Coach ,

As a coach you’re always thinking about how to improve your athletes' performance. You’ve stayed up and meticulously wrote programs for your summer strength and conditioning, mileage programming, and speed training regiments. Offseason training is a valuable piece of the success of track and field athletes. 

It’s really difficult to be an expert in all aspects of training for such a diverse group of athletes. Luckily, you don’t have to be!

Strength and conditioning is the foundation of any offseason track and field training program. Boo Schexnayder is a name synonymous with detailed training programs and systems for athlete physical preparation. In the following clip, the LSU legend describes key progressions and teaching points for key weightlifting exercises. 

Link: Teaching Progressions for Weightlifting 

Plyometrics are shown to require high numbers of motor units during explosive contractions. This increases force production at high velocities. Coach Larry Judge, a mainstay in the collegiate track and field setting and coaches education for USATF describes exactly what Plyometrics are as an introduction to help coaches better understand exactly how to apply this activity into their own training. 

Link: Plyometric Training

The core is often considered the bridge between the high ground forces of plyometric training or sprinting and the upper body intensive lifting or coordination of limbs. Amana Rego former US olympic trials qualifier and associate head coach at MSU Denver explains 5 reasons why you need to train the core. 

Link: Core Training

With a basic understanding of strength and conditioning, plyometrics, and core training you’ll give your athletes' summer workouts the boost they need to take them to another level! 

Always be growing,

-Coach Rathke and the Coaches Clinic Comunity of Coaches Helping Coaches