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