In our latest episode of Powering Performance, we had the pleasure of connecting with EXOS’ Director of Continuous Improvement, Stefan Underwood and BridgeAthletic CTO Dr. Fadi Zoghzoghy. This episode is jam-packed with great insights on the value of technology. Follow the link to listen in...

With March Madness nearing, our 9th episode of Powering Performance is sure to get you in the spirit. We are joined by University of Oregon’s Director of Performance for Men’s Basketball, Evan VanBecelaere. He shares with us his journey to becoming a Duck and how he is building new relationships across his new role.

Sailing Performance Training founders, Mike Kuschner and Fred Strammer know how to effectively communicate with their athletes to enhance their performance. As we discussed in Part I of our Episode 7 break down, establishing accountability is essential, especially as a remote training organization. Now, we'll take a closer look into some of SPT's training methodologies, specifically when training youth athletes.

As many of you know, each athlete is inherently different. The founders of Sailing Performance Training, Mike Kuschner and Fred Strammer, know what it takes to train each athlete different. As a remote training organization, they strive to provide their athletes with individualized programs and support to ensure their athletes are properly progressing. They do this by forming deep relationships with their athletes so they can understand the needs and concerns of a variety of athletes who they might never be in the same room with.

Bringing value to your organization is key, no matter the position that you hold. Jim Krumpos, Associate Athletic Director of Sports Performance at University of Arizona shares his expertise on how he has learned to cut through the noise and provide real, lasting value for each of his athletes and clients.

Integrating technology can upgrade your workflow in countless ways, allowing you to train more athletes, connect with your clients, and stay on trend. Though, what you decide to bring into your weight room may vary depending on your clients. EXOS’ Director of Continuous Improvement Stefan Underwood and Jon Barlow who oversees the Pro and Elite Sports at Exos Arizona, share how they balance technology with a human connection in Part II of this Powering Performance episode.

In episode #5 of Powering Performance, we chat with two performance experts to learn about training methodology, rising trends and educating your clients. We break down some of the knowledge gained from EXOS’ Director of Continuous Improvement, Stefan Underwood and Jon Barlow who oversees the Pro and Elite Sports at EXOS Arizona. They share their insight on their philosophies around training and how to create athlete buy-in.

New to the Scene

Things we're focused on...

Here are some topics that are generating quite a bit of buzz. They are not to be overlooked, because hey, if you have made it this far, you must want to stay up to speed.

For a more in-depth dive into tech used in sports click here

Performing with & without Equipment 

*Updated September 2020*

Body Weight Workouts

We've updated this article as it is relevant now more than ever. With more athlete's training from home it is important to appropriately adjust training to fit their situation. Often, this means updating programs to bodyweight only exercises. Check out some suggestions our team has put together on how bodyweight workouts can be extremely beneficial to athletes. 

Even if athlete's do have access to some equipment at home body weight workouts can be used as a way to take a break from a typical weight workout routine. This is also a great trend for building up your athlete's confidence to workout on his/her own. By going over simple, yet effective exercises consistently you can educate each on how to perform these exercises on their own when more weight is added. 

These can be turned into pretty difficult workouts if your athlete needs more intensity. Adding in less rest can be a simple way to increase the intensity and keep their heart rate up.

Bodyweight workouts are also a tool to utilize for athletes that are coming off of an injury or for new athletes. This is the place where you get back to the fundamentals and really tune in on doing the movements properly.

Bring in the importance of body awareness when teaching movement. They should be aware of how their whole body is working together. Often times, when we are surrounded by weights we have the instinct to keep doing more. But more is not always better, especially if the quality of movement is lacking.

Movement is the building block for progress, so properly educate them on how to move well, and often.

Key Tip: "All great coaches keep it simple." - Michael Cazayoux

Focus on mastering the basic fundamentals. It is easy to get caught up in the newest trends and trying to stay on the cutting edge. But the basics are the core to all the movement progressions your athletes will be learning.

Don't get eager to jump to the next new thing and neglect mastering the basics.

Multi-functional equipment
Let's break this down a bit. What is functional training and why is it so popular? Great question.
Functional training puts an emphasis on movement quality over load and intensity. Just like Tanna Burge does when training athletes at Texas A&M.
"More isn't always better. It's just more. So make sure that what you're doing is really good quality. I would much rather have really solid quality of movement with a load on, than crappy movement quality with a high load, because then you start to get these wear and tear issues."