Using a Systems Based Approach to Strength and Conditioning - Part 2
This is the second part of of why I believe a systems based approach is the way forward for strength and conditioning (read part 1 here). As part of the Sportland Legacy Group I have been fortunate to be involved with calls with some of the best in the business. One thing that remains the same with their advice? Develop a system.
Systems create consistency. They provide an organised, structured environment where all of your coaches can be working off the same thing. They all know the flow, they all know what works, they all know how things are structured. In addition, categorising exercises and different types of movements builds common language and common understanding among coaches, staff, and athletes. If it's a case of calling them hinge movements, splitting them into knee dominant and hip dominant, or simply what you call your exercises, having that system allows you to understand where everyone is, which eliminates confusion and improves consistency across the board, which I believe is critical to running a great programme.
After you've determined all of that, you can use it to evaluate what works and what doesn't. This, in my opinion, is a critical aspect of developing a system. As strength and conditioning coaches, this is exactly what we want to do. You can break down each component and element and highlight what you want to understand. You can then determine whether or not it is having a positive training effect. As a result, you can save a lot of time by manipulating and adjusting that one component rather than going through everything you've written in all different formats and trying to figure out why something is happening.
The fundamentals remain constant; the likelihood is that you already have a system in place but are unaware of it. One of the most straightforward approaches for strength and conditioning coaches is the fact that the human body has a built-in system. The underlying biomechanics and physiology already provide various movement patterns, energy systems, and training fundamentals. It is entirely up to you how you develop them within your own personal model, but they are going to remain consistent so that you do not have to return to them!
When you streamline the entire process, your athletes, coaches, and you know what's happening, so you can focus on coaching, building rapport, having genuine conversations, and not have to worry about the logistics of what's going on. Individualised but systemised coaching enables you to effectively support every single athlete and coach, regardless of level, but within the same structured environment. Remember that regardless of how complex or simple your system is, it must save you time, especially if you're working with a large group of athletes in a multi-disciplinary team.
With all of the templates and tools we create, we aim to provide a system for you, a simple workflow for you to move through while programming. Take a look at our Strength Coach Programme Builder to see more.
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