Jun 29, 2017Some Give & Take
Flexibility is an essential part of an effective strength and conditioning program. There are a variety of factors that can impact an athlete’s ability to train, from experience in the weight room to injury and time commitments to non-sport related activities. In order to have a safe and sustainable training program, you will need to know how and when to make the necessary adjustments.
“No matter how perfectly constructed your training program is on paper, life in the real world is unpredictable,” writes Christye Estes of Volt Athletics. “You never know when an injury, illness, absence, schedule change, or unforeseen event is going to throw a wrench in your plan, requiring you to make some modifications in order to keep driving athlete performance.”
Student-athletes often have a variety of commitments outside of sports. This can be challenging for a coach who wants their athletes to be completey dedicated to their training regimen, but things don’t need to be black and white. If a student-athlete tells you that he or she will have to miss a training session because of another commitment, it’s important to understand that they should be encouraged to pursue their interests. And if you believe they will fall behind in their performance goals, talk to them about scheduling make-up sessions.
In addition, illness and injuries are not to be ignored. Athletes who try to train through these will only make them worse and prolong their recovery. Make sure you talk to your athletes about the importance of rest and recovery, and try to recognize when they need time off.
Along with adjusting for ailments and scheduling conflicts, it’s important to design a program that targets individual needs. Not every athlete on your team will be at the same level when it comes to weight training, so you should consider optimizing your program to meet the diverse needs of your various athletes. This means creating multiple versions of the same program with modifications to exercises, weight, and reps based on the strength level of each athlete, instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
At the beginning of each season, do some baseline testing to determine which group each athlete should be put into and then provide them with a training plan from there. This will help each individual get the most out of their training and will keep anyone from being pushed too hard or not being pushed enough. A segmented program will also help each athlete peak at the optimum time in the season. When designing your program, be sure to adjust for the demands of the season and the goal of being the strongest come playoff time.
“At the heart of the topic of program flexibility is the most important consideration in performance training: the safety of your athletes,” Estes writes. “Let’s say you’ve got an athlete who misses a few weeks of training. If your program does not adjust for that absence of training stimulus, you may be headed for disaster. This is why rigid, off-the-shelf 4-, 12-, or even 32-week training programs aren’t a solution for your athletes.”
