When to add power to your program design?

As we know sports are about rate of speed and power.  You have seen that the strongest guy doesn't win when it comes to most sports.  This maybe a little confusing to some but to most performance coaches they understand this.  Strength does translate into power but if you continue to train a certain way the body adapts and begins to function better in that manor.  For example, lets take a college or high school football or soccer player who just got done with a basic 6 week program for strength.  Now don't get me wrong I truly believe there are some great coaches in the college and high school ranks but as a whole most aren't prepared for the field of play.  I wanted to say that before the next statement.  Most programs are on gaining size and strength and tend not to look at the athlete not as a mover but more as a muscle group.  Was the program mostly linear and machine focused?  Did the program look at basic movement patterns that need to be cleaned up?  Does the athlete have proper hip flexion to get into the squat?  Do they have enough core control to perform split squats or lunges?  I believe training groups is much harder then training 1 V 1 clients but if you progress slowly you can't go wrong for the most part.  Teach body weight and isometric-eccentric control before adding external loads.  Try teaching body weight or functional power exercises before going to Olympic lifts.  I'm always learning and trying to get the most out of every team or group session.  If you don't have isometric strength and eccentric strength you will hit a wall and or get hurt in most situations.  I hope this short article has made you think about your training from a different point of view.  My website and youtube page have group sessions focusing on just this.  You want to assure the athletes are getting better and more powerful but also able to progress not regress.  Thanks for taking time to read this short article.  Subscribe to my youtube page and leave suggestions of what you want to see.  I'll do my best to provide you with more training videos that you want to see.

Coach B Meyer
http://www.youtube.com/user/bwill425

The Old School Guys Knew Best

Guys like Yuri Verkoshansky and Louie Simmons continue to surprise me with the knowledge they were using with their athletes long before my time in this field.   Some of this maybe new to you but the point is no toy or new supplement can replace hard work and knowledge.  A few thing to remember next time you train or pick a performance coach.  You can learn from text books but as we all know life teaches you more then any text book will ever teach you.

1.  Its not likely you will be a great Olympic Lifter and great athlete
2.  Spend more time on hip dominant exercises
3.  Don't spend all your time on teaching lifts just get the job done
4.  Functional Power exercises are easier to teach and might work better then teaching lifts
5.  We forget the body ages and your program needs to change as you change
6.  If you have the same off-season program each year get a new performance coach
7.  Most still don't teach movement first they teach exercise
8.  We are in the business of teaching athletes not lifters
9.  Never get tied to one exercise the body adapts
10.  No perfect rep count but there is perfect form

What is this guy doing?  Time and place for everything.  I really don't know what to say on this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDs8RvDZKTY

Special Almost Free Offer on Upper Body DVD

I've gotten a great response from all my DVDs and wanted to help some friends and clients out with an almost free Upper Body DVD offer.  The offer last till end the end of Feb. 

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