As Strength Coaches our job is three fold: prevent injuries in the weight room, reduce sport related injuries, and enhance performance. Unfortunately most coaches focus on the last two and ignore the MOST important! I don’t care if your athlete can back squat 400 lbs if he has a stress fracture and herniated disk and can’t participate in his sport. Bottom line: injuries in the weight room are the fault of the STRENGTH COACH….PERIOD! Coach Dan John, who has been coaching before I was born, most recently reinforced this concept in a lecture at MBSC in Boston. He emphasized, “DO NO HARM!” We need to reassess this concept, as exercise selection and protocol are the responsibility of the coach. It’s a simple concept, yet we make it inherently difficult. Below are four ways to assess/implement the “Do No Harm” philosophy.
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Program design is a nearly extinct art form based on sound principals and components. It is backed by current science and practical application. It takes years to master through education, mentorship and deliberate practice. A well-educated trainer/coach can defend each and every exercise in their program and explain why it is applicable to their training population(s). One size does not fit all! Weight loss clients train differently than elite athletes. Program design is a GPS system; it guides us through the obstacles taking our clients step by step to their final destinations.
...Another year is officially in the books.As coaches it is important to reflect on our experiences, learn from our mistakes, and plan for the future.I have had the opportunity to learn from many great coaches, PT’s, and Doctors.I have invested in DVD’s, books, seminars, and on-line programming.Most importantly however, I have learned from application, from real world experience.Below are 10 things (both business and coaching) that I learned in 2010!
I never thought I’d use the words billiards and strength training in the same article, but the fact is that there is some correlation. Cuing is a tool used in both professions. Using the proper cue in pool allows the ball to travel in its destined path with efficiency and ease. Strength and Conditioning is no different! Cuing is an art/tool that allows ease, understanding and efficiency in the weight room. There are two types of cues that reinforce proper motor programming, verbal and physical. Combined, these cues build technical proficiency without “over coaching” and confusing athletes by speaking a different language. The key to cuing is SIMPLICITY. Below are several of my favorite verbal and physical cues. Some are original; many are “borrowed” from well-respected coaches in the industry.
...As coaches we demand a lot from our athletes. Attention to detail, technical proficiency and a solid effort each and every session. We also expect our athletes/clients to represent themselves positively away from the weight room; making good choices like wearing their seat belts, drinking plenty of water, flossing, and performing well in the classroom (Thanks Coach John!). We are more than just coaches; we are educators, teachers and role models. How would you feel if any of your athletes broke the law? I know plenty of Coaches would take it personal! If we expect this from our athletes, why do so many strength coaches break the law(s)? No, I don’t mean stealing or wearing seatbelts; I’m referring to the Laws of basic biomechanics, Newton’s laws.
...I must admit that as much as I love uni-lateral protocol and the trap bar dead lift, my first love is the hang clean. I truly believe that this Olympic lift is one of the most beneficial tools in an athletes program. Why do I like the hang clean so much you may ask, there are several reasons.
...There are few teachers who cross the boundaries and are relevant in all walks of life: whether coaching basketball, hockey, football, strength and conditioning, or a business leader looking for better ways to allow others to attain their potential for greatness. All professionals can grow and become more complete individuals/teachers when acting on Coach John Wooden’s wisdom. I had the opportunity to read Coach Wooden’s book: “Wooden On Leadership” and my highlighter almost ran out before I finished the first chapter. Below are his important bits of advice that transcend the word “Coach”. When applied correctly, this information can bring us one step further in our quest for personal greatness.
...There is a pre-determined path for success that few strength and conditioning coaches decide to take on a daily basis. Small, yet important decisions that separate the good from the great, the mediocre from the magnificent. There is no secret that the best coaches in the world practice “deliberately”, constantly pushing their boundaries and growing their horizons, never afraid to fail, only afraid of not trying. It is not by chance or luck, it’s by sweat, time and energy. Robin Sharma states: " Lucky breaks are nothing more than unexpected rewards for intelligent choices we've chosen to make. Success does not happen because someone's stars line up. Success, both in business and personally is something that's consciously created. It's the guaranteed result of a deliberate series of acts that anyone can perform."
...It’s truly sad that in this day and age we have not set a firm bar/measure of strength in the weight room. Bench press, front squat, trap bar dead lift maxes have all been inflated to show unrealistic numbers with sub par form. The truth behind the reality is that coaches inflate their own egos just as much as their athletes’ bench press numbers. The results are arbitrary. Want to get your athletes strong? WORK! The Wikipedia definition of work states: “In physics, mechanical work is the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance.” In the strength and conditioning world, work is defined as the weight (gravity acting on the bar/object) multiplied by the distance the object travels. If we as coaches don’t set the distance the bar travels, how can we accurately measure our athletes’ strength gains? The truth is we can’t! In fact not only do we set inaccurate standards, we guess, which further sets our profession back.
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