12 Upper-Body Blast Strap Variations
Anchor this suspension system and you instantly have at the very minimum, twelve exercises to train back and shoulders.
WATCH: Chainz for Gainz — Is Your Accommodating Resistance Doing Anything?
Using chains as accommodating resistance incorrectly can be detrimental to your athletes…and your street cred.
LISTEN: Just Fly Performance Podcast Episode 16 with Guest Mark Watts
Most athletes will forget the win-loss records of their teams, but they won’t forget the way the coach treated them. This podcast episode focuses on the impact coaches can have on young athletes outside of sets and reps.
elitefts Trap Bar Deadlift 101
Using the Trap Bar Deadlift may be one of the best exercises for beginners in a team setting.
5 Ways You're Rejecting Self Improvement As A Coach
I recently started going through some old boxes and found an article I printed and saved when I coached at Denison. The information was pertinent for coaches then and it still is now.
LISTEN: The Podcast with Jay DeMayo — Mark Watts on the Field Today
Stepping outside ‘the grind’ of coaching has given Mark a different perspective on his career in strength and conditioning and the challenges that young coaches face. He shares his thoughts on this topic and more in Episode 77.
Practical Application for Developing Rotational Power
All sports are rotational to some degree. Here are some effective ways to develop and assess rotational power within a team setting.
Pacey Performance Podcast — Mark Watts and Aiden Oakley
With an abundance of experience in strength and conditioning, Watts and Oakley share an in-depth evaluation of the opportunities for growth in the industry.
The Evaluation of a Strength and Conditioning Coach: A Process-Based Pro...
Why do strength coaches quit and the people that hired them don’t care? Before exploring some possible answers, let’s look at the problem.
Why Strength Coaches Quit and Why the People that Hired them Don't ...
With no objective methods to evaluate strength & conditioning coaches and not many administrators qualified to do so; the profession is devalued from saturation and immeasurement
3 Programming Considerations for In-Season Football Training: Scheduling...
When should the athletes lift? Where is the total training volume based from? How is intensity individualized within a team setting?
Why You're Still an Intern
You've followed every coach on social media, listened to every podcast, and gave out your business card to everyone you've met at every conference you attended. So why are you on your third consecutive unpaid internship?
What We Can Do Better for Youth Sports
An overview of early specialization, competition, and communication in youth athletics
In-Season Training for Football: 3 Tips to Maximize Performance
Programming for football athletic performance during the season is challenging for coaches. These strategies can optimize training time.
Three Coaching Cues You Need to Avoid
Most coaches rely on verbal internal cues, which may be the least effective. Here are several alternative options to help your athletes.
Practical Applications for Developing Rotational Power
All sports are rotational to a point. Here are some effective ways to develop and assess rotational power in a team setting
The Four Essential Steps Your Athletes Need to Take
Not having these four components in the development process is problematic. Not initiating them in the proper sequences could be even worse
The NFL Strength Coach Interviews
Interviews with of the top strength coaches in professional football including Joe Kenn, Buddy Morris, Mark Uyeyama, and Evan Marcus
Things I Learned at the STL in STL
Some valuable take-aways from Vern Gambetta, Jim Radcliffe, and Clay Erro
The Elitefts College Football Strength Coach Interviews
Nine interviews from some of the most respected strength & conditioning coaches in our field representing BYU, Delaware, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Iowa, Iowa State, Kent State, Morehead State, and Oregon State,
The Dad's Guide to Daughters
Let's just say my desire to be a cohesive unit sometimes falls short. Here is some well-meaning advice for dads on Father's Day.
4 Hockey Strength Coach Interviews in Honor of 4 Stanley Cups
Podcast interviews with Cal Dietz, Mike Boyle, Anthony Donskov, and Scott Umberger
Will Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Finally Get Paid Wha...
Not likely. It's a wonderful concept for a profession that needs a climate change, but there are a few obstacles in the way.
Major League Wisdom: 4 Interviews All Baseball Strength Coaches Must Hear
Interviews from four of the best coaches in our industry including Carlo Alvarez, Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, and Bob Alejo.
STL in STL: Excellence in Teaching, Coaching, and Athletic Development
Here is an opportunity to access discount codes to see Vern Gambetta, Jim Radcliffe, and (f you're really bored) myself in Saint Louis on June 5th through the 7th
The 5 Falsehoods of Small School Strength & Conditioning
Small College and University Strength and Conditioning Coaches have challenges that High School and Division 1 schools simply don't have. From scheduling to staffing, small school sports performance needs to be concise and creative.
35 Speed Drills You Can Adapt to Any Setting
Speed Training can be a challenge to implement for coaches working with large groups with limited time. Check out these linear and lateral speed and agility drills to improve technique, acceleration, and the ability to change direction.
Applying for a Coaching Position: When They Ask for a Video of You Coaching
In today's climate of strength & conditioning, coaches are not taking chances on hiring an assistant or GA without seeing them coach firsthand. The only logistical way of achieving this is by using video. That clip may be your one and only chance of getting into the profession.
The 7 Deadly Sins of Speaking
Applying Julian Treasure's TEDTalk to coaching, clinics, and character
The Basketball Strength Coach's Triple-Double... and 1
Five podcasts, a video interview, and a written Q&A from some of the top College and NBA strength coaches in the field including Shawn Windle, Megan Young, Ryan Horn, Jay DeMayo, Cory Schlesinger, Derek Millender, and Dennis Cuturic.
The Worst Advice You Can Give
These are four of the worst pieces of advice anyone can give to someone else in their field. The problem is, they are also the most common.
3 Unforgettable Interviews to Improve Your Mental Game
Simon Sinek, Brian Cain, and James Clear all share their vision on motivation, leadership, and gaining an edge on your opponent... even if that opponent is the person you see in the mirror.
2 Things Your Athletes May be Training for No Reason
Is what your athletes are training actually trainable?
How to Put on a Strength Clinic: The 5 Ps of a Great Seminar
How to make the most out of your time and resources to provide a top-notch learning opportunity for strength and conditioning professionals
4 Things I Think About on Saint Patrick's Day
March 17th means different things to different people. Here is what this day means to me.
Showtime Strength & Performance Sports Performance Clinic
April 2nd, 2016 from 9am - 6pm with Louie Simmons, Todd Hamer, Dr. Eric Serrano, Cory Gregory, and Mark Watts
What I Got from Interning as a Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
When I was the defensive coordinator, head strength & conditioning coach, and physical education instructor at Denison University; I completed a summer strength & conditioning internship at the University of Tulsa. Here's Why.
The "6 Es" Coaches Need for Every Training Session
Adapting Jeremy Boone's wisdom and guidance to help coaches better prepare for their training sessions
The High School Strength Coach Podcasts
Interviews with four of the top high school strength and conditioning coaches in the country featuring Fred Eaves, Gary Schofield, Tobias Jacobi, and Dan Stevens
Bringing Westside to West Point
I am living out of a car and sleeping on a couch while coaching at the most historically significant institution of higher learning in the country. This is how I stole from Dave Tate, Louie Simmons, Joe Kenn, and Kevin Yoxall and brought the "goods" to the Hudson.
Get to Know Team Elitefts: Sports Performance Podcasts You May Have Missed
Interviews with Ashley Jones, JL Holdsworth, Jon Mike, Matt Rhodes, Bryan Mann, Todd Hamer, and David Allen
2015 Year in Review
Looking back on the past year and some of the accomplishments we were able to acheive
What You Should Have Asked for This Year
Next year, ask Santa for some, if not all, of these things instead
Evolution of a Strength Coach: The 4 Stages of Maturity
Coaching is a selfless profession which requires more sacrifice and less ego than any other. These four stages illustrate how and why coaches can sometimes fail to truly impact the athletes they work with.
NSCA Coach of the Year Interviews
Interviews with NSCA Coach of the Year Award winners Ashley Jones, Joe Kenn, Ron McKeefery, Fred Eaves, and Gary Schofield
15 Questions for Reflection
Anytime you are interviewed, it is an absolute honor. More than that, it is a great opportunity to reflect on what you really believe when you must articulate those thoughts by answering meaningful questions.
The 2015 Strength & Speed Seminar at Robert Morris University
Become an exceptional athlete and coach by learning from some of the best coaches in strength and conditioning! Sunday, December 13, 2015
Rising Up to the Challenges of Small School Strength & Conditioning
How to overcome the two biggest obstacles and avoid the fallacies of small school sports performance
Olympic Lifting for Athletic Performance
A comprehensive look at Coaching, Cueing, Context, and Carryover with the Olympic lifts along with Positions, Progressions, and Programming for Sports Performance
NSCA Great Lakes Regional Conference
Saturday, November 14, 2015 at Ball State University in Muncie, IN
Strength Training for Just Dance for the Wii
Back in 2013, I hit the highest pinnacle of athletic performance in any sport. Here is how I became one of the most dominant athletes in one of of the most competitive sports in the world. #gainz #beastmode #goat #jdwii