Building the Habit: Four Strategies for Improving Training Consistency

/ Volt HQ/

Getting athletes to take lifting seriously is often easier said than done. Without any interest in the process, there is little you can do besides patiently wait for their minds to change. Making athletes do something they don’t want to do only leads to a stronger aversion to that specific activity. The introduction of training places a challenge on pre-existing habits and routines, and can be frustrating to break if they aren’t conducive to the new demand of training. The creation of new habits, routines, and environments will be necessary for the success of your training program. Inside, you’ll see four strategies to help athletes build habits that support consistent and committed strength training.

Read More

Introducing the Volt Demo

/ Volt HQ/

We founded Volt Athletics to put elite-level training in the hands of coaches and athletes everywhere. With that goal, we aim to take every team to the next level through science-backed training and personalized goals that drive results in the weight room and in competition.

Since we launched Volt, curious coaches have asked to take the platform for a spin and see for themselves what our technology has to offer. Now, with the launch of our brand-new (and totally free) demo, every coach everywhere can explore Volt’s world-class training platform on their own time.

Read More

Building Interest and Commitment

/ Volt HQ/

Most coaches in the sporting world agree that weight training offers massive benefits to athletes. However, from the perspective of a young athlete stepping into the weight room for the first time, it can be difficult to accept the type of commitment it will take to see the benefits of strength training. To be fair, from an athlete’s point of view, it makes sense! If that’s the case…how should you, as a coach, build interest and commitment in the weight room?

Read More

What is Athleticism and How is it Tested? Are We Re-inventing the Wheel?

/ Volt HQ/

It’s that time of year again, late February. The Super Bowl is a few weeks behind us and it’s time to start thinking about “next year.”  For NFL organizations and football fans, this means settling in to watch the feats of strength and athleticism during the NFL Combine. And for sport scientists, this garners a lot of talk, debate and discussion about testing. Inside, you’ll learn about the history of athleticism, as well as the Volt Strength Score and more…

Read More

4 Dimensions of Athlete Development, Part 3: Nutrition

/ Volt HQ/

“You can’t out train a bad diet…” Athletes that focus purely on weight training and ignore nutrition won’t see the results on the court, field, or in the pool that they would like. Therefore, athletes (and coaches) need to dive into nutrition education in order to see the gains they need when it comes to performance.

Read More

Fool’s Gold and Diamonds in the Rough: The Adolescent Growth Spurt in Boys

/ Volt HQ/

An athlete’s potential is typically predicted from a young age, many times based on their size. In tryouts, coaches tend to home in on the big kids first, and forget the smaller boys. Coaches note how hard the big kid throws and hits the ball — irrespective of his technique or coachability. On the other hand, the smaller, weaker boy — who possesses a good understanding of the game and great footwork and hands in the infield (yet struggles to throw it hard) — gets discarded because “well, he’s too small.” Has this coach selected the Fool’s Gold at the top of the pile? And didn’t dig deep enough for the Diamond in the Rough?

Read More

Overtraining vs. Under-Recovery: A Paradigm Shift

/ Volt HQ/

“Overtraining” is a buzzword used in the strength and conditioning industry. Often we’re told that overtraining leads to reduced performance on and off the field, delayed progress, and even injury. But does overtraining exist, or is it simply a misused term, describing another aspect of performance that’s often overlooked? Tyler Koch, MS, CSCS, argues that instead of focusing on overtraining, coaches should focus on their athletes’ ability to recover from training.

Read More

4 Dimensions of Athletic Development, Part 2: Performance

/ Volt HQ/
4 Dimensions of Athletic Development, Part 2: Performance

If athletes are high-performance sports cars, then strength coaches are the mechanics: the weight room is our garage, and the practice court is our test track. And just as sports cars need test runs and consistent evaluation to optimize performance, so too do our student athletes. In this second article in a 4-part series on athletic development, Clemson strength coach Kaitlyn Cunningham shares how she tests and evaluates athlete performance—along with practical applications for using that data to construct effective training.

Read More

See Jack Zig and Zag: Teaching Fundamental Movement Skills

/ Volt HQ/

An athlete’s success on the field or court can be defined by their speed and ability to change directions. But too often, fundamental movement skills like running, backpedaling, shuffling, decelerating, and changing directions are not taught and coached in young athletes. In Part 4 of his series on Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD), Joe Eisenmann, PhD, shares how to teach athletes how to efficiently move their body from point A to point B—and why it’s so important.

Read More

4 Dimensions of Athlete Development, Part 1: Mental/Cultural

/ Volt HQ/
4 Dimensions of Athlete Development, Part 1: Mental/Cultural

“By putting the student-athletes in positions to lead and receive constructive feedback, we saw immediate results.” Clemson strength coach Kaitlyn Cunningham knows that well-rounded athlete development starts with the mental and cultural component. In this first article in a 4-part series, Coach Cunningham shares some DI wisdom on how to cultivate accountability, foster responsibility, and empower her athletes to depend on one another.

Read More