It seems we all preach more is not better but then when it comes down to it we end doing more. As my good friend and colleague Gary Winckler so succinctly states “volume is not a biomotor quality.” I think there must be some comfort in doing more. What we need to focus on instead is the concept of the stimulus threshold. I define that as is the threshold amount of work that is the opti [...]

Some comments by Joe P. got me thinking about the process of program design. It is definitely a process, a blend of art and science tempered with a heavy dose of practical experience. For me there is a constant desire to get it “right,” therefore there is always a lot of fine tuning. For example this next cycle with Venice girl’s volleyball is pivotal. They are playing very well. [...]

That ain't no woman! It's a man, man! A word to the unwise, volume and intensity are not mutually exclusive. Unless you're the coach of a stable of elite Chinese women distance runners consuming copious amounts of caterpillar fungus or the coach of hulking Eastern Bloc women, you can forget about handling high volumes AND high intensities for any extended period of time and getting away wit [...]

The following is an excerpt from my book Athletic Development – The Art & Science of Functional Sports Conditioning, Chapter Seven – Energy and Work Capacity. I thought it might help to clarify the use of the energy systems in training. The next point in regard to the development of work capacity is the concept of training the energy systems. When the concept of training the energy sys [...]

I recently was reading the latest edition of a popular running magazine, and stumbled across a quote from an elite runner, who just medaled at World Champs in Osaka, that perpetuates the myth that distance runners need not lift weights.  The quote rips on lifting for distance runners as the athlete gained twelve pounds of mass during a forced break where her primary cross training modality wa [...]

Position StatementWe must stop trying to emulate/replicate the Eastern European model of LTAD. In worked in the context of that socio political environment, that society no longer exists. Certainly we can look at elements that will work in our society and deal with our reality. We must also recognize that in the past in the US and Australia some aspects of LTAD where done quite well, both by chanc [...]

One of the biggest things I’ve learned in my relatively short coaching career is that flexibility is very important when developing a training plan. When I was an athlete and early in my career as a coach I felt that the prescribed workout for the day was something sacred that should be taken at face-value as the unalterable rule for the day’s training. The more I coach though, the mor [...]

A couple weeks ago I bought a pair of gymnastics rings and last week I started using them. I'm hooked. They are a great tool for enhancing the intensity of standard body weight strength exercises and also permit a ton of new multi-planar exercises to be performed. I'm a HUGE proponent of bodyweight strength exercises and the rings just add a lots of options to my extensive l [...]

Say what you mean and mean what you. Be as exact as possible. I was taught that words create images and images create action. A key aspect of an Athletic Development system is terminology. Speed should mean the same thing regardless of the sport. Strength is the same. One of hallmarks of the guru is the use of words that no one else can understand or that create confusion. I just finished reading [...]

I first heard this concept presented by Wayne Goldsmith at the American Swim Coaches Convention a few years ago. I immediately found it an intriguing concept and one that has virtually become a mantra for athlete’s that I work with. Another way to rephrase it is that it is not so much what you do it is how you do it. The ICE – Intensity, Concentration and Effort acronym grew out of the [...]