But here is why developing work capacity is more important than it’s ever been:
“It’s ‘cool’ to undermine the importance of conditioning & capacity in S&C, especially by the ‘tech driven’ coaches who have neither.
We’re focused on nuanced speed training with kids who can’t run a mile, carry packs vast distances, or goblet squat sets of 10.
We’re putting the cart before the horse.”
-Ray Zingler on X
I am a “Strength & Speed” guy at heart.
I truly believe they are the most important qualities that contribute to improved on field/court/mat/pool/rink performance.
Strong & fast males and females are generally more valuable and utilitarian than their weaker, slower counterparts.
While I often argue that strength is the “most important” quality because strength feeds everything most people care about — speed, agility, power, etc. and kids today are weaker than they’ve ever been. (Not their fault, adults have just devalued the construct, tolerated, and woven laziness and weakness into their environments.)
There is another quality that is even more important than strength…
And that quality is conditioning, or how I prefer the concept, “work capacity” or even simpler, “capacity”.
We have devalued this concept so much, there is even a sect of “strength & conditioning” who is ignoring the 50% of their job title.
We have to go as far as changing our companies’ names from Strength & Conditioning to Strength & “Speed” or Strength & “Performance” because people equate conditioning to “running slow” and speed to “first step quickness”.
What’s laughable about all this is NONE of the strength, speed, power, etc have a snowballs chance in hell without the capacity to repetitively display the “attractive” qualities.
This is why I laugh so hard at out of shape coaches talking about nuanced speed training techniques and using VBT (Velocity Based Training) with 13-year-old’s.
Dude, not only can that kid not goblet squat a 53-pound bell for sets of 10, he can’t even go on a family hike with a pack without getting winded or needing his iPad.
And you’re worried about optimal foot placement in closed agility drills? I mean I’m cracking myself up just writing this, but there are so many of these “cutting edge” coaches out there.
“Strength Kills! Speed Punishes! Conditioning is.. running… slow?”
Do you realize how astronomically little physical capacity kids have in 2024?
And you’re worried about them being able to run a mile?
And how that’s going to “hurt their speed” they aren’t even within 100 miles of being strong enough to display?
We must get with the times and understand our kids have devolved at scale we’ve never seen.
Conditioning matters more than ever.
