Science & Common Sense

Systematic resistance training and conditioning has become accepted as a precursor to increased athletic success and an important component for reduction of athletic related injury. Nearly all high school and college football programs participate in some type of weight training, speed, agility and conditioning regimens. The football coach can find the available information related to strength and conditioning training both vast and conflicting. This can lead to confusion and training programs that lack a systematic approach. In preparation for the writing of A Chance to Win – A Complete Guide to Physical Training for Football, Dr. Caterisano and I attempted to provide an easy to understand rationale for the how and why of program design. At Virginia Tech we design programs based on principles of specificity and priority. We will address the following issues related to priority and