DSC is pleased to announce the release of our new Athletic Development/Sports Performance video.  This video details our training philosophy, training environment, exercise protocol and coaching style.  We take pride in providing unparalleled strength and conditioning services in a safe, team oriented atmosphere.  We believe in work ethic, attention to detail, commitment, determination and accountability.  Educated, caring Coaches fueled with passion for exercise protocol, make DSC an ideal environment for athletes of all ages.  Welcome to DSC!

At Donskov Strength and Conditioning we have the unique opportunity of training athletes of various training ages (Beginner, intermediate and advanced athletes’ populate our programs).  As our business has grown over the years, so too has the number of athletes’ considered intermediate/advanced (4-5 training years) based on experience and years “under the bar”.  With this demographic, comes different programming variables.  No longer can these athletes make gains with progressive overload by simply adding 5 pounds to each side of the bar.  The load needs to fluctuate and “wave” allowing for periods of brief intensity coupled with periods of lighter dosing.  Our waves at DSC are three weeks in length with total volume dropping 40-50% in the final week to “realize gains” and stay fresh.  Here is how a single wave may work:

According to the dictionary a machine is “an apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task.” Strength and conditioning programming is a “machine!”  It has multiple moving, adjustable, parts all working to enhance performance, reduce sport injury and provide measurable gains for the athlete/client.  From my experience, the best machines are the easiest to use!

I’m a sucker for strength training information: from Eastern Block methodologies (Verkhoshansky, Issurin, Bondarchuck, Roman, Drabik and Medvedyev), to Westside Methods (Louie Simmons), and Tommy Kono’s Olympic lifting information.  A plethora of excellent resources exist for the strength and conditioning professional.  Amongst all the resources, data, personal bias, and program layout, a few questions need to be answered prior to commencing the training process:

Another year has passed in the confines of the weight room.  A time for Strength Coaches to look back on gains, set backs, dos, don’ts, attitudes, dreams and life experiences.  It may be filled with free weight, chalk and sweat but the more I think about it, the weight room is more of a life-sized classroom that every youngster should experience.  For inside I have learned more than any textbook has ever taught me.  The value of hard work, attention to detail, sacrifice, paying dues, persistence, positivity, courage, team work, discipline, determination, dedication, adaptation, programming, methodologies in practice, what works, what doesn’t and BELIEF!  The most rewarding is belief!  A young athlete that gains confidence and believes in himself/herself through training is more rewarding than PR’s, weight pulled and record boards.  My goal for 2013 is that more people can experience this atmosphere, this magic, this special place where work meets reward, where passion meets persistence, where pride meets iron, where life lessons are ingrained in the fabric of our being for the rest of our lives, the weight room!  I hope 2013 brings more to experience this classroom.

A system in “neutral” is desirable for physical activity.  It allows for efficient, alternating, reciprocal function in performing daily and sporting activities.   In other words, great fuel mileage with less wear and tear in the long run.  Taking the car analogy one step further, what would happen if we didn’t have neutrality, if we drove for miles and miles with our tires out of alignment?  Chances are we would end up on the side of the road sooner or later.  Well, our bodies are not designed for “neutrality”.  As humans our thorax, along with vital organs are different from right to left.  This affects our “alignment” and may cause us to use our fuel (a.k.a. oxygen) inefficiently.  Lets take a look at these differences.

Sequence: A strict order of succession. Although there are a plethora of programming variables (training age, motor priorities, sport, exercise selection, exercise order, tempo, rest, intensity, density, duration, frequency, regeneration) it seems like the art of sequencing has taken a back burner.  There are two forms of sequencing that we use at Donskov Strength and Conditioning when writing our programs, small picture and big picture sequencing. We aim to keep things simple.

The older I get, the more I realize that attitude and work ethic trump talent and natural ability. How we react to the cards that are dealt is more important than the hand it represents, and that character outlasts fame, money, Twitter followers and Facebook likes. There is nothing worse than the sight of wasted talent. I have played with some Junior/College hockey players that should be making millions in the NHL, and I have coached youth athletes that have struggled to reach their inner potential with the preconceived notion that the world owes them something. It was never about goals and assists, penalty minutes, weight lifted or one rep max totals. It was and still is about attitude! It’s about being on time, never being outworked, honesty, integrity, embracing the grind, pushing your teammates and relentlessly perusing a “One Day Better” mentality. As my older brother would say, “It’s about being an “Everydayer”.

Another summer of programming is officially in the books at DSC. This year we had four full capacity Athletic Development programs with 50+ athletes. It’s always rewarding as a Coach to see both tangible and intangible results that our athletes’ have attained. It’s also a time to reflect on program design, results and areas of improvement for next year. Below are 5 new concepts/ideas that we implemented into this summers Athletic Development program.

I miss the good old days! A time where hard work, commitment, discipline and positive attitude were expected, not rewarded, failure was not final and earning meant sacrifice. These lessons have stood the test of time. Growing up in Canada, I never played AAA hockey, I got cut from most of the teams I tried out for. I knew at an early age that hard work; desire, dedication and discipline were the keys to success. My father never responded by formulating a new league, moving across town, getting involved in “politics” or buying me something to ease my self pitied state. By doing so, he taught me a very valuable lesson that would pay off later in life: In the real world not EVERYONE GET’S a TROPHY.