. The majority of speed training was spent on acceleration—more specifically, making sure power was used in the acceleration phase—over any time spent on Max V sprints. This has continued to be our approach at XPE Sports.

The majority of speed training was spent on acceleration—more specifically, making sure power was used in the acceleration phrase—over any time spent on Max V sprints, says @xpe_sports. Share on X

Our basic NFL Combine Week for speed training for speed gains looks like:

• Monday
  • Top-speed mechanic warm-up – active flexibility, stiff leg bounds, high knees, skips, butt kicks, and clawing/cycling drills for a total of 15-20 minutes.
  • Powerful leg training accompanied by resisted running for acceleration with basic prowler sleds and SHREDmills (mimics sled training) for 45-55 minutes. Limited sets and adequate rest periods of 3-4 minutes before bouts of work.
• Tuesday
  • Light agility work to get soreness out of legs.
  • Massage.
• Wednesday
  • Pool workout.
• Thursday
  • Acceleration warm-up – lunges, wall drills, skips, bounds, 3 step get-offs.
  • Powerful leg training accompanied by resisted running (very similar to Monday) for 45-55 minutes.
  • Two to four sets of running focusing on Max V track mechanics for 25-40 yards.
• Friday
  • Position work not having to do with speed training.

More Combine Success Speed at XPE with Matt Gates

This type of 40-yard dash success has been furthered by Matt Gates of XPE Sports since 2018. In 2018, he had WR Jeff Badet run a 4.27 FAT electric time at Oklahoma Pro Day (which was the fastest of the entire NFL Draft class), Parry Nickerson be the fastest at the NFL Combine with a 4.32 laser, and Troy Apke as the fastest Safety with a 4.34 laser. To follow that up, he also has trained DB Jamel Dean, who ran a 4.30 laser, and WR Terry McLaurin, who ran a 4.35 laser in subsequent years.

Amazingly, Dean and McLaurin had 20-40 laser splits at the NFL Combine of 1.76 seconds. This means they were averaging 23.2 mph in the “Max V” portion of the event. If you ask Matt Gates how much Max V work he did in training, he will tell you 0%. While I believe training max velocity would not have a negative effect on the 40-yard dash, it seems that, based on these results, a focus on mainly acceleration training was very beneficial.

While I believe training max velocity would not have a negative effect on the 40-yard dash, it seems that, based on these results, a focus on mainly acceleration training was very beneficial. Share on X

Similar to Matt Gates above, Les Spellman has dedicated an entire training system to acceleration and uses it to improve 40-yard dash performance. One of his main goals is to assess and prescribe drills based on requiring the athlete to stay in the acceleration phase as much as possible and always be increasing speed. Some would say Tony Holler takes the opposite approach with Feed the Cats. While he is not anti-acceleration, he feels targeting Max V correctly does address acceleration.

After much discussion with all the above, I conclude it as such for 40-yard dash training:

1. Matt Gates says he does not target Max V to improve the 40-yard dash even 1%. He stresses acceleration so much that he coaches his athletes to try to hit a top speed even before they get to 40 yards. I have to convince Matt, as we now work together, that we do actually target max velocity with technique training and the occasional stride-out runs focusing on form.
2. I say we do target Max V about 10-15% to teach athletes about form with the goal being to allow momentum with the acceleration phase to carry over into Max V gains.
3. Les Spellman focuses much more time on working on techniques to always be accelerating than he does on Max V training.
4. Tony Holler from Feed the Cats feels that Max V training is a great approach to also target acceleration.

What is right? You choose. I just simply believe the longer the race or run, the more Max V comes into play. And if you can get great 40-yard dash gains by targeting acceleration, it is the best bang for your buck. This is not a negative on “max velocity track speed” one bit! I believe in many of the training philosophies track has taught me and have applied those principles throughout the years.

I am just showing a viewpoint of how much acceleration can and will improve the speed required for timed events of 40 yards or less. We work leg strength to power gains with acceleration together on the same day, and even in the same session, to get the transfer of weight training exercises into the acceleration phase. This also allows our legs to rest 48 hours before stressing high-intensity training again. This method has drastically improved 40-yard dash gains with very minimal, if any, training targeting Max V.

From the 40 to the Field

If acceleration can be used as the main ingredient for 40-yard dash performance, it should even be more of a focus for on-field game speed performance. Why? While on the field, athletes are rarely in a straight line run for 4-5 continuous seconds. The acceleration phase is much shorter and immediate, and their eyes must be up and not down. Athletes on the field cannot feel like they are out of control and seldom have adequate time to properly accelerate on the field like they do in the 40-yard dash. These top players in the NFL have explained their lack of desire to train as much in max velocity or high speeds:

WR Anquan Boldin

“Obviously, when guys come in and train for the Combine, they are training for speed and not for football. You allow them to train and give them the ability to get out of control. After Combine training is over, you have to tell the kids to scrap everything they just learned.

As a WR, if you can’t control your speed, you cannot cut properly, you cannot get in and out of breaks properly, so my thing with teaching receivers, is to always be under control. Not running too fast does not mean it appears to the DB that I am running slow—it can appear I am running fast but still be under control.

Guys change directions outside of their body because they are out of control with their speed. When young, you can get away with it. But the higher level you go, this speed can be a detriment.”

TE Travis Kelce

“Out of five gears, I normally play around Gear 3. I like to stay around 15-17 miles per hour for the majority of time on the field.”

RB Mark Ingram

“You can get to 15-16 miles per hour in 3-4 forceful steps. You can just drive off the ground, 1-2-3 and get to game speed. But once I get to 20 miles per hour, it’s almost impossible to change directions. You can’t efficiently and effectively change directions. But if you stay at 15-17 miles per hour, I can change directions efficiently at the top of the route, I can break this way, or break that way, and get that one step of separation.

I can get to 20 miles per hour, but then I can’t change directions. But being able to have adequate game speed and change directions, that is what football is.”

DB Kareem Jackson

Question posed to Kareem Jackson: “Can any amount of speed training make up for technique stuff you mentioned before?”

His reply: “None of it. For me, at this point of my career, I rely on everything else. If I get to a point where I am blasting into speed, that is normally a bad thing for me.”

Rethinking Training Based on the Game

Realizing how important acceleration is to the 40-yard dash— and even having it increase the “Max V” phase as a by-product—along with listening to top NFL players, has forced me to rethink and retool our speed training. Instead of rapidly increasing acceleration to the highest Max V possible, we would rather get to an adequate speed as fast as possible and in as few steps as possible.

Instead of rapidly increasing acceleration to the highest Max V possible, we would rather get to an adequate speed as fast as possible and in as few steps as possible. We call this ‘game speed,’ says @xpe_sports. Share on X

We call this “game speed,” and it is much different than “track speed” and even “40-yard dash speed.”

With the initial part of “game speed,” force into the ground is the goal. Instead of “speed is king,” we say force production is. An elite athlete must learn how to get to 12-14 mph within 3-4 steps—and instead of hitting the gas with more acceleration, coast and allow momentum and form to carry them to 14-17 miles per hour, or more if the distance dictates it. This 14-17 mph is called the “game speed zone,” which many of the NFL players already touched on.

In fact, if you truly listen to the pros and look at game speeds, it may even be slower than that. But I am already being controversial enough by saying Max V is rarely needed. I can’t tell you that elite NFL athletes truly want to run at 12-14 mph on the field (but the data may actually show that, and they may say the same!). It is in the “game speed zone” that athletes can choose to decelerate to change directions to make a play or hit the gas and get to speeds of 18-21 mph or more. Are Max V mechanics needed to reach speeds of more 20 mph? Yes. But how often?

Again, we have tailored our speed training approach around what the best NFL players have told us they need. And we want the younger athletes to learn the same. Work on speed still? Yes! Learn track mechanics and touch Max V occasionally? Yes! But also start teaching game speed and proper agility as soon as they are ready.

A typical game speed session should always include acceleration along with agility. Instead of 40-yard or track starts to uncontrollably blast into the acceleration phase, agility takes its place as the starting point for speed. Because of this, we changed our program design for field sports to have much more agility training than many think.

A typical game speed session should always include acceleration along with agility. We changed our program design for field sports to have much more agility training than many think. Share on X

Game speed sessions focus on the speed that can be attained from the 5- to 15-yard distance of a 20-yard run. Various cues are given on how to attain speed so athletes can feel and get feedback on the miles per hour they are attaining. They are coached and taught what is an adequate speed. Then they are asked to add in deceleration and stops at this speed along with different change of direction patterns at this speed.

This type of training allows the athlete to learn what speeds they can run at and still be able to change directions. This type of “game speed” training has opened our eyes, and the eyes of many of the athletes we have trained.

Lead photo by Daniel Gluskoter/Icon Sportswire.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF