There is a lot of information available (almost too much) on human performance, strength and conditioning, sports performance, etc. Of course not all of it is great information and not all of it is actually relevant. It’s up to you as a coach to educate yourself and find what information best fits your coaching style and aligns with you as a coach.
Just about everything in strength and conditioning is debatable, which is why there are so many people adding their expertise. Here are some of the great minds in the industry who regularly offer their expertise and who should be on your radar. These are the leaders who question everything, think outside the box, and are willing to share their experience and knowledge through books, websites, education, podcasts, and social media.
Cal Dietz
Cal Dietz. Head Olympic Strength and Conditioning coach for numerous sports at the University of Minnesota Look him up. He’s one of the greatest minds in strength and conditioning and all of his education and research has backed training. Cal is the co-author of TriPhasic Training, which is the most scientifically advanced method used for explosive power and strength development. Check his presentation out at Sorinex Summer Strong this past year.
Mike Boyle
Mike Boyle is one of the top mentioned leaders in education for strength and conditioning. If you have been to any strength and conditioning or sports performance clinics, there is a chance he’s spoke at that clinic over the years. Boyle also has one of the best and most popular education courses, the CFSC (Certified Functional Strength Coach). If you’ve been to a facility, high school, or college in the Northeastern part of the U.S. there is a good chance that they have a coach from the Boyle Strength and Conditioning education tree.
Eric Cressey
Eric Cressey is the co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance and has been featured in Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, ESPN, and Yahoo! Sports. If you know anything about baseball and pitching, there is a chance your favorite player has visited Eric to train in the off-season. Cressey is considered an expert in Strength and Conditioning, and notably his work on shoulder strength training is highly regarded in the industry.
Brett Bartholomew
Brett Bartholomew has done it all when it comes to Sports Performance/Coaching. His book “Conscious Coaching” is a book that should be issued to anyone in college who is interested in coaching. It’s not your typical book about training, drills, exercises, etc. It’s about being human and understanding that you’re dealing with humans. More than just physical training, but having emotional intelligence and self-awareness which isn't taught in school.
Here are some Instagram accounts worth following that give you training expertise and methods you can easily implement into your programming.
Vernon Griffith at Virginia High Performance uses a scientific approach to athletic performance, and he shares it all.
Joel Seedman is the owner of Advanced Human Performance and he makes you think as an athlete and trainer by challenging and implementing new tips and exercises that immediately transfer to the sport of play.
Here are some YouTube channels that are worth your subscription to.
One of the most consistent and high quality YouTube channels for speed, agility, power and strength.
“Squat University is the ultimate guide to realizing the strength of which the body is capable of. The goal with each and every video is to help you move better in the gym (and in life) decrease your body’s aches and pains & help you reach your true athletic potential!”
All of these coaches are much more than the summary I provide. You may not agree with everything they present and that’s OK. You should question everything they do and share. With anything you read or learn, it’s best to implement, or it’s very difficult to retain. It’s impossible to take everything from everyone, so find what best aligns with your coaching style, training mind, and character.
