This post marks the release of the first week of the Building Blocks Series Volume 1 powered by BridgeAthletic. Each week you and your athletes will be given the building blocks necessary for mastering the fundamental exercises that build elite athletic performance. Yes, these exercises will seem familiar, but you must remember that without a firm understanding of the basics there is no path towards greatness.

Coaches straddle two worlds when it comes to elite athletics—coaching the sport they love and managing the administrative tasks associated with being part of a greater athletic department. Communication within the athletic department can be far from easy. We’re here to help you navigate best practices in communication so you can set your sights on training, competition, and winning national titles.

Elite athletes have fantastic cardiovascular endurance. They can sustain cardiovascular exercise, such as swimming, running, cycling, etc, over an extended period of time. All too often, we refer to lung capacity as one of the primary drivers of cardiovascular fitness, when in reality, there are several larger factors that determine one’s endurance.

Wearable fitness technology is fast becoming an integral component of elite athletics. BridgeAthletic created this guide to help coaches and athletes make a well-informed decision on the fitness tracker that will give them a leg up on the competition. When deciding upon relevant parameters to measure for elite athletes, consider which metrics most closely relate to performance. Accessory measurements like steps taken or calories burned are interesting to know, but they do not directly apply to an athlete’s performance in a game, race, or event. Heart rate and sleep monitoring should provide key information to coaches and athletes to help them train with more specificity and efficiency.

Stability is a critical component of athleticism. No matter what sport you play, good stability enables you to move quickly, fluidly, and safely. Elite athletes develop this trait to protect themselves from injury, improve their technical prowess, and harness their performance potential.

Coaches, athletes, and parents need to know which athletic items are essential to consistent training and performance. While sport-specific equipment can get expensive, these 10 essentials will help athletes succeed without breaking the bank.

I was recently approached by an athlete who asked me how to put on more muscle mass. He wanted to bulk up a little bit, and was curious to know how his strength program could accommodate this goal. My usual response to this is, “Do you want to get stronger, or really just bulk up?” for how you define your fitness goals usually affects the end result. Athletes and non-athletes alike should seek to build strength, in which hypertrophy can be a happy byproduct, over bulk. Since these terms are often used interchangeably, let’s take a look at how to distinguish them to fit your strength goals.