October/November 2019 - 23

STRENGTH COACHES ROUNDTABLE
Photo courtesy of Georgia Tech Athletics
In our 2019 strength coaches
roundtable, we look at the ways
information and analytics
influence how athletes train
S
trength and conditioning has become a data-driven
enterprise. Innovative devices and software help
coaches understand their athletes'
limits, monitor
progress and assist in recovery. They've ultimately
reinvented the way coaches train their athletes.
In this year's strength coaches roundtable, we ask some of
the best trainers in the business about the data they use in
their programs and the impact it has made with their athletes.
Roundtable participants include Darnell Clark, Cal Dietz,
Ryan Johnson, Lewis Caralla and Mike Gentry. Learn more
about them on page 26.
What are the main areas related to athlete performance
in which you collect data?
Caralla: Our GPS Catapult System tracks all of our team
runs in the offseason. We try to match a week's load as close as
we can to a week of practice. We can see their top speed, and if
they are coasting on some of our max effort work.
In addition to the GPS, we test a variety of things to measure
the athlete's performance: 225 bench max, pushups, pullups,
vertical jump, broad jump, 10-yard sprint, L-drill, pro-agility
shuttle, arm and neck measurement, body fat percentage, and we
make sure we take their pictures before and after the offseason.
Johnson: I primarily collect performance data. We measure
squat, clean, bench, vertical, broad jump, 20-yard sprint, 40yard
sprint and pro agility.
We have created formulas based on these results to evaluate
athletes on athleticism as well as strength and power. The
categories are: Trojan Strength Rating (TSR), which is a
pound-for-pound strength rating that's factored off of strength
to mass index; Power Factor (PF), derived by a formula that
factors vertical jump and body weight; and Performance
Rating (PR), which is a combination of the TSR and PF. We
track athletes throughout their high school experience. The
PR has become a valuable tool in predicting athletic success
without factoring in sport skill.
Dietz: I collect data on general athletic movements like
running and jumping. To me, those are foundational to see if
you're getting improvement, because if you're not improving
in those areas then you may not be improving athleticism.
Clark: The main areas in which we collect data are daily
wellness questionnaires,
functional movement
screens and
strength evaluation/daily recording. We evaluate our teams on
40s, 5-10-5, vertical jump, broad jump, kneeling med ball toss
and some type of conditioning test.
Gentry: Height, bodyweight and body composition;
Flexibility (sit and reach); absolute strength; speed
strength; clean variations, push jerk; speed (40-yard sprint);
acceleration (10-yard sprint); explosive power; standing
vertical jump; agility (20-yard shuttle); and conditioning
(110-yard shuttles).
What tools do you use for collecting this data (i.e.
products, devices, techniques)?
Caralla: GPS, BOD POD, NordBord and Fusionetics, which
is a self-survey injury prevention system.
TRAINING-CONDITIONING.COM
T&C OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 23
http://www.TRAINING-CONDITIONING.COM
October/November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October/November 2019
