We’ve trained hundreds of contact athletes in the last couple of years. Here’s the five most common mistakes we see in their programmes.
Mistake #1: Focusing on performance over prevention.
Effective strength training can reduce injury risk by 69% (Laursen et al., 2014).
Our number 1 job is to keep you doing the most important thing – your sport.
Your training should be decreasing your risk, not increasing it.
Mistake #2: Prioritising maximal strength over speed and conditioning.
Don’t get me wrong, strength matters. But there are diminishing returns.
Taking your squat from 180kg -> 220kg won’t make you faster.
Speed & conditioning are much better predictors of sports performance.
Mistake #3: If you’re not assessing, you’re guessing.
Numbers aren’t everything.
But most athletes have no idea if their programme is working. How do you know whether your speed programme is working if you’re not tracking your times?
Mistake #4: Putting S&C > Sport
You shouldn’t be building your week around your push/pull/legs split.
You should be building your week around your competitions and sports practices.
Keep the most important thing – the most important thing.
Mistake #5: Overcooking it.
Sometimes, more is just more.
Once the system is sufficiently stimulated, there’s no benefit to doing “extra” S&C.
You’re just increasing your risk of injury and wasting time when you could be getting better at the thing that matters – your sport.
