How to Build Long Term Strength

In the world of strength and conditioning, sports performance, and training - it’s no secret that PRI, gait mechanics, respiration, and other forms of global approach based modalities have become more mainstream. Rightfully so. There is a lot of merit to these principles. In fact, I’ve taken every course from PRI to DNS. 

We have implemented a lot of these principles into our company and training. My job at VH is to ensure that every single individual who walks in our doors gets results. However, after years of working with thousands of athletes, specifically basketball players, it’s important to look objectively at your approach. 

There is much more on the line when you work with higher level athletes. Contracts, agents, teams organizational structure, games, skill sessions, traveling, just to name a few. In order to get an athlete to have a healthy high performing career you must find ways to create long term adaptation. I believe when it comes to basketball players we take an inverse approach. 

Tennis ball drills, balancing drills, ground touches, side lying adductor pull backs, heel bridges, push ups and band pull aparts. If I did not see the name or sport on your programming sheet, I would think you’re training a 12 year old girl. 

This is not a slight, it’s an objective observation. How is the athlete you’re working with going to play 15+ years in the league? Durability. Managing chronic stress overtime. Your psychological inputs are just as important as your physiology. 

When you constantly tell the athlete, “we’re doing rehab drills, corrective work etc.” You’re telling the athlete they need to be fixed. Don’t get me wrong, I’d argue we have one of the most extensive basketball assessments in the country. It includes much more than movement. 

Strength should be at the foundation of every program. In this graphic, this is an internal RPE calculator that we created that helps us the coach objectively measure stress and the athlete subjectively measure stress. We’ve used this without fail for 5+ years not for continuous improvements (up to 8.4% improvement every 13 weeks). 

I challenge you to think, what’s going to move the needle of this athlete’s career forward?