Jul 27, 2016

Training Diverse Populations

Fred Eaves

Team training can be challenging. There are a variety of factors that have to be taken into account when working with large groups and sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming.

When programming for a diverse population, it is important to account for the various needs of the group in order to ensure success. Injury history, physiological age, and ability level are just a few of the factors that need to be considered when developing your training programs. These factors become even more important when you will be working with the same group for an extended amount of time. This article will focus primarily on what must initially be considered in order to program for the long-term effectively.

#1 Backward Design

It is important to begin with the end in mind. You as the coach must determine what your top tier exercises look like in your program. A top tier exercise should be the most advanced exercise your athlete will reach while training under you. After determining what your top tier exercises are, you will work backward to determine what exercises you need to help your athletes reach the top tier of your program. Here’s one example:

Back Squat ⇒ Front Squat ⇒ Kettlebell Goblet Squat

#2 Developing Multiple Training Blocks

Developing multiple training blocks is necessary to implement regressions and progressions effectively in team training long-term athletic development (LTAD) models. A 9^th grade 14-year-old athlete is much different from an 18-year-old athlete physically, psychologically, and emotionally. You must also account for the junior in high school who has never lifted weights.

Differentiated training blocks will allow you to do this effectively. You must develop training blocks that set them up for long-term success. One of the must effective ways to do this is to implement a model that utilizes progressions and regressions of the same type of exercise. Developing this type of program will allow you to differentiate for large groups of athletes while keeping your athletes on a similar plan.

Here is an example of a lower body squat emphasis day for these athletes:

#3 Developing a Deep Toolbox

Developing a deep exercise toolbox is a must if you want to meet the individual needs of your athletes while at the same time setting them up for long-term success. It is important to evaluate your athletes in order to determine what is the correct exercise for each individual athlete. An athletic profile should be developed from the assessment process, which will aid in exercise selection for your athletes.

We like to use a method in which we determine a baseline exercise we want every athlete to be able to complete before progressing forward. We look for a couple of progressions forward and several regressions backward. There should be a reason for all of your progressions and regressions in your programming. I encourage you to develop a deep toolbox, but I caution you to not get too far out there in your programming for developmental athletes. Master the basics with this age group.

Here is an example of progressions and regressions on this lower body squat day:

This is the process I use to begin plugging progressions and regressions into our developmental blocks in our LTAD plan. In my next article, I will get very specific with real life examples of what this looks like at Battle Ground Academy.

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Fred Eaves, EdS, MEd, CSCS, RSCC, IYCA, USAW, USATF, BIOFORCE Conditioning Coach Certified, is Director of Wellness and Athletic Performance at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn. He was honored in 2015 by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as its High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year and in 2013 as the Samson Equipment and American Football Monthly Central Region High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.