April 2012 Blog Posts (42)

You never know where or when you will get training advice and information. Yesterday I was listening to one of my favorite programs on NPR, The Splendid Table (splendidtable.publicradio.org/) with Lynne Rosetto Kasper. The discussion was salt. They said that…

The other day someone asked what me specialty was in coaching? It is not often I am at a loss for words, but I had to stop and think for a minute. I have no specialty; I specialize is in being a generalist. As a track & field coach my specialty was combined events – decathlon & heptathlon, in many ways that sums it up. Coaching all the events enabled me to make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts and…

Sean Skahan

Strength Coach Anaheim Ducks

(This was written 4+ years ago)

As the strength and conditioning coach of an NHL organization, one of my responsibilities is to implement our program with our minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL). Each NHL organization has a minor league team affiliated with them in the AHL. While some teams in the AHL employ strength and conditioning coaches, some organizations will send their NHL strength and…

It is a given that a coach should be as knowledgeable as possible. What are you doing to today to learn and to get better? As coaches we should be constantly learning. No doubt we should question the specialists and experts, read and research, observe other coaches and other sports – that is all fine and well but don’t miss the forest for the trees. Every training session, each interaction with an athlete is an…

Are You Connected?

When looking at the training of endurance sports of biking, distance swimming and distance running strength training is often an afterthought. A sound strength program has tremendous potential to improve performance and to prevent injury. If you think about the demands of endurance sports the goals of strength training are clear:…

Dr. Leroy Walker passed away two days ago. He was an icon in US track & Field, for that matter in US Sport. I did not know Dr. Walker personally but the memory of him etched in my mind was of a training session I was privileged to watch in 1972 at the US Olympic trials…

High school football coaches across the country are writing their summer strength programs. Want to build strength, explosive power and an atmosphere of competition then try adding these 5 lifts to your sessions. I would also love to here what lifts are staple in your program. As always please comment and add to this discussion

5 Exercise to Add to…

Could have, would have and should have are losers laments. I have low tolerance for excuses. If you could have or should then why didn’t you? To me it always comes down to choices. Look at why you are always late to training or late to meetings. Be cold, hard and objective in your analysis. Find actions you can do make the necessary changes in your schedule, your lifestyle or your approach and execute those changes.  How…

During the days leading up to the 2008 superbowl between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, there was a short piece on the NFL network featuring Patriot Strength and conditioning coach, Mike Woicik. The story was about coach Woicik’s 6 superbowl rings and his work with the Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990’s.  The story featured several of current and former players who were coached by Woicik.  Michael Irvin told a story of a conversation he had with coach Woicik…

I have become a fan of some really good motivational books that talk about teamwork and bringing positive energy to your workplace and life in general.  A book that I like is “The Energy Bus” by Tom Gordon.  This book is about an unhappy manager who gets into some car trouble, and as a result, is forced to take the bus to work every day.  In the story, he meets some good people on the bus who give him advice on how to create positive energy and improve teamwork in his own life and at the…

5:00 AM rolls around and your alarm sounds off.

It's just a typical day in your life.  You are off to the gym doing what you love.  You know that while most people are in bed sleeping, you are building character and getting smarter and stronger.  But you don't want any added glory.  You know it's just a typical day.  Just another day to get better.  Most people act like getting up this early is a chore but to you it's a way of life!

People will tell you you're…

This is an article that I wrote over 10 years ago and i feel that the fundamentals behind why i wrote sadly still holds true today.

I hope you enjoy.

Louie Simmons

I am fascinated…

Just wanted to share a short excerpt on todays writings on my next workshop titled "Victory Loves Preparation"

Here are some thoughts on how training age affects the choice of exercises for the general preparation (warm up)

-       Beginners may lack range of motion in multiple joint movements and thus should engage in corrective stretching (4)

-       Beginners may have postural issues that can and should be addressed in the general warm up with…

You hear the term mental toughness used all the time. So and so is labeled mentally tough, what does that mean? What is mental toughness? Can you teach it? Can you learn it? I don't believe in mental toughness, never have. I think mental toughness is a term without much meaning; it is a convenient label that is often used as an excuse.…

Over the past couple of years I've watched this whole barefoot phenomena first with amusement, then befuddlement and now with a high degree of skepticism. What is the big deal here? Let's get past the marketing hype and the pseudoscience and look at the reality. What is a…

Base your speed development training on the speed demands of the sport that you are preparing for. The demands of preparing for a 100 meter sprint are different than the speed demands of soccer and rugby.

Always prepare for each speed training session with a thorough active warm-up.…

I am a new member to this site and I am also just starting my own Facebook page. I enjoy learning  as much as I can about training and would welcome anyone with similar interests to come check out my page, become friends etc.

 I have been lifting/training for over 30 years. Also I have coached for 20+. My main focus now is training High School Athletes. In the past I have worked with Powerlifters, Olympic Lifters, College Athletes, Strongman Competitors and more.

I have written…

I would like to thank Brian Harris for allowing Westside Barbell to become a partner within this community of Strength Coaches . It is always good to share information ,both ways, especially with a group of like minded thinkers, people who want to develop optimally in order to reach their full potential whether it be as a coach,athlete or maybe even both. I would like to start my blog with my view on…