Why I Hate Joe DeFranco
Why I Hate Joe DeFranco
Joe DeFranco is full of shit. There I said it. If you have a problem with that statement, then you are wrong.
Children Should Minor in all Sports and Major in None
Children Should Minor in all Sports and Major in None
The title says it all, which is a quote from Tom Myslinski, currently the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania. Every youth sports related newspaper or magazine article you read these days has children as young as 7-8 years-old playing organized year-round sports.
General Preparatory Classifications for Division 1 Football
General Preparatory Classifications for Division 1 Football
Although there are several different reasons for this, lack of time in the day is a large one (especially for the collegiate strength coach). Here at Northwestern State University (NSU), we developed a method for classifying our athletes to make their programs/training more individualized.
Insight into Baseball Training
Insight into Baseball Training
I get bombarded with emails on a daily bases ranging from business issues, training questions, product opportunities, spam and a number of other issues. While I personally answer most of my emails there are times when I forward them onto people I feel can do a better job answering the questions than I could.
What I See in My Weight Room
What I See in My Weight Room
It’s funny some of the things you see being a strength coach. I probably see most athletes more than their sport coaches do on average. So during a normal day in a somewhat normal week the things I see always amuse me in some form.
The P-40 Warhawk and the Athlete
The P-40 Warhawk and the Athlete
It seems that during WWII the U.S. was losing a large number of aircrafts during various missions. Obviously, the job of flying these planes was a treacherous one, and you could assume that the casualty rate was very high. But something else was wrong.
Do You Need Your Brakes Fixed?
Do You Need Your Brakes Fixed?
Many articles out there deal with enhancing acceleration but pay little attention to deceleration or force absorption. However, in most cases, you must be able to absorb force before you can create force.
Forcing Our Minors to Major: Youth Athletic Specialization
Forcing Our Minors to Major: Youth Athletic Specialization
For children living in the United States, sports are as common as television and snack time.
Blue Collar Strongman Training
Blue Collar Strongman Training
What would be more effective is to change the dynamics of the lift slightly to stimulate new recruitment patterns and increase the use of often neglected muscles.
The Simple Guide to Speed Training
The Simple Guide to Speed Training
Spend a few minutes listening to people and gurus talk about speed training nowadays and it shouldn't be too hard to understand why the average person can leave a speed training conversation with a billion more questions then they had when they started.
Transformation of a Young Athlete
Transformation of a Young Athlete
Dan White had a lot of trouble gaining weight through his years of wrestling. As a freshman in high school he barely weighed 90 lbs and wrestled in the 103 lb weight class. As a sophomore he finally gained enough muscle and was able to wrestle at 103 lbs with no problems making weight.
Torso Training – Part 3: Advanced Training Exercises
Torso Training – Part 3: Advanced Training Exercises
In the past two articles, we have given you ideas and progressions for strengthening your torso. As you know by now, strong abs isn’t all that is needed.
Field Day
Field Day
Field day at elementary school means dunk tanks, water balloons, Italian ice, hanging with your friends, cool games and a bunch of other cool stuff.
Torso Training – Part 2: Basic Rotational Exercises
Torso Training – Part 2: Basic Rotational Exercises
In this article, the second in our Torso Training series, we will cover rotational exercises that don’t specifically target the rectus ab.
Torso Training for Athletes, Part 1: The Basics
Torso Training for Athletes, Part 1: The Basics
What is torso training? Torso training is strengthening your body from just above the hips to just below the chest. Training your torso involves many movements, but can be done effectively in just a few minutes, 3-4 times per week.
How Combat Athletes Can Effectively Use Kettlebells and the Grappler
How Combat Athletes Can Effectively Use Kettlebells and the Grappler
There have been many questions with regards to the use of The Grappler & Russian Kettlebells. I am going to discuss exactly how I train my athletes (mainly grapplers & football players) with these two tools.
Davidson College Football Program
Davidson College Football Program
Evan Simon recently became the head strength and conditioning coach for Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.
Strength Considerations for Throwers in Track and Field
Strength Considerations for Throwers in Track and Field
Most periodized training programs for athletes follow a Western or linear model.
The Unmaking of an Athlete
The Unmaking of an Athlete
I sometimes wonder if there are any prerequisites at all to getting a job as college strength and conditioning coach.
Strength and No Holds Barred Fighting
Strength and No Holds Barred Fighting
“Strength is an essential component of all human performance and its formal development can no longer be neglected in the preparation of any athlete"
The Socratic Method
The Socratic Method
One of the first pressing, inquisitive minds who stepped on the face of this earth was Socrates.
Auto Regulatory Training Part 1
Auto Regulatory Training Part 1

The individual control and systematic manipulation of volumetric management is largely dependant upon the proper integration of critical training variables.

Super Compensation
Super Compensation

The reason to couple super compensation work with training work is simple, gain a reciprocative function of the fatigue-frequency relationship more often in a training stage.

Workout Wisdom
Workout Wisdom

When planning a training protocol, one must take into account the value of work administered in terms of function and time.

Barbell Bullshit
Barbell Bullshit

Maybe it’s because I found out the hard way that you must vent information through a screen door in order to attain measurable improvements every training session in the real world. Maybe it’s because I have been doing research lately on American training strategies and I got a swift kick of deja vu.

Auto Regulatory Training Part 2
Auto Regulatory Training Part 2

The training process must include a critical and determined degree of fatigue, followed by an appropriate duration to which Reserve Strength may be elicited.

Auto Regulatory Training Part 1
Auto Regulatory Training Part 1

The individual control and systematic manipulation of volumetric management is largely dependant upon the proper integration of critical training variables. Specifically, these elements that must be monitored in training for sport can be generally classified into the broad category of measurement.

Training High School Athletes
Training High School Athletes

One of the most asked questions throughout the day was “What would you have done differently, if you knew what you know now?” And though I answered the question as best I could, I couldn’t help but rethink the question over and over.

General Training Journal For High School Field Athletes
General Training Journal For High School Field Athletes

When discussing training, there are many things to consider, such as speed work, building absolute strength, improving form, raising work capacity, recuperation, and selecting exercises and rotating them them in proper sequence to avoid adaptation.

Westside and the Log Press
Westside and the Log Press

Get fast and slam a big log up overhead. As an added bonus your bench will go up too.

Pick Your Poison
Pick Your Poison

This article is all about you, as a unique individual, training for your goals and based on your needs.

Swinging at Bad Pitches
Swinging at Bad Pitches

What do you call it when someone makes a bonehead mistake in training? I am going to muster up all of my will power and be nice this time as I liken it to the baseball player that has fallen prone to poor pitch selection- swinging at bad pitches

Westside Training and Football
Westside Training and Football

The other day I got off the phone with a friend of mine who coaches college football. I told him that I had recently consulted with Dave Tate about applying the Westside principles for a college football player

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