Posts by Team
What is the best way to lose weight and get fit for parents?
Parents are keen to get healthy In the last month, I have been asked by three different parents of young athletes ‘what is the best way to lose weight and get fit?’ Excelsior Athletic Development Club was set up to help young people develop their athleticism and skills but adults wanting to get fit have…
Read MoreThe oxymoronic Talent Pathway
How did people get good at sports before the existence of pathways and ‘talent’ academies? If you read biographies of a previous generation of sporting superstars there is usually a mention of a dedicated p.e. teacher or coach at a local sports club. Children discovered their love for the sport locally and affordably. They might…
Read MoreMy books of the year: 2022
Tough to choose just one book It’s that time of year (or slightly early as I am trying to help those looking to buy books before Christmas) to review and recommend what I have read. I started listing back in 2013 so that I didn’t read the same books by mistake. I have split the…
Read MoreNew Course for sports coaches
Gymnastics for sport Over the past 5 or so years, I have been running Movement workshops for sports coaches and p.e. teachers. The participants have enjoyed learning how to teach movement and basic gymnastics that they can then share with their players and pupils. Players who are stronger, more agile and more adaptable can pick…
Read MoreMuscles Strengthening exercises: why the 5km run is not the health panacea.
Muscle-strengthening exercises such as bodyweight exercises, exercise bands, and dumbbell, barbell and machine resistance training exercises have been shown to impact a variety of health outcomes including: · Improved muscular strength. · Bone mineral density (stronger bones). · A decrease in all-cause mortality (the chances of dying from health-related diseases). · Improvements in cardio-metabolic health…
Read MoreCoaching at a weightlifting competition
Three things I had in mind to help the weightlifters Last weekend I coached three of our club weightlifters at the Wild Boar Tier 3 event: Gabby, Will and Chris. This was their first competition outside of the club. Whilst every ‘S&C coach’ does ‘Olympic Lifts’ they do not coach the lifts in competition. There…
Read MoreSummer reading recommendations 2022
It’s that time of year: schools are breaking up, annual holidays are planned and the thought of sitting down with a good book comes to the minds of many people. My summer reading recommendations are taken from the 44 books I’ve read, so far, this year. The reason I say the number is that I…
Read More3 Take Home Lessons from GAIN 2022
I have just returned from Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference at Rice University, Houston. This was my 9th time attending this event. It is a mixture of practical workshops, lectures and small group discussions between sports coaches, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, athletic development coaches, administrators and at least one professional athlete. ‘So what?’ You…
Read MoreBeware the Sirens
Odysseus was able to resist the call of the Sirens by having his sailors tie him to the mast. They stuffed their ears with wax so as to avoid being called to sail onto the rocks and be wrecked. Odysseus listened to their beautiful song but his ship stayed on course because of the strength…
Read MoreHow to start weightlifting pt3: your first competition
Your first weightlifting competition. Entering your first competition is a big step for every weightlifter. Every single Olympic weightlifter has had to enter as a beginner at some point. Whilst you may not be able to control your nerves, and you can’t control what the other entrants are lifting, you can prepare yourself by eliminating…
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