Happy Monday! Here are a few thoughts bouncing around in my head after a week of reading, podcasts and other continuing ed. Enjoy!

1. “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw. In strength and conditioning, we need more unreasonable coaches trying to progress the field forward in a positive manner.
2. Coach the first person, then coach the athlete.
3. A lot of coaches think that the coaches that put themselves out there are sellouts or that they always have their phones out and aren’t coaching. I don’t think that could be any further from the truth. It takes 10 seconds to take your phone out and get a video of something. I think that if you think you have something of value to offer other coaches you are doing them a disservice by not sharing.

Another week, another group of podcasts and articles to read and listen to that I have dived into this past week. Like every week, there was a ton of content out there both in written form and through podcasts.

For podcasts, I really enjoyed both the Pacey Performance with Eric Renaghan who spoke a lot on hockey and his work with the St. Louis Blues, and the Leave Your Mark with Bill Knowles, who is an outstanding rehab professional.

For articles, Todd Hamer wrote a great article on leadership that everyone could learn something from.

Enjoy!

Podcasts

Pacey Performance with Eric Renaghan

Leave Your Mark with Bill Knowles

Iron Game Chalk Talk with Raph Ruiz

CVASP with Lee Taft

Articles 

All Blacks Secrets by NZ Herald

Dos and Don’ts of Leadership by Todd Hamer

The Truth about Dodgeball and Tag by Lee Taft

Why College Athletes are the Most Badass People You’ll Ever Meet by Alex Duffield

“You sport is not different, you just think it is.” Marco Cardinale

Our programs look very similar across all sports – basic strength training performed well. Everyone does something explosive, pushes things, pulls things, performs both hip and knee dominant lower body work, carries things and performs core work.

I would guess that somewhere between 85-90% of what we do is the same, with subtle changes based on sport needs, like potential shoulder issues in volleyball and hockey, potential knees issues in basketball or volleyball, and potential hip/groin issues in hockey.

Kettlebell Drag Through
✔️ First be able to perform basic Anti-Extension exercises well (front plank, rollouts)
✔️ 3 Points of contact inherently makes the exercise more challenging on the core
✔️ Becomes as much an anti-rotational exercise because of the moving arm and dragging of the kettlebell
✔️ Increased shoulder stability

Another month, another post full of random thoughts that have been going through my head. Hope it sparks a little thought in people and you enjoy!

1. “My goal is simple: Make a stronger, faster, more explosive and better conditioned athlete, and let the skill coaches teach them the specifics of the on-field task.” Loren Landow
2. Sport specific training doesn’t need to look like the sport you are training.
3. Strength and conditioning first needs to be health orientated then it can be performance orientated.
4. Want to be a great strength coach? Make each athlete feel important. Make sure each one of them knows that you are invested in their success.
5. The Pareto Principle is alive and well in our field – I’m willing to bet that 80% of the results we get come from 20% of the lifts we use. The key is knowing what 20% is the actual important stuff.
6. Good coaches are good teachers.
7. Bench presses and squats are making people stronger…but is it making them a better athlete? – Jason Glass
8. “If you’re through learning, you’re through.” – John C. Maxwell
9. One thing that I don’t do well and I don’t think many people do well, is coaching stretching. Stretching on a daily basis is hugely important, but way too many people go through the motions when stretching.
10. Psychology is important in the field of strength and conditioning – coaching is a social endeavor. Understanding human behavior will make you a better strength coach – but the reverse isn’t true.

Why single leg exercises make up a majority of our lower body strength work:

• minimize imbalances
• less spinal loading
• greater hip stabilizer strength, which is huge for injury prevention
• low risk, high reward
• more sport specific

Happy Monday! Here are a few thoughts bouncing around in my head after a week of reading, podcasts and other continuing ed. Enjoy!

1. Health > Performance and that’s a non-negotiable in my opinion. There is a way to improve performance while not getting injured in the weight room and reducing sport related injuries.
2. Find your strengths as a coach and then try to magnify them. Find your weakness as a coach and then try to develop them.
3. Something I think a lot of professionals often forget: Strength and conditioning is a service profession. Make sure every athlete you work with feels important and make sure they know you are invested in their future.

Another week, another group of podcasts and articles to read and listen to that I have dived into this past week. Like every week, there was a ton of content out there both in written form and through podcasts.

For podcasts, listen to David Goggins with Joe Rogan…he’ll get you to run through a wall. For more of a strength and conditioning focus, legends Johnny Parker (Iron Game Chalk Talk) and Al Miller (Strength Coach Podcast) had two great listens.

For articles, two really interesting articles on lifting weights and long term health, which would be two really good articles for people to read if you need a little motivation to get into the gym and lift consistently.

Enjoy!

Podcasts

Joe Rogan Experience with David Goggins

Leave Your Mark with Brett Bartholomew

Iron Game Chalk Talk with Johnny Parker

Iron Game Chalk Talk with Pete McLean

Strength Coach Podcast #242

Articles

How Lifting Weights Helps Cut Your Risk of Early Death by Men’s Health

Your Glutes Probably Aren’t to Blame for Sore Knees by Dean Somerset

Ten Tips for Better Sleep by Examine

Do You Even Lift? by Forbes Magazine

3 Loading Types You’ve Likely Never Heard Of by Mike Robertson

Training for sport isn’t complicated. Jump. Land. Sprint. Lift. Perform sport specific conditioning. Rinse & repeat.

I can’t think of a simpler tool when it comes to developing power or converting the strength that athletes gain through strength training into usable power then the med ball…and they are extremely safe and very user friendly.