Principles of Performance

Penn Strength Principles of Performance

1) Three-Dimensional Movements

Athletes in sport will move in all three planes of motion. Therefore, they must be trained in all three planes of motion in order to stabilize and produce force. Athletes will train frontal (side to side), sagittal (front to back), and transverse (rotational) in the strength and conditioning program.

2) Ground Based Movements

Sports require balance, stabilization, strength and power. We will train and enhance these qualities by the utilization of ground based movements, which are simply any movement where the athlete is in contact with the ground. These will increase the preparedness of each athlete in their respective sport through closed chain kinetic exercises such as the Push Press being performed over a seated Military Press.

3) Rate of Force Development

The ability to produce force is that which sets one athlete apart from the next. This is an essential quality to an individuals’ performance in sport. We will emphasize rate of force development, or explosive training in all movements, especially through triple extension (ankle, knee, and hip) based movements with both free weights and other forms of training.

4) Multi-Joint Exercises

Utilizing multi-joint exercises will provide the greatest training effect for the athlete. These compound movements, such as squat variations, power pulls/cleans, and standing Presses and Throws will be staples of the program design. Such exercises will utilize the greatest amount of muscle mass and athleticism therefore being the foundation of the program.

5) Posterior Chain Development (Go muscles vs Show muscles)

The posterior chain consists of the muscles on the backside of the body, namely the upper and lower back, rear deltoids/rotator cuff, glutes, and hamstrings. These muscles are an essential link to performance enhancement and the reduction of injuries. A strong and powerful posterior chain will increase the ability to generate power and strength in an athlete while stabilizing the integrity of the athletes’ joints.

6) Core Development

Each athlete will utilize multi-planar exercises to develop and stabilize his or her core musculature. Focus will be on training movements and not individual muscles in this area. The core makes up the entire area between the chest and knees. A weak or under developed core will be an in-effective one. A properly trained core will help display strength and power in an athlete while also aiding in the prevention of injury.

7) Injury Reduction

Through constant evaluation by our coaching staff, we will determine areas of concern for each athlete. The evaluation will expose any potential issues in strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility. From here, each athlete may be prescribed individual work to help to reduce the chance of injury and when appropriate be referred to our Athletic Training Staff and Orthopedic Physicians.

8) Speed/Agility/Quickness (Championship Team Workouts)

An essential link between the weight room and the playing field is speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training. It is taking what the athlete has developed through training in the weight room and links it to sport. SAQ are crucial components to the training program and development of highly skilled athletes.

9) Nutrition

Another essential element to the strength and conditioning program and one that is often neglected is an athlete’s nutrition. Each athlete should learn what, when, and how to consume food based around training, competition and on a day to day basis. Resources will be made available. “70% is what we put in our bodies, 30% is the what we do with it”

10) Student-Athlete Relationships