Fall Training: Important Reading for Athletes and Parents

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This Fall at Sullivan’s we are seeing a shift in the way things are being done. We’ve currently got 30+ middle and high school athletes training over at the gym for the Fall Season. I had originally expected closer to 40+. Here is what is happening:

The 10 or so kids that are missing (that would have trained here last fall) are training elsewhere. Some kids are playing for fall hockey programs who offer a training component, some are being forced to train at other facilities with some of their teammates, and some are being forced to train at school. While obviously I would prefer to have all of “my guys and gals” under one roof, often times it is just not possible. In this brief article, I am going to cover some thoughts and concerns related to this topic.

Poor Programs

I have seen 2-3 of the programs that the kids are using while training at other places and I have to say they are scary. It’s very easy to plug a bunch of crap into an excel spreadsheet and have it spit out a cookie cutter program. However, excel has no idea that you have previous injuries, flexibility limitations, etc that may prevent you from safely performing different movements.

Poor Coaching

In this industry, there are still people who are responsible for teaching young people how to lift weights and train for their sports, who have no clue what a decent rep or set should look like. Either that or they don’t care. Last night I had one of my athletes training with me who also trains at school a couple of times per week. After seeing his program, I asked him to demonstrate some of the lifts. Horrible technique. Recipe for injury. He said this is how he lifts at school. Yikes!

Solution

Some of the other places people are training, I haven’t seen anything first hand, so it is tough to pass judgement. I just hate when you have a kid for a 12 week summer session, and then send him somewhere else and have all of that work wasted. I know of one place, one of the chain gyms who has a session of 30 kids running around and playing little games. If you squat all summer, and then don’t squat a single rep all fall, where do you think all of that strength will go?

Basic Program

I think you can accomplish some decent things in a 2 day program. If you have trained here before, you should know how to warmup, so do 4-5 stretches, some of our warm up drills, and then do:

Day 1

A. PUP x 25 seconds, Side Plank x 25 sec ea, Glute Bridge x 30 sec (3 sets)

Legs: Front Squat (perfect technique) 8 x 3 (substitute 1 leg squats if you want)

Push: Pushups 3 x 8, DB Bench 5 x 5

Pull: Chin up: try to get 50 reps total

Day 2

A. Suitcase Carry or hold x 20 sec ea, side plank with clam shell x 8ea (4 sets)

Legs: Trap Bar or 1 Leg Deadlift 6 x 3

Push: DB Push Press 5 x 5, more push ups

Pull: inverted rows x 60 reps, 1 arm DB Row 3 x 8ea

Workouts should take about 50 minutes. This plan is better than all of the other stuff you are doing now. Execute with perfect technique and hard work. Call me or email or text with any questions.

Tom

781.831.3901

tom@sullivantrainingsystems.com