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PEDs in Sports: The ongoing fight
The sporting world was once again turned upside-down when whistle-blower Grigory Rodchenkov alleged in a BBC interview that Russia ran a systematic program of doping during the Sochi Olympics in 2014. These allegations were presented in disturbing de...

Strength program design and exercise progression
There are many complex job functions of a strength coach, such as building programs and progressing exercises. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest challenges a strength coach faces. First and foremost, it’s imperative to have training philoso...

Five things to consider when upgrading your weight room
Weight rooms are becoming a hot commodity in high school sports. Here are five things athletic programs should consider before undergoing a training facility project. 1. Consult with coaches. Request feedback from sport coaches regarding their...

Powerline: Script variations for total body workouts
When planning offseason strength training days and frequency, some coaches prefer non-consecutive days of total body workouts. The most common reason is the need to consolidate lifting sessions to no more than three days per week for facility reserva...

Powerline: Staples in strength training
Information overload is the new normal, and we have to deal with it on a daily basis in all aspects of life. The influx of data on safe, productive and sensible strength training is certainly no exception. There’s no dearth of research, suggestions...

Where’s your strength coach?
Five reasons all high schools need an experienced & qualified professional in the weight room There’s no better place to arm young people with the tools to be successful in life than in the weight room. A qualified, full-time strength coach is...

Machinery and mechanisms of speed improvement
Speed training protocols are widely varied and sometimes conflicting. One thing you can be assured of, however, is that they are high on every coach’s priority list. In my early coaching years, I read every piece of speed training literature...

Powerline: Reminders for the winter strength training program
January marks the beginning of the offseason training program for many fall sports, thus prompting me to offer some suggestions for planning it in this Powerline installment. Depending upon postseason play, many programs start their winter trainin...

New Year’s resolutions for your strength program
January usually ushers-in the beginning of the offseason strength and conditioning program for a host of sports. Preparation for this crucial period forces coaches to evaluate what they’ve done in the past, discuss implementing some new ideas t...

Powerline: Managing daily priorities of a strength program
On just about a daily basis, I receive several email requests for a handout describing some aspect of our program — in/offseason training, conditioning protocols, speed training mechanics, mobility/flexibility, leadership activities and a wealth of...