AFM Home | The Staff Report | July 2003

Boyd Epley
Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nebraska

Many athletes, especially the younger ones, need positive proof that strength training will benefit them before they are willing to put forth the effort needed to obtain maximum results. They need to BELIEVE in the program. The key is to get the athletes to want to achieve new goals. Once the athlete begins achieving goals they will be eager to set higher goals. It’s always better to pull back on an athlete that is motivated versus one that needs to be pushed. When starting a lifting program, purposely keep the poundages light the first few weeks. The first week the athlete will have a sense of accomplishment just finishing the workouts. The next week they’ll focus on the prescribed poundages used. If the prescribed poundage is too great the athlete will struggle and burn out in a few weeks. By keeping the prescribed poundage lighter the carrot is still out there for them. They will gain confidence as they complete the second week workouts and be hungry to add weight for the next week. There are software packages available that help strength coaches prescribe poundages systematically over a period of time. Remember it’s where you end up that counts not where you start out.