One of the toughest mindsets to break into is the idea that distance runners don’t need strength training or their strength training should only consist of light weight and high reps.
One of the best sayings I heard many years ago (I wish I could remember who said it) was, “The weight room is for strength training. If you want endurance training get out of the weight room.”
Distance running for competition isn’t about who can run the longest, it is about who can run the distance the fastest. Strength training serves …

If you run a business, train groups of athletes, coach sports team, or work as strength and conditioning coach you undoubtedly have run into the conundrum of organizing a weekly plan. I have been in all three positions and without a doubt the most difficult is training athletes in a business setting. If you are dealing with the same issues, here is a little insight as to how I see the many options of organizing a group training template.Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

A few weeks ago I led a warm up with a group of 4th and 5th grade boys and girls. The kids loved it and I was having a great time sharing it with them. Let me tell you about it…Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

I can remember the first time I learned to dribble two basketballs. It was a very awkward feeling. After a few sessions it became easier and felt more “normal”. Why would I want to learn to dribble with two hands when the game is played with one ball? Here are my thoughts on practicing, not only two handed exercises, but exercises that require off hand manipulation. 
The reason I teach all my players how to dribble with two basketballs is because Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Back in the ’70s and ’80s training was all about isolation. In the ’90s we started to become more “functional” and now we are starting to figure out how it all works together. Speed training isn’t much different. There are times when we might need to isolate a movement to get the feel and to allow for a teaching moment. But we also know that we have to look at the entire body and how each level, foot to head, sets up or reacts to what the other level is …

As someone who has done hundreds of speed clinics, I can tell you they are very important on many levels. Because of this I believe every coach should learn how to run them. Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

The cold is coming and I am going to have to be prepared to move my training session inside for the winter. Even though I am training out of my home facility, which is small, I still can design some killer speed workouts. I just have to be creative.
Even while training out of my two car garage in New York for six years, I was able to improve speed of my athletes through not only strength training, but also through various Please Login or Register to read the rest of …

Have you ever seen someone performing an exercise that looks like a circus act? When you ask what they are doing they respond by saying, “I’m doing functional training.” There was a time when I did some circus type training and believe me it wasn’t really functional for much. Here are my thoughts on speed training exercises and how they become functional to sport.Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

It has become a reality in my adult life that I can make my life what I want it to be by my choosing. The information below is about how results are more than just physical training. It is about involving the mind of the athlete to accept the right choice therefore directing effort down the correct path.
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The design of the human body is so fascinating. It has the ability to load and explode like a rubber band. The key word in this sentence is LOAD. If you want to learn more about how athletes can become better at exploding when they are taught to explode better then read on….Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Over the past years I have written many articles, produced many products and outlined many programs. Yet, the big question I am continually asked is “how many sets and reps do I perform”. This is a great question. I always make sure to spend time trying to explain my answer and educate those who want to know why I do things the way I do.Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

One of my favorite things about training athletes is the variety you can bring to the table in their program. I personally like to make subtle to massive changes to a workout. This allows me to keep the athletes fresh, guessing, and getting results. Having said that… it isn’t wise to make too many changes. If the athletes have not learned the basics of one exercise routine or movement pattern, Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

One of the fastest growing sectors of the fitness industry is the boot camp movement. There are women’s boot camps, men’s boot camps, Kids’ boot camps, athletes’ boot camps, and high intensity boot camps, and the list goes on. Bottom line, they are popular and here to stay.Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

There is one thing that I do at least once a year. It takes me about half a day and usually one or two sheets of paper, but it is worth every second of time I spend on it. I call it taking inventory of my core beliefs in training. In this article, I want to share something I believe is pretty powerful to keeping you on task and continually growing – “take inventory of your training”.

A while back I had a conversation with a school administrator about PE teachers often have too many classes on a daily basis. The reason the conversation came up was because many schools were cutting back on PE programs, therefore the one PE teacher they did keep was given more classes. My complaint was all teachers must perform well and teach hard every class. This is only fair to the students. My argument is “good” PE teachers have to Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

When athletes like Michael Vick, Barry Sanders, and Michael Jordan move on their playing field it is like watching graceful artists on stage. They make every move look effortless and powerful at the same time. There is one common thread that allows these amazing athletes to do what they do- free movements in the hips. If the hips are not loose and Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Our country is famous for the “knee jerk reaction”. How many times have new fads or trends pop up and the entire country jumps on it until it fades away? Or how often do we hear about a new nutritional plan or fitness program and jump all over it. It is no different in the field of youth athletic development. We hear about how youngsters should or shouldn’t be trained and everyone changes completely what they have been doing. Sometimes this can be good, but a lot of times it …

When we think of strength training, three of the most common exercises are the bench press, squat, and dead lift. All are great exercises with general and specific applications. There are many other exercises such as the clean, military press, and seated row that can be dominate in any given program. Once again, good exercises with general and specific applications. More and more though, we are seeing a greater emphasis on unilateral exercises that force the athlete to use more stabilization from muscles and joints that are not directly involved …

A few days ago I attended my daughter’s last volleyball tournament of the season. She plays on her schools travel team. They participated in several local and semi-local tourneys throughout Indiana. The results were pretty impressive. Here is why this occurred….Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Have you ever wondered how many more plays you could have made if you had greater acceleration? How many balls got past you because your first step was slow? How many times you have been beat to the hoop because of poor positioning? Or simply, how many times you have just come up short? Well, I’m sure there isn’t an athlete out there that hasn’t wondered what would have happened if they only had more speed. The phase of speed I am referring to is Please Login or Register to …