Building a Strength and Conditioning Program

The development of a successful strength and conditioning program requires systematic planning and deliberate implementation of supported principles. My name is Rudy Thomas and I am the director of strength and conditioning at The University of California San Diego. All of my mentors and professional coaching experiences along with my own athletic career have molded my philosophy and approach in building a program from the ground up. The following is an inside look at the key principles and foundations that we adhere to.

Note: Below are merely generalities. Constructing an athlete is similar to constructing a house. You must start with a strong well built foundation before moving on to any of the finer points. Without that, the rest cannot be.

Keys to successful athletes

1. Durability – Build durable athletes who can tolerate intense training while resisting injury. An athlete cannot continue progressive overload when they are in the athletic training room instead of the weight room.
2. Speed – Speed is the most sought after attribute for athletes. Some athletes have it, all want and need it, but few are willing to train for it. “First to the ball, first up the court, first to the point of attack: wins”
3. Strength/Power – The aim is to maximize athletes’ force production and rate thereof. If the body is strong it has the ability to be powerful. Strength and power combine for overall athleticism.
4. Specificity – As a coach, train to augment specific attributes required by athletes to be successful in their given sport. Your job is not to mimic the sport directly in training, but to improve skills that will transcend to more efficient movement within competition. Focus on general qualities and improving them to the athlete’s genetic limit. Sport coaches can then utilize these improved qualities when teaching the specific movements of the sport. “We move, but we move to make them better movers, not to reproduce every movement of the sport. We lift weights, but not to make them better weight lifters. We lift to make them stronger, more durable, and confident, thus more successful.”
5. Intensity – Foster and encourage the competitive spirit of every athlete that enters the weight room. Athletes should learn to love working-out, and competing not only against the weight, but against each other and themselves.

Approach

General qualities to evaluate and improve

1. Evaluation- Start with a Functional Movement. It is important to have a baseline or benchmark of movement capability, whether good or bad.
2. Work Capacity –Increase an athlete’s ability to sustain effort.
3. Hypertrophy – Increase the size and mass of muscle.
4. Strength – Focus on increasing production and display of force
5. Strength Speed – Increase the rate at which an athlete produces force.
6. Speed Strength – Increase ability to produce force during high velocity movements.
7. Speed – Increase absolute acceleration, sprint and movement velocity.

Expectations and Treatment of Athletes

Responsibilities of Student - Athletes

1. Have a positive attitude and give a winner’s effort. Attitude and effort cannot be taught.
2. Always make selfless, team oriented decisions. Is this good for my team?
3. Be prepared to accept the consequences, positive or negative, of your actions.

Coaching healthy athletes

1. Expect more of athletes then they feel they are capable of. Provide the environment and tools necessary to succeed.
2. Different individuals will undoubtedly require certain coaching techniques, motivation, and instruction. However, the priority should be to train ATHLETES regardless of gender, sport, or skill. No matter what, maintain the same standards, professionalism, and commitment to all athletes.

Coaching injured athletes

1. Empathize. Be disappointed in their misfortune, but move forward. Never baby an injured athlete or ostracize them as if they’re no longer a part of their respective team. Discuss their capabilities not handicaps.

Wrap up

Building a successful collegiate strength and conditioning program should be a fluid process that can be adapted when novel obstacles and needs arise. However, it’s important to adhere to the central principles that will guide your training philosophy. A strong foundation and well-defined philosophy prevents the development of conflicting training approaches. With a strong foundation, the specific goals of different teams and athletes can be achieved while maintaining the integrity of a well-designed program.