The following is a list of some mistakes that I have made in coaching and teaching. If you learn from your mistakes I should be a genius, but unfortunately some of the lessons were only learned after I repeated of these mistakes several times. I hope that by sharing these with you, it will help you to avoid making the same mistakes I have made.…

Following the start and acceleration phases of a sprint the athlete reaches the phase where their velocity is maximal. This usually is reached in 4-6 seconds and usually can be maintained for another 3-5 seconds. This is the phase of highest stride frequency and optimal stride length. Slower athletes reach top speed sooner and are not able to hold it as long. There are definite skills associated with this zone of…

Training to failure has never been part of my training repertoire; nonetheless I am always getting questions about it. Good training design and implementation does set up the workout to train to failure. Each workout and each aspect of the workout has a specific objective that is reachable and achievable for the athlete. If the athlete fails on a particular set in the weight, run on the track or a set in the pool, then…

Bill Bowerman is a legend in track & field coaching. He was the coach at University of Oregon for many years and one of the founders of Nike. He ideas and thoughts have had a huge influence on my coaching from the time I first heard him speak as a senior in college in 1968. Yesterday I was fortunate to have my good friend and colleague, Jim Radcliffe, head strength and conditioning coach at University of Oregon visit…

The other day I was talking to a friend and we were reflecting back to 43 years ago to when I started coaching. The differences are quite pronounced. I hope you all realize that I am not living in the past, but we MUST learn from the past, not repeat it. Here are six areas where I think we could certainly learn from the past:…

There's often a perceived big difference between winners and losers. In reality that big difference is not so big. The difference is in the little things. It is doing the little things a little better, more often and consistently. Winners are consistent not spectacular. They are open to learning and always looking for ways to improve. Usually you will find that winners have a ritual a routine that they hold to and it is…

The fourth install of my 5 part series on stack.com talks about the max strength phase of an off season workout. The body has been prepped and readied for the heaviest loads of the training cycle. Please take a look and let me know if what exercises you use to build maximum strength. For any additional consultation please contact me and I would love to talk shop with any and all. …

Sometimes we forget that training accumulates training session to training session, week to week, month to month and year to year. So what are the implications of that?  Simply that it is not necessary to think you must have to have a spectacular training session or a stupendous microcycle, rather it is important to be consistent in the application of stress and balance it with appropriate recovery to allow adaptation…

The key concepts to consider as precursors to beginning a comprehensive strength training program are:

Build a broad a base of activity and general fitness

Build a firm foundation in movement…

The fact is that strength is a basic motor skill, which is an important precursor to other motor skills. To ignore strength development will only serve to limit the development of other key motor qualities such as speed, coordination and flexibility. Everything, regardless of the level of athlete, is related to a broad fitness and activity base. Someone completely sedentary will be more likely to not make good progress…

95 percent of serotonin is made in the intestinal wall, so a person suffering from depression could have leaky gut syndrome

When a male has female fat distribution patterns (fat on the hips and thighs), his risk of getting just about any form of cancer goes up.

To maximize the flexibility gains, 4-6 hours after strength training, a combination of stretching in this order-PNF, ballistic, then…

The common myths about strength training the growing athlete are:

• Before puberty the young athlete cannot put on muscle mass or make significant strength gains because of the lack of androgenic hormones
• It stunts growth because of stress on the growth plates
• It will limit flexibility and hinder skill development as well

Over the years these myths have grown without any basis in fact. Anecdotal evidence gathered over the years by coaches who work…

Summer is hear and football camp is literally days away. What are you doing in your program to bring the on field climate to the weight room?  Setting the tempo and creating an atmosphere that is challenging and positive is a major key to winning in the weight room. Check out my new article on hudl.com and please let us know your secrets to getting the most out of your sessions. …

Training to improve performance in the athletic arena is a process. Here are the steps in the process as I see them:

Define the process – Lay out your goals and objects. Be clear on the ultimate destination…

needed: replacement parts for Reverse Hyper machine. Specifically the lever arm for attaching wts and the webbing to loop the feet

For as long as I can remember the prevalent thought was that injuries were the result of something that was not being done in training. Perhaps it was a lack of core strength, proper leg strength or a deficiency in proprioception. Over the past several years I have a distinct shift. I am seeing injuries occurring because of what we are doing. Ironically some of it is because of the so-called “corrective exercise”…

Dear Strength Coach,

Here are 6 simple, yet challenging exercises, all initiated with the athlete or client lying on his/her back:

1. Hamstrings – Press your heels into the floor, so that the pelvis is unloaded or lifted off the floor. (Unloaded = if there was a scale under the pelvis, the pelvis would touch the scale, but the scale would show 0)
2. Glutes and lower abdominals – squeeze the glutes as hard as possible. Then while…

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Hang out with smart stimulating people. Listen and ask a lot of questions.

See with your eyes wide open…