Strength Training Multi

Sport Athletes

Matt Ludwig SCCC, CSCS

Programming Design Guidelines

1. Improve motor learning and neural output by teaching form and technique

daily.

2. Keep the program basic and fundamentally sound. Don’t get overly

zealous with % and training phases and cycles. Teach athletes basic

movements that apply to sport (squatting- pressing- pulling)

3. Build a program that you understand – know your limitations- and be a

student of sports performance.

4. Implement a complete training program that addresses all areas of sports

performance (strength – speed/agility training- flexibility- plyometrics)

5. Strength train in full ranges of motion to prevent injury and build joint

stability.

6. Progressively overload the athletes by adjusting training load- training

volume – and exercises once mastery has been achieved.

7. Listen to your athletes – sometimes rest is all they need.

8. Keep records of their progress weekly.

9. Communicate with other sport coaches to make sure you are being as

efficient as possible in the weight room and at practices.

Getting Started

Be Developmental

• Improving and athletes performance can be as simple as improving a

motor learning pattern.

– Youth athletes still have immature nervous systems that need

constant education. Work on the basic fundamentals of human

movement daily in every aspect of training.

– Younger lifters should spend more time improving their strength

through volume. (8-12RM) Older more developed lifters can spend

more time using heavier weight for a lesser volume (3 to 5 RM).

• Strength training should focus on building the athlete throughout the

entire fullest ranges of motion required for the sport.

– Training in a limited range of motion increases muscle tightness,

and limits range of available motion

Be Developmental

• NEVER Sacrifice form and technique for the sake of a number.

– Too often athletes are asked to max out using weights they

cannot handle simply for the sake of getting a new max.

You wouldn’t allow an athlete to compete with poor

technique in sport, don’t allow them to compete with poor

technique in the weight room.

• Use weight training as a tool to improve intrinsic motivation

and self confidence.

– Athletes in a positive state of mind and full of confidence

produce better results more consistently than their counter

parts.

Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail

– Build a training program that compliments your weight

room. (space, equipment, other facilities) use other sport

team programs for ideas not templates.

– Know your athletes weight room experience level and

limitations and work up from there.

– Know the energy systems for the inseason your athlete will

be utilizing.

– Only use exercises that you can teach and understand.

Then go learn new exercises!

Failure to Plan continued

– Be consistent with coaching points but conservative with

adding in new exercises too soon. It takes about 4 weeks to

develop mastery of an exercise.

– Know all of your available training equipment. Bars,

dumbbells, medicine balls, bands, weighted sleds, pools,

squat racks, step up boxes…… and learn how to get

multiple uses out of all of it.

– Make your athletes students of strength.

– Check all safety equipment and keep it up to date.

What are your athletes needs?

• How do you start with designing a strength training program?

• All sports equally require specificity – progression- and overload to improve sport performance. But all sports are unique to their energy requirement and physical demands.

• The Strength Training Continuum

• Anaerobic Anaerobic/Aerobic Aerobic • Max Strength Strength/endurance Endurance

• Thowers Football Baseball Soccer Marathon

• Weight lifters Pole Vault Softball Tennis Cross country

• Power lifters Sprint/Hurdler Hep/decathlete swimming Triathlon

• Jumping Volleyball Wrestling Basketball

Utilizing the Strength Continuum

• Anaerobic sports training needs

• 4x per week

• 1 body part per day

• Work larger muscle groups early in the week to allow for

recovery on competition day

• Work smaller muscle groups and core later in the week

• Anaerobic/Aerobic sport training needs

• 3x per week

• Lower body

• Upper body

• Arms and core

Utilizing the Strength Continuum

• Aerobic strength training needs

• 2 full body workouts per week

• First workout heavier bilateral exercises

• Second workout lighter unilateral exercises

• Keep 48-72 hours between workouts

• Emphasize full ranges of motion to promote motor

development and muscle balance

• Core work at every workout

• Flexibility work needs to be done daily

How do athletes learn? • Complex motor skills take about 4 weeks from the introduction

of a new skill to mastery of that skill.

• Week 1 : introduction

• Week 2 : development/improvement

• Week 3 : sub- mastery

• Week 4 : mastery

• Give your athletes the chance to get good at doing what you

are asking them and then start adding new challenges to those

demands.

• Take a 52 week approach to strength training and physical

development

Building the Program To design a Strength training program, start by putting each sport into 16

week training blocks

Fall sport: football 16 weeks

Winter sport: basketball 16 weeks

Spring sport: track and field 16 weeks

Remember to account for 1 week at the end of each 16 week training

block to deload the athlete and allow them a week of rest and recovery.

This way you can build your strength training program to address the

single sport athletes yet still accommodate the multi sport athletes. In

a year round strength training program.

Dedicate the first 4 weeks of every 16 week training block to the

introduction of new training exercises specific to your sport.

Building the Program • Break your strength training progressions down into 4 week blocks.

• Take the first 4 weeks of training to introduce your exercises to the

athletes. Starting with low volume low intensity and increasing volume

to educate and condition nervous system and the musculo skeletal

system. (build muscle balance)

• Week 1: select 4-6 exercises per workout performing 3 sets of 6

repetitions on each exercise

• Week 2: use same exercises per workout performing 3 sets of 8

repetitions on each exercise

• Week 3: use same exercises per workout performing 3 sets of 10

repetitions per workout

• Week 4: Use same exercises per workout performing 3 sets of 12

repetitions per workout

• KEEP THE WEIGHT LIGHT AND THE SAME FOR THE ENTIRE FIRST 4

WEEKS OF TRAINING.

Building the Program Weeks 5-8

– 4-6 exercises after a warm up.

– Because you are decreasing volume you should be able to add to

the load being used to continue to promote growth and

development.

– 3-4 working sets of 10 repetitions per exercise (3sets for aerobic

athletes 3-4 sets for anaerobic athletes).

– If technique is sound, add small increments of weight for each set.

– Try to improve weight used every week or as long as good form and

technique will permit

– Muscle soreness should be reduced to about 24-48 hours for

complete recovery between workouts.

Building the Program Weeks 9-12

– 4-6 exercises after a warm up.

– Introduce low and moderate intensity plyo metrics – keep volume

low.

– Because you are decreasing volume you should be able to add to

the load being used to continue to promote growth and

development.

– 3-4 working sets of 8 repetitions per exercise (3sets for aerobic

athletes 3-4 sets for anaerobic athletes).

– If technique is sound, add small increments of weight for each set.

– Try to improve weight used every week or as long as good form and

technique will permit

– Muscle soreness should be reduced to about 24-48 hours for

complete recovery between workouts.

Building the Program Weeks 13-16

– 4-6 exercises after a warm up.

– Introduce moderate to high intensity plyometrics keep volume low

– Because you are decreasing volume you should be able to add to

the load being used to continue to promote growth and

development.

– 3-4 working sets of 6 repetitions per exercise (3sets for aerobic

athletes 3-4 sets for anaerobic athletes).

– If technique is sound, add small increments of weight for each set.

– Try to improve weight used every week or as long as good form and

technique will permit

– Muscle soreness should be reduced to about 24-48 hours for

complete recovery between workouts.

Building the Program Weeks 17 TRANSITION WEEK OFF FROM WEIGHT TRAINING

– At the end of every 16 week training cycle the athletes

should take a week off from training to allow for rest and

recovery and to refresh the athletes for the start of a

new season.

– (16 week training cycle + 1 transition week per cycle) =

17 weeks

– 52weeks per year/17 week cycles = 3.05 training periods

– This allows for about 3.5 weeks off from training a year

for rest and recovery.

– Overlapping Sports simply pick up right with the start of

that current 16 week training cycle.

Overlapping Sports Overlapping Sports simply pick up right with the start of that current

16 week inseason training cycle for that sport just lighten the load

since the volume increases back up again with the start of a new

season.

Sample: Football Player that goes to State- who plays Basketball and

goes to State- and runs for Track and Field

Football: 1st practice Aug 16th Season Ends Dec 2nd

Basketball 1st practice Nov 13th Season Ends Mar 10th

(overlaps by 5 weeks if the athlete uses the transition week)

Starts on the basketball program on week 6 doing 3-4 sets of 10

Track and Field 1st practice Feb 26 Season Ends May 26th

(overlaps by 2 weeks and the transition week was the week of the state

basketball tournament)

Pick up on week 3 with the track and field inseason program.

Week 1 Sample Anaerobic Program 4x per week

• Monday: Warm up 5-7min

– High Knee Run – Butt Kick- Walking Lunge- Walking Knee Hug- Walking

Toe Grab- Side Lunge- Bear Crawl. All 15- 20yards 3 way push Up 5ea

– Core work – Full sit up- Crunches- Superman- Seated Twist 15x ea drill

Workout: Legs keep rest under 1 minute between sets

Back squat 3 sets of 6 reps using the bar to teach technique.

Barbell or DB Step Ups 3x6 ea leg

Barbell or DB Straight Leg Deadlift 3x6

Manual Leg Curls 3x6ea leg

Barbell or DB Calf Raises 3x6

(15 total sets of work with 1 min rest between ea set = 25-30min)

Post workout Flexibility (10min)

Full body cool down and stretch

Week 1 Sample Anaerobic Program 4x per week

• Tuesday: Warm up 5-7min

– High Knee Run – Butt Kick- Walking Lunge- Walking Knee Hug- Walking

Toe Grab- Side Lunge- Bear Crawl. All 15- 20yards 3 way push Up 5ea

– Core work – Straight Leg Sit Ups – Weighted Crunches- Kneeling Hip

Abduction 15x ea drill

Workout: Chest keep rest under 1 minute between sets

Barbell Bench Press 1st set close grip 2nd set med grip 3rd set wide grip

performing 6 reps at each using the bar to teach technique.

DB Bench Press 3x6 start light to teach technique

DB Incline Bench Press 3x6 start light to teach technique

DB Decline Bench Press 3x6

Push Ups 3x6

(15 total sets of work with 1 min rest between ea set = 25-30min)

Post workout Flexibility (10min)

Full body cool down and stretch

Week 1 Sample Anaerobic Program 4x per week

• Wednesday: Warm up 5-7min

– Body weight squat – Backward lunge – Leg Swings forward/back/across –

Shoulder Post 10ea

Workout: Olympic work and Back rest under 1 minute between sets

Deadlift/ or Olympic lift 3x6 (note olympic lifting has different rules for volume

assignment)

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns 3x6

Chin ups 3x6 (assisted if athletes are too weak)

1 arm DB Rows 3x6ea

Shrugs 3x6

(15 total sets of work with 1 min rest between ea set = 25-30min)

Post workout Flexibility (10min)

Full body cool down and stretch

Week 1 Sample Anaerobic Program 4x per week

• Thursday: Warm up 5-7min

– Body weight squat – Leg Swings forward/back/across – Walking Heel to butt- Walking Knee Hug- Air Hurdle Walk

– Core work – 4 way bridge (timed)– Standing Twist 10ea way- Leg Lifts- Diagonal Sit Ups 15x

Workout: Shoulders and arms

Front Raises 3x6

Side Raises 3x6

Rear Fly 3x6

Upright Rows 3x6

DB Curls 3x6

Tricep Pushdowns 3x6

(15 total sets of work with 1 min rest between ea set = 25-30min)

Post workout Flexibility (10min)

Full body cool down and stretch

Testing: Make it make sense

• Generate a testing protocol that appropriately models the original

training goals that you have set out to achieve.

– Improved Leg Strength – Squat, Front squat, Deadlift, Leg Press, Step Up

– Improved Leg Power – Power clean, Snatch, Vertical Jump test, Broad

Jump Stairwell Sprint test, 30m or 60m sprint test….

– Improved Core Strength – Sit up test, Elbow Bridge Test for Time,

– Improved Flexibility – Sit and reach, Snatch Squat flexibility test

– Body Composition testing

– Body Girth measurements

– Body weight (not a good testing tool for evaluating athlete fitness level)

– Improved Overall Sports performance – time trials and competitions

• Setting goals gives purpose and direction to the training program

• Keep good records and share them with the athlete to help them

develop ownership and accountability with the program.

Don’t Forget the little things

• Teach athletes to be students of strength

• Ego aside learn from others, conventions,

conferences, books, tapes…

• Be patient don’t forget they are still kids and the way

you respond to every situation they experience with

you will mold them for the rest of their lives.

• Be a positive influence on every athlete that you

encounter