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January 20, 2015

Powerline: Addressing agility and skill specificity year-round

Change of direction (COD) is not only inherent in just about every athletic endeavor; it is viewed by many as one of the most important movement constituents in physical development. As vital as straight-line speed may be, very few sports — with tr...


December 30, 2014

The ‘Spartan Rotation’ conditioning workout

Coaches are always searching for conditioning drills that fit the specific needs of their sport while concurrently adding enough variety to keep things interesting and challenging. This is especially true when dealing with “anaerobic” or “power...


December 12, 2014

Powerline: Gaining size and speed

We recently hosted our annual strength and conditioning clinic here at Michigan State, and the topic I addressed was that of efficient methods for increasing muscular size and strength. Without fail, it's the most asked question crossing my de...


November 29, 2014

Powerline: Tackling 2014’s biggest strength training questions

I’ve always enjoyed the ongoing interaction with Coach & Athletic Director readers over the past 15 years; it’s proved to be a great forum for the exchange of information. The opportunity to share ideas in this field — and to learn so many ...


October 3, 2014

Powerline: Understanding eccentrics

The positive effects of negative training for advanced trainees Most conventional strength training movements, regardless of the chosen modality, entail both concentric (raising) and eccentric (lowering) phases. Also known as positive (raising) and ...


September 12, 2014

Don’t neglect the neck

The neck is a critically important area for football players  “Do your players truly invest adequate time and effort in strengthening their necks?” It is my hope that everyone answered with a resounding, affirmative yes! In football �...


September 8, 2014

Why strength training is important for all athletes

Strength training has become such an integral part of an athlete’s training regimen over the past several decades that you would assume it is universally accepted as standard operating procedure. However, judging from some of the correspondence I r...


September 2, 2014

Strength training for multisport athletes

As far as strength training has come in not only gaining acceptance, but also in being embraced by the athletic community as a vital component to success, some archaic and unfounded notions still prevail. A common dilemma at the high school level ...


August 23, 2014

Ken Mannie’s mailbag: Answering questions from coaches

It’s time once again to reach into the mailbag and scan my email for some of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received from coaches. There were a lot of great questions that require some lengthy discussion, and I’ve picked a few that...


August 11, 2014

Football: Why every player should be put on hill sprints

Football coaches who are looking for ways to get an edge on the competition or are curious about the kind of training that can make their players faster and stronger are invited to investigate the possibilities of hill sprints, and running the bleach...